11. 26. 09

Thank you day.

beautyberries

Astonishingly bright light tiny berries clustered like grapes, or like barnacles, on stems of a shrub: oh my gosh, look. I came across these berries-of-amazing-color this week (late November, when everything else is mostly entirely leafless).The late afternoon light was upon them.

The sketches do not come close to the waxy shine of the lighted light-grape color. Still, I could use the sketches to remember and to identify the shrub, American Beautyberry, one I had never seen before.

doves with messages

uplifting TOUGHdove / Gretchen's charcoal TOUGHdove

These doves, together with the two looking back doves, were painted some months ago. They are part of a series of dove paintings called Toughdoves. The Toughdoves carry messages with various looks, as you can see. A bit of goofiness, logo-like simple-ness: the two charcoal doves here have different "carriage."

Looking at you TOUGHdove

You can see all of the Toughdoves at Toughdoves.com. I hope you enjoy the gaggle.

another dove looking back

Here's another dove looking back. The dove here is mostly gouache and some charcoal and pastel, on a printimaking paper.

dove looking back

My Dad died some years ago on November 12, yesterday. He has become smaller but, still, quite clearly near. And I look back to see him again, mostly. Sometimes he is around, and not smaller but quite large, all around me, so that I am not looking back to see him.

This mourning dove sketch is mostly charcoal, with some pastel marks for color.