Dear Laura,

After receiving your newest piece of the collective in the mail (scroll down to see the damage of the package received in the mail- yikes!), I took a walk in my garden seeking what is blue.  Of course, I found the blueberries.  We have been picking them the last few weeks and adding them to all sorts of meals.  Blackberries, figs, lemons, basil, green pepper, and a new avocado tree are all happily growing.  This time of year is always abundant!

After reading your notes about contour drawing, I set out to draw.  I outlined my drawing in washi tape only because I was out of my regular drafting tape.  Once I had it in place, I really liked the design element.  It gave an unexpected antique Victorian aesthetic so I decided to keep it on the paper. This decision changed my idea of adding color.  I wanted it to be a simple, elegant drawing similar to your blind contour drawings.  The color and the design on the washi tape seemed like too much in combination for representing these delicate, temporary berries.

I played with my line quality to represent the shadows on the stems rather than shading it.  The berries and leaf were the only parts I wanted with shading, but even that I kept minimal.  Below is the final work…

So, I am currently coming up with a better plan to ship this work to you so it arrives safely.  This is what it looked like when I got it last :(  The work has water damage and dings in the corner.  I suppose this is simply part of the process right?