Happy New Year!

This year we end with a blue moon. Since I am not going to rush out early in the morning, this is the picture I am starting out the new year with. It was a tough year for many but things are beginning to look up a bit. I think ending with something special like a blue moon is a good sign of things to come. At least I am taking it that way. Hope everyone has a wonderful new year with good things to come.

I know this blog is set for my drawing but I just didn't have time tonight and I wanted to wish everyone a happy new year so I posted my own photo instead.

Some Pages from Christmas

I've been busy as everyone else has been, with Christmas. I travelled to California to be with the grandkids to I made this first page to have ideas to show them for things we could make while I was there. It was done with Pitt pen and watercolor pencil.

The second picture shows the stars and snowflakes we made.

The third picture is a drawing I made before the last of four socks were finished. I drew it lightly in pencil which was really hard to see on the colored background and then moved to colored pencils.

Now to get ready for the new year and everything it will bring.

Note: I just amended this to add that I found that my knitting page fits EDM challenge #253: Draw your socks. Well this one was for my son but while I was knitting it it was still mine technically or close enough, lol.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone! Hope you all have a very good new year.

This is a picture I took last December intending to use it for my Christmas card this year (and I did). It was the biggest snowstorm we've had since we moved to Arizona. It isn't much for any of you in the east but we enjoyed it.

Pages from Kate's Class

I am taking Kate Johnson's newest class. It's An Artist's Journal. It's really been terrific and better than I had even hoped. These are a few of the pages I have done during the class.

The brown pages are colored pencil work. My Sarah was a blue pen sketch on a tablet which I tore out and glued into my journal. The other is a watercolor attempt.

If she offers the class again I highly recommend it. It's not only been informative but it's been a lot of fun.

In a workshop I am in over at A.R.T., a yahoo group, our lesson this week was to make a page using a page out of the book we are using Artist's Journal's and Sketchbooks by Lynn Perrella. I chose page number 26 that had a hand on it. Mine came out quite differently I think but I am glad of that really.

This has acrylic paints for the background with white butterflies embossed with clear powder. I don't know why they turned color. Anyone have an idea? Did it suck up color from the paint with the heat of the gun? I don't know. Anyhow, the rest of the page was done with Pitt pens and watercolor pencils except for a few cutouts from my own photos.

A is for ....

I've finished a spread in my journal for the letter A. I hope to do the whole alphabet. I also hope to find things I like to fit the different letters. Some of them might be rather hard like Q and Z. Maybe I'll just buy some more pets and give them weird names so I have something I will like for every letter! No way! I really wouldn't do that.

I used pencil to draw with and then drew over that with Pitt pens. Then I used watercolor pencils which I wet down with a water brush.

Gouache Teacup

I ordered some gouache after seeing what Roz Stendahl does with it. Oh, I know I can't do anything like she does but I like the look of the paint and I like the idea of something that won't wreck my brush like acrylics should I leave it set too long. I bought mostly what she recommended and added a couple. I just got them two days ago.

Last night I was listening to Kaizen Muse 's free audio sessions and I drew the teacup in a spiral notebook that was sitting handy. I should have grabbed my sketchbook but I was just thinking I was doodling so no big deal. Then I ended up liking my teacup so I pulled out the paints I'd set in a palette to dry and painted it. I had fun with the whole thing as I was just playing and not intending to do anything.

Today, still liking my little painting, I put it on a prepainted page in my composition book journal. I didn't realize I got it so crooked till I scanned it in to my computer. Ah well, it's glued in tight and there's no changing it.

Thanks Roz for your inspiration and your list of colors to start off with.

I made a new journal for a workshop I am taking over at a yahoo group called A.R.T. I made it with a bisquick box for the cover. Why a bisquick box? Because I like to bake and more, I liked the colors! I used grosgrain ribbon for the spine so it'd be firm enough for sewing the signatures into but that created a small problem in that the book doesn't stay firmly closed. It works fine; it just doesn't stay shut on it's own but stays open about 1/2 inch. Maybe time will help.


I made four signatures using heavy weight drawing paper as the guide for the size of the book and other pages. The paper was 9x12" so I just folded it in half. I added some MiTientes pages, watercolor and a floral petal paper. I encased each signature in a smaller paper that matched the cover colors and then sewed them into the spine with red pearl cotton.


I am happy with it and can't wait to start using it.

