Tiny Farms & Cow Blobs

Same trip as the last post...

Driving across country means continually changing subject matter.  That's just about right for itty bitty sketches.

As noted, drawing with the pocket brush on bumpy roads was a challenge.  I finally got that last cow blob to look like a cow and then a bump added the goofy tail.  OH - sudden thought - should've extended the tail line & turned it into a fence line.

My husband is part comic.  Adding his commentary to the sketchbook is priceless indeed.

The Next Pages

My clever button is not working today, hence the title of this post.

Another road trip, this time to Mom's.

I took along Conte sketching pencils and discovered something I should've already known.  This is not a medium to use in sketchbooks unless the smearing is part of the goal  However, I am looking forward to pulling out my colored charcoal paper at some point.

Same day.  Switched to the Pentel pocket brush.  More feet (foot).  My sister read the right page and asked "Isn't that a movie?"  She's soooo funny.

A Good Day to Draw

All the posts from the little blue book were prepared at the same time so I could just hit publish & not take too much time out of this busy month for blogging.  However, before I get on with the next one, I must shout about drawing over 2 hours so far today & I'm not done yet!  Woot!  Taking a short break now, but I'm on a roll and feeling good.  Partial credit goes to this follow-up post by Danny Gregory on the obnoxious you-can't-do-it voice we all struggle with.  It was the kick in the pants I needed yesterday.  And, um, I think I should point out, though his blog is superb and his books are inspirational, I don't actually spend my days perusing Mr. Gregory's blog.  His thoughts have just been exceptionally relevant for me this past week and I had to share.

Back to Lil' Blue:
The next two pages were a direct result of Jane LaFazio's watercolor journaling class.  We were introduced to water soluble pens during lesson 5.  Draw your object, add water, pull some pigment around for shading.  Great fun!  After the class was over, I had to experiment in the little blue sketchbook.

 The only thing I don't like about this book so far is occasionally coming across a page like the one above where the adhesive is obvious.  I want to get a larger one and see if it's the same.

I highly recommend digging through your pens for one that is water soluble - felt tip or white board markers are your best bet.  Draw a circle or flower, then find a paintbrush and add water to your lines.  Voilà - easy shading!

Addendum to the sketchbook sharing:  This page of shoes was created for the online class.  We were to draw in pen with one continuous line, then shade with the waterbrush.  (Relatively irrelevant information - for scale, the little sketchbook pages are shown basically actual size.  The shoes were done on 9 x 12 watercolor paper.)

Pentel Meets Pentalic

I'd only used Micron, Copic liner or FaberCastell Pitt pens in the little blue book up to this point.  I acquired a Pentel pocket brush pen during the road trip illustrated earlier by my feet on the dash.  The first test was in the pocket Moleskine with decent results, but the paper is on the thin side.  The pages in the little Pentalic are sturdier and definitely hold the ink and paint better (no show through on the opposite side).

This is the second page of experimentation with the pocket brush - plus a test of watercolors.

My misguided thought that the pocket brush pen would improve my handwriting was a bust.  Oh well, it's still a great sketching tool!

Side note:  I had a sudden bout of can't-move-give-me-drugs back pain this past weekend.  Not something I'm used to dealing with and there was no drawing going on - just couldn't do it.  It is much better.  However, I have new found appreciation for those dealing with back pain chronically and still contributing to society in any meaningful way.  You amaze me.

Artists Anonymous

Time out from the drawing project.  Actually, I was already taking a time out from the project and read this post on Danny Gregory's blog.  It's about the voice that stops us from doing what we love.  It really hit home for me, especially since I was reading it while procrastinating drawing.  It inspired me to finally write today's post now - before I get back to what I should be doing...

Last weekend, at a farmers market, one of the vendors wrapped our purchase in brown Kraft paper.  I said "So old school.  I can use this, because..." here the voice blurted out loud "I'm sort of an artist."  . . . sort of?  Why did I just say that?!?  I've wanted to be an artist since childhood.  I've been committed to rediscovering my art since last fall.  Why is it so hard to just say it?

This blog was started with a certain amount of anonymity.  I wanted to hold myself accountable and share with supportive family and friends.  They knew who I was and that was all that mattered.  Then, when I won The Artist print from Flying Shoes Art Studio, Kristy asked me for a little info so she could blog about the winner.  Um... hmmm... not quite yet...  I ramble on in this blog, but I'm a relatively quiet observer in person (except around my loud and wonderful family).  I wasn't ready, no matter how infrequent an unknown reader may stop by.  I remained Aggie and gained a follower to the blog.

I've noticed most artist bloggers use their real names, or at least a portion of it.  I mentioned to my sister recently that I think it might be time to share my real identity.  That sounds so Clark Kent and important!  It's not THAT important.  It's just been feeling appropriate.  I still hesitated.  Then the doubting voice incident happened and then I read that inspiring post today.  Sheesh, not a big deal, just do it already!

