Day Eighteen

A Pile of Paintings

I have a pile of paintings that need to be framed, so I ordered frames today, and will give the measurements to my husband so he can cut the mats and glass.  There's one thing off my to-do list. And onto his.

I also sent out and posted the information for upcoming classes.  Another thing off the list. 

And then I went to the grocery store.  That never really gets off the list,does it?  While I was standing in the check-out line, a customer came up to me and asked if I wanted the coupon she had for $4.50 off $55 worth of groceries.  Sure!  How nice.

My friend, Karen, called, laughing hysterically. She was at a fund raising bingo event and had won a turkey.  There is something pretty funny about playing bingo for a turkey  -  and winning.  I mean does anyone even play bingo anymore?  Well, I'm not knocking it  -  because she can't use the turkey, it is now in our fridge and will be coming here to dinner. I guess that should be AS dinner, not TO dinner.  Thanks, Karen!

Are you sketching?  Sketch some of the things you bring home from the grocery store, and some of the pretty dishes we all dig out of the cupboards this time of year.  It only takes a minute or two to do a contour drawing.

Day Seventeen

Salt and Pepper Shakers

My friend, Cathy, called this morning to say she was in town running errands  -  how about lunch?  Today is Thursday, so they weren't serving their fabulous tomato Gorgonzola soup, and their loaded potato soup looked like it might be loaded with everything I am trying not to eat  -  cheese, milk, cream, butter - Yum.  I ordered my favorite sandwich - hummus, roasted peppers, artichokes. . .so good!  It was warm and cozy in the restaurant and we could have stayed all day, but life goes on.

November 17th.  I just realized when I wrote the date in my sketchbook, today is the anniversary of the day my husband and I met.   Years and years ago.  He was in the Air Force, and when I met him, he was on his way from Key West to Omaha.  He was gone for another year and when he came home we decided to get married.  In the few months before our wedding, he worked nights and weekends and I worked days, so we still didn't see each other.  How well could we have possibly known each other?  Well enough, I'd say!  Tonight is spaghetti night.  I'll put candles on the table.

Day Sixteen

A Simplified View Along the Shoreline

11 X 15 Watercolor

When I did this painting, I kept in mind my reason for painting it.  It wasn't to render the cottage in detail, but to show the color of the cottage and the way it sets along the shoreline of the lake.  There was another cottage to the left that I had put in the sketch, but it really didn't add anything to the composition.  The simpler, the better.

If this had been a commission, it would have been another story.  I would have paid attention to the detail of the red cottage, and I would have done the setting differently.  In other words, I would have shown a bit of the cottage next door to give the red cottage a sense of place in the "neighborhood".

We had some snow and sleet late this afternoon  -  enough to stick on the rooftops.  It may still be there, but I'm not looking.  It's almost Thanksgiving, which means it will start snowing seriously any day now.  That's okay  -  we don't have hurricanes, earthquakes, floods .   .   .    A couple of years ago I did some winter landscapes.  That was fun.  Maybe I'll do some this year.  No, I don't do them on location.  I've said it before  -  I'm all about comfort.

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 Fourteen

Peppers and Wine

and some of my favorite things  -  garlic, lime, lemon, and fresh herbs.

This is a painting I did for an auction with a wine and food theme at the art center this past summer .  It was about six by six inches, matted twelve by twelve.

Here we are, nearly half way through the blog-everyday-in-November thing and I don't seem to be gathering momentum, do I?  It was a busy day, okay?  I was trying to get a couple of pieces of furniture second coated to get them out of the way, I did my afternoon of volunteering at the flower shop, my husband came home feeling crummy with a cold, our middle granddaughter is spending the night and had a lot of homework and needed help.  How can they possibly think I am the one to help with the math!!??  I'm going to put a sign on the back door  -  "please take off your shoes and leave your math homework on the back porch".  Just kidding about the shoes.

Day Thirteen

Paintbrush

I spent the day painting furniture.  It doesn't matter what you paint, right?  Just as long as that paintbrush is moving?  A couple more days of furniture and then it will be walls.

This is the point where I always get bogged down  -  things get torn up, and then I don't know how to follow through to finish.  I'll just keep painting.  I bought a gallon of white paint for window, door, etc. trim and a gallon of black for furniture.  That's going to go a long way  -  I won't have to get back to real life for a long time.  I may get a little sick of black furniture before the gallon is runs out. 

Did you sketch something this weekend?  Anything?  Keep it simple  -  it's supposed to be fun!

Day Twelve

Saturday Night Pizza

Our fat, dairy, white flour, and meat splurge of the week.  We are trying to lower our cholesterol, so all week we are pretty good about sticking to a healthy diet. Saturday nights we treat ourselves to pizza.  Sometimes we make our own, but often we are in the middle of some weekend project, and suddenly we are tired and hungry, and it's time for pizza.

This weekend's project is way off track.  While we were in the middle of discussing the re-do of the kitchen and dining room, we decided to redecorate the bedroom.  We spent the day cleaning closets, painting window trim, getting rid of things that really didn't need to be in there, buying paint, going over paint chips, and looking at carpet, mudding some bad spots in the plaster, and on and on.  It was fun -  of course we aren't finished, but I'm hoping this doesn't drag on too long.  Things can do that around here. 