Sea Glass

I made a new page in my journal celebrating sea glass. I posted it on my general blog but it fits here too. Have you ever found any? One beach by my sister's seems to get quite a bit. (The beach is in Oxnard, CA). Several years ago I would walk the beach with her as she walked off the hurt of her husband of 18 years leaving her. I found mostly brown (guess there are lots of brown bottle beer drinkers), some green and on a rare occasion a bit of blue. I also found some white but that wasn't very exciting. So I made an ocean page with some sea glass on it. I really intended to make the sea glass more dominant but it works this way as you have to look for the sea glass just as in real life! Hint: if you click on the page it will enlarge and you can see it easier.

The picture was made with Pan Pastels mostly. I added a bit of sharpie poster pen and white gel pen for the foam, waves and birds (I wish the birds showed up better too). A touch of colored pencil for shading and Pitt Pen for writing.

Saved Stuff

I don't usually put this type of journal page on this blog as I tend to stick with drawings but this one includes old sketches I was trying to find a place to keep when I threw the notebook they were in away. I was working on a page in my journal and needed to put a protective sheet under it to protect from runover. I didn't realize it had something sticky on it which ended up transferring to my journal. Thank goodness it wasn't a finished page but I couldn't shut my journal like that so I ended up sealing the sticky with acrylic paint layers. I added a couple of strips of paper to tie two sketches I wanted to save together and glued the sketches on top. I ended up saving my old sketches and my journal with a page I am quite happy with. I added the hearts and flowers just because I WAS happy about saving the page.

Journal Page

Okay, it WAS too good to be true - what I said in my last post about posting more often. Ah well, at least I am finally posting something new!

I have made a new journal page in which I added some folk art painting. I haven't done any of that kind of painting in several years so it was quite a stretch for me. I like how it turned out and hope to do some more of it. My journal gives me a place to use this painting now that I don't have furniture or other things I want to paint on.

And Another One So Soon?

Wow, I've posted twice in a week's span. I sure wish I could keep this up. This journal page was done for an online workshop I am in at the Yahoo group A.R.T. We are using the book by Gwen Diehn, The Decorated Page. This is my version of one of the lessons. I don't always post lessons from classes as they tend to be just that - lessons. But, this one is really just a depiction of where I want to be some day and I keep it in mind in several ways with it cropping up in my journal rather often. I also realized this is all drawn and painted. I stamped the word Treasure and the frog but the rest is my work so I feel like it fits this blog and am posting it.

I used Pitt pen over a pink acrylic wash edging with beige acrylic paint as the base for the map. I sponged on a little golden color for texture in the parchment and added some quick shading. Some of this is water color pencil (most of the color on the map). Once I got started I had fun with this.

Hey, A New Post!

I have finally done another drawing. I know, I know it's about time! Goodness where does the time go? This probably fits one of the EDM challenges but I haven't looked it up yet. This is a drawing of a box. My grandson knew I liked small boxes so for my birthday several years ago he painted a box for me and glued pompons and sequins to the lid. I love it. It's somewhat faded over time but I still have it and it sits where I can see it everyday - on my art table.

I saw a picture of some bottles sketched over a pre-painted background over at Genine's blog Broadhurst Street which led me to doing some background pages in my journal. Then it was time to sketch on them. That's when I realized I would have to work in pen and skip all my erasures. That got scary. So I picked this box which is really colorful and went for the penwork without pencil but I started on a plain white page. I didn't want to mess up my prepared backgrounds! Now I have to get up the nerve to just do a sketch on a background. The worst that can happen is I do a lousy job, right?

So this picture was drawn with a Micron pigment ink pen and then filled in with water color pencil. I'm quite happy with it especially since I couldn't erase. I really find shadows hard to do and almost worked my way through the paper to the other side. Thank goodness I didn't as I have a sketch of my cat on the other side. Being absent minded, I drew and painted in my box and THEN checked to see if it would bleed through. It didn't thank goodness.

International Drawing Day

Today is International Drawing Day. I put the button over on my sidebar. I'm a little late in the day but I traveled to my daughter's house today so I have a bit of an excuse. After I got there we went to eat dinner and then dropped one of her daughters off for a party. While my daughter chatted with the hostess I took the opportunity to do my drawing. I was sitting out in the van so I drew the neighbors mailbox. Not a great drawing but it is a drawing and it was done on Drawing Day. I did it! Did you?

This was drawn in a small notebook I keep in my purse with a regular #2 pencil.

Journal Page

I had a good time playing with a prompt given today in a group I am in called Blissfully Art Journaling . I haven't figured out yet if the prompt really should have been what it said (Yahoo was sure messed up today and messages and entries into group sites weren't working well) but this was my take on what I read.

