Meander

Recently I have been captivated by the wonders of plants and the natural world. I have learned to  pay close attention to what may seem to be minor details, and with practice, these details magnify in the eyes of the observer. With this new perspective in mind, I approached the word "meander." To me, meander has a connotation of pleasure as the subject travels from place to place, taking a non-linear path and stopping to enjoy or observe the surroundings. Thus I drew what I think of as a botanist's meandering. 

The form of the work was created with a combination of sketch and chalk pastel. I don't know that this is a common means of working. I began with sketching some parts (the path, the man, the tree, and the large vines). I then decided that I wanted to add color for this work. I had this chalk pastel which I wanted to try using, so I let it contribute to see what would happen. It was not as exact as I would have liked, as the edges of the pastel pieces were flat squares. I decided to keep working with both pencil and pastel. I would agree that colored pencil would work well, but I like the dimension that the chalk pastel adds. I am certainly open to feedback. 

September 13, 2016