I hope you're treating your sketchbooks to pizza or dinner out.  I hope you're treating yourselves to a nice relaxing weekend  -  or a nice productive weekend  -  whatever feels good.

Day Eleven

The Last of the Red Hot Blossoms 

This has been on its way out for quite awhile, but this last blossom is really hanging on.  It's a great color  -  somewhere between red and "hot" coral.  I think it is a Kalanchoe Calandiva.  If the leaves stay nice, I may try to keep it going to see if it will blossom again.  It can live with my messy geraniums that I keep shuffling around.

A strange day today  -  it feels like a Saturday.  My husband took the day off, and Middle Granddaughter was here because there was no school. It is one of those things that throws off the days of the week  -  in a nice way.

Day eleven of blogging every day in November.  I have nothing exciting to say or show, but I am hanging in there.  I can tell from my stats that you are too.  Thank you for "listening".

Day Ten

Indigo Sky

This is a scribbly little watercolor done in my sketchbook on Strathmore drawing paper.

More than anything else, I was trying to record the contrast of colors as I looked out the front window.  It is raining/sleeting/snowing, and the sun is shining very brightly periodically, but the sky is VERY dark in the north.  A very interesting, beautiful, dramatic day  - and I can hear geese "barking" as they head south, away from that black sky.  They don't know what they'll be missing.  Just as I don't know what I'll be missing where ever it is that they go.

I did dig out a couple of Julia Cameron books and I'm feeling more creative already.  Is Julia Cameron my little creativity pill?  She's one of those "just do it" people, and I need that once in awhile.  I have always said you can paint whether you are in the mood or not.  I guess I just forgot my own advice for a week or two (or more).

Now I'm going to round up some objects for a still life for this afternoon's class.  It's a warm colors kind of day  -  maybe with a little glass added to the set-up.  Maybe the round bottle with the plant cuttings from my post a couple of days ago, and a few pieces of pottery.  We'll just see what falls together.

Happy painting!

Day Nine

The Living Room Window

This is a very quick contour drawing with a little color.  Just do it. 

We talked in class this morning about jump starting creativity .  We all know it is just a matter of doing it.  It certainly doesn't have to be a masterpiece  -  it just has to be SOMETHING.  We spent a lot of time mixing greens.  Greens are always tricky and get us thinking about what colors do in a mix.

I dug out a couple of Julia Cameron books  -  The Artist's Way and The Right to Write. I may not have time to read them  -  I'll be too busy painting.

Day Eight

A Contour Drawing in my Sketchbook

This is ink on drawing paper. Sometimes I will do watercolor on this paper, and sometimes I just like the look of the ink.

I am in kind of an uncreative funk.  I figure if I just get my pen, pencil, or brush moving, I'll work my way out of it.  I am in a dry spell and don't have a plan, so I've decided I just move on without a plan.  One of my very favorite quotes is by Julia Cameron: "You may find yourself to be temporarily without a vehicle -  just keep walking."  Maybe it's time to read Julia Cameron again.  She wrote The Artist's Way, and several other very similar books.  So similar, in fact, that if you've read one, you've read them all, but I like her style, so I have read them all


Tomorrow I have class.  They'll get me going.  Actually, I had better get going before that  -  they are paying me to get them going.  No problem  -  it is always easier to have a plan for someone else.

Day Seven

In My Studio

While puttering around and going through old sketches, I came across this drawing I had done a few years ago.  It seemed appropriate to post while I was going through sketches in my studio.  Also because I didn't do anything else to post today.

It was a nice sunny day here, but I went out to buy windshield washer fluid (good to 20 below) and boots.  I'm ready.  I had a whole list of things to accomplish today, but you know how it goes.

Now I am helping with 5th grade math homework.  Thank goodness for calculators!

Day Six

Very Small Demonstrations

These are a few little demonstrations that I'll stick in my lesson demo binder.  I have various categories  -  figures, color mixing, fabric folds, negative spaces .   .   .  I know you didn't need to know that, but remember, I am trying to blog everyday for the month of November, and I have to say something.  Because I am going through "stuff", as mentioned in yesterday's post, it seemed fairly appropriate to say that.

I just looked at my studio clock and realized I have not changed the time on it, so I have an extra hour.  Fun.  However, I am afraid in that extra hour, I still won't know what to fix to eat.  Okay, I get it  -  it is not that I don't know WHAT to cook  -  it's that I don't WANT to.  So now the question is  -  what do I WANT to cook when I make up my mind that I DO want to cook?  A nap will help.

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?

Day Four

Little Chairs

Are these "little dolls chairs", "little doll's chairs", "little dolls' chairs", or "little doll chairs"?

A student brought these to me for drawing props. This a  contour drawing I in my sketchbook.  I didn't have enough concentration left to finish the right side, so I just threw in a border.  Works for me.  Don't forget, when you are drawing in your sketchbook, it is your sketchbook  -  you can do anything you want.

