November 5th

 Turkeys

Okay, so here we have a photograph of wild turkeys circling our yard. 

I know, day five, and this is the best I can do already. I had intended to sketch the ingredients for last night's pizza and tell how I made it, but I didn't get far enough to post it.  Maybe tomorrow.  This seems to be a busy week with lots of little things that need attention  -  they do add up, and the days don't seem long enough.  I think it's time to curl up on the couch and watch a silly movie.  Or take a little nap before bed.

Don't these turkeys know they should be hiding?

SNOW

A Very Snowy Saturday

We had about ten inches of snow over-night and it is still snowing off and on and blowing.   There are 26,000 households in our area without power. We are not one of them, but the power lines are very heavy with snow here in our neighborhood  -  makes me a little nervous.

It was predicted that a snowstorm would hit us about 5 p.m. yesterday, and a little after 4:30 it began to snow.  We haven't had much snow all winter, so everyone was pretty surprised that it actually happened.

What is it about a winter storm that allows you to give yourself permission to do nothing?  Even if you had only indoor things planned  -  no outside activities - you (or is it just ME) suddenly decide you don't have to do them.  It's okay to sit and watch it snow, read, watch a movie, eat eat eat   -  do anything other than what had seemed important to get done today.

Critter report.  It was a mouse.  A very small mouse.

Beads

Paper Beads 

My latest obsession. 

For some reason I am really into paper beads right now.  I am not very good at getting a nice tight roll, or keeping it centered and even.  I'll either get better with practice, or move on to something else when I get sick of these.  Either way, I'm just having fun  -  I'm not going into the paper bead business.  In fact, I may never even string them  -  I love the way they look in this little white bowl.

The paper I used is book binding paper, scrap paper, and magazine pages.  It needs to be thin enough to roll, but thick enough to make a substantial bead.

Now if I can tear myself away from all the pretty paper, I need to get creative with some promotional material.  That sounds like it might be a little too taxing on the brain for a weekend, doesn't it?

Are you creating something this weekend?

Snowy Afternoon

The One Blossom Christmas Cactus

This is the perfect afternoon to wind down the holidays.  We are getting a lot of snow, so maybe this won't be the end  -  maybe we'll be snowed in!

I have spent a lot of time this past week puttering around the house, and it really felt good.  I've been sorting through things in my studio, rearranging, spending time with the grandkids - one day they stayed in their jammies all day and played with modeling clay.

This afternoon my husband and I have both mentioned things we really should be doing, but we've been playing dominoes, listening to music, and watching it snow.

 WISHING YOU A HAPPY, HEALTHY, AND CREATIVE 2012!!!

Lights on my Shelves

On the Shelves In My Desk

It is quiet and dark here this morning.  There is a little snow falling.  Very peaceful.  BUT  -  I have to get going.  I still have a grocery run to make, some cooking to do, a table to set .  .  .  We are doing Christmas Eve Eve dinner tonight. It won't be peaceful for long : )  Last year we set the table with blue and white, but I think this year we will put holly in glass vases and use crystal candle sticks.  I know  -  you were dying to know that.

Okay.  My mind is on things other than blogging, but I did want to drop in here to wish you all a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!  Have a great Holiday.

Day Twenty-five

My Kitchen Window Sill

I just thought I would show you a picture of where I have spent a lot of time in the past three days  -  and loved every minute of it.  We had a great family Thanksgiving!   We all grocery-shopped a lot, ate a LOT, cleaned up a lot . . . 

Now everyone has left, and it is pretty quiet here  -  except for the dishwasher running.

Maybe it's time to settle down and watch a movie.  I'll sketch something tomorrow.  Promise. 

Day Fifteen

Color Scheme

I am not really a color scheme kind of girl.  I don't like to be locked in to two or three colors in a room.  A little bit of everything feels more comfortable to me.