This was done with watercolor pencil except where I messed up and grabbed a regular colored pencil by mistake. I also used Pitt pens and did the drawing first in pencil.

Inchies

I am part of a group of people who like to make
inchies and some of us more or less gather round at Inchybyinch blog where we get a new challenge weekly. This week's challenge was shells. I knew just what I wanted to do and it's probably because of Kate's Watercolor Pencil Workshop I am in currently.

I took a one inch square piece of watercolor paper and drew in a very basic beach scene. I wetted it down and voila! There it is - the seaside! Then I took a shell and glued it on over my little scene and added some words. One inchy done!

I had fun with this one. I hope you enjoy seeing it. Maybe you'd like to give an inch a try. If so, drop on by Inchybyinch where you'll see the week's theme. You make your inchy and leave the link in the comments section. We'd love to have some more people join in.

Where Eagles Tempt

In Kate Johnson's watercolor pencil workshop, she asks us to try out colored papers. I haven't really used colored paper much for any drawing but after seeing some other people do so very successfully, I thought I'd give it a shot with an eagle feather I found in our yard this morning. It was just fluttering in the breeze teasing me that I haven't been able to get an eagle where I can take a photo of one now that I have a camera that can zoom in pretty well. Ah well, at least I got in some drawing practice if not photography shots.

Brandy

I was watching the news with my husband. It tends to make me fidgity and being a Sunday, my husband had all the news talk shows recorded for us. I decided to draw in my journal as we watched/listened. It helped me feel like I accomplished something!

This is done with a pencil sketch covered with watercolor pencils in my moleskine journal. I was still trying to follow Elizabeth's (previous post) style of just one thing and not always in the center of the page. As you can see, it's hard for me to just do a little, single something!

A Simple Journal Page

Just a tiny bit of drawing. This is based on Elizabeth Perry's journal. I saw it on her blog. You ought to check it out for yourself and if you find it hard to get some time for drawing this way might help you out. One little drawing on a spread or page. Well, I put this one on a spread but sometimes I think I will use a page.

It was relaxing knowing I was only going to draw part of my cat and not even the more difficult part - yep, the face. But I couldn't even draw this much before she took off! Really, what is it with animals and knowing when you want them to sit still so you can draw them or take their photo?

EDM # 11

I just went through some of the EDM list and realized I had drawn my glasses in March. These had the lenses removed as I was going to give them to charity since I wouldn't be needing them anymore. I was so happy to be without glasses or contacts. I hadn't been free of them since I was 15 months old! When I was that little they sometimes had to be strapped on but I got used to them quickly. When the alternative is not being able to see, you appreciate glasses. (The big E on the eye chart was a blur to me)

This is in my moleskine journal. It's drawn with Pitt pen and filled in with watercolor pencil.

Quick Sketch EDM 77

Waiting for my husband outside Home Depot after a stop for lunch at McDonald's, I sketched my iced coffee cup. I only had a pen with me (and a very loose, black ink in it too) so no erasing. I am not comfortable without being able to erase but I think it's recognizable!

When I've drawn something like this I see if it fits an EDM challenge. There are so many of them I oftentimes find one!

I've Got a New Post!

EDM 164, that's what I've drawn! I just did front views as it fit for my journal page that way but I drew THREE of them.

After drawing nothing for a long time, it feels good to do so again. Not only that but I have a new spread in my journal. Everytime I visit my grandkids they go through my journals but lately I haven't had much to show. Hopefully I can get more done than just one spread but at least I got this one done.

I used Pitt pens and watercolor pencils. These pencils are from a new set of Faber Castell pencils and I just found one drawback to them - they don't fit in my electric pencil sharpener! Otherwise I love them. They draw so smoothly.

Hope you have a picture worthy spring day!

Happy Easter

Happy Easter everyone. Hope you all have a wonderful holiday. I am at my daughter's house where we went for a walk a mile uphill to their local cross. I am not used to such a climb!

My youngest granddaughter made the Easter basket from a paper plate at school. Since I didn't do any artwork for Easter, I thought I would share hers.

Color Test

I bought the new set of Derwent Inktense pencils. They now have 72 colors! I've heard at least some of the colors, are pretty poor in light-fastness so I am conducting my own test. I am putting down a fairly thick layer of each color onto notebook paper using the lines to help guide me (notebook paper will only accept so much of the lead -hmmm, what should I call it - it's not lead and it's not pigment - any help here??). Then I am cutting each page lengthwise into three strips. One goes onto a sunny window ledge, one out in good room light but no direct sunlight, and one strip into a closed book. At the end of a month I will put the three strips back together and we'll see if there is any fading and how much. I will be testing all 72 colors. Stay tuned!

