Sketching thoughts

Sketch

2012-01-13T18:29:00.001-08:00

Sketch a day

2012-01-13T17:59:00.001-08:00

Molting

2011-12-29T22:41:00.001-08:00

I'm ready to shed last year off and start a new one! So I am starting a new project...sketch a day (or doodle). I am also looking to find an inspiring written piece. It may or may not go with the sketch...
Now that I can post from my phone...I might be able go update this more often.

So here goes: Sketch 3, The night winds were beginning their wild dances beyond...

California Dreaming

2011-09-09T23:28:00.001-07:00

Art Trading Card, Pastel and Watercolor and Ink.

Vincent's Japan Study

2011-08-22T23:27:00.000-07:00

I have a book about Van Gogh and I loved his Geisha girl, so here is a study of his art. It is also on a tiny canvas, 2.5inches by 5 inches. I actually feel very comfortable with the tiny work. It got me thinking....everyone works in tiny spaces nowadays...stuck in cubicles...so why not sell cubical art?
:)

Drift Deeper

2011-08-19T00:44:00.000-07:00

6x8 Pastel, Pen and a bit of watercolor pencil on Paper.

Rain

2011-07-01T00:37:00.001-07:00

Oil on Canvas

This would be an accurate picture of how I can see at night without my glasses. Lol.

Self Portrait

2011-06-27T23:33:00.001-07:00

I've never attempted to make a self portrait. So, my birthday came and went and I thought that it would be neat to start a yearly project. Self portrait for each year, sounds a bit narcissistic but I am going to ignore that internal comment and consider doing this again next year . This picture was done with pastels and pencil.

Jacks

2011-05-30T23:43:00.001-07:00

Oil on canvas (SOLD)

This is a tiny canvas, I mean it's about 3x5. Tiny. But I think that I work really well with a tiny canvas. I realize that I am a bit afraid of commitment when it comes to creating something. It seems that if I have a big canvas then I better created something worthwhile and neat and it should say something and on and on and on. But with this tiny canvas I felt completely okay with trying out something new. So what if it didn't come out great or the jacks are a bit lopsided? Or a bit too heavy on the outlines? And so what if the shadows are a bit wonkie. Yes, wonkie. It was fun to create and it was fun to try something new and I am very happy with the metal look. Not so easy to create with my basic color wheel.

I am hoping to get something else going with my other tiny canvas...perhaps a monopoly piece. Something to do with game pieces. Hmmm. Thinking, thinking, thinking.

Pastel Designs

2011-05-29T17:50:00.000-07:00

Pastels on paper.

Awakening

2011-05-22T23:15:00.001-07:00

Oil on Canvas 18x16

Many years ago I started this painting, I always enjoyed throwing shapes and colors together just to see what comes out. Sometimes awesome pictures can emerge. For some reason, I had a really hard time with this one. I liked this entity in the center of the picture, looking towards a horizon but prior to this evening, the picture never was completed. I'm not sure if this is done actually, but I am pretty happy with it.

Relief!

2011-05-15T00:16:00.001-07:00

I finally was able to paint something! Yeah! For months I have had the worst case of artist block. Well, I actually was overwhelmed with house projects/garden projects. We finished re-plumbing our house (ourselves) and we had to remove one of our favorite trees, and our chimney had been condemned, not to mention the time is ticking in the garden AND inspiring my young ones to learn. So it's really not been a artistic block so much of a overwhelming need to accomplish basic needs.

Today, I finally decided that I'm well overdue to paint something. My Muse within spoke out and inspired me to sit at the kitchen table and blurb out something with paints. And not just any paints, but my favorite: oil paints. Swirly dwirly oil paints.

