"Stronger Together" Notecard Sets

My Etsy shop finally has listings for all my recent large format colored pencil drawings. I have a set of six detail shots from my "30 Days" drawing, two different sets of six detail shots from my "28 Years" drawing, and six sets of four detail shots from each of the six drawings in my "Stronger Together" series. I also have a boxed set of six notecards, each featuring the entirety of one of the "Stronger Together" bouquet drawings (as opposed to detail shots). You can find all of these notecards for sale in my Etsy shop.

Today I'd like to showcase the seven different sets of notecards I've created from my "Stronger Together" colored pencil series.

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The Bouquet Set - Featuring full images of all six "Stronger Together" Bouquets (Race Bouquet, Gender Bouquet, Sexuality Bouquet, Religion Bouquet, Class Bouquet, and Ability Bouquet)

You can buy this set of notecards here. :)

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The Race Bouquet Detail Set - featuring four close-up detail images from my drawing, "Race Bouquet (Stronger Together)"

You can buy this set of notecards here.

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The Gender Bouquet Detail Set - featuring four close-up detail images from my drawing, "Gender Bouquet (Stronger Together)"

You can buy this set of notecards here.

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The Sexuality Bouquet Detail Set - featuring four close-up detail images from my drawing, "Sexuality Bouquet (Stronger Together)"

You can buy this set of notecards here.

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The Religion Bouquet Detail Set - featuring four close-up detail images from my drawing, "Religion Bouquet (Stronger Together)"

You can buy this set of notecards here.

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The Class Bouquet Detail Set - featuring four close-up detail images from my drawing, "Class Bouquet (Stronger Together)"

You can buy this set of notecards here.

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The Ability Bouquet Detail Set - featuring four close-up detail images from my drawing, "Ability Bouquet (Stronger Together)"

You can buy this set of notecards here.

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Like all of my four-packs of notecards, each of the detail sets sell for $7. The six-pack set which includes images of all six bouquet drawings sells for $10.50.

They're oriented vertically (4 1/4" width x 5 1/2" height), are blank inside, and come with six matching white A2 envelopes. The original artwork was scanned at 600 dpi, the color was adjusted in Photoshop, and the prints are inkjet printed on smooth, matte cardstock. The backs of the cards list the title, size, medium, and date of the original artwork, a digital artist signature, and website/social media information.

Finished "Stronger Together" Series

My "Stronger Together" series consists of six 19"x25" colored pencil drawings, each created with Prismacolor pencils on black Canson Mi-Teintes paper.

The general concept behind the drawings is this: We humans can be labeled, divided, segregated, and categorized in a myriad of different ways, including (but not limited to) race, gender, sexuality, religion, class, and ability. Often, with these six categories in particular, certain subgroups have been historically/traditionally thought of as "lesser," while other subgroups are thought of as inherently better, stronger, or smarter - and are therefore given more opportunities, more privilege, and more power. This is, to use a profound phrase, absolute bullshit. People don't have more or less inherent worth than others just because of the families they were born into, their genetic code, their preferences, their life experiences, or the choices they make. We are ALL human, and we ALL matter and deserve respect. In fact, we matter not despite our differences, but because of them.

Floral arrangements are not melting pots. They do not blend all varieties together into a muddy brown soup. They are made greater by the sum of their parts, while still showcasing each beautiful part that makes up the whole. And so I chose to use drawings of floral bouquets, each made up of two dozen different flowers, to demonstrate the rich variety of the human experience, as it relates to those six categories.

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RACE BOUQUET (STRONGER TOGETHER)

I worked on this drawing way back in April, utilizing 31 different colored pencils. The bouquet consists of a wide range of flowers available in "skin tone shades" to demonstrate different races of people living and working side by side, in harmony, to create a beautiful, multicultural community.

• Click here for the list of flowers used in this bouquet.
• Click here for more images of the final drawing (and links to pictures of the step-by-step process and detail shots).

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GENDER BOUQUET (STRONGER TOGETHER)

This tri-tonal drawing was created in May using 30 different colored pencils. Here, I used "traditional" color stereotypes (pink for girls, blue for boys) and color theory (which recognizes that purple is the color created by mixing pink and blue together) to represent the spectrum of all genders in a symbolic floral bouquet.

• Click here for the list of flowers used in this bouquet.
• Click here for more images of the final drawing (and links to pictures of the step-by-step process and detail shots).

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SEXUALITY BOUQUET (STRONGER TOGETHER)

In the month of June (Pride Month), I finished this colorful drawing, which required a total of 39 different colored pencils. This "color wheel" bouquet includes all the colors of the rainbow (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple) to symbolize the beautiful arrangement made when all people identifying as/experiencing different aspects of human sexuality are included equally. This includes people with little or no sexual desire, as well as those who crave it all the time; people who yearn for only physical intimacy and those who find fulfillment in emotional intimacy and long-term relationships, people experienced and not experienced in a wide variety of sexual behaviors, and of course people at all places of the LGBTQIA spectrum.

