Greeting Cards

I love making cards for people, its something i have done since i was very little, i remember giving a card to my next door neighbour Una (she was like my grandmother as all of our family was overseas) and i remember saying something along the lines that i was sorry we didn't have a bought card and that i had to make one for her. I remember she was so happy that i had taken the time to make something and she told me that she preferred a made card than a bought one. This was kinda a new concept for a small child but i remember it well. It's something i carry with me and whenever my friends or family have birthday i always try and make something, i have also continue it with my boys they are used to the fact that they have to make birthday cards for people whenever there is one coming up :)

So in saying all that its quite often i will try and make some cards that i have on hand to give to people when the time comes. I find that its often a way for me just to be creative and make some art without having to really put too much planning into what i am doing (sometimes i need that). A while ago i did a bunch of colours on some watercolour greeting cards after i put the colour down I was stumped i didn't know what to do next so i put it in the drawer for inspiration to strike.
The other week i came across this post on Cherry Fields blog about Ernst Haekel who was a biologist and there is a book of illustrations in 1899-1904 about Artforms in Nature which is absolutely fantastic. Being so old this means that book is now public domain and available for download and artists are using these illustrations in their works. I was so intrigued by his illustrations that i decided to use them on this greeting card as inspiration. I think i am going to practice doing more based on illustrations inspired by his book. I got to thinking why arent i doing this more often, i could do this with real life flowers ? it doesnt have to be a realistic picture just the forms / line drawings shown in things around me. Strange how things come up sometimes isnt it ?