In the Weeds

My ground rules for #CreativeSprint . . .
- The prompt is a nudge, a thought - follow it wherever the day and brain takes you.
- It's practice - not gallery artwork.
- Posting on the blog must take no more than 15 minutes.  (This will be ridiculously difficult.)
- No explaining how fast I drew or why the sketch kinda' sucks.  (Even harder... seriously, get me a don't-do-it medicine patch like smokers have.)

Day 2 - Create something inspired by a children's fable or fairy tale.

It's a beautiful no-wind Saturday and time to prep the garden.  While hacking at weeds and smoothing the soil, I kept hearing one garden nursery rhyme over and over.  A few volunteer onions and weeds posed for a portrait before meeting their demise.

Life Happens - Draw It

It's hard to get on a roll when life keeps happening.  We unexpectedly admitted my pop-in-law to the hospital for heart-related issues Tuesday.  He's getting better and will be going home soon.  I could've been sketching while tests were happening, but I lose interest when in coping mode - something to work on.

Back to the trek.  In addition to working through Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain...

I'm tackling my list of must-read art books - because that jungle grows daily.  The latest library trip unearthed a shortish book on John Singer Sargent, a fat book of illustrators from 1900 to 1960, and Webb on Watercolor, which has great tips on painting your own interpretation instead of exactly what you see.  The issues mentioned last time happened when I got to the "encounter" (now-you-do-it) pages.  Not quite ready for his loose style.  Instead, I will dive into One Watercolor a Day - a birthday gift from my dear husband.  I also happily discovered our library has Guptill's Rendering in Pen and Ink.  Yes!  Saving that until Drawing on the Right Side is complete.

I have been adding to the Live Simply planner nearly every day.  About a year ago I posted tiny drawings from a very tiny calendar.  I got halfway through the year with that one.  I'm hoping to make it all the way through this year.

There was a photo shoot Sunday.  Of course, you-know-who had to check it out.

Some entries were done rather quickly after a crazy or stressful day, as in the first photo below.  My team was awful, awful, awful and I was very vocal.  There is more (sloppy) writing than drawing on some days and others are mostly sketches - like supper on the stove.

I recorded our first portrait without the kids.  My sweater had a long cowl-type affair in front and long beads that are now immortalized as a strange medallion or something.  Also, this is not the best likeness of my husband, but it's just a sketch, so I'm posting it anyway.

I leave my planner on the end table now instead of the night stand, so I have all evening to remember it.  I still sometimes procrastinate & have to catch up.  It's amazing how much you forget after just a day.

I also signed up for Sketchbook Skool (and you can too because it's for everyone regardless of drawing skills or lack thereof).  That starts in April and we can chat about it more then.

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.

Capturing Critters

Saturday afternoon was intended for garden cleaning.  Seven little distractions halted that plan.  

While pulling out parsley, I noticed a yellow-dotted caterpillar clinging motionless to the nearby dill.  Closer inspection revealed six more.  Either my activity or the falling temperature had slowed them.  I touched one and his little yellow horns flared out.  My inner child squealed with delight (really, I didn't do that out loud).  I dashed inside and brought out my bag of sketchbooks, pens & colored pencils.  I also texted my butterfly savvy sister & niece for advice.  The light was fading and temperature falling.  One quick caterpillar sketch and a bit of color and no time for more.  I plucked the dill, creatures and all, and placed it into the jars.  They're all hanging out in the garage now, munching the dill and getting closer to chrysalis stage.  We've done this a couple of times before and released the butterflies in the spring, but never with so many at once.  I'm a little bit excited.

I intended to draw more and still hoping I can do so before the little buggers change.  Homework for the pottery class prevents me from doing so now.  Time gets away from us.  Regardless, I'm glad I stole a few minutes to record the moment.

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.

Being Green

Report card, week 2...

Lesson two was slow to get going.  With family here, I squeezed in a late night study of greens - mixing yellows, blues, greens & browns.  That was the first step.  The next was to paint a few leaves journal style and I finally tackled that task last night.  That is, I tackled it after getting Milo to stop tackling my subject matter.

