First Lines of Backyard Sketch

Several people have asked how in the world I drew the chipmunk in the previous post, and I have to be sure that nobody thinks I actually drew that much detail in one sitting. This is the original sketch, with the bird detailed quite a bit more than the original few lines, and the chipmunk's ears started. I scanned it at this point for my sister's benefit, because I KNEW she would ask -- it wasn't really intended for everyone to see, but since it's been brought up ...

I was fortunate to spot the little chipmunk just a few feet away from me while I was sitting with my sketchbook in my lap. He froze for a few seconds -- long enough for me to do a quick few lines blind contour style, and remember enough for a few more lines after he dived down into the hole. I found reference photos for the coloration from this point, and then went back to his hole to draw the ground. Now, if you look closely, you'll see that the chipmunk could as easily have been a squirrel if I'd "fleshed it out" a little differently ... and don't let an ornithologist get CLOSE to that bird drawing, because he would probably tell you it's not a bluebird at all, no matter what color it is! And, looking at the bird, you'll notice that there are several different lines for the ovals of the head and body, and I really have no idea what a bluebird's beak really looks like -- the bird itself is really pretty generic! :-D

Back Yard

Minnie the Mooch
"She calls it 'Hi-dee-Hole' "
(Chip Calloway)*

Bluebird and chipmunk in the back yard. I started with quick line sketches, and then had to look up reference photos for colors (ain't Yahoo Image search great?!)

*with apologies

(Further details: 0.05 Staedtler pigment liner & Faber Castell Polychromos colored pencils in Moleskine sketchbook)

Nature Walk

This week's challenge for the Everyday Matters group is to go on a nature walk* and draw the things you find and pick up. This was an easy one to do and a hard one to stop on! I did the above page yesterday, and couldn't resist this little feather today. I always was one of those who had feathers and rocks and shells sitting on the windowsills -- my favorite 3-D art!

*all from my back yard, which is pretty woodsy!

(technical bit: 0.05 Staedtler pigment liner and colored pencil in Moleskine sketchbook)

Percy the Pug

Percy the Pug -- the "grandpuppy" -- who I fell in love with this past week. We had the best time playing fetch with an old beat up, chewed up, and well loved purple monkey.
When he finally gets tired, like most other babies, he fights sleep. In a desperate attempt to stay awake he will run madly around the apartment in a figure-8 pattern -- what they call the "roast beef run" (it's a long story ...) Finally, when he can go no further, he collapses. What a cutie!

(Note: Yes. He really DOES look like Yoda.)

(The technical bit: 0.1 Staedtler pigment liner in Moleskine sketch book; color added with Faber Castell Polychromos colored pencil)

Florida vacation

We spent this last week in Florida, visiting the Dear Daughter and The Son We Did Not Have To Raise. How nice to be "away from it all!" I managed to draw every day, including some drawing in public.


I did several drawings while we were at the harbor. I guess being on vacation helps get rid of the "oh my gosh, people can see me" willies!

Some drawings while lounging on the beach -- hard to keep up with the little running sand pipers.

The fishing pier on Okaloosa Island. We walked out to watch the fishing. The Cobia were running, and it was fun to watch how people don't so much fish for them, as hunt the things!

Stay tuned for pictures of the darling grand-pug -- my new sweetie!

(done with 0.1 Steadtler pigment liner in Moleskine sketchbook)

Bird Nest

We have had some terrific storms in Tennessee this week. While Knoxville has been blessedly spared the worst of the destruction, we still experienced some hard and high winds. This little bird nest, exposed to full view and all the forces of nature, is perched precariously on the end of a long limb of an oak tree in the front of our house. I couldn't believe it was completely unscathed when I saw it this morning.

The Artful Life

Guest blogger Joey V from Quotidian is posting here today. He and I started visiting each other's blogs initially because of a common word, I think -- now he enjoys visiting a lot of our "arty" blogs. Isn't life funny that way! Anyway, pay him a visit and say hi!

They say that life imitates art more than art imitates life, but I often wonder what that really means. I'm not sure if the mere _expression of one's thoughts and emotions constitutes "art". Rather, I think it implies a deliberate attempt to capture what is true and good and beautiful in man and in the natural world - through words, music, motion, and the fine arts . It also implies striving for excellence, because we can recognize such gradedness to perfection in what we sense, think, and do. And this extends to our conduct - how we work and play, how we interact with others, how we improve ourselves, how we deal with the quotidian curiosities that come our way.

We are all called to be citizen-artists!