Garden Maven

I decided to leave the gesso background for another day and instead go back to Deb's first lesson with whole-body people. This was inspired by the piece of collage I wanted to use, which was part of an illustration from an old cookbook that has been falling apart for years. My pal Kirsti noticed and bought me a new(er) copy of this out-of-print favorite, so I am now free to tear up pages from the old one for art.

This looked to me like a gardening smock, and I built the character and the garden around it. It's based on a friend of mine, and I wonder if she will see herself in this? I liked the cocked hip required by the collage piece—it gives her attitude. That, and the "Look at this perfect tomato" hand.

I wish I had put the gnome a little higher on the page, perhaps at the left, so there was room to mat this, because he goes right up to the edge. In fact, there is probably a quarter inch of this missing from the scan on both sides, and some missing from the height as well, because my scanner bed is exactly 9x12, but cuts off a bit. I'll have to figure out a mount instead. Can't have green beans and gnome's feet missing.

India ink, watercolor, Daler Rowney acrylic inks, gesso, uniball pen, gel pen, collage, on 140-lb. Fluid watercolor paper.

By the way, the definition of "maven" is one who is dazzlingly skilled.