Details

I have found much joy in my commitment to daily drawing practice this month.  It really helps me appreciate the details of things I usually take for granted - sort-of like looking at everything through a macro lens. 

On Friday I was inspired to draw butterflies.  As there aren't a lot of them flitting about this time of year I drew from a book of vintage illustrations.

Because these sketches are based on illustrations they have a very different quality from sketches directly from life or even from photographs.  They seem almost like cartoons to me but they were fun to draw none-the-less.

To be honest, I've never tried drawing butterflies from life but I'd like to try.  It would be an interesting exercise since they are in constant motion.  While sketching I thought about how illusive butterflies can be...as illusive as peace and contentment are when we chase after them instead of just accepting their presence as a gift.  I jotted a few thoughts down to ponder later.

Many things we chase in life are like butterflies...always just beyond our reach.

Yesterday I walked through our woods and found some interesting dried blooms and seed pods that I thought would be fun to sketch. 

I do love the way the dried leaves of old rose blooms twist and curl.  It's quite stunning.

All of the pods I found are empty now, their seed scattered on the breeze.

This lumpy bumpy pod was my favorite.  It has this wonderful blobby hole in the side where it appears the seeds made their escape.  It looks like they burst out as if shot from a teeny little cannon. 

Just for fun yesterday I also put together a Pinterest board full of beautiful images of seed pods.  If you're a Pinterest fan as I am, you might like to check it out here.  And, just so you know... you're always feel free to pin from this blog :-)

Finally, early this morning I sketched the bird's nest I found the other day.

I hesitated to start this one as I didn't really know how to handle all that detail.  I finally decided just to go for it.  Following the lines of the twigs and fibers was very meditative. 

Drawing the nest had the same affect on me that creating mandalas does.  I felt very peaceful and centered as I added the final strokes with my pencil.  It reminded me of a day last November when I created a mandala with daisies and birds as I prayed for my sister.  I still love looking at that one.

Why not take time to study the lovely details of a few familiar objects in your life today?  Maybe you could take a few moments to sketch something out or capture an image with your camera.  You might even like to write a little bit about it.  Notice the details...Honor the beauty...Enjoy your beautiful life.

Linking today with:

Sunday Sketches

***Thank you all soooo much for your comments and encouragement.  I'm a little behind on answering  (Last week was a doozie!) but this coming week looks to be much more manageable.  Time to play catch-up!***

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