Folk Art

I don't have the typical drawing and painting to show you today. Instead I have a project I am working on for my newly yellow-painted kitchen. I have a utensil rack of my father's which I had painted for him over 15 years ago. Since I am re-doing my kitchen and trying for some flow in it, I am going to paint it to match my canisters I am showing here. I figure I can match it by painting the rack a base white (which I have done as you can see) and then using glazes to paint the rack according to my drawn plan here. That way, not only will I have close-to-matching colors and design but even the technique will be similar. I'll share a photo of the finished rack when it's done.

Just thought I'd let you know I am working on something! There are many ways to bring art into our world.

New Post!

Hi Everyone. I want to thank everyone with all the well-wishes you sent. It sure is nice to know you are thought of! I'll have to start getting around to everyone's blogs again to see what you've all been up to.

This is an ATC sized watercolor pencil painting (actually Inktense pencils) in which I did everything wrong: even number of hills, even number of trees and bushes, no fading of the hills as they receded into the background and too dark an edge on the hills. So why did I post it and why do I hang on to it? Because I believe in posting some of my bad with some of my good work (no, don't tell me they are ALL bad, please - leave me some dignity, ; ) ,please) and because everytime I look at it I am taken right back to the Simi Valley, CA winter-time hills which were my inspiration! In that regard the picture does its job so I'll hang on to it until I do a better one.

What do you all do with your less than wonderful pictures and drawings?

Hanging in There

I've done a tiny bit of sketching using the one eye that has had the surgery so far. It's really hard to use both eyes at the same time even if I put glasses on with one lens removed as my eyes and astigmatism are too different so I use one eye at a time. I was waiting for my grandson and thought I'd give drawing a tree in the distance (it was like the ones in the photo) with my new sight. I was pretty happy with the result and can't wait till I get the other eye (my better eye) done.

One more week and I should be seeing more like normal - yay! It's been the pits not being able to do details well in drawing and beadwork has come
to a standstill. I am more than ready.

Is there a tree for an EDM challenge???

The Eyes Have It?

Well, in this case the eyes don't! I had eye surgery on my left eye yesterday and thought I'd be okay to read and so on today but it's not to be. My new left eye vision doesn't go with my right eye in glasses so I'm dizzy and not focusing well. I get the other eye fixed in two weeks. Hopefully I won't be out of service that long but I am letting you know I won't be doing much in the way of artwork or blogging for at least a few days. The surgery I had was for cataracts and to put in a prescription lens so I can do away with glasses and contacts. Still hoping it's all worth it.

The Weather

I've just added the weather pixie to my blog. Now you can see what the weather is like where I live (I can look out the door to see what it's like - yep, that sun is shining again!). You can get one for your blog by clicking on it.

Inchy and I'm Back

I am back everyone - hopefully for good. I have done the inchy for the week for the group on the blog Inchy by Inch. The theme for this week was buttons. This is my humorous take on the subject. I fully intended to raid my button box but this is what turned up instead. Done with prismacolor colored pencils. Hope it made you smile!


For those who have left me messages wondering where I was, I truly feel blessed that you were interested enough to wonder about me. I just was so busy leading up to Christmas and then visited so long with family that I guess I was worn out. I wasn't feeling like art or blogging - just resting. Thankyou so much for your concern; it helped, really, to get me back into the loop again.


Now, that I am back to doing inchies, I hope to get caught up on my Bead Journal Pages also. I have actually been sewing down some beads in the last couple of days. Not only that but I ripped out some knitted socks, relaxed the yarn and rewound it ready to knit some socks that will match up in size this time. I drew this inchie and have done just a wee bit of work in my journal but it is a start. I am on the move!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Happy New Year Everyone!!

I haven't been around much lately. Been sidetracked by any number of things but I am planning to get back to blogging, beading and drawing, making inchies and perhaps some painting this year. I have seen some new goals on some of the blogs I visit and hope you all attain what you'd like to try and learn and do this new year.

Ready for a toast (it's pomegranate sparkling cider in case you were wondering)? To all the world: May peace win out when we are feeling at odds with one another, may generosity win out when we see those who have little, may joy reign in spite of a dismal economy and may everyone have a wonderful new year!!!!

I'm hoping to get by to see everyone's blogs very soon. I'm back online (my daughter's modem went out while I was visiting) and the holidays are almost over so it's time to get back to my usual routine. See you soon!