My husband and I saw a picture of a bedroom with a red door, and we have to have it.  I'll paint a little bed-side table the same color  -  WHEN I find it.  I don't love all reds, in fact I don't live with much red, so I'll know the perfect color when I see it.  Yesterday as I was leaving the flower shop after my volunteer flower arranging thing, I walked past the trash bin and there was this beautiful coral/red gerbera daisy.  Close.  Needs to be "rusted" just a touch, but not orange  .   .   .


This morning one of the members of one of the groups I teach in the summer called to plan out next year's schedule.  Fun.  It makes a Northern Michigan winter feel a lot less bleak when I'm planning summer lessons.  I know  -  live in the moment, but those moments are good planning moments.

How about thinking up some themes for winter sketching?  We'll talk about that tomorrow.
Carry your sketchbook. Open it. Sketch in it.

Day Five

Brushes and Palette

It's a lazy day here, which is really pretty nice.  I've been going through stacks of papers, shredding and filing.  I've been throwing away all those little scraps of watercolor paper that I do little demos on  -  a cloud, a wave, a leaf .  .  .  It really all piles up, and by the time I sort through it, it is all unnecessary and not where I would find it anyway. 

When I sort through things and spiff up my painting area, it always inspires me to really get painting.  My goal, of course, is to get through the sorting process in a hurry, so I don't lose the inspiration.  I come across sketches and lesson plans that I had forgotten about, and if I don't hurry, they'll get shuffled into another pile, to be forgotten again. 

Okay, here I go, back to the drawing board  -  literally.

How is your weekend?  What is inspiring you?

Modern Art in our Backyard

My Latest Art Project

Looks a little like a Calder, doesn't it?  Actually it is the collapse of our backyard canopy that we had put up for my workshop last Friday.  A little rain and wind and this is what you get.  You can do this too.

I am taking advantage of a little quiet time to finish packing up things for this week's bookbinding workshops.  My husband and our son have taken all the kids to the KOA for a camping weekend.  Friday night everyone was here and things got a little crazy - one over-turned coffee table, one lost cat who turned out not to be lost at all (the kids actually went around the neighborhood gathering up cats that looked like ours), one little hand through a pane of glass in the porch door  -  which thankfully did surprisingly little damage   -  to the hand, that is.  Of course it totaled the window pane, but who cares.  So, yeah, I'm taking advantage of this quiet time.  Also looking forward to their return.  Silly me.

Happy Easter

Happy Easter from Viola, California

It's just a little cold and snowy here.  Really  -  it's a lot cold and snowy here.  We are having the perfect holiday "cabin weekend".  Looking outside, we are just not sure which holiday it is!

We really are having a great time  -  reading, cooking, eating, playing games, decorating eggs, hiding eggs, sketching and painting, drinking cinnamon tea, and watching the snow fall.  It's wonderful!

Viola is in Northern California in the Redding/Mt Lassen area.  It is just beautiful here, and the family togetherness is soooo nice!  If you're having a warm and sunny Easter, don't feel sorry for us  -  we made a conscious choice to come here.

Soup Terrine

Good Intentions

This is what I had intended to sketch today, but I'm a little busy here! 

The soup terrine is a piece of a partial set of china that has been handed down in my dad's family. Several years ago, my daughter was driving home from college for the weekend, and bringing my mother with her.  As they were walking out the door, my mother said, "Let's take the soup terrine to your mother."  So they packed it in my daughter's basket of laundry for safe keeping on the trip.  

If only soup terrines could talk.  I would love to know where else this has been in the more than 130 years of its life.  Think of the modes of transportation it has seen getting from generation to generation.  

Someday I will sketch this.   It could be challenging from some angles  -  but right now, I am going to get as much done toward tomorrow's dinner preparation as possible.

Wishing a very Happy Thanksgiving to those of you in this part of the world celebrating the holiday tomorrow.