The cream sauce I made last night worked out great. I used olive oil, whole wheat flour and unsweetened almond milk.  I also used some onions, mushrooms, and, of course, garlic.  

We have SUNSHINE today.  Maybe I should get out there and soak it up before it turns to snow.  At least when it snows I won't have to feel guilty about the yard work I am not going to do.

Day Three

 

Pomegranate

Day three of Blogging-Everyday-In-November.  I know I should be linking to the website that does this challenge  -  maybe tomorrow.

We got a lot of things discussed in class this afternoon  -  everything from the body found in the creek a short distance from here to Herman Cain's smoking ad.  Oh yeah  -  we did discuss triads and color mixing for a minute.

Now I'm going to go try to make a mushroom cream sauce using almond milk.  What do you think?  Is it possible? I'll let you know tomorrow how it comes out.  In the meantime,  sketch some little thing  -  a piece of fruit, a mushroom.

Day Two

 Triads

 Today in class we played around with various triads.  We do this every once in awhile.  I feel it kind of simplifies things  -  gets us back to basics as far as color mixing is concerned.

A triad is the use of the three primary colors - red, blue, and yellow  -  or some variation of the primaries.  A very basic triad is ultramarine blue, quinacridone red, and lemon yellow.  A stronger, more dramatic triad might be pthalo blue, quinacridone burnt scarlet, and quinacridone gold.  Using a triad (as opposed to using the whole palette full of colors) sets the mood of a painting, and makes for a pleasing harmony of colors.

It has been very dark and raining all day.  I have little princesses in sparkly dresses here today, playing Christmas carols ( ! ) on the piano.

Day One

 “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

For a couple of reasons I'm posting this picture of me as a five year old (?) again.  Every couple of years I post this because, first, I really like the quote and the picture reminds me of who I really am (some things never change) and the second reason  -  I CAN NOT FIND MY CAMERA CORD! 

This is the first day of Blogging Everyday in November  -  and for the month I am going to try to be aware of wonder.  My sketchbook helps me do that  -  it makes me much more aware of things around me.  I'm always looking for shapes and color, and beauty in general.

On my way now to pick up a friend to go to the grocery.  We are cooking together tonight, so we are shopping together too.  Spaghetti night at the Carey's.

Be aware of wonder!

Squash

Squash and Hot Peppers

Watercolor on Arches Cover Cream Paper

This was a demonstration in simplicity and color application in my Thursday afternoon class.  I love the colors of fall vegetables, although this would be pretty much nothing without the hot peppers.  We cooked that cut squash for dinner  -  I didn't add the hot peppers.  I don't mind a little kick, but I am not quite sure how to tell what "heat" I'll end up with when I'm cooking it myself.

There was a little ice this morning on some water in a container in the backyard, and then later in the morning it actually snowed - great big flakes for quite awhile.   I am just not ready for this.

Painting in Karen's Garden

 

Painted at the End of the Season

I painted this back on September 1st.  I needed something to post.  I could say I have been neglectful because I am saving myself for "Blogging Everyday in November".  Yeah, I'm gonna say that.

My creativity seems a little sluggish, but we all need a break now and then, so we can come back ready to go.  I played Mom to the two local granddaughters for a few days, I bought a "new" car (halleluiah!), I have gone through many boxes of Christmas decorations and pared it all down to one medium sized tote, I have done a pretty good job of putting the garden to bed, and I even got the leaves raked up and out to the curb for the pick-up  -  that was accidental, but still  .  .  .  .


I am finally getting into my autumn nesting mode and I have to go with it before it fades.  It's the only time anything gets cleaned and grubbed out around here.

How is your autumn nesting going?

Lunch at the Twisted Olive

My Lunch Sketched on Arches Cover Cream Paper in My Sketchbook

Food Blogging Again

I had a veggie burger on flat bread, orzo, and hummus. The veggie burger was made with chickpeas (left whole - how did they stay together!!!???) lentils, zucchini, and carrots  -  served on Naan flat bread with tomatoes and lettuce.  I don't know why I felt compelled to give you all the details, but, there they are.

Beautiful beautiful beautiful weather here for the past few days.   It's been a busy week, and oops, I didn't go to life drawing tonight.  Maybe I need a little break from life drawing. 

Okay  -  not to overdo the food blogging, but I think I will go roast some Brussels sprouts now. 

Have you sketched some food today?

Carrots and Onions

Vegetable Demo

These were a couple of very simple demonstrations in classes this week.  We are always talking about composition, and I'm always stressing painting quickly and with a large brush.  I wasn't trying for a good composition with the carrots (good thing 'cause I missed the mark if I was) but just trying to show how to paint a bunch of something without getting hung up on every individual part of it.  Onions are always fun to do  -  the texture, color, and the hairy looking roots.

It's warm here today.  As much as I dislike cleaning up the garden in the fall, I think I'll get myself out there and get a few things done.  Everything is finished blooming, and it's 74 degrees!  Okay  -  here I go.  Where ever you are, is it still warm enough to work in your garden?  Can you get in any last minute sketching in the garden?

