sketchingspirit

Crane & Co. • Flame

A gouache and ink sketch on a 4x6 inch Crane & Co. postcard from Crane’s Palette line of 100% cotton paper.

Adventus

The fifth candle is the Christ candle and symbolizes Christ’s presence in our hearts. May we take it everywhere all year long.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11

Adventus is Latin for "an arrival." — Merry Christmas!

Season of Advent - Week Four

The lighting of the fourth candle symbolizes obedience.

In both Greek and Hebrew, the word for obedience and the word for hear is the same word. Listen and hear the Christ child’s message.

Season of Advent - Week Three

The lighting of the third candle symbolizes patience. May we patiently wait for the coming Christ child in this hurried season.

Crane & Co. • White 2

A flower filled sketch completed on a 4x6 inch Crane & Co. postcard sample from Crane’s Palette line of 100% cotton paper. Each sample pack comes with a plain white card. This sketch and the advent posts are drawn on the plain white cards.

This image was inspired by and drawn from the flowers in the November 19, 2007 post.

Crane & Co. • White

An insect filled sketch completed on a 4x6 inch Crane & Co. postcard sample from Crane’s Palette line of 100% cotton paper. Each sample pack comes with a plain white card. This sketch and the advent posts are drawn on the plain white cards.

This card was started during my sketchbook course when the class experimented with acrylic inks, crow quill pens and used field guides as a source of inspiration.

Crane & Co. • Aqua

Another sketch on a 4x6 inch Crane & Co. postcard from Crane’s Palette line of 100% cotton paper.

Crane & Co. • Limon

Representatives from Crane & Co. were promoting their fine products last October at the AIGA conference in Denver, Colorado. I picked up some neat postcard sized paper samples from Crane’s Palette line. Each card features the name of the color in bold lowercase san-serif letters and has nice rounded corners.

When my sketchbooks were on display in my exhibition, I decided to draw on these 100% cotton cards. In some cases, I used the card’s word/color as my inspiration.

Crane & Co. is a paper supplier specializing in 100% fine cotton paper since 1801 out of Massachusetts. They have been the paper of choice for the United States currency since 1879. (Paper for currency consists of 75% cotton and 25% flax for durability.)

Their web site features a great video about their history, the history of paper and how they make their products.

This is what the entire sample set looked like prior to my embellishments.

Season of Advent - Week Two

The lighting of the second candle symbolizes hope for the coming Christ, the living water that will make the deserts bloom. Isaiah 35:1-10

Season of Advent - Week One

The lighting of the first candle symbolizes the anticipation of the coming Christ. Make room in your hearts.