Me, About Five Years Old

 

“Be aware of wonder. Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.”
Robert Fulghum

I posted this picture and quote in November of 2007.  I was thinking about this quote and looked it up. Isn't it interesting how things seem to repeat themselves at the same time of year over and over  -  in our brains, that is.  Is there something in me that questions the balance of my life every year in November?

Today, according to Robert Fulghum, I was a little unbalanced. It felt good to me, and it's my balance we're talking about here. 

How's the balance of your life? Did you draw and paint some?  I must admit - I didn't.

Our Creative Project of the Weekend

Her Name is Oceannie

(Ocean -ie)

She has a gold. glittery belly button! Yes, it's a female. This was middle granddaughter's family project as a school assignment.  I think it is clever of the teacher to assign family projects that are more fun (for ME anyway) than math or spelling or whatever.  I did notice, however, that no one else showed up for this project. That's okay  -  the two of us had a great time, and can you imagine what this turkey would have looked like with any more people involved?!  We think she is perfect.

What is your creative project for the weekend?

Harker Chinaware

Harker Hotoven Chinaware

"The oldest pottery in America"

I should be painting. No, I should be catching up on paperwork. No, I should be...... so I'm cleaning cupboards.  I do my best when I listen to what is calling my name.  I'm just hoping that tomorrow painting is calling my name.

This time of year I love to go through the cupboards and rearrange things a little.  It's just part of my nesting thing, I guess.  I did purge quite a bit today - getting rid of a lot of duplicates and things that were just plain worn out.  I'm not getting rid of these two pieces of  colorful china.  I love the colors!!!  I don't have a good place to display these, but I should come up with something  -  they are just too pretty to stick up on a top shelf and shut the door.

Yesterday I spent a little time in Bed Bath and whatever, looking at everything and buying   some salad plates. I decided I should really satisfy my need for "new" by digging out some things from my own cupboards and china cabinet that I haven't seen for awhile.  It's been fun, and my kitchen is in better shape  -  some things taken away, not added.
Tomorrow I'll work on some sketches of the dish in the foreground  -  it is a challenging shape.

One more step to go, and that is to actually get the stuff I purged out of the house.  Why is that the hardest part?

Makes Me Smile!

Just Hangin' Out.

Are these the cutest things you've ever seen in your life?!


When the California grandkids were here, one day they sat out under the backyard canopy and painted little clothespin people.  Yesterday, as I went to grab some more clothespins, I walked past these guys.  I just couldn't resist using them.  They made me smile every time I walked past them on the line.

Shoo!

How Bold!

This is a beautiful deer, but I would really rather it left the gardens alone. As it walked past the neighbor's door on the way to drink from the bird bath, it didn't even care that I sat right there and took pictures. It had been eating a LOT of plants from the garden. This is too much - too bold in broad day light! We live in the city.

Between the deer and the six inch slugs chomping their way through our gardens, we aren't going to have much left. I am trying to figure out what they don't eat, but year to year they seem to be quite inconsistent.

I am working on binding a book for a gift, working on lesson plans and class schedules, printing cards, and I wanted to post some pages from the Summer Kick-Off. The problem is the grandkids - they are not here today and it is too quiet! Focus, Cath, focus.

Ordering

So Many Colors - So Little Time

It takes me days to get together an order for paint, paper etc. You'd think I would never have a chance at it again. Why can't I just order what I need and move on? I'm afraid I might miss something, I guess. And I want it all, when actually I like painting with a very limited palette. See the problem?

When an order comes, it is always a little disappointing not to have something new/different - like a little present to yourself. Daniel Smith has a 20% off sale for a few days. That ought to justify something new and different, don't you think?


Still working on the quarter sheet snow painting. Maybe I'll post it tomorrow.

