22 & 23 – I’ve heard it in the chillest land,

Where on Earth is the chillest land? The polar regions while experiencing winter was my immediate thought. (Plus it’s darkest, not just chillest. Because of the angle of the Earth’s tilt, the polar regions go months without seeing a sunrise while experiencing winter.) But hope is so very evident there in a phenomenon seen often there and rarely elsewhere on the planet: the auroras.

The auroras themselves are amazing. They are a visual display of the amazing impact the sun’s radiation could have on our planet if not for our protective magnetic field (generated by currents flowing in the liquid metallic outer core). Without the Earth’s magnetic field, the solar winds would have blown away the atmosphere millions of years ago making Earth less habitable.

The auroras are a dancing, churning curtain of ions creating an almost magical display. At least that’s how I imagine it from the photos I’ve seen. Seeing the aurora borealis in person is on my bucket list.

Medium: soft pastels, paper cutting, and colored pencils.

20 & 21 – Stanza break 2

I knew I wanted to stick with patterns for the second stanza break. I started by cutting some paper into one-inch strips. I began weaving them together, and this is the result.

I like how two things are hidden within each other. Sometimes, with hope, we cling to a partial idea, and I think this reflects that. I added one accent sticker with a whimsical bird.

I’m not sure (again) if this qualifies as art, but I like it.

Medium: paper, weaving

16 & 17 – That could abash the little bird

This marks the halfway point in my sketchbook! I have reached the centerfold. I decided to try collage art for this one, but I’m not sure the result actually qualifies!

I knew I wanted to try image transfer, and I have a fabulous photo of a male and female cardinal at a feeder in the snow as it is snowing. However, I only have an inkjet printer. I found a tutorial using sheet protectors of all things, and I’m pleased with the result!

Medium: Collage, photo transfer, paper, stickers, and rub on transfer

Alas, as I was getting ready to place this spread in the book, tragedy struck! The poor staples could not hold up to my massive editions to the sketchbook and gave out. Like our little bird of hope, I was not abashed, and I quickly looked for ideas for rebinding. I found one using stitching with embroidery thread, and I set to work. I like the result and think it fits well with the overall book. You can see how think my book is becoming – no wonder it was bursting at the seams!

One month, five lines, and one stanza break to go. The end is getting nearer.

8 & 9 – And never stops at all,

The Earth rotates and revolves. It’s a seemingly never ending dance around the sun. In terms of the length of our existence, it’s definitely something that never stops. Day turns to night, fall turns to winter, winter turns to spring, and years pass us by. And the Earth is hurtling through space at incredible speeds. At the equator, the Earth is rotating at 1,000 mph, on average, the Earth is moving around the sun at 66,000 mph, and our entire solar system (including Earth) is revolving around the Milky Way’s galactic center at 483,000 mph. And you thought you were sitting still!

I was inspired with this idea one night when I was out with my dog. I looked up through the tree branches, and I saw the stars, and it was beautiful. (Okay, I always think the stars look beautiful!) At the time, I was looking up through the bare branches of one of our maple trees. However, I decided to illustrate cherry trees in bloom at the start of spring since I already have a bare tree drawing in my sketchbook and since our blooming cherry trees are so beautiful in the spring. Here is one of our okame cherry trees in bloom.

 

 

Medium: Paper, scissors, glue, and metallic pen

Although it looks simple, it took a surprisingly long time to complete this spread. I worked on it over a few days. First, I prepared the blue back ground paper, and used a star chart and a silver metallic pen to add the stars. Next, I drew out the branches and cut them out first on cream and then on the brown paper and glued it onto the blue. I drew and hand cut out each of the flowers. I did use a paper punch to cut out the flower centers. Finally, I glued them down and added the text.I really like the resulting effect.

6 & 7 – And sings the tune without the words,

There is nothing like the music of a rocket launch. First, the air is so still, like the Earth itself is holding its breath. Then, you see the rocket lift off the pad racing heavenward. It’s a blazing spectacle that rivals even the sun in brightness. Then, suddenly, you hear the roar & crackle of the sound rumbling towards you; you feel it in your entire being.

Then, just as suddenly as it started, the rocket is out of sight, and it is over.

Rocket music is definitely a tune without words and filled with hope.

This drawing is inspired by the launch of the Mars Science Laboratory on top of an Atlas V rocket carrying the Curiosity rover to Mars. I used this photo to model the drawing after: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vVjwICAcRy8/TtHaSyJWnqI/AAAAAAAAAR8/aBcuZ5CvBgE/s16…

Here is my video of the launch so you can here the rocket music yourself:

Medium: Colored pencils, brush marker, and stardust gold pen