Last weekend Kiersten assembled a plant light stand, and it's new home is in the laundry room of our basement (at the end of last year we finished our basement and turned it into an art studio. In the process, the laundry area was upgraded from 'damp medieval dungeon' to a nice, finished laundry room). Here's a photo of the new stand, with a few happy plants basking in the full spectrum lights:

That top shelf has a few seedlings merrily growing.  Notice anything familiar about that splash of green on the right?  Let's have a closer look...

Recognize it?  That's the little green glass vase that posed for my drawing, Verdant.   Now it's living up to its name and truly going green.

7" x 5" colored pencil on Pastelbord.  2010.

7" x 5" Prismacolor colored pencils on gray Pastelbord.  Completed 2009.

5" x 7" Prismacolor colored pencil on gray pastelbord. Completed 2009.

8" x 10" Prismacolor colored pencils on gray Pastelbord. Completed 2007.

When I asked my brother if there was anything in particular he'd like for Christmas, he surprised me by asking for a colored pencil portrait of him. I chose Pastelbord for this because my self portrait was done on it, and I liked the idea that the two pictures would share a similar visual style.

Prismacolor and Lyra colored pencil on green Pastelbord, 5"W x 7"H. Completed 2007.

This self portrait is for a DC115 project. The specifications of 5" x 7" were set as part of the project, but we were free to use any techniques for the piece. Usually I don't like self portraits, but all of the muted blues in this one give it a quiet sense which feels like "me".

Prismacolor colored pencil on green Pastelbord, 7" x 5". Completed 2006.