There was no intention with this piece. It was a piece that created itself and is not anything specific, although it looks a lot like a landscape.

ten minutes

2011-02-08T09:40:00.000-08:00

8X10 Acrylic

I found a new website that has similar challenges as the Different Strokes for Different Folks blog. This week's challenge was to take one object paint it from different angles noting just by brushstrokes and paint each angle within ten minutes. I chose a book...and I wanted to use warm and cool colors to play with shadows and lights. I was a little frustrated with the time limit at the beginning. I have a real hard time letting go of the details and just playing with shapes and shadows. But by the end of the project, I felt more relaxed and had relyed more on what I saw than what I think it should look like.
Very fun.
Here is the link to the weekly challenge:

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/Challenges

Frick and Frack

2011-02-04T11:12:00.000-08:00

8x10 pencil on paper

Our little urban homestead has chickens. We love them. Although we do not have any roosters, we have about 14 ladies and they are so calming and sweet. (Yes, a bit stinky in the hen house but they can't help that.) One summer afternoon my husband comes back with two geese. They were very cute, only two months old and we had some chuckles watching them bob in the water and flipflap around the property with those goofy feet. Then the next day, after the "awws" and chuckles, we noticed something. Poop. A lot! On average, one squirt every 18 seconds for each bird. That's a lot of poop. Never mind, we just sprayed it away. Oh, it still stinks though. No matter...there they go...flip flapping with those feet. Ha! Cute.
Next day. Poop. A lot. Ok, lets spray. And another thing. They aren't so sweet. My youngest is about the same height of Frack. And he's not so keen on my boy. Oh! Frack has teeth...is that hissing? I tell my son to push Frack back...oh! He's feisty and mean! Don't cry, my boy~yes, they do flipflap pretty fast after you.
Next day. Poop. A lot. Hissing....flipflap, flipflap, flipflap....RUN BOY!
Flipflap....Flipflap.....Flipflap.....Flipflap.....

We don't have Frick and Frack anymore. But they still look cute.

study

2011-02-04T01:26:00.001-08:00

8x10 charcoal

Farmer

2011-01-30T01:07:00.000-08:00

8x10 charcoal on paper

Thai Boat

2011-01-24T11:37:00.000-08:00

Oil Pastel 8x10 sketch

Last night I worked off an old picture I found from a trip to Thailand. It was a beautifully colored fishing boat and I thought to tackle it. I found myself bound to the objects of the picture instead of giving myself artistic license to change what I wanted. So after sleeping on it, I woke up and looked at the picture with fresh eyes and after my morning coffee with my husband, I knew I had to change things up a bit. After a bit of fiddling, I am happy with the changes.

Oil Pastel 8X10 Sketch

Discovery

2011-01-21T00:32:00.000-08:00

Oil Pastel on Paper

I remember going to the farm this past year and a horse was poking his head over the fence...hoping for an apple, I'm sure. The boys were thrilled. They have never touched a horse before and I loved this picture. A tentative touch. With a watchful mother guarding her son...just with a stance of her body.
I want to spend the next few paintings on colors. Spend more time exploring how light catches color and how we see them. I think it's time I spend less time getting picture perfect paintings. Instead, I want to capture an emotion.
Oil pastels are very challenging for me. So...that's what I will be focusing on. Should be interesting how this evolves.

walls

2011-01-19T11:31:00.000-08:00

9X12 Watercolor Pencil with Pen

Snow Day

2011-01-17T00:44:00.001-08:00

Watercolor Pencil

2.5"x3.5"

second ATC

Lemon Blossom

2011-01-14T23:55:00.000-08:00

My first ATC, Watercolor on Watercolor paper
SOLD

Fallen

2011-01-12T14:58:00.000-08:00

Sketch
watercolor on paper

Osaka, Japan Revisited

2011-01-12T10:20:00.000-08:00

9X12 Oil on Canvas Paper

Last year my friend and I started a group. We called it the creative state. The idea was to encourage each other by posting a picture and then we create something from that. The picture was of the ornate manhole covers in Osaka, Japan. I had finished the picture last year (so I thought). Last night I had made some final touches and I feel pretty pleased with the changes. The original picture is posted from last February.

