Chalk Pastel Cross, Glue Crown

With Easter coming, I decided my Art Girls should make these Cross and Crown projects. We pre-glued the crown part a couple of week ago so it could dry, then later worked in chalk pastels over the top of the glue. This is a neat and meaningful project that is also good for working on shading, highlighting, depth and interest. An earlier tutorial of the process is here.

Above, my sample. After choosing a color for the cross, a darker color was used to line the shaded edges, and a lighter color was used to highlight the edges facing the light source.

A color was chosen for the "aura" in the background, then a lighter and a darker color was added to give it some depth and interest. (Note difference between the top and second background.) The girls did a great job on each of theirs. (below) Our "extra" project for early finishers was a cut-and-fold dragon I found on-line. I also gave each girl a small ceramic bunny for a Spring/Easter keepsake.

Piano Festival

These two had piano festival this last Sat. Both earned a Superior rating on their pieces. Yay!

 

 

Phoenix

Nice view from our hotel.

Lovely, fresh Mexican food.

Antiques and old church details.

A great visit with Friend Judy from Ohio at their amazing motel.

Bright bougainvillea.

Desert Color

Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, AZ. Very beautiful.

From the Desert

 

We recently went to Phoenix for the Commodity Classic. (Soybean, Corn, Wheat and Barley producers.) This was our first time there. My friend Judy and I went on a desert botanical garden tour. These green trees are all over. The leaves are tiny, and when it is dry, the tree can drop them and still make food from the green bark. Our guide told us the desert plants are all about survival.

Impressive white outlines. Wicked black tips!

I loved the designs and patterns of the cactus and plants. These succulents had neat shadowy ridges caused by pressure from the edges of bordering leaves before they unfurled from each other. Kind of a leaf echo.

Nubby is cool.

See the ridges on these variegated leaves? Fascinating and beautiful.

I loved this plant-the blue/green/grey color, the curved leaves and the dark, richly colored spikes. Also, some echo ridges!

Barrel cactus and a white "fuzzy" brain cactus with mammillaria in its name.

I believe this plant is the one Natives used for needle and thread after removing the pulp.

Saguaro cactus. These (above) are at least 75 years old. Our guide told us that when a saguaro is ten years old, it is the size of your thumb, and when they start developing arms, they are senior citizens.

So much variety and so many interesting shapes!

And even some purple cactus! Made me think of our Daughter A. who loves purple.