Fun Friday in Fall

I took the day off from work today and went to Dollywood to work with my friend Marcia who has a booth there selling jewelry during the Arts and Crafts festival. Since it was raining this morning, with a forecast for rain, high winds, and cold all day, she advised me to bring my sketchbooks along, as business was likely to be slow.

Well, it rained sure enough, and sales were slow to start with, but we had plenty to do, and then it got a little busy, and I never got the chance to sketch a thing. Still, I managed to sneak out and take a couple of photos...

It's been years since I've been to Dollywood -- too many crowds and all that for me, but who can resist a place that has a carousel with a dragon on it?

... or a lovely deer?

...and, of course, I fell in love with this all together different kind of ride!

I know, I have to get back to work painting tonight -- the piece I've been working on for watercolor class is something I'm not real happy with -- it was an exercise in something and served the purpose, but now I'm starting something I really want to do. I promise to faithfully update! And there's STILL Venice .... and carousel horses ... and Diahn and I go to a silk-screening workshop tomorrow, so who knows what will become of that!?!

Wish I Was There

A quickie of the fishing pier on Okaloosa Island in Florida where my daughter lives -- watercolor done a few months ago based on a sketch I did last April. Next time I go to the beach, I really need to look at the waves -- I had the hardest time remembering what they MIGHT look like! :-)

Meanwhile, I got to enjoy my daughter and son-in-law and grandpuppy for a bit last week when they came in for a visit. The week before that, my in-laws were in and we had a great time running around with the neices and nephews. This weekend my parents are in and we've really enjoyed their visit. It's been a busy and fun month -- lots of family, which is great!

Mom tells me I need to update my blog more often -- and she's right. Again, I've let it go too long, although it only feels like last week that I put something up. I'm playing with bigger and bigger pieces, which means fewer things to show -- but still -- stay tuned -- I may be taking a virtual sketch crawl of Venice soon, courtesy of we-all-know-who!

Oh, and I'm going to try and switch over to Blogger Beta, which means this will all republish -- apologies to Blogliners! If anyone knows of any potential BB problems, PLEASE let me know before I switch! :-)

(Technical bit -- watercolor on 140# cold pressed WC paper)

Patrick Sullivans

A quick change from all the watercolor to a small colored pencil sketch of Patrick Sullivan's Saloon in Knoxville's Old City. Inspired by Janey's suggestion to use a 5"x7" Itoya Art Profolio, slipping loose sheets into the pockets. Also inspired by recent comments on the EDM list about a "bonus round" of travel drawings and drawings from your home town. Seems like we also had a challenge to re-do a previous challenge using a different medium? Anyway, this Knoxville landmark is one of my favorites.

Gossip

This still needs some tweaking, and the pinks and greens just don't photo well, no matter what I try! :-)
Still -- I HAD to do something bright and cheerful, so this is it. Sorry for the long absence, but I found I really needed a break from it all, including keeping up with e-mails, etc. and decided that I would just take the month of August OFF.

But now I'm baaaaaaack......

(technical details: watercolor on Arches 300# hot press, 28"x16")

Creek

Maybe gone too far -- something brooding about this one. There are several things I would do differently with this if I were to do it over -- less grey mixes, cobalt rather than cerulean in several places , the list could go on! I'm going to scrub out a little of the splatter at the bottom of the waterfall, and take another look at it tomorrow. Any suggestions for small fixes would be much appreciated, but I'm ready to be done with this.

NOW I'm ready to do something bright, and fun, and cheerful, and silly!

(The technical schtuff: 22" x 30" watercolor on 300# hot press paper)

Creeks and Such

I've been working the past few weeks on a full sheet watercolor of a mountain creek. It has turned out to be an ambitious project, and I've been at several "Oh S..." points on the painting, if you know what I mean! Tonight I was thinking of how I miss all my "blogland" friends and thought of this simple little WC sketch I did nearly two years ago -- much smaller than what I'm working on now, but still...

IF this monster turns out okay I'll share it with you guys.
IF you NEVER see it, well, you'll know that I've carried it down to the creek for a good ole Southern-style baptism ... 'nuff said.

I miss simple sketching. There has to be a way to find time to do both!

Passing Fancies

Just a thought...
Happy Friday to all!

Magnolia Bud WC

This little watercolor is based on an ink sketch I did here in my Moleskine. It kept "calling my name" as they say, and I just had to do it. Since DH thinks I really ought to do SOMETHING to fund my art (and I have to agree with him, even though I have a full time day job) I'm going to be putting it up for sale (so if you're interested let me know ;-) .

I'm asking what you guys think about it -- what, if anything, does it need to make it feel more complete or better?

I happened to keep a record of how it progressed, too -- so if you're interested you can see it here.

Dragonfly

The last few weeks, I've taken a break from the computer (sorry to have just disappeared!) and have been painting and painting and will be posting something tomorrow (I hope!) Meanwhile, this is a photo from a trip to Ijams Nature Center the other morning with the two wonderful nieces from Arizona and our friend Marcia. Yep. Sometimes it IS all about the equipment ...
:-) Now, to catch up on e-mails, etc ...

Humming Along

I've been BUSY AS A BEE lately!

On a new self-imposed "health program" of eating right (organic and natural), exercise, stress management, and getting extra sleep, and am feeling better than I have in years! Problem is, it is time consuming right now. BUT -- I'm finally getting back in the groove!

~~I'm back to painting with some projects in mind and in the works ~~
~~I have a possible / probable commission for a CP portrait ~~
~~ And, if you'll look at the photo, you might guess that I got a brand new toy! ~~

Thanks to you all for all your recent comments, support, inspiration, and encouragement!
New art to come soon!

Peony

Despite the wonderful colors of spring, I can't seem to stop working in black ink in this book.

The other day I went to this web site for Tazo tea looking for a certain tea (I'm hooked on their Giant Peach tea and Mango tea) -- if you love a beautiful and thoroughly thought out web site, go see this one. It's one of the best I've seen in a while. Be sure to have your tea leaves read while you're there!

(Technical bit -- 0.05 Staedtler black pigment ink in Moleskine sketchbook -- and it's my next-to-the-last page! There's something satisfying about finishing a book and starting another!)

Magnolia Bud and Branch

The magnolias are budding and will soon be in full bloom. When we bought our house years ago, one of the first things I did was cut a magnolia bloom from the tree in the front yard.
Bud losing its outer covering while the first petal opens outward.

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!