My Mother's Myrtle

2011-01-05T00:16:00.000-08:00

Watercolor on Cold Press Paper.

Happy New Year

2011-01-01T23:56:00.000-08:00

Watercolor on Paper

A Day with my friend

2010-12-29T20:58:00.000-08:00

Pastel on Paper

It rained again today. An all day steady drizzle that saturated an soggy ground and dusted the mountains with more snow. I was happy to have my friend, my partner in art,come over and she brought her sketch pad and her pastels. It took me awhile to get started, I usually work under the cloak of midnight, when all is quiet around the house. But eventually I created a bit of landscape that looked fun.

Figure 1

2010-12-29T00:45:00.001-08:00

Pencil and Ink on Paper.

This is a twist to a figure drawing I did awhile ago. I will have to post the first sketch and then I think I will try to keep up a theme of figures. I am satisfied with the shapes and how they interplay with each other. Although the shape is completely middle heavy…

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T23:11:00.000-08:00

Pencil doodle

This is an oldie, brought out from the back of my garage....a pretty sketch, I think.
I look back at the year and I am very excited to leave this year behind me. I am looking towards tomorrow while enjoying my place in the here and now. That doesn't happen often. I am getting better at defining these moments and learning to savor them. Sometimes they last for a moment, and other times I believe they last for hours. Ironically, it feels surreal but I am beginning to think that this moment is reality and the rest of the time I am caught up in my own private Idaho.

Tlaltecuhtli, Aztec Earth Goddess

2010-12-22T00:40:00.000-08:00

Pencil and Pen on Paper.

Cup on the Water

2010-12-21T00:02:00.000-08:00

Pencil, Pen and Charoal on paper

My floating cup....I embraced my mistakes and discovered that it looks more like a floating cup heading into the weeds. So...Cup on the Water it is.

I doubt that I will make my deadline, but at least I have one more down and tomorrow has promise.

Baby Shoes

2010-12-18T00:36:00.000-08:00

Baby shoes. Charcoal on paper.

First Attempt.

Chestnuts

2010-12-05T08:39:00.000-08:00

Colored Pencil and Pen on Paper.

Three down, nine more to go.

In God's Country

2010-12-03T13:14:00.000-08:00

Pencil on Paper

A personal challenge: twelve pictures before Christmas. All inspired from lyrics of songs.

Silver Bells

2010-11-29T16:26:00.000-08:00

Fuzzy Oranges

2010-11-17T22:49:00.000-08:00

Acrylic on Hardboard

I wear glasses. So I thought it would be fun to paint this without them and see what I came up with. I enjoy the painting more without my glasses...when I can see clearly, I am very critical and end up nitpicking the whole thing. I enjoyed the flow of the colors and the energy that each brushstroke brought to the picture. Normally I spend too much time with details, trying to capture the actual picture instead of a feeling. Feeling a bit blind gave me the ability to rely on what I see for colors instead of what I logically know it to be. As a result...I think I have a bit of a fun orange tree.

Colonial Paper

2010-11-17T19:08:00.000-08:00

Here is our attempt to make paper the colonial way. They used bits of fabric...so I used lint. And roses. I think they didn't use the roses.

We soaked the lint/roses for thirty minutes then stuck em in the blender.
Sifted with a screen and then dried. Tada!

Doc

2010-11-07T01:08:00.000-07:00

Pencil on Paper

Costumes

2010-10-27T08:58:00.001-07:00

Chinese Theater 1932
Colored Pencils on Paper

I thought I would venture out into colored pencils. Looking at the vibrant reds and greens in this picture of a man dressed for the Chinese theater...I knew that I would have to give it a go.

