Pass The Paper: Round 4. Beth's Paper

I fussed & fussed over this paper.  Beth started it with a "Beach" theme. But that's not what it's becoming. And given the mountains (which I love) and the flowers (which I also love), it was not feeling very beach like.  I couldn't come up with a thing all month & then some. I kept hearing, "The Atchison, Topeka, & The Santa Fe" a train song, but in Harry Connick, Jr's version on the album 25. I cut trains out to collage onto the paper, I tried to place a train track, but no. They didn't feel right. So I sat in front of it with colored pencils and markers. What to do? What. To. DO?!

Colored Pencils. My medium.

Markers. Got em out. Didn't touch em.

Then I recalled many an inspired day watching Commander Mark on PBS. 
 Remember him? Fun! Enthusiastic! Encouraging.  Aliens, planets, secret hide-a-ways.

So I grabbed my pencil & swooped & looped like Commander Mark would do. I didn't think. Just let the pencil lead me. I always used to think he knew what he would draw before he did it. But now, I wonder if he didn't just trust his marker & let the marker take him where it wanted to go on the drawing. My swooping resulted in a river that wandered into a waterfall. Wow, I found a way to connect the mountains to the flowers!

Starting a river. There were mountains, flowers and a moon. The river had yet to run through it.

Adding base color

Giving the water movement.

Adding white, the faster flowing water. Starting the waterfall feel at the bottom front of the page.

Layers of blue hues & black/graphite to enhance corners & the swerving feel of a winding river.

The final effect. River to waterfall. Waterfall over Hawaiian flowers. Enhanced Moon.

I'm really happy with the results. I couldn't have planned this. I'm really glad I just let my pencils go to work.  I feel like I achieved a good sense of 3-d with just a flat piece of paper. That in and of itself is an accomplishment in my book. Yay me! (remember to congratulate yourself after a job well done. You'll then encourage yourself to improve!)