This piece was created last winter/spring and never made it to the blog. So, belatedly, may I present “Monocromatic”! Creating using a mixture of markers, charcoal and ink here are images of the piece in progress:
As you can tell I was busy creating instead of taking photos of my process. It happens sometimes!
Next post will be another tree from winter/spring, this one with a tropical feel. Look for it soon.
Lynne
A recently finished piece!
This was a fun project that I started for one reason and finished just because I loved making it. 🙂 Originally thinking I’d enter it into a competition, I didn’t get it finished before the deadline but that didn’t stop me from completing it. The drawing/coloring of all the mandala “leaves” was much more time consuming than what I thought! 
After getting them drawn it was on to adding the background paint and then it needed to dry for a while, it had gotten quite saturated!
Once it was dry, the first details I tackled were in the tree trucks.
Then on to the leaves. That was the slowest part of the process. 
I used a semi-limited pallet so that the piece would have some continuity, which added to the challenge. 
The finished piece is still in the studio as I decide how to frame & display it! I’m also thinking it needs a better title than “Mandala Tree” – what do you think??
Lynne
Yes, there are supposed to be a couple more posts about the up cycled artwork but I couldn’t resist sharing some new images with you. I’ve not used my camera for “fun” for a while and have really gotten into it the last couple of weeks. Right now there is an abundance of blooming peony bushes in the yard so they’ve been an awesome subject. Here are a few of my favorite images:
Next time I’ll share some that I photographed & edited to be high-key, light & contrasty. More fun!
Lynne
Okay, so I know I’ve been trying to catch up with all the upcycled/recycled artwork from last year but in the meantime I’ve been doing some other fun art so I thought I’d take a little “time out” and share something new with you before we finish up with the last half-dozen or so pieces from last year. My obsession with trees continues, both in my art and at home. Both in the form of bonsai trees! I’ve adopted a little juniper bonsai tree and have two other types I’m trying to grow from seed (as I wait impatiently for sprouts!). I’ve always loved the “personality” of trees, how they branch this way and that, twist, lean and each just seem to have a story to tell us if we listen closely enough. With the way bonsai trees are pruned and trained into such interesting shapes I suppose it would be inevitable that I wouldn’t be able to resist them and, after trying for several years, I gave in. My sketch book is slowly filling up with trees from my imagination and now I am producing some in a more presentable manner. The first three started together with a (very) rough outline of the trucks and limbs.
From there I added some softly blended layers of color to the background areas.
After that dried I began adding the areas where the leaves would fill in the image.
I am always amazed at how much difference adding some shading can make in an image. Suddenly the tree has some dimension and looses that flat feeling!
If you know how I like to make art you might have guessed what happened next. Yes. Doodling, Zentangles, whatever you want to call it…lots of tiny detailed patterns!
After the patterns were all added then came the color! I’ve clumped together the rest of the progression shots, you can click on them to enlarge the images and scroll through at your leisure.
All of which leads us up to the finished image:
Since this is the first one that I finished I took lots of progress shots with my camera. When I share the other two finished pieces there is not near as much to see!
Look for them to be posted soon,
Lynne
Here’s the third piece of artwork created from a section of an old metal filing cabinet, titled “Carefree” –
Unlike the pieces I’ve shown previously, the piece of metal wasn’t cut apart but instead I used the plasma cutter to etch & cut the design in the metal, cutting openings within the design. Here’s an image of the metal after cutting and sanding, before anything else was done to it.
The next step was to paint the entire piece black, using spray paint. 
From there it was time to start adding in all the details. I spent a lot of time sprawled out on the floor of my studio with paint pens adding each little mark! I love creating tree art, no matter what the media, so what some might see as a long, tedious task I enjoyed each moment of.
Once all the details were finished I mounted the piece on a large wood panel (also painted black) with pieces of copper sandwiched between the metal and the wood. I am happy to report that this piece has found a wonderful home and I had the honor of being invited there to see where it had been placed. I couldn’t have been more pleased to see how it seemed like it was just made for it’s location. The light from nearby windows made it dance and change as the sun moved through the sky and the room lighting highlighted it perfectly as well. As an artist you can’t ask for more than that!
Another new piece of art today…or at least MY version of it. If you recall I had posted the line drawing of this image on the blog and Facebook page giving people permission to download it and create their own art. 
It’s been so much fun seeing and hearing what people wanted to do with it! I’ll post some of the images in the future. It’s still available to download if you get inspired!
Here are some of the progress images of my version of the piece:
After the drawing process I painted the piece with watercolors and added highlights with ink. This shows the details, shine & surface of the finished piece, you really need to see it in person to appreciate it!
And, finally, here is the completed piece:
I continue to lean toward trees, branches and organic shapes as I create, I am really enjoying them!
Lynne
It seems a lot of my recent work includes these twisting, turning, swirling leaves/blades of grass/vine-type organic shapes! Remember “Dormant No More”? They are just what flows out of me right now. Here are three digital drawings that all have that type of “feel” to them…
I’d almost guarantee that you’ll see more that are similar in style! I’ve also been more than a bit obsessed with drawing/creating trees. Perhaps it’s indicitave of growth? I don’t even know why I do what I do…I just do it.
Hmmmm,
Lynne
