When Nobody's Looking

The recent trip to California was relatively short and jam-packed.  I don't like to hold up the crew, so sketched briefly here and there.  One morning, however, I woke up very early and couldn't go back to sleep.  The sun had just cleared the horizon when I started on the view from our room.

There were a gazillion boats behind these two, but this will do.

Then, a few days ago, my husband needed help on the farm.  Mechanical difficulties after I arrived gave me unexpected time to fill.  Out came the pocket sketchbook and a freebie ballpoint pen - the only drawing supplies I had with me.  That would do.

You don't need exciting subject matter or fancy supplies to take advantage of the waiting moments - just something to draw on and something to draw with.  That's it.  That'll do.

Planting Hope

We found daffodil bulbs 75% off at Ace yesterday.  The forecast called for two 60 degree days, then it's 30s and 40s with a chance of snow.  I pushed the end of the season envelope and planted half of the 99 cent bulbs.  The rest will go in the ground tomorrow and we'll see what happens in the spring.

Those are Milo ears behind the sketchbook.  

He was desperate for lap time when Daisy & I returned to the house.

Update:  Yes, the bulbs did survive and bloomed early in the spring.  Nice investment indeed.

Old Cars - Fast Sketches - Slow Pants

It's been a little over two months since I decided to share the little blue sketchbook that was never meant for sharing.  These are the last pages completed prior to that post on June 4.  It may help to go back for a moment to refresh your memory.  I did.  I have to remind myself of little promises and grandiose statements, so I will actually follow through on at least a few of them.

So, back on that small town street, sketching old cars and trucks.  After the initial curiosity, the group would watch my scratching now and then, but they mostly observed the cars.  I continued to stop occasionally and sketch a few minutes before moving on down the street.

I'm growing accustomed to the wonkiness of pen sketching.  It's all out of whack, but has a certain character.

The water tower below is a direct result of one of the guys instructing me to "Quick, draw that water tower!"  So I did - real quick.  All of these sketches were done in a few minutes - five at best.  I'm not comfortable or brave enough yet to stop and sketch longer.  Too much attention and I don't want to hold back my companions that much.

The sketch on the right of the King Midget was going relatively well until the owner decided he should sit in the driver seat as I drew.  I wanted to say, um, can you move please?  But, again, not that brave and it was his car after all.  I just tried, unsuccessfully, to add him.  I courteously showed him the drawing and laughed.  "Very quick" I said.  He looked perplexed.  I moved on.

This sketch was all about the dice on the mirror.  Initially, that was all I wanted to put down on paper.  I have a hard time leaving things out.

Since the car sketching day, I've nearly filled the little blue sketchbook.  Some decent drawings, some awful and a few memorable quotes.  I'll share a few at some point - perhaps the combine sketch or the ones of Milo sprawled out on his back.

In the meantime, still in frozen mode.  I haven't done anything artsy for about a week and we can't have that!  I began reading Juliette Aristides book "Lessons in Classical Drawing."  The pages with the actual lessons are coming up soon and I can feel them anticipating my arrival.  Criminy.  Gotta' get over this ridiculous must-be-perfect thing already.  A few other kick-in-the-pants events are possibly coming soon.  I'll be back in a few days to let you know if there's a boot print on my jeans.

Slow Road to Styx

Little blue sketchbook - same road trip as the fading windmills:

This was a tiny bit of a pilgrimage.  I am a lifelong Styx fan who had never seen them live.  I discovered the current version of Styx, including a few original members, was playing within driving distance this past spring.  Off we went - full speed ahead! . . . until we hit road construction.

Our crawl along the highway delayed us enough to miss most of the opening act.  We did get to see REO Speedwagon (original members - energetic OLD guys!) before Styx played.  Cross that off the bucket list!

My family slept in the next morning, but I woke up unusually early.  So, I sketched the day-after view, including one crumpled up souvenir t-shirt.

We hit the art store later that day and I tested my purchases on the sketchbook pages.  Here you'll see the clearanced Graphitints, that, as noted in the last post, will fade.  Rats.




Update:  I just discovered that the Tombow markers tested on this page also fade easily.  Well, pooh.

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.

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.

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.