WOYWW[188] and dc:86 cactus and a GREAT mail day...

Today is one of those days that could be marked on my calendar. There's a few things going on all at once so let's start with What is on your workdesk Wednesday, hosted by the one and only fabulous Miss Julia. Here is a birds' eye view of my desktop, or work surface which, today, is a table I like to work on because of the glass top:

I was calmly working away on a drawing for the drawing challenge no. 86 which has the theme 'cactus' and is hosted by the beautiful Nadine, and while this challenge happened a few weeks ago, I am late for it but still very inspired. I'd found a picture of a mummified head with a cactus spine pinning the lips, and I knew instantly that that was what I wanted to do for the challenge. I worked on used tea bag paper as usual, with india ink, pencil crayons, watercolor paint, and with plans to use gold leaf as a nod to the Mayan cultural art tradition...and happily worked away. Here is a close up of the lips:

The instant I laid eyes on this handsome chap, I was struck by his magnificent teeth, the colour of White Titanium. His lips are pinned with a cactus spine but his teeth peek out from a corner of his lips:

So, really, that is the finished drawing. Because I don't want to do one more mark on it for fear of wrecking it completely. You see I was going to do quite a detailed work, showing his hair wrapped carefully with cloth, etc., and I really wanted his eyes to look fierce. I'd planned to do a tiny bit of gold leaf in his eye area but I could only find silver around here...and I need to practice with the application of it...I painted full strength gesso in the area and it kind of spread more than I'd planned but I let it dry a bit and then rubbed on the silver leaf. Only a part of the silver attached itself and the white gesso kind of spread out even more. But this in the end made him fierce. The white gesso suggests the white of the eye, and the silver leaf suggests an otherworldly iris. He sprang to life before my eyes. He has a kind of scar/wound on his cheek and so to counter that I added pale pink to his other cheek. And he is done!!

So I was about to clear the deck (my table top), I decided to check the mail. Holy Cow (and I am talking to the cow mask on my work surface that watches me work) there was a package from LaWendula. Suddenly my table was covered in a whole new layer of visual lusciousness:

And there are more and more and more little packages filled with small images and an assortment of magic. Some fell on the floor, some in my lap. Oh gosh. I'd ordered some tags from Franca Maria from her etsy shop, and had at the same time signed up for a paper swap so she decided to make me her partner so that she could send everything at once. I thank my lucky stars...

For fun and happiness, drop in to see Julia's fabby blog where players from all over the world show you what is on their workdesk today. And drop in to visit Nadine where you can see different art from different artists who contribute their creative vision to us all. And if you are into paper. For goodness' sake, visit LaWendla, who hosts paper swaps with players who swap from all over this globe of ours.

Thank you for dropping in today. I hope to see you again soon! Hugs, Norma,x