Save the Frogs
Week 17 is Melon, Warm Yellow, Pea Green & Sap Green
If you’re anywhere local to Berkshire, a reminder that the Henley Arts Trail is on this coming Bank Holiday weekend and my studio is open from 10am to 5pm daily.
Today is the 17th annual Save the Frogs Day, an event that raises awareness about the plight of these amphibians and the need for their conservation. I chose a delightful illustration featuring frogs wearing swimming trunks for this week’s #coloricombo prompt.
Here’s a few froggy facts:
Frogs were the first land dwelling animals to develop vocal cords. They have existed for over 250 million years, predating dinosaurs and there are over 7,000 species of frog in the world.
The smallest vertebrate is Paedophryne amauensis from Papua New Guinea, smaller than a fingernail
Dendrobatidae or Poison Dart frogs from South America don't produce toxins themselves but get them from their diet of specific ants, mites and other insects.
The illustration I’ve taken colours from is by Fritz Baumgarten, a German illustrator whose work you’ll immediately recognise.
Baumgarten (1883-1966) was born near Leipzig. He studied fine arts in Dresden before becoming a illustrator with his signature creations of tiny woodland gnomes with beards and pointed hats, always busy with some charming activity. He also drew elves, frogs and detailed nature scenes filled with mushrooms, berries and flowers all done with incredible botanical accuracy.
In total he illustrated several hundred published picture books between the 1920s and the 1960s, most of which were published before the Second World War. His books still evoke feelings of nostalgia, a connection to folklore traditions and a simpler era of childhood.
Cover of “Summer Fun, Tales of Forest Folk”, watercolour, Fritz Baumgarten , date unknown (book published 1989)
Colour Combination
The chosen colours this week are Melon, Warm Yellow, Pea Green & Sap Green. Use the colours along with a contrasting dark and neutral light colour if you wish. Create an artwork in any medium or style.
I love seeing what you’ve create. If you’re posting on Instagram, please tag #coloricombo and #estemacleod and join us in the private Facebook group Creative Prompts.
Colori Flori: Early Bird registration open
It’s springtime, let’s do something colourful and creative. You’re invited to join myself and thirteen other artists in a two week long event running 12-25 May all about colours and florals. Early Bird registration for the first Colori Flori Summit opened last weekend.
Here’s a quick video I shared on Instagram showing the words Colori Flori being altered to form a floral painting.
Colori Flori is a celebratory online event I curated to celebrate the tenth year of me teaching online art courses and each lesson is a brand new floral and botanical themed one in water-based media. Each one also uses a specific #coloricombo palette. Read more about the talented artists that’ll be taking part here.