A few of my recent botanical drawings using Prismacolor colored pencils

I am currently obsessed with my colored pencils! It is a new media for me so am having fun experimenting with different types of subject matter. I am also having fun trying out all of the cool tools which can be used with colored pencils, namely scratchboard tools for adding textures. Stay tuned for more images of my work!

First Origami Mami class project of 2015: Monarch Butterflies in an Eucalyptus grove with movable wings!

This is the very first Origami class project of the year: Monarchs in an Eucalyptus grove! I was inspired by a recent visit to Natural Bridges Butterfly Preserve in Santa Cruz where I had the opportunity to experience the high time of the monarch overwintering! I took this experience home and used it as inspiration for this project. The Eucalyptus tree print is my own photograph and the leaves are my own illustration I designed specifically for the project. The monarch paper print comes from an image of a monarch cluster I found on the web. I used this image to create my own Origami monarch paper design! The Origami butterfly design is my own and is super simple to fold. I then attached strings from the upper wings of the butterflies and pushed them through to the back side where once pulled, makes the butterfly wings move on the front side. It is like a mini butterfly puppet show! The kids really enjoy action-packed projects so I try to add some kinetic elements wherever I can.