Yoga/Painting Workshop

Demo in my Sketchbook

Saturday morning I did a workshop with yoga instructor, Sandi Jones.  She started off with an hour of yoga, and then I did sketchbook journaling instruction for two hours.

It was so much fun  -  everyone was so relaxed and very willing to try new things.  They painted loosely and quickly, and really let go of perfection. Maybe every painting class should start out with yoga.

I had been feeling a little stressed for the past few weeks  -  just a lot of stuff going on.  When I got home from the workshop, I stretched out on the couch in the sun, and I SLEPT for two or three hours.  It was great.  Talk about relaxed!

So here we are, into October.  I'm finally feeling ready for a new season  - was it the nap, the yoga, the beginning of October with fewer things to do?  What are your creative plans for this season?

A View from Hitchcock Hall

A Watercolor Journal Sketch from Late Summer

A sketch from late summer  -  wow  -  that seems like a long time ago.  It is cold, very dark, and raining here today, and the leaves are turning.

It's fun to look through my sketchbook at the summer sketches.  Summer here is crazy-busy, fun, and beautiful.  I'm doing a pretty good job this year of moving on  -  transitioning into the quieter season.  I've been busy with classes, workshops, and family.  I always get into a nesting and organizing mode about now, but that hasn't happened yet this year  -  it still could, of course.  I hope so  -  we could use a little organizing around here.

Now I'm going to go pack up my things for a mini workshop I am doing tomorrow.  I hope you're all going to carry your sketchbooks around with you this weekend.  I hope you're going to open them and paint in them!

Weekend Sketch

Salt and Pepper Shakers and a Couple of the Grandkids

We spent a family weekend at a downstate hotel, seeing our son off as he deployed to Afghanistan.   As difficult as that was, we had a really nice weekend together.  Some woman came up and tapped me on the shoulder as I was ordering a Starbucks and said, "There are a lot of weddings here this weekend, but there are also a lot of people here that are deploying. Just so you know".   Just so I know?!  Yeah, I know!  Did I look like I was having too much fun ordering my coffee?

This sketch was done on Nideggen paper in my sketchbook. I did the salt and pepper shakers at dinner, and one of the kids thought I needed the beverage menu as a backdrop. It would have been a good one to do in color.

I have a class tomorrow morning, so I had better go work on some sketches, so my students think I've been doing something.  They keep me on my toes.

Cedar Campus

Cedar Campus on Northern Lake Huron

in Michigan's Upper Peninsula

 I attended a women's retreat here Friday and Saturday.  Such a beautiful spot.   I wish that I had taken a picture of the moon on the water  -  spectacular!

Last night was our life drawing group, and I was just too tired to go.  But I went anyway and, boy, did it feel good!  I really struggle with life drawing, but I enjoy doing this once a week.  It feels so positive -  I'm struggling with it, but doing it anyway because I want to LIKE it.  I'm getting there.

Keep those pencils, pens, and brushes moving!

Flowers from Joanne

Workshop Demo

This watercolor sketch is of a small part of a huge, beautiful bouquet given to me by friend Joanne during the book binding/journal painting workshop.  That was a week ago, and the flowers are still going strong.  Except for the lily that Rudy the cat got a little too friendly with  -  it has shredded petals and he has an orange-stained face.  Looks good on him.  Ooops  -  maybe not so cute! A quick call to the vet  -  they say he's okay.

Last night we had a freeze warning.  I had intended to go out and cut the flowers in the cutting garden, but I forgot all about them.  From the window this morning, they look okay.  I did bring the geranium pots into the porch.  I just hate to see the flowers get zapped while they are still blooming.

Okay, I'm babbling.  Gotta go finish up a painting that is everything I tell my students not to do. Rules are made to be broken.  Sometimes a painting just happens.

Dinner After Class

 Portobello Panini

Spell check needs to move into the 21st century.  It thinks portobello should be "potbelly" and panini should be "panic".  It kind of upsets me that spell check doesn't know what it's doing.  Kind of like going into the fabric store and the girl at the cutting counter doesn't know how to figure your yardage.  Not that that's ever happened.  If someone or something, as the case may be, doesn't know more about something than I do  -  we're in trouble.

I did this sketch in my hand bound book last week after day-one of our book binding workshop. It felt good after a day on our feet to sit down and have someone set delicious food in front of us.  It is really hard to paint it instead of digging in to eat it, but it does make the whole eating and talking with friends experience even more fun.

In the previous post, I mentioned something about buying a larger bag to carry painting things in.  I try to keep the supplies to a minimum, but now I can't stop thinking about buying a new bag.  I'm really not a purse kind of girl (once a girl, always a girl) and I'm not a shopper,  but maybe.  I kind of like those big baggy purses.  I'm always a few steps behind  -  are they out of style?

Lunch - book binding in September

 

Lunch

During last week's book binding/journal painting workshop we sat in the sun in big comfortable Adirondack chairs, painted our lunches, and talked about food, gardening, cooking . . .

