"Ability Bouquet (Stronger Together)" - Finished

And so my "Stronger Together" series is complete! Six 19"x25" colored pencil drawings on black paper, each symbolizing a system of privilege/oppression. You can check out the first five completed drawings here:

• Race Bouquet (this post)
• Gender Bouquet (this post)
• Sexuality Bouquet (this post)
• Religion Bouquet (this post)
• Class Bouquet (this post)

This final drawing is called "Ability Bouquet" and it uses two dozen flowers to symbolize differences in physical, emotional, and mental ability. We all have different limitations, skills, and talents, and should work to respect and accommodate everyone so that we can better work together.

Here is the finished drawing:

I used a total of 29 colored pencils for this drawing, in shades of green, yellow, orange, pink, red, purple, and blue. I also used neutrals like brown, black, tan, and white.

This is not yet available for sale, but I will probably list it (and the others in this series) in my Etsy shop at the end of the year.

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To read about the "ability umbrella" - the aspects of ability I was looking to include in this symbolic bouquet - please read this blog post. To read about the relatedly interesting correlation between creativity and mental health, visit this one.

To read about the idea behind this colored pencil drawing and an explanation for the symbolism of the specific flowers used, check out this post.

To see "the making of" photos of this drawing, please visit these:

• Preliminary sketches ("In Progress 1")
• Drawing and lightly coloring in the first 12 flowers ("In Progress 2")
• Drawing and lightly coloring in the last 12 flowers ("In Progress 3")
• Adding detail and dimension to the tulips, anemone, flannel flowers, acanthus, crocus, and succulents ("In Progress 4")
• Adding detail and dimension to the dahlia, tansy, hellebore, roses, aloe, and cherry blossoms ("In Progress 5")
• Adding detail and dimension to the geraniums, lady's mantle, yarrow, heliotrope, mullein, and lupine ("In Progress 6")
• Adding detail and dimension to the marigold, daffodils, white lilac, orchids, chamomile, and dandelions ("In Progress 7")

"Ability Bouquet (Stronger Together)" - In Progress 6

This drawing uses flowers to symbolize the wide variety of different physical, emotional, and mental abilities humans might have, as a way to show how we are better and stronger together when we are willing to help each other out.

To read about "the ability umbrella" - what exactly I mean when I talk about differences in ability - please visit this blog post.

To read about the symbolism of each flower used in this bouquet drawing, visit this blog post.

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I'm in the middle of going back through this bouquet, flower by flower, and adding layers of color and detail. The thirteenth flower I worked on was this cluster of pink geraniums, using dark red, magenta, pink, coral, cream, white, light yellow-green, green, dark green, and black colored pencils.

On the other side of the wilting white roses, I added in this yellow Lady's Mantle - a drying, browning herb. I used black, brown, yellow, white, green and dark green colored pencils for this small clump of decaying flowers.

Next, I worked on these tiny yarrow flowers, using white, light blue, blue, lime green, yellow, and black.

To the right of the yarrow, I drew in these purple heliotropes. I used three shades of purple, three shades of green, and black.

On the left side of the bouquet is this mullein plant, with early signs of browning/damage. I used white, yellow, orange, brown, and dark red, as well as three shades of green, to finish up this flower.

Below is flower #18, meaning that I am 3/4 of the way through this final bouquet. For these pink lupine flowers, I used green, yellow, white, pink, and red colored pencils.

Check back for my next blog post, which will feature "in progress" shots of finishing up the last six flowers.

"Ability Bouquet (Stronger Together)" - In Progress 2

This drawing uses flowers to symbolize the wide variety of different physical, emotional, and mental abilities humans might have, as a way to show how we are better and stronger together when we are willing to help each other out.

To read about "the ability umbrella" - what exactly I mean when I talk about differences in ability - please visit this blog post.

To read about the symbolism of each flower used in this bouquet drawing, visit this blog post.

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Like my other drawings in this "Stronger Together" series, I used black Canson Mi-Teintes paper and Prismacolor brand pencils. Once I had my composition planned on newsprint, I lightly sketched in each flower on the black paper.

I started with the pink dahlia, somewhat in the top-center of the drawing.

Next to the dahlia, I added little yellow crocus buds and a clump of hen and chick succulents:

Some wilted pink anemones went in next:

Followed by some flannel flowers:

These pink tulip buds are in the top left of the bouquet:

On the other side, I sketched in some acanthus, with yellowing stems and leaves to signify a bit of aging:

The large aloe plant went in next:

Underneath the pink dahlia, I added a clump of browning lady's mantle and a bunch of wilting white roses:

The eleventh and twelfth flowers I drew in were these purplish blue hellebore and pink geraniums:

Here is the initial layer, halfway complete:

My next blog post will finish up this initial sketch of the last twelve flowers. Then, once all of the flowers are in place, I'll go through with more colored pencils and add layers of color, dimension, and detail.

Summer Flower Photos 2017

With Labor Day weekend upon us, summer is officially over. As usual, I took several photos of flowers I saw over the summer months - with the goal of eventually using some of them to inspire future artwork. Below are some of my favorites.

I took these pictures in Rochester and Rochester Hills, Michigan - at the public library, at Yates Cider Mill, and in my own front yard. Other photos are from the beautiful landscaping at Angela Hospice in Livonia, where my grandma stayed for two weeks before she passed away at age 90 on July 31. I also took several photos of bouquets and flower arrangements - both from flowers my grandma received while she was in Hospice, to brighten her room, and from the funeral sympathy arrangements from family and friends.

My grandma loved flowers and had a wonderful garden for many decades. I think my own love of flowers was inherited from her sensibilities - if only I could have inherited her green thumb, as well!