As the months go by and seasons slide from one to the next, nature cycles through an array of delights. I chose items that I saw each month to create a bit of nature in the round.
Each element had to be something that caught my attention. In January I started out thinking I would collect pieces and create the arrangement on the ground, take a photo and then paint. Life got in the way and I only had time to look and paint. Sometimes I looked at reference photos on my phone.
The first designs were made with Copic markers. I love to blend with them. These designs were all done on 11 x 14 Bristol board which absorbs more than marker paper or photo paper. When the markers started to dry out I couldn’t find refills online. I suspect the pandemic had something to do with that. So I continued with colored pencils, ink, and watercolor.
I included the following natural material:
| January | twigs, frozen berries and pinecones |
| February | frozen berries and branches with a cardinal |
| March | forsythia, daffodils and hyacinths |
| April | tulips, phlox and dandelion |
| May | irises, poppies and hydrangea |
| June | peonies and petunias |
| July | lavender, echinacea, snap dragons, beebalm and lily |
| August | catalpa leaves, Queen Ann’s lace and chicory |
| September | sunflower, ironweed, thistle, and unidentified wild flowers |
| October | acorns, locust leaves, oak leaves and maple leaves |
| November | dried grasses, leaves and bittersweet |
| December | holly and birch berries |
I’m glad I kept going with this project each month. In a year when so much went wrong, it was a constant reminder that there is still a beautiful world around us.
I have a different plan for a monthly series in 2021. Stay tuned!
dnesbitt
They are all very beautiful and so creative. Thank you for sharing. Love and Happy New Year.