The two days of the workshop, Thursday and Friday, were absolutely  perfect  -  warm and sunny.  And the sketchbook journals that were made were absolutely beautiful  -  colorful and creative.

The idea of having the journal painting day as part of the bookbinding workshop is to get the book binders to "bond" with their books.  The books take a whole day to make and are very precious  -  not something you'd mark up, throw in your paint bag, possibly goof up a page here and there  -  unless of course, you were paying someone to coax you into making those first marks in your book, and you find out how much you and your book like being together.  You might even get a little obsessive about having your book with you at all times.  You might even find that you use it to, not only sketch in, but jot down notes and lists, directions and ideas.  You might even buy a roomier purse for your sketchbook and a little palette. 

Since I've been carrying my sketchbook with me all the time, I find that I look at life around me with a little more appreciation.  I see more colors and shapes, shadows and patterns.  I guess if you look through my sketchbooks, you'd notice a lot of the colors, shapes, shadows, and patterns that I see are food related.  Whatever gets ya goin', huh?

Walloon Lake

Walloon Lake at the Foot

The Foot is at the southern-most end of the lake. And  -  it's shaped like a boot.

I still have sand in my sketchbook.  That's okay  -  every part of our sketchbooks is all about "being there".  Now this feels like a long time ago.  Another season.  It's cold this morning and some of the kids started school today.

When our kids were little, we lived near a lake with a nice beach, and we spent a lot of time there all summer.  The whole neighborhood would be there every day. FUN.  And then the kids would start school and the moms would still go to the beach once in awhile.   After three months of having our eyes glued to the kids in the water, it was fun to soak up the sun, sand and water without being concerned for anyone's safety.  Always felt a little guilty about that though.  Did they know we went without them?

Today I'm working on class promos, planning, and catching up on emails.  I will be sending out emails and posting info on an upcoming Yoga and Painting morning I'll be doing with a yoga instructor friend, and another bookbinding/journal painting workshop.  Getting geared up for the new season!

Walloon

Contour Drawing in my Sketchbook

I did this sitting under a big tree, talking about, and listening to friends talk about, composition and value.

In a contour (continuous line) drawing I don't worry about composition, and of course, as you can see here, there is no information about value (lights and darks).  I'm just recording what it is about the subject that interests me. In this case, it's the vertical lines of the tree trunks and the horizontal line of the distant shore. I had intended to put a little watercolor on this, but I really like the simplicity of the lines.

This is labor day weekend.  We don't have any big plans. The grandkids have been in and out.  A few very large (3 to 4 inch) slugs have been in and out, and one pretty large toad. We put the toad in the cutting garden and then we googled "what do toads eat".  They are actually carnivores and they eat slugs! The balance of nature  -  right in our own back yard.  I just don't want to witness that one.

Painting with Isabelle

Late Summer Flowers in my Sketchbook

Just a quick little sketch while sitting on the porch painting with Youngest Granddaughter a few days ago.  She did some bright and colorful things to cut out and decorate the porch walls.

It still feels like summer here.  It is fabulous!!!

As my classes slow down and I fill my life with other fun and creative things, I'm thinking maybe this year I'll avoid the annual autumn-crash-and-burn.  I have a list of goals for the winter, a couple of deadlines, classes and workshops lined up, a volunteer thing I do (tiny  -  I need to ramp it up), and the life drawing group I go to once a week.  Speaking of life drawing  -  can I show that stuff on this blog?   Yes, of course, I know I can  -  this is the Internet  -  I can do anything.

It's Thursday  -  spaghetti night at the Carey's.  Then I am off to paint with friend Karen.

Workshop Demo

Large Raspberries, Small Fuzzy Peach, and Birdhouses

This page was done in my sketchbook on "Arches cover cream" paper.

Cathy Cohen and I just finished up a two day bookbinding/ journal painting workshop.  As always, it was fun!  It was a great group and their books are beautiful!  The weather was perfect for outdoor journal painting.

Oh, wow  -  this is the last day of August!  I can't believe how fast it has gone.  A couple of posts back, I said things were slowing down.  Maybe not.  I haven't noticed it anyway. I think I am filling in the spaces with other things.  If I slow down, I may feel obligated to clean up things around here.  This morning while I was trying to make the house a little presentable for my Wednesday class, I was finding blue paint and dust bunnies everywhere.  For some reason, I feel that the blue paint is a little more acceptable than the dust bunnies.  Am I right? 

Lucia's Coffee Cup

Coffee Cup and Cherries

The coffee that was in this cup was fabulous and the cherries were huge and very sweet.

I spent the morning with some painting friends on Walloon Lake. Although the lake was beautiful, it was too cool and windy to paint outside, and we were too caught up in conversation to paint the view out the large expanse of windows.

I purposely chose this coffee cup for its colors and pattern, and because I liked it with the napkin and the cherries.  While I painted this, we talked about paint colors, papers, brush shapes, refinishing floors and organizing closets.  We also discussed sugar-free diets while we ate the best pecan rolls and little sugary raspberry filled things.