• Click here for the list of flowers used in this bouquet.
• Click here for more images of the final drawing (and links to pictures of the step-by-step process and detail shots).

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RELIGION BOUQUET (STRONGER TOGETHER)

This completed piece, drawn with 28 different colored pencils in July, combines flowers that are symbolically associated with modern or ancient religions (including Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Wicca, various Native American religions, and/or Greek/Roman mythology), with flowers that symbolize Atheism, Humanism, or Science, to present a utopian arrangement of religious tolerance and togetherness.

• Click here for the list of flowers used in this bouquet.
• Click here for more images of the final drawing (and links to pictures of the step-by-step process and detail shots).

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CLASS BOUQUET (STRONGER TOGETHER)

In August, I employed 26 different colored pencils to complete this drawing, which symbolizes different social classes through art of two dozen flowers. America is made up of very poor people, very rich people, and everyone in between. It is important that we acknowledge and give equal respect to all of these people, helping those who need assistance and remembering that we're all human.

• Click here for the list of flowers used in this bouquet.
• Click here for more images of the final drawing (and links to pictures of the step-by-step process and detail shots).

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ABILITY BOUQUET (STRONGER TOGETHER)

The sixth and final drawing in this series used 29 colored pencils and was completed in September/October. Employing flower symbolism and visual cues (such as browning, aging, wilting, discoloration, or minor imperfections), I compiled two dozen flowers that would symbolize differences in physical, emotional, and mental ability. We all have different limitations, skills, and talents (not all of which are immediately or outwardly apparent) and we should work to respect and accommodate everyone so that we can better work and live together.

• Click here for the list of flowers used in this bouquet.
• Click here for more images of the final drawing (and links to pictures of the step-by-step process and detail shots).

"Class Bouquet (Stronger Together)" - Finished

Another 19"x25" colored pencil bouquet drawing is now complete for my "Stronger Together" series! There's just one more left to do ("Ability Bouquet").

If you're interested, you can check out the other completed bouquet drawings here:

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

The fifth drawing is called "Class Bouquet" and it uses two-dozen flowers to symbolize the different social classes. America is made up of very poor people, very rich people, and everyone in between. It is important that we acknowledge all of these people - and help those that need assistance, remembering that we're all human and deserve equal respect.

Here is the finished drawing, which uses a general yellow-pink-white-green color scheme, with hints of orange, red, and purple.

I used a total of 26 colored pencils for this drawing (fewer than I've used for some of the others in this series!). Many of them were shades of green, red/pink, and neutrals (black, white, cream, and browns), though I also used a lot of the single yellow colored pencil for all those yellow flowers, as well as a few shades of blue, purple, and orange/peach.

Here are some details of the entire drawing:

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 capitalism and the disparity between the rich and the poor, please read this blog post. For some interesting things to consider about the intersectionality of class, 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 hibiscus, hollyhock, bells of Ireland, sunflowers, French honeysuckle, and dandelions ("In Progress 4")
• Adding detail and dimension to the lupine, blackthorn, cactus, myrtle, tansy, and marigold ("In Progress 5")
• Adding detail and dimension to the kingcup, peony, carnations, coronella dahlia, clematis, and orchids ("In Progress 6")
• Adding detail and dimension to the angrec, lettuce, thyme, trumpet flowers, edelweiss, and poppies ("In Progress 7")

"Class Bouquet (Stronger Together)" - In Progress 7

This colored pencil drawing uses flower symbolism to represent the entire spectrum of social class from poverty to wealth and everything in between.

To read about capitalism and the growing disparity between the lower and upper classes, visit this blog post.

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

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It's time to finish up this colored pencil drawing! Today's blog post will focus on the step-by-step process of completing the last six plants.

For these white angrec flowers, I used seven colored pencils - black, blue, two shades of green, yellow-green, cream, and white.

Though not a flower per se, lettuce is considered part of the "language of flowers" and has symbolism attributed to it ("never give up"). For this small bunch of lettuce, I used the colors black, blue, three shades of green, yellow-green, and white.

For the thyme flowers, I used red-violet, light purple, blue, green, light green, and white colored pencils.

These orange trumpet flowers were colored in with white, peach, magenta, red, and orange - with yellow-green used for the viney leaves and stems.

These edelweiss were finished with white, yellow-green, light green, medium green, dark green, medium blue, and black pencils.

Only one flower left! For these bright poppies, I used two shades of green, white, cream, three shades of red, and black.

I also added some color and dimension to the vase, to give it the appearance of glass. Check back in a couple days to see the final blog post - pictures of the entire finished "Class Bouquet" drawing!