Roadside Weeds May 15, 2015

May 15, 2015 / beverlydyer / Leave a comment

Cornflower species

Worn on a date to test love

Bachelors Button.

Art Prescription: Folklore says if a Bachelors Button is pinned on and stays fresh it is true love.

Index card, colored pencil, collage

Dairy Queen May 14, 2015

May 14, 2015 / beverlydyer / 3 Comments

The queen of the farm

Watches over her herd and

The makings of milk.

Art Prescription: I drive past Mapleview Dairy on my way to see Finn. I love seeing the cows grazing in the pasture.

8 1/2 x 11 watercolor

Oreo Cow May 12, 2015

May 12, 2015 / beverlydyer / 2 Comments

Cookie on the farm

She provides the dipping milk

Chocolate and cream.

Art Prescription: Fearrington Village, not far from Chapel Hill, has a herd of these Belted Galloway cows. They also have goats with the same coloring.

8 1/2 x 11 watercolor

Warblers May 11, 2015

May 11, 2015 / beverlydyer / 2 Comments

Big song from tree tops

Hard to find this small warbler

Prothonotary!

Art Prescription: Throughout our stay at Primland we kept hearing a distinct song in the tree-tops. Finally yesterday I got a view of this small warbler. It’s a guess, but

I think it’s a Prothonotary Warbler.

Bird Watching May 5, 2015

May 5, 2015 / beverlydyer / Leave a comment

Bird watcher mission

Hunting with binoculars

Wait! Do you see that?

Art Prescription: Great birding morning at Mason Farm: Indigo Bunting, Common Yellow-Throat, Red-Eyed Vireo, and a Barred Owl!!

Index card sketch – gestural

Shade and Sketch May 4, 2015

May 4, 2015 / beverlydyer / Leave a comment

Under the shade tree

Cows, sheep, and goats roam, while the

Farm tells us stories.

Art Prescription: A day for all the senses. Blue skies with puffy white clouds, the smell of fresh hay and grass, lambs bah, a red apple to eat, the feel of a wooden picnic table. Field sketching at Hogan Farm.

8 1/2 x 11 watercolor

Watercolor Trees: Expressive Painting May 3, 2015

May 3, 2015 / beverlydyer / 2 Comments

Student, you teach me

Trust me to a blank paper

Then your muse responds.

Art Prescription: I taught a great class today at the North Carolina Botanical Gardens. It is a wonderful thing to encourage people to be expressive. To give adults permission to play and respond to the paint and not their brain can be a challenge. It always amazes me to see each person tap into their voice…

Here are my finished demonstration pieces:

Blown trees with sumi-ink and watercolor.

Loose wet into wet watercolor trees.

Backyard May 1, 2015

May 1, 2015 / beverlydyer / 1 Comment

Squirreling away seed

Little “hands” work to gather

Sunflower seed pet.

Art Prescription: It’s hard to feed the birds and not the squirrels. They are master-minds at breaking bird feeders. So I enjoy watching their acrobatic antics.

8 1/2 x 8 1/2 watercolor and chop that says “hope”