On a cool, windy morning it was such a nice place to be  -  such a pretty, welcoming home, and fun friends to laugh and paint with.  I find it so inspirational to spend time with other people that like to paint.  The closet organizing thing doesn't turn me on though.

Bay View Street Scene

 

Wrapping up the Season

This journal page was done last week, the last week of my journal classes in Bay View.  I hate to see it end. I have plenty to do to get ready for fall classes and workshops, so I'll quit complaining and move on.  I also have a lot of fun things planned for the week  - a volunteer afternoon, two days with grandchildren, a day of painting with friends, my life drawing session, a watercolor class to teach .  .  .    Fun stuff.

Have any of you been doing thumbnail sketches?  I keep a stack of pages printed up with 2 X 2 1/2 inch rectangles right on my work table to remind me to PLAN PLAN PLAN before I start a painting. 

Our sketchbook journals are for fun  -  no planning required.

A Few More Value Sketches and Composition

Thumbnail Sketches

I'm still at it  -  doing thumbnail sketches.

 On the right are seven sketches done with various pens, pencils, charcoal, conte crayon . . .  This was just to show my students how each one worked in a very small (2 X 2 1/2) and very quick value sketch.  Although charcoal is a mess and I'm not crazy about the way it feels against the paper, I do like the way it blocked in the shapes and the lights and darks without any chance of time consuming detail.  It is the second one down in the right hand column.

The sketches on the left are various compositions of one subject done in Prismacolor pencil,  90% warm grey.  There are unlimited possibilities for compositions and the arrangements of light and dark shapes.

Things have started to slow down a bit, class-wise, but my brain hasn't received the message.  I have classes and workshops coming up really soon, so I have plenty to keep me busy,  but I thought it would be nice to "turn it off" for a couple of days before I start to re-group. 

Did I mention that I have joined a life drawing group that meets once a week?  My friends know what a big step this is for me  -  I don't like figure drawing.  I really don't like it. The things is, I WANT to like it, so I'm going to the sessions.  My right brain is working so hard, I can barely function when I get home  -  function, as in find something in the refrigerator to eat.  Now that's pretty bad for me.  My husband says this is good for me  -  it may be the way some of my students feel when they are just beginning, and now I know how it feels.  I apologize to any of you that I may not have shown proper sympathy.  I don't give refunds for lack of sympathy, but I do apologize.

Value Sketches

More Value Sketches

Value sketches are such a quick and easy way to plan a painting  -  lights, darks. mediums  -  there ya go, all planned out.  Maybe it's me.  Maybe I'm not making it clear enough.  Almost everyone wants to skip the sketches, or make them way too large, or way too detailed.  Someone in class that ended up with a beautiful painting said, "It took me fifteen thumbnail sketches to get that."  Good for her!  That means she could have gone through fifteen failed paintings before she did the one she was happy with.  She stuck with it and planned it out, and the thumbnail sketches really only took a few minutes.

Here's my plan  -  I'm going to hand out paper that has several two-inch squares on it and  felt tipped markers.

I do realize that the process that I find most helpful is not necessarily right for everyone.  However, I do think thumbnail sketches to plan the values and composition are important.  It's one of those things "if you don't know where you're going, you're not going to get there."  My whole life is "I don't know where I'm going" but at least I can control my thumbnail sketches.

Wesley's Lane

One of my Favorite Places to Paint

There is a little lane with cottages backed up to it, that runs along a park-like area where there once was a railroad bed.  On the front side of the cottages is the Bay.  I love it here.  I love the back doors and casual porches and the roof lines of the years worth of additions on each cottage.  There is no pretense here, just  some beautiful window boxes and laundry on the clotheslines.  If you stepped out of your time machine onto this lane, you wouldn't know where in history you are.  Well, yeah  -  the cars.

I'm catching up a little on sketchbook posting and am sitting on the back porch watching the humming birds. They come to the trumpet vine and phlox that are right by the back door.

This morning there was a six inch slug sliming his way around the porch.  I opened the back door into the garden, hoping he'd find his way out.  He didn't.  My hero/husband came to the rescue.  The slugs are just too big and icky to squash.  My husband has been known to take them on a shovel and dump them in the middle of the street, hoping they will get run over before they find their way back home.  I suppose we'll hear from some animal rights activists about this?  I guess it is more humane to let them drown in a saucer of beer.  Except the big ones don't drown  -  they just drink their fill and stagger away.  Ick.  They make me shiver!

Cosmos

A Little Bouquet of Cosmos, Asters, and Ageratum

Because I carry my sketchbook around with me I use it to store information like most people use their electronic devices. There is no "delete" in my sketchbook, so I glued some Aquarius II watercolor paper over some information that I didn't need anymore.  I hope I didn't need anymore.

The drawing on the left was done with a Pentel Sign pen, which is water soluble. The one on the right was drawn with a sepia Prismacolor colored pencil, which is not water soluble, and then I painted over the pencil with watercolor.

