Lily S. May–Life with Art
This is another gouache painting that I made this week. I had no specific plan other than to irreverently remove the black ink layer from a small prepared scratchboard, apply gouache paint to the board and later scrape into the paint! It wasn't until after I saw the painting from afar that I realized it… Continue reading Fire!
I've been working on The Innocent Heart for around two weeks. I again deliberately let the piece develop as I worked as opposed to planning it ahead of time. It's a gouache painting layered with stamps I made. It has gone through massive changes. And not until earlier this week did I recognize the work… Continue reading The Innocent Heart
My most recent work is a departure from the scratchboard work I've been doing. I've been thinking of painting for several months and finally turned thoughts into action. I was fortunate to have supplies in good condition that I bought a few years ago--two gesso boards and tubes of paint. So, off I went into… Continue reading Colour
This is the latest work I've made, an abstract piece. The shapes remind me of an aerial view of islands or part of a map. It's a scratchboard drawing with pigment felt pens layered on top in places. Islands by Lily S. May, 2021, 5" x 7"
I'm working on another scratchboard drawing, learning from further mistakes. And I take walks every day, in the neighbourhoods and parks in the city. On Tuesday, I was walking on a street I love, admiring the gardens and trees, the birds, the houses I passed. I took a few photos on my phone as I… Continue reading Seeing
There were beautiful dogwood trees in flower in Toronto over the past few weeks. I love the shape of the petals and included them in a scratchboard drawing I made recently. Dogwood in Toronto, 2021 Although I’ve made several scratchboard drawings, I'm just learning about the medium. I'm not someone who usually takes courses in… Continue reading Dogwood–Learning
I know it's just turned summer. But here's the scratchboard drawing, Springtime, I've been working on. I've continued to work on the areas of light and dark and have experimented with colour. I used pigment felt pens in this first trial. I'm going to see if acryl gouache works well on scratchboard on a new… Continue reading Springtime 2
This is the most recent scratchboard drawing I've been working on. It may be finished. I'll have to be with it for a while more until I decide if it needs more adjustments. I'm happy with how it's going. Originally the image was quite different--done with fine lines and different design elements that I eliminated.… Continue reading Springtime
It is difficult to find words up to the task of revealing what lies within. Obviously it's been a time of tragedy around the world with covid deaths, violence and injustice. I look for light wherever I can find it. However, that does not include turning away from the terrible news out of British Columbia,… Continue reading Tragedy Revealed
It's the time of lilacs and lilies of the valley, their perfume arriving on the breeze before I reach the flowers themselves in the gardens of houses that enchant me this spring. Mid summer heat has arrived early and the gardens are showing off: forget me nots, bleeding hearts, wisteria, irises, red bud trees and… Continue reading The Time of Lilacs and Lilies of the Valley
Arts of May 