Three little maidens

2010-10-22T23:21:00.000-07:00

Pencil on Paper

Smyrna

2010-10-16T10:31:00.000-07:00

I love thrift stores and yard sales. Especially when I happen across old National Geographic Magazines. One time I discovered several, still in the brown paper wrapper, marked 50 cents each. I carted away as many as my conscious would allow (My husband is a minimalist and swears I am a hoarder so I often find myself squirreling away random pretties that I find at the filaboo).

I can spend hours reading the advertisements. Companies swearing to make anyone entertaining and successful with fifteen minutes a day: Never be the bore of a party! Read Dr. Elliots, "Fifteen Minutes a Day!" Or travel the world for $250 on United American Lines. I often wonder how interesting it would have been to see the world in the 1900's.

The pictures that I discover are priceless and I become absorbed in the minute details of a background, or of clothing. Cultural differences that have become lost in time with expansion of the human spirit. Or differences that have been obliterated by intolerance. Such is the case of my latest discovery. November 1925 had an interesting article that had me very much confused at first. Hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing from the city of Smyrna to Greece as Turkish forces enter the city. Four days later, a fire broke out that lasted several days and burnt the ancient port city to the ground. Killing thousands and leaving 400,000 refugees.
400,000? How is it that I don't even know the name of the city?
It is sad to say that I am a product of our current society. Interested in only what t.v. has to offer, I spent little to no energy searching and learning about the world. Only now, as I reach a riper age...past my self absorbed youthful days...do I stop and ponder at this world. Knowing full well that our world has a rich history of these genocides, with victors recounting only a fraction of the truth and covering the remnants of a city with the dust of their boots.

Here is a picture of a Anatolian Greek girl a traditional dress that was fashionable in the 1800's. I loved the hair, and her sideways smile. Posing with a dignity that I know I could not have possessed, being forced to flee my home.

Stuck up a Tree

2010-09-17T22:59:00.001-07:00

So once a week I take the boys to a charter school workshop. They are there for the full day. I thought it was important to encourage independence. Both boys are having a hard time with the transition. But there was light at the end of last week's class. They both had a great day. Each one completed all their assignments, worked well with others and have tons of stories to tell on the drive home. I smiled, and told them how proud I was of both of them. "See, I told you that you would have a good time."
"Yea, but I was still sad."
I glanced in my rear view and made eye contact, "It's okay, you can be sad and still find some good about the day."
"I know. It's kind of like being stuck in a tree. You have a great view and can see some beautiful sights, but...your stuck in the tree."

Footsteps to Freedom

2010-09-10T17:52:00.000-07:00

Here is the beginning of the the freedom trail characteristic traits. Each person we study I want them to clarify the characteristic traits that made that person great. And then we will add a footstep with the characteristic on it. Such as Courage, Wisdom and so on. (By the way, this is not my genius idea...but I am happy to use it.)

Today we studied John Smith and Pocahontas. We created a time line badge for their time line showing the Godspeed, Discovery and Susan Constant.

Later on in the day, we painted the pinch pots we created from clay last Saturday and listened to Native American Music while painting. So relaxing...

Here are our results: My oldest had painted a river and grass in his. Very nice.

Let the Colonial Year Begin!

2010-09-09T11:29:00.000-07:00

I am so excited about homeschooling this year. This year is going to be theme based and we are going to be using Karen Cox's Courageous Beings, Noble Birthright Adventure. It is already so exciting. This week we are starting by studying the first English Colonists, and Roanoke Island followed by the study of Jamestown.
I, personally, have little knowledge (sad, I know) about this subject so I am learning as I go. I love discovering history and I am hoping that my excitement is contagious.

Here is our first project regarding Roanoke, and the mystery that surrounds the Lost Colony.
(Mind you, this is for my Kindergartner and Second Grader....)

A Poem Of the Road

2010-05-25T23:21:00.000-07:00

Afoot and light-hearted I take to the open road!
Healthy, free, the world before me!
The long brown path before me, leading wherever I choose!
Henceforth I whimper no more, postpone no more, need nothing,
Strong and content, I travel the open road.