Someone in class today had a Tombow brush pen.  Now, of course, I think I have to have one of those. It was sepia and had a brush pen at one end and a regular pointy nib at the other.  She was doing some absolutely beautiful drawings with it.  Oh, wait.  Maybe it was her talent and not the pen that was making that magic.   Anyway, Beverly, if you're reading this, those were wonderful drawings!

Planning a Painting

Value Studies and Composition

In my classes this week we talked a lot about composition and values (lights and darks).  I'm trying to get across the idea of starting out with very simple shapes in the planning process.  If we get all invested in the drawing at that stage, we are not going to have the time or the inclination to start over if that's not the one that works.  And often, the first one is NOT the one that works.  There are so many possibilities to try, and it takes a lot less time to do sketches that don't work than paintings that don't work.

I find the planning part of the process a lot of fun.  I like getting all comfy with a cup of tea, a glass of wine, or a bag of potato chips and just playing around with those shapes and values.

The cherry tomatoes were in our CSA share this week.   I drew them with a Pentel Sign Pen that my friend Cathy gave me.  It is a felt tip pen with water soluble ink.  I'm going to have to look around and see where to buy these, because I think I'm going to use it up real fast. The ink seems to move a little better than a Flair.

I am so easily influenced  -  I saw a sketch someone had done with a bamboo pen, so I ordered one of those.  I'm hoping I can use it with watercolor, but I don't have a clue.  Does anyone know anything about bamboo pens?

Terrace Inn Tea

Strawberries and Devonshire Cream

This is a little sketch done in Prismacolor pencil and watercolor on Zerkall Frankfurt Cream paper.  The paper sounds good enough to eat, doesn't it?  It is not watercolor paper, and it does buckle, but I kind of like it anyway.

I did this at my second annual Terrace Inn Afternoon Tea.  Twenty-one ladies attended and they all brought their watercolor journals and small paint kits.  Their paintings were wonderful!  We spent the afternoon in the beautiful dining room (linen tablecloths and watercolors do mix after all) painting in our journals, compairing supplies, and catching up.  We painted a little before we started eating and then everyone painted between bites.

The very fact that the Inn lets us paint at the tables set with linen says it all. The whole staff is gracious, accommodating, and creative.


I love the idea of getting past, present, and future students together, and it's so much fun to discover new techniques, find out where to pick up new materials, and just to share some time with people with sketchbooks in common.

Thanks to all who attended!!!  I'm looking forward to next year already.

Old Birch Tree

Demonstration on Aquarius II Paper in my Sketchbook

This little watercolor sketch was done in last week's journal class.  It was done to demonstrate mixing grays on the paper (the tree) and using negative spaces to pop out white objects (the daisies).

We had a perfect week for outdoor journal painting.  This week we're getting some of that Midwest heat wave. If I had a journal class, it could get a little uncomfortable being out in the heat for four afternoons.  But  -  I don't.  I just have some morning classes and that should be okay.  This morning I have nothing!  In fact the only thing on my calendar for today was "no art in the park meeting".  How often do we have a minus on our calendars?!  Of course my to-do list is pretty long for the week  -  isn't everyone's?  The first thing is to shovel out the house and hose it down. Kidding (kind of). I have art supplies on every surface, and the dust bunnies are taking over.  I am really kind of looking forward to reclaiming our space  -  a little puttering is good for the soul.  I am not even turning on any music  -  just listening to the neighborhood sounds.

The biggest problem is that when I start picking up art supplies and putting them away,  I want to stop and play with them. A few minutes couldn't hurt, could it?

What are you sketching this week?

Beets

Chioggia Beets

These beets really and truly are bright pink with light green leaves.  I haven't cut into them yet, but I understand they are pink and white striped.

We have subscribed to a Consumer Supported Agriculture (CSA) share for the season.  We go to the farm and pick up our share (we subscribe to a half share) each Tuesday, getting a beautifully arranged box of whatever produce is ready that week.  I am having a lot of fun figuring out what to do with everything.  The cat got quite sick from eating the fennel greens, but that was his choice.

A couple of our granddaughters were here last weekend, and we were having a great time chopping, tasting, and looking at the pretty colors.  We made a beautiful big salad, and when I went to dish it up, they said in unison, "Oh, we don't eat salad - yuk." 

It has been a busy and fun week  -  seven classes Monday through Thursday.  Wonderful people in every class, and beautiful weather!  Who could ask for more!?

Summer Sketching

That Blue Pencil Again

I'm having a great time sketching with a blue pencil, as I mentioned in my previous post.  The watercolor sketch on the left was first drawn with a blue Prismacolor pencil, the little contour drawing on the right was done with a Gellyroll pen, and the lettering across the top was done with watercolor in a pen nib - B5.

I am teaching an outdoor watercolor journal class starting this afternoon, and right now it is getting darker by the minute.  WHY WHY WHY does this keep happening to me!? A watercolor journal class is supposed to be outdoors!!!!  I don't even have a room to go into.  I'm not completely stupid  -  I do know rain happens ( do I ever know it), so we  have a porch we can go to for shelter.  I just don't want to.

Here it is Monday already.  I have a very busy week ahead - two watercolor classes, four afternoons of watercolor journal, and a morning with a private group.  I am not complaining  -  I love this!

