8.5″ x 11 ink on paper
A lone poppy
Grows among vast mountains
Skies
Fields
Opportunities
All waiting to be explored
Arting for 365 Day 186: Lone Poppy
Tag Archives: flower
Arting for 365 Day 175: Organized Chaos
5 x 7 ink on paper
Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days
There is a bouquet of dried flowers here in the house I am staying (I did a simple drawing of it a few days ago). One flower in the bunch is particularly fabulous. It is a mass of tendrils that, upon first glance, appear as unorganized and messy. Taking a closer look though, it is apparent that there is order to the petals as they stack upon one another beautifully.
I think this is amazing and reminds me a bit of life. All of the countless events that happen to each of us every day often seem chaotic,but life as a whole continues to proceed in an orderly fashion. One event building on the next, day after day, year after year.
Arting for 365 Day 117: Grid
Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days
Directly before sitting down to write day 117’s post, I decided to go on a jog. While weaving my way through the hood I was excited to see a sign for an estate sale. Changing route I made my way over to the house and walked in; curious to see what I couldn’t live without.
My anticipation quickly turned to a feeling of uneasiness. I’ve been to an estate sale before and realize that they are typically held when someone has either passed away or foreclosed – neither great situations. But this one felt different. People were everywhere. The house I entered no longer felt like a home but a clearinghouse of used goods whose owner was suddenly forgotten and whose personal items were being rifled through, groped, and nabbed without second thought. Here I was, in this once lovely home that now felt broken up into sections with only hints remaining of what it once was. I quickly turned and left.
As I finished up my jog I realized how much the piece I had just created made me think of the situation I had walked into. The flower – like the house – had been gridded off into sections. The pretty was still there, but for all that was happening around it, it was hard to see.
Arting for 365 Day 65: Foliage and Dew Abstraction
14 x 42″ Acrylic on canvas
Since this whole, making art every day for a year thing started, I’ve barely put brush to canvas. For day 65’s work though, I pulled out the acrylics with an aim to create a large scale abstracted piece.Two things in particular inspired the work:
1. I recently sold one of my favorite pieces. I LOVE that this happened, but the bare wall where it once hung seems, well, really bare. I was missing the work a wee bit and so it felt good to create something with a repeated circle pattern:
2. I really liked day 64’s delicate little piece. There was something about the stippling-esque approach that appealed to me. I wanted to explore something similar, on a larger scale.
I gotta say, I am super happy with the way this puppy turned out. It combines both painterly and drawerly (made up word) approaches.
Side Note: Some of you have wondered if I actually get these big pieces done in one day. The answer is sometimes. I started this one late Sunday afternoon, worked on it all day yesterday and put finishing touches on it this a.m. I create smaller pieces as well on those days to use as my daily work.
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- Day 65
This piece available for purchase at https://www.etsy.com/listing/103540907/foliage-and-dew-abstraction-acrylic or by contacting micah@azzlsoft.com
Arting for 365 Day 64: Sunrise Flower Abstraction
4.75 x 4.75 Ink & watercolor on paper
Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days
Orbs of morning dew coalesce on petals, leaves and mountain tops, as the sun wakes – slowly stretching its arms.
Rays of color emerge from the shadows.
It is morning.
This piece available for purchase at or by emailing micah@azzlsoft.com
Arting for 365 Day 55: Flies
Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days.
The fly was tired of being known only for his buzzing abilities. He knew he was so much more – and he hoped to someday prove it to the world. More importantly, he hoped to prove it to her.
He’d seen many flies in his time but she was different. While others swarmed to a pile of dung, she flew solo on the horse’s back. She could resist the bright blue light that zapped many to their death, opting instead for tall glowing street lights. She was special.
This piece available for purchase by emailing micah@azzlsoft.com
Arting for 365 Day 47: The Carrot and The Desert
Goal: To create one work of art each day for 365 consecutive days
Carrot: 5 x 4″, Desert 5 x 4.25″ Pastel on paper
As I looked at day 47’s pieces, I couldn’t help but create a little tale for each. Enjoy!
Carrot & The Farmer
The farmer knew he had a good crop, but this behemoth was quite a surprise. Bending at the waist he carefully observed the deep orange gem. He was curious of the taste. Would it prove to be sweet and delicious, something he could share with friends as a tasty side dish or decadent cake? The thought put a smile on his face as he hurried home for the tools to unearth the lovely root.
Defiant Flower
Not a cloud in the sky. In fact, the sun had beat down on the cracked earth for weeks now. No animal dared make an appearance, even if it had had access to sunscreen. And yet, there, with towering crags of rocks as its backdrop, a small flower grew; defying the sun to beat it down.
Carrot available for purchase at https://www.etsy.com/listing/102196148/man-carrot-pastel-drawing
Desert available for purchase at https://www.etsy.com/listing/102195617/desert-plant
Or just email me regarding either.
Arting for 365 Day 45: Attachment
~5.5″ cirmcumfrence x 3″ Mixed Media: Seeds, egg shell, ink, paper and lid
It’s funny, the things we get attached to. A lovely blue water bottle whose lid sometimes leaks or an old shirt with holes here and there may seem average, but they are anything but. We worry about them if they are misplaced and are quick to defend their value.
I think for most of us it is not so much the “thing” we get attached to as the memories and feelings we get that are associated with the thing. This, I realize, is why I seem to have become a bit attached to the little seeds I collected weeks ago.
Each time I pull them out to work with I am reminded of the jog we were on when we picked them off the ground. I remember feeling so excited about the prospect of making something from the found little treasures. When I create using the little seeds, I always feel very calm and at ease – enjoying the simple act of building up form.
The seeds are now dwindling. I’ll be able to eke out one more piece if I’m lucky. After that, I’ll have to wait in anticipation for another year to roll around so I can once again collect them.
This piece available for purchase at https://www.etsy.com/listing/102046424/attachment-found-object-sculpture or by emailing me at micah@azzlsoft.com
Arting for 365 Day 40: A Map to Blackberries
6 x 6″ Blackberry juice, ink and oil pastel on paper
Goal: To create one work of art each day for 365 consecutive days
Once a week, the boyfriend and I make a date for coffee. Afterwards he drives off to his job, while I walk home to begin my day’s work. Typically the route I take involves some jay-walking, a trek through an industrial lot whose “Do Not Trespass” sign does not apply to me, and a jaunt across railroad tracks. I then say hi to workers who are loading up Farmers Brother’s Coffee and stroll a few more blocks home. It’s a route that I really enjoy because it is a bit off the beaten path.
Yesterday, due to my jay-walking street being incredibly busy, I had to take a more traditional route home. I started my way down a less adventurous, super trafficky street and to my surprise I came across a blackberry bush. Jackpot! I picked a handful of berries and later picked a white bud from a tree to use in day 40’s project.
Smeared blackberry juice, and drawn images of the white flower and a map to the berries complete the piece. Hand written directions are on back -complete with cross outs and edits.
This piece available to purchase at https://www.etsy.com/listing/101674485/a-map-to-blackberries-mixed-media-art or by emailing me at micah@azzlsoft.com
Micah Richardson 