February News
Tropical flowers, an urban bestiary, and where we're headed from here
Dear friends,
The bald eagles are back, nesting in the wooded wetlands near my cabin, their presence a reminder that spring (and noisy fledglings) will soon arrive. Our winters are generally mild. When the rare polar vortex manages to make it this far south, it can only survive a day or two and then we’re all back in t-shirts again. But many of you are still weeks away from warm days, so our February theme is an opportunity to bring summer to your sketchbook:
Greenhouse Dreams: Drawing Tropical Flowers in Deep Winter
We started the month with a colored pencil drawing of a hibiscus and an io moth. We’ll explore frangipani and bird of paradise, using different techniques for each flower, and sketch some assorted greenhouse plants. Do you have a favorite tropical bloom? Please let me know!
Monthly Book Giveaway
I fell in love with Lyanda Lynn Haupt’s nature writing years ago, when I read Crow Planet. Then she wrote about raising a starling chick (and daily life with that astonishingly clever bird). As it turns out, Mozart also had a pet starling… and Haupt’s wonderful book Mozart’s Starling skillfully wove that story into her own experience. I think you will love her writing, as well. On Feb. 8, a paid subscriber will be chosen by random selection software and I’ll send The Urban Bestiary on its way. Good luck, everyone!
A reminder: you need some sandpaper!
Our Feb. 15 regular video tutorial is going to be colored pencil on sandpaper. It’s a great medium for very colorful subjects… like tropical flowers. Fine sandpaper with 1000 grit is ideal. It is available very cheaply at hardware stores, home improvement centers and online. It is black or dark grey and comes in 9x11 inch sheets.
Drawing is a powerful antidote to stress, so…
Drawing has been my lifeline in difficult times. It still is. For several weeks, I have been receiving emails from people who have taken my “regular” online courses and are using the lessons to stay positive and focused on the uplifting power of a creative practice, during a time of rapid change. For this reason, I am going to make my annual “Buy One Course, Get One Course Free” offer permanent for the foreseeable future. All 30 courses are lifetime access. See the complete list here: https://artclass.typepad.com/val_webb_online_courses/
Join our group chat:
Share your drawings, ask questions or make suggestions, start a conversation. I love hearing from you.
I grow orchids - and February brings the annual orchid show to the botanical gardens near me. Maybe this year I can bring my sketchbook, to the greenhouse!