4th of July Etc.

Pages in my Journal

I didn't get as ambitious with my weekend sketching as I intended, but a couple of two-inch sketches is better than nothing.

We had a nice 4th of July weekend.  We did, however, run out of gas about midnight in the north woods - the gauge didn't work, and that's the truth.  My big brother came to our rescue as he has done for years and years.  I told the grandkids as they were beginning to panic a little, "If you don't have a little adventure, there's no reason to leave the house."  My husband and the kids were in a parade in the morning, and then the kids were in another parade in the afternoon.  After all that walking and sunshine, we LISTENED to the fireworks from the comfort of our own bed.

The journal page on the right is this morning's demonstration using a blue prismacolor pencil for the contour drawing.  I like the look, but I can't take credit for it.  I read about it in Cathy Johnson's new book Artist's Journal Workshop. The class met at a park on the Bay, and it was sunny and breezy.  I think it was the first morning I haven't had to worry about a class meeting in the rain or cold.

Now I have a painting to finish, frame, and deliver, and then we'll meet some friends at the waterfront for a picnic.  Summer in Northern Michigan!

White Geranium

White Geranium Demonstration

This is a journal page done in last week's Watercolor Sketchbook Journal class.  It was to done to show how to make the white blossoms stand out by painting a simple background color.  The petals were also kept simple with just a few shadows.

Yesterday's quirky weather changed my plans for the afternoon drawing class.  We had to find a warm place (it wasn't!) and do indoor-type drawing. The weather prediction was for 71 degrees  -  and it was that warm  in nearby areas.  It was 53 degrees here all day!!!  We should be getting used to the low fifties, but come on  -  don't promise us seventies and then roll in the fog off the Bay that drops the temp by twenty degrees.  Who's responsible for that anyway?     The morning watercolor class stuck it out and did some great paintings.  They had no choice  -  there was nowhere to go  -  we were committed.

Here in the USA we have the Fourth of July weekend coming up!  What are your plans?   How about doing a grid of small squares in your sketchbook and recording a few of the long weekend's happenings? Only a couple of minutes of commitment at a time makes it easier to tackle.

Pansies

 

A Demonstration Page from Our Bookbinding Workshop

This was done during a sunnier, warmer week.  This week I was doing two watercolor classes and four afternoons of outdoor journaling.  It poured rain continuously!  The participants of the outdoor class were really good sports.  We met on the porch of one of the buildings in Bay View and we worked on techniques and painted things like flower pots, watering cans, color mixing, and did manage to get in a couple of Bay View scenes between storms.

It is a little too quiet here now.  The California grandkids are heading down to the Detroit airport today.  It was a wonderful visit!  The month went by all too quickly. It's so hard to see them leave. 

Moving on.  The sun is shining today.  I'm anxious to get out in the garden and see how much damage all the rain has done   -    and the deer.  I have put out repellent things and sprayed liquid fence which has probably washed away by now.  

I have a painting I should be working on, and with this sunshine, it looks like a good day to set up a little temporary studio on the back porch.  Here I go.

Take your sketchbooks someplace this weekend!

Beverly's Lunch

Painting Our Lunches at the Bookbinding/Journal Workshop

Beverly's lunch was more colorful than mine, and my salad was not conducive to a good composition.  I should have followed my instructions to the students to bring a "paintable" lunch. I thought it was okay while I was packing it, but then I saw Beverly's.  The lunch is always greener  .  .  .

Our second two day bookbinding/journal workshop was a lot of fun, and there were some beautiful journals constructed.  On the second day there were some great little watercolor sketches painted. 

The Traders Joe's green tea mints box is my newest tiny palette.  It has a see-through lid, which doesn't give me much in the way of a mixing area, but it sure is cute.  It has seven half pans in it. 

This coming week I have three new classes starting (which means six class meetings), a granddaughter's birthday party to attend, and the visiting grandchildren will return for a couple of days before they head on home to California.  But,  I'm not thinking about the "heading on home" part yet.  With three new classes starting, I am feeling just a tiny bit stressed, but as my husband says, "If you aren't a little stressed, you're not trying hard enough".

Cathy's Birdhouse

Bookbinding/Journal Workshop Demonstration

This birdhouse is in the garden of my bookbinding workshop partner, Cathy.  Someday I'll go through my sketchbooks to see how many times I have painted it over the years.  It makes a good subject for the journal painting part of our workshop.  It is a good example of how contour drawing (continuous line) can simplify a complicated subject, and how to paint colorful neutrals.

We had a fantastic group in our Monday-Tuesday workshop, and another group begins today.

We've been having so much fun with the grandkids! Things have been relatively calm  -  no more crashing through window panes.  Yesterday we took a tour through the new candy factory!  The kids are at the other grandparents for a few days.   I think I'll be okay with the quiet  -  I have to get ready for three new classes starting next week, and begin and finish a small painting.  All fun stuff, and if it weren't for deadlines, I'd probably never do a thing.  Well, maybe I would.

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.