The love/hate relationship with watercolor is improving stroke by stroke. 

Lemonade

Sketching and Watercolor: Journal Style virtual class report...

I like detail and I like realism.  Watercolor journaling is usually neither.  It is about recording a moment - a memory.   If you're out and about and want to sketch something and add some color - or just take a few moments to record a bit of your day - fast and simple is more realistic than slow and detailed.  This is not one of those engraved-in-stone rules, but it makes sense.  On my first try with apples & oranges (first lesson uses fruit), I struggled with not focusing on detail and realism.  Then came the second page.  A little bit easier.  A little less nagging from the perfectionist.  A little more fun.

There Will Be (cadmium red) Blood TONIGHT!

fun with new pens

There is a battle going on nightly in my house.  It is waged with pen, pencil & paper.  It is waged between the Pinterest-pinning, doodle-loving, letter-making whimsicalist (yes I totally just created a word) and the Leonardo-admiring, charcoal-wielding, traditional-technique-practicing realist.  The whimsicalist doodles on the realist with her new color pens.  Meanwhile, the annoyed realist can't find the good pencil sharpener and the drawing exercises never turn out perfectly anyway.  Sigh.

When imagining this journey, I saw myself sitting down daily to work through drawing exercises and sketching life around me.  Enter the world of art journals.  There is a whole genre of art out there I wasn't really aware of.  People who create fun pages of words and doodles and patterns and textures and color  - with some or no realistic drawing incorporated.  It feels more crafty to me, but it is tempting.  I try to mix it up - do a little of both.  Whimsy is winning lately.  I want to believe it's my inner illustrator at work.  I've created motivational sketchbook (art journal) pages trying to convince myself it's okay to veer off a bit.  So far I'm not falling for it.  Sometimes I think, "Hey, that turned out kinda' cool."  However, usually I think, "Okay, that was fun, but tomorrow I need to do some 'real' art."

Hence the dilemma.  Is this helpful, useful, or does it matter?  Does any kind of practice advance my skills?  Or is it just lazy and another form of procrastin(art)ing?  Someday there may be answers.  The journey continues and I'm wondering how many diverging roads there will be in these yellow ochre woods.  Onward ho... or ... to the battlefield!  There will be blood tonight! (best movie ever!)

Art practice for the realist.  Blind contour giraffes - a lesson from the Drawing Lab book.  I must admit - I used to hate this technique, but it's growing on me.

We can do it!

Half of the goals page.
(Hey, I don't have to share EVERYTHING.)

First things first (an oddly redundant saying).  Yes, I have drawn every day since the last post.  Saturday - a mandala - got all creative with shading & a 3D look.  Sunday - crammed full of life & nearly didn't draw.  Then my irritated sleepy self noticed the small sketchbook the pushier me had placed on the nightstand a month ago.  So, I did a few speedy illustrations of my vague October goals.  Monday - colored pencil spheres using complementary colors to create shadow.  The sketchbook pages are feeling very random and I can't decide if that's okay.

And now, the second thing.  Last night I read another chapter of An Illustrated Life.  This inspiring gem is full of "real" artists & their sketchbooking habits.  Many keep illustrated journals as you might keep a written diary.  Some have unrelated day jobs, but all are way more talented than me.  This chapter was about Amanda Kavanagh  and I want to share her pep talk...

"A lot of people tell me they want to keep a journal but they can't draw.  I don't think visual journals have to be about drawing skills.  I tell them it's about recording your days.  Just start a journal and keep it handy and convenient.  ....  And don't think too much about what you want to draw or whether it is technically a good drawing or not.  For inspiration, .... pick up a copy of Drawing from Life: The Journal as Art.  There are no rules.  No one has to see this except you.  Just have fun and enjoy yourself.  You'll be amazed how you look at the world differently and how your book will eventually take on a life of it's own."

If you already are "artistic' that's super.  However... See my doodles up above?  See how art can be stick figures or scribbles about your life?  Art doesn't have to be by a master, or hanging on the wall or match the couch.  Now, lastly... my illustration of a line in a country song about slowing down & taking the back roads...

from earlier this week - I want to go back and add some color at some point