3×3 Local Flora Finals

The Challenge

I’ve finished this week’s prompt  Local Flora for Shannon Mcnab’s 3×3 Sketch-Design-Repeat Challenge. The most important flower in this area is the arrowleaf balsamroot of the Astor family because of its deep cultural significance to the Native Americans here.

I wrote about the scientific poster for the sunflower, arrowleaf balsamroot that grows in our area as large, bright yellow sunflowers from May to July. I perused my own photos in an album of several local types of sunflowers, and mostly arrowleaf balsamroot. Also. my Flickr Photo album of my hike at Crescent Bay, provided several photos of the plant. After research to discover its special aspects, including the sunflower bee that lives exclusively off the asteraceae sunflowers, I illustrated the poster.

Patterns

Since I had used Lisa Glanz’s AquaReal2 watercolor for the coloring and Lisa Bardot’s rough day liner from her Texturrific Liners brush set for the outline and details of the poster, I decided to continue with those brushes to create a coordinated set of patterns to accompany the poster.

I created several patterns, revised them, and chose the colors that fit best, deciding on the cream colored background for my project submission [featured image and above]. It is a trailing vine pattern that includes the sunflower in two positions, it’s leaves, and the little sunflower bee. I’m thankful for the repeat pattern template and process learned from Rebecca Flaherty to be able to create the trailing pattern [see WrapUp Bekki]. I really love it and plan to order some product, probably a dress from Red Bubble, to wear.

The other complementary patterns are a basic scatter pattern, a basic pattern of falling petals, and a circular pattern to mimic the tiny buds of the sunflower’s disk center.

Thank You

So, as an artist learning as I go, I am thankful for the teaching and tools of several artist teachers:

• Jennifer Nichols and her supportive Creative Journey Community, classes, brushes
• Shannon Mcnab for the inspirational challenge
• Stacie Bloomfield for her 5 Day Challenge to build a portfolio
• Bekki Flaherty [Rebecca] for her tutorials and templates for various patterns, like the trailing vine / diamond pattern
• Lisa Bardot for her supportive Art Makers Club, tutorials, and brushes
• Lisa Glanz for her tutorials and brushes
• Design Cuts for supporting artists, tutorials, and art tools

Learning from such supportive artists has helped me grow in skill and style and I am thankful for that. Give them a try.

I’m also thankful for the conversations and support in various communities where beginning artists like me can learn together.

I’ve seen this Shannon Mcnab’s 3×3 Sketch-Design-Repeat Challenge for a few years and participated last year as well. From each artist and community, I learn about other techniques and other artists from whom I can expand my skills.

So if you are new to art, be sure to follow these artists, learn from their tutorials and challenges, and start to build your skills and portfolio.

Whether you want a small business with your art or enjoy art just for fun, these artists brought me to this place.

For more artists of influence, see my Artist Resources page. Any of them will send you on a journey you will love and enjoy.

You can start to build your art portfolio too!