The earth---that is sufficient,
I do not want the constellations any nearer,
I know they are very well where they are,
I know they suffice for those who belong to them.

Still here I carry my old delicious burdens,
I carry them, men and women---
I carry them with me wherever I go,
I swear it is impossible for me to get rid of them,
I am filled with them, and I will fill them in return.

Leaves of Grass, Walt Whitman 1856

America

2010-05-23T09:57:00.000-07:00

Oil Pastels on Paper

I saw this as an opportunity to play with colors instead of subject. I wanted to draw the contrasts between light and dark with the same color. I spend a lot of time trapped in details of a picture that I can lose the energy of the scene. I would like to retry this picture again, maybe with another medium. OR I should just limit my color choices so I don't "muck" it up with too many choices of colors.

The Hike

2010-05-22T00:39:00.000-07:00

The Hike

By Cole and Ben

First we went to a trail. The trail was in the mountains. Benjamin found a marble stuck in the ground. We passed a barking dog.
We found a very nice plant and Ben called it his pet.

Next, we found a bee hive. It was in the side of a cliff. But we were not afraid, because we left them alone.

Cole found a six year old snail shell. He put it in his pocket.
We saw lots of lady bugs, and beetles with spots on their necks. And lots of flowers: yellow, blue, purple and red. The white butterflies fluttered around those flowers.
We ran all the way down the mountain until we got to our car. On the way back, we found the King of the Lizards, it was as big as my Dad's hand.

The End

2010-05-18T15:41:00.000-07:00

Oil on Canvas

I had a tough time with this picture. A few years ago, my friend sent a family picture with her husband and her dogs. I loved the picture and for the longest time I had been wanting to paint it. It would be stuck behind a magnet on my fridge to remind me to paint it. Finally, it was time. I had the idea to paint just her dog (one of two) but the problem was, I had no real background and I had a literal thumbprint size of the dog to reference. So....after several attempts to create something meaningful and moving...I am left with a picture I can love and hate. I love the face of the dog...but the background is really bugging me. I feel better knowing that I created this background with my own imagination. I just wish my imagination was bit more detailed. :)

In the Moment

2010-05-11T05:57:00.000-07:00

I have been finding solace at the end of the day by drawing something at random. Yesterday's subject turned out to be something yummy, and simple. But it actually was pretty intricate with the folds of the cupcake. And the act of taking something simple, like a cupcake and really taking the time to study the complexities of the subject somehow unravels my inner coils. I think that I spend most of my day racing through one project then the next, never quite being able to enjoy the moment because I am forever chasing the next thing I think I have to do. I am never "in the moment", I am thinking of being "in the next moment" so the day passes so quickly, my children are in bed before I have a chance to be with them and I start to line up the next day with MORE projects to get done. So the past few months I have been escaping myself by exercising my artistic self. When I was finished with a drawing, I felt like I actually accomplished something for the day. I was thinking that it was because I just like to draw because it was a nice hobby, but lately I think drawing has taught me something more about myself. I am discovering that because I want to capture the likeness of the subject, I am forced to stay "in the moment. The more I stay focused on what is in front of me at the moment, the better the picture turns out. I wonder if I try to stay focused on what is in front of me during the day, the better my life will turn out.

National Geographic

2010-05-04T22:17:00.000-07:00

Here is a new sketch done from a random face in National Geographic. I was drawn to the large, wide face and the mouth.
This is done in charcoal on paper.

Cooking 101 Caramel Pecan Pie

2010-04-24T09:39:00.001-07:00

My son wanted a cookbook. It all started with a trip to my favorite thrift book store and he insisted on getting a cookbook. It was the Southern Cooking Christmas Special. Complete with beautiful pictures of rich, decadent desserts. His favorite. Desserts. So in true homeschool fashion I take advantage of his desire for desserts by making it a lesson. He could pick his choice of dessert, he would have to write a list of ingredients, buy them at the store and follow the instructions. I would be his assistant but he would be the one who was in charge.
We had a blast and it was great fun. The joy on their faces is priceless. The pie was delicious!