COLD

Bay View in the Snow

I have a lot of goals and intentions for the new year. Doesn't everyone?! For one thing I plan to do a few snow paintings. I've never had great luck selling snow paintings, but ya know what? The snow is here and I'm gonna paint it. Embrace it. Wallow in it. Not really. As you can see, this is a photograph, not a painting. I am all about comfort and I can not paint outside in the cold! Today was beautifully sunny, and terribly cold - a good day to drive down the street taking pictures.

I have been completely tearing up the house. I have been threatening to do this for awhile, and since I have my big, strong husband home for a few days, this was the time to do it. We
took everything off the bookshelves, out of the china cabinet - even moved the piano back into the living room. We hauled furniture to the attic and five large grocery bags of books to the car . . .

Tomorrow I will finish settling things, and Monday it is back to sketching.

I hope everyone had a great holiday. Hope you're fired up to tackle your resolutions, goals, intentions. hopes and dreams!

Travel Palettes

Paint Choices for Small Palettes
(and toxic pigments and baked ziti)

A few posts ago, Annie had some questions about paints and pigments.

In my book, A Petoskey Watercolor Journal, I list the colors I use in my teaching of watercolor journaling, and I suggest using Windsor and Newton paints because of their quality and availability.

The colors I suggest in the book are: permanent rose, hookers green, ultramarine blue, cadmium yellow, and burnt sienna.

I also suggest these colors because I feel teaching journaling technique is more important than teaching color mixing in a brief journal workshop.

So now we come to the "However. . ." I have been using Daniel Smith watercolors exclusively for the past couple of years. No - I am not advertising for DS - just stating a fact. Colors are not the same across the board and I used to use some of, maybe, three manufacturers. Once you get used to a manufacturer's take on a color, it makes your life so much easier to just keep ordering from that one manufacturer. And I do think DS pigments are great.

As for color choices, again, these are suggested because it is easy to run into an art supply store and find them. I am all about instant gratification, and I feel if someone wants to get journaling, they want to get journaling - not try to find a mail order catalog and spend hours looking up the right stuff!

Annie had a question about manganese blue. A few years ago, the original pigment was "outlawed" and we couldn't get it for awhile. The new and improved manganese blue seems to have the same granular properties, which is what I love about it.

So, if I were to limit myself (which I do) to just a very few colors for tiny travel palettes, what would I choose? If I had room for only three colors, they would be permanent rose ( or something similar), ultramarine blue, and hansa yellow or lemon yellow. To add a couple more I would put in hookers green and manganese blue. Two more - cobalt violet and phthalo yellow green (NOT phthalo green yellow shade)

Sometimes, it is not just about the color, but also the properties of the pigment - if it granulates, if it is transparent, if it stains . . .

I had an email this morning asking about the best way to dispose of our paints and paint water if our pigments are toxic. I think the only toxic paint I am using these days is Cobalt violet. I don't use cadmiums and the manganese colors have been reworked, but if some of you are using these (and cobalts), you may want to be aware of their toxicity when painting with children.

As for disposal - I think you might want to google the subject and see what you think is best. I am not well versed in this and don't want to be quoted as saying, "Aw, heck, dump it down the sink". Look on your tubes of paint and see how they are rated - it will be on there. You'll probably find, that unless you are using cobalts and cadmiums, you have no toxic pigments.

"Marpia" asked in a comment how to make baked ziti special. The best way I know to make it special is to serve it by candle light.

Food Blogging - Christmas Season

One More Time

Yes, I'm baking ziti again. AND blogging about it. Ziti seems to be one of my temporary obsessions - like making sketchbooks and reading everything I can find on Jack London. I've put those two things on hold until after the holidays.

I have Christmas Eve Eve dinner to fix and a few errands to run. I have to make a run back to the grocery. I can tell exactly, by looking at my list, which aisles I ran into friends to talk to. I guess I can't shop and talk at the same time. Well, we all knew that.

One more Christmas present to buy and only a few more to wrap. I'm doing okay. How about you? Hope things are going well, and that you are all having a great holiday season.

MERRY CHRISTMAS to you and yours!