Sunday, September 25, 2011

Unfurl : September Sketchbook Challenge


Like many other Sketchbook Challengers, my first response to this prompt was fern fronds unfurling. So I pulled up this picture that I just happened to take this picture last spring. ;-)


Photo by Art Wolfe from here.
This got me thinking about the symbolism of Maori culture. I'd seen an Art Wolfe Travels to the Edge episode on PBS in which he visited New Zealand and captured spectacular photos of Maori people, highlighting their beautiful tattoos. They also explained the symbolism of the unfurling fern frond being the symbol of all creation in Maori culture.


I guess PBS did their research, too, because that's the symbol for their Create channel.


Fern Fronds Unfurling. Done in the style of free-motion feathers.
Materials : Pencil, Neocolor 2, ink.


Ribbons Unfurling
Materials : Pencil, Neocolor 2, ink.
You can see some of the fern fronds from the previous page embossed thought the underside of this page.


Prayer Flags Unfurling
Materials : Pencil, Neocolor 2, ink.

A good explanation of Tibetan prayer flags explains that they are hung so that the WIND can carry the special blessings of these prayers around the world. The colors generally represent the following :
Blue - Sky
White - Clouds
Red - Fire
Green - Water
Yellow - Earth.

Inspiration photo from here.

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