Watercolor Vignettes of July

I finished a page of vignettes from earlier this summer.  You can see the photos I used for reference on this post entitled "Nature Photo Walk": https://betsyblissart.blogspot.com/2025/07/nature-photo-walk.html

Do you ever take walks in nature and find yourself whipping out your phone to snap a photo of a butterfly or beautiful leaf?  As I read through Rosalie Haizlett's Tiny Worlds, I realize that I see nature in detail -- the inchworm dangling from an invisible thread, the goldenrod blooming brilliantly in the sunshine, a single turkey feather dropped on the path.  Details capture my artist's eye.

 It's these small facets in the landscape -- the young cottontail rabbit I saw ahead of me on the grassy trail, the Redstart warbler who surprised me with his quick movements and bright call, the coneflower blooming elegantly in my flower bed-- that bring back that one walk earlier this summer. 

What catches your eye right now outdoors?  I hope you snap a photo of it, and make a sketch of your tiny worlds!

Happy Creating!

Vignettes from a Summer's Day

Mornings in the summer, I like to take my art supplies outside to a picnic table in my back yard and paint in my watercolor nature journal.

My cats join me for this quiet work.

I've been enjoying a technique of painting the little details that catch my eye in the landscape.

I begin by drawing a series of shapes -- circles, squares, rectangles, etc. -- then pick an image to fill each shape.  

I start each vignette with a pencil sketch.  Once the sketch looks right, I add watercolor & India ink.

A refillable Lamy fountain pen filled with waterproof ink works well for adding lines.  You could also use a Micron pen or a Faber Castell Pitt Artist Pen. Once the ink is dry, the watercolors won't cause it to run.

You can add more details over the watercolor with colored pencils.  I used Prismacolor colored pencils for some of the details, and for all of the thistle scene. Feel free to mix your media!

These little scenes were from a walk around the farm I took August 8th.  As I walked, I looked for beauty, and took lots of photos.  I selected 9 images to illustrate, including my cat, Grover, sleeping beside me on the cushion.

By breaking the page into many smaller shapes, the overall scene doesn't feel as overwhelming as a larger composition.  And, I am able to include the beautiful details that I love in any scene.

Here are a few of the photos I used for references.  If you're looking for something to sketch or paint, give one of these a try!

Happy Creating!