Well, I don't really know where I'm going yet - for fun? for family? for sale? for all of that? - learning as we go along.  However, I've been at this long enough to know I don't want to stop.  I will still blog as Aggie.  It's part of a nickname Dad gave me as a child and it is still me.  However, in the spirit of any other 12 step program... 

My name is Janet Kohl and I am... an artist.

Capturing Inspiration

Scattered amongst the sketches are inspirational quotes from blogs or books - mostly art related.

These thoughts are from An Illustrated Journey by Danny Gregory - a book full of illustrated journal artists telling their own stories.  The left side is Suzanne Cabrera and the right is Lisa Cheney-Jorgensen.  There are more, but I won't share all of them.  I highlight or underline meaningful quotes in books I own (never library books - just don't!).  Recording these directly into my sketchbook, and adding bits of illustration, helps them stick a little better.

Put One Foot in Front of the Other

Same road trip, more feet...

My feet are always with me & will pose pretty much however I want them too - with or without clothes.  I'm doing the Sketchbook Project this year and my sister said I should do a book of my feet.  I have a feeling I'm not the only foot sketcher.

This is one of the icky pages that I wasn't happy with.  So, I added journaling and one of my favorite quotes from a forum thread I lost track of.  I love this quote.  I can live with the page now.

Bonus:  The title of today's post refers to this song from a favorite old Christmas special.  Remarkably appropriate for my journey.  And probably yours too.

So it Begins

As promised, the first two spreads of the little blue sketchbook...

 Appropriately, the first sketch is of my feet - on the dash - where they are about half of the time we travel.  However, my right foot really is not that much bigger than the left.

Sketching people you know is weird, at least for now.  I did this so fast and slyly, that my husband didn't have a clue I was drawing him.  I showed him on the cycle trip to the car show.  His response - "What did you do to my nose?"  In all fairness, it's really not a great likeness of his face.

Little Blue Book

My last online splurge included this pocket-size (2 7/8" x 4 1/8") sketchbook.
It's a little bigger than the photo and darker blue.

I did not specifically order it.  This was a freebie included with something else I wanted.  My memory fails me as to what I thought when it arrived.  At some point I had an aha moment and dedicated this little book to sketching without worry.  I created a front page and then promptly forgot about it.  Well, not really forgot, just couldn't figure out what to do on the next page.  How's that for not worrying?

We were headed out of town over one month later and I tossed the little blue book in my bag.  A few miles down the road I plunged in and drew whatever captured my interest - the road, parts of the car, my feet.  I draw my feet a lot and we'll discuss that in a future post.  The point is, I drew without caring how it turned out or who saw it.  So freeing!  Over the next month or so I discovered I really really like the paper & it works with multiple drawing and painting tools.  Now lil' blue is over half full of sketches, new medium testing, thoughts and quotes. 

The latest entries were Sunday on a trip that came about because of my husband's recent purchase.  He announced this spring that we're not getting any younger and he wasn't putting it off any longer.  While I was buying art supplies, he bought a Harley.  For those that know me - the answer is yes -  yes, I do love it.  We look forward to empty nest adventures - evening rides, occasional trips around the state or bits of the country.  Wherever it takes us, I'm in.  Fellow cycle-riding friends invited us on a ride Sunday.  Before we left, I tossed lil' blue into the "saddle bags" with our water and sunscreen.  I knew we'd be stopping to eat and didn't imagine what I could be drawing.  Regardless, I was ready.

As it turned out, we were headed to an antique car & tractor show.  We walked down the small town street admiring the old machinery & I kept timidly thinking "I should be sketching that."  Finally, an interesting hood ornament stared me down & yelled "Draw ME!"  So, as the group moved ahead a bit, I nervously pulled out the book and quickly sketched.

 Next to it - a Ford S Coupe.  The shape was too inviting and my pen kept going - rapid sketchy lines (I have difficulty with single continuous line) and I was wishing for invisibility powers.

The group began noticing and questioned my husband.  "Darling, tell them what you're doing there."  And I did.  They were inquisitive, supportive and I think somewhat impressed.  Whew!  Another small step in the journey - due to a free little blue sketchbook, a big red motorcycle and a moment of bravery.  We stayed for awhile and I'll share more of the day and sketches another time. 

I actually started this post to explain my plan for the next month or so.  I'll be busy on a drawing project during that time.  In anticipation of this, I decided yesterday afternoon to share pages from the little sketchbook - 1 or 2 or 3 every few days - with minimal explanation until we arrive at the rest of the sketches from the cycle trip.  That should get us near the end of my current self-imposed assignment.

This sketchbook was meant for total freedom with no worries of sharing.  In a way, that's what makes it perfect for sharing - to show the realities of this journey as I spontaneously fill my tiny sketching journal.  And, just maybe, a person or two will happen across this and feel inspired to start a tiny little journal of sketches or doodles or ideas or poems or whatever.  It's good for the soul.  It really is.