Stories Behind the Art
My art journey was recently impacted by a discovery on my lawn. I noticed these odd mushrooms a few weeks ago and thought I would investigate. Sure enough, they were morel mushrooms (Morchella). I had heard the name before but never thought much of it. I confirmed through a few resources that these were indeed real morels and not fake morels (yes, that's a thing).
I picked a couple and fried them up with butter and garlic as well as some salt and pepper. Oh my, they tasted like steak, and my daughter quickly grabbed the last two bites and asked for more. I told her there were more on the lawn, but it would take another week or two. Her eyes widened, and she asked, "Dad, you made me eat lawn mushrooms?!". Oh well, she did love them :-)
I had a dozen or so left, but I let them go a little too far. However, I spread the spores and hope for a new crop next year. It seems this is a thing, and the CBC has an article on it here. Please be careful when foraging. Contact local experts with regard to the mushroom variety and proper preparation techniques. These can be poisonous.
I decided to use some Strathmore Toned Blue paper and my Faber Castell Polychromos colored pencils to render this beauty. This piece and a couple of other colored pencil pieces will be available over the coming days in my store.
Recent Drawing Inspiration Episodes
Here are some of the most recent “Drawing Inspiration” podcast episodes. The podcast is available wherever you listen to music.
Did you know you can now ask Amazon Alexa to “Play the Drawing Inspiration podcast”?
52: Color Versus Line and Demystifying Oil Painting with Kimberly Brooks
I talk about some colored pencil pieces and future plans. Artist and author Kimberly Brooks joins the podcast to discuss her journey and her new book, “The New Oil Painting”. We talk about her beginnings and how she took control of her own journey. She discusses color versus line for all artists and not being precious about your work.
53: Draw Your World with Samantha Dion Baker
Samantha Dion Baker joins the podcast to talk about her evolving art practice from graphic design to illustration and author. She shares her journey that has resulted in volumes of sketchbooks in her house. She talks about about her process, tools, and approaches for creating wonderful memories through a mix of pencil, ink, and paint. We talk about her upcoming book, “Draw Your World,” which will inspire artists at any stage of their career.
The Bookshelf
I will have to go with the two books I discovered this month.
Kimberly Brooks’ book "The New Oil Painting" is an exploration of the materials and safe practices around oil paint. I have always been concerned about the chemicals associated with oil painting, and this book offers some guidance and comfort around that. I am excited to dive deeper into this book as I get closer to trying oil painting :-) The hits shelves on June 8th, but you can preorder the book here.
Samantha Dion Baker has put together a new book called "Draw Your World" following the success of "Draw Your Day". If you have ever considered a visual journal, this book is for you. She discusses her favorite tools and materials and explores composition, light and shadow, perspective, and other important elements. Whether you are an urban sketcher or want to try some journaling, this book will be a welcome addition. "Draw Your World" comes out June 22nd, and you can preorder here.