Let there be sparks.

2010-04-22T23:21:00.001-07:00

I have been having major art constipation...life has been stressing and overtaking my muse or holding my creativity hostage...or perhaps the muse is actually a wanderer and my spastic mental freakouts have spooked my genius away for a bit.
Thank you, Jessica, for not letting me get out of this one. I actually felt compelled to complete the May challenge even though I felt no spark. At the very least I can feel some warmth come out of my right brain. (or is that the left?...) Let there be sparks...let there be sparks...let there be sparks and a bit of oxygen to get this fire started....

The Web We Weave

2010-03-04T17:29:00.001-08:00

We just finished Charlotte's Web and I thought we should do some activtes that would be fun. I decided to have the boys gather sticks and lay them out and we weaved this web. My youngest had a harder time, so he got to make the spider.
It's been a tough week. I worry all the time about the choices we make for homeschooling. Are we doing enough? Are they learning and getting ahead as I think they should. My sources say to relax and stop over analyzing everything. I do.
But I got some encouragement through my son today.
We were playing a board game, and it was his turn to roll the die. I heard him yell, "Jesus...(I took a breath because I thought he was using His name in vain)...Guide ME!" And that took my breath away.
They say that this is the time for Core values to be instilled, not academic numbers and letters. Values. So...yet again, I get a clue that we are headed down the right path and I rather like the web we are weaving.

Prune

2010-02-24T22:46:00.000-08:00

These are my roses. They are huge and beautiful and they smell wonderful. Our first year in our home, I enjoyed these roses. Last year I was able to kind of enjoy them but they were not so big. They were tiny and rare and I didn't even bother to check them after awhile. Then, a few months ago my husband and I teamed up and pruned.
I cringed. My man was merciless. Chopping and clipping away large stalks that I knew took years (well, at least one year) to grow. Whereas I would deliberately inspect each stalk and snip away delicate stems, apologetically. What took me two to three weeks the previous year, took us thirty or sixty minutes to do. Afterwards, I was so shocked to see my rose bushes, just some naked sticks poking out the earth. And as I watched my husband dragging away the bushy remains without so much as a backwards glance at the destruction of what we had done, I knew it was for the better. And I was grateful because I didn't have the heart to do it.
How great it is to have a partner that is strong where you are weak. Because of his help, I was able to enjoy my roses again.
Thank, hon!

Forgotten Vermicompost Forest

2010-02-14T22:37:00.000-08:00

So we decided to add worms to our "farm", but as you can see, there has been several weeks between feeding. I opened the lid and was suprised to see potato seeds sprouting. I fed the worms potato peels last time. So....Nature is pretty even underground.

Osaka, Japan

2010-02-10T08:14:00.000-08:00

Oil on Canvas paper.

This is February's challenge, I spend more time on this project because I drew the picture first and then came back and colored it in. I usually do not paint with such rigidness, especially with oils because I love the fluidity of the medium. But this was such a beautiful manhole cover (my girlfriend supplied the picture) that I wanted to challenge myself to create it as close as possible.

Hatshepsut

2010-02-06T00:29:00.000-08:00

I shadowed the face with a q-tip and highlighted with charcoal.

This Queen of Egypt (or Pharoah) reigned from 1479-1458 B.C. but most of her monuments have been erased or eradicated. This was taken from a a picture I found of Hatshepsut as Osiris, the Egyptian god of the underworld.

The Lunch Tree

2010-01-28T23:12:00.000-08:00

The Lunch Tree, Ozama of Oz

One of my favorite things about homeschooling is reading classics out loud. Last year we read Wizard of Oz and it was such a wonderful story that I researched a bit and found out that Baum actaully had thirteen more stories about the Land of Oz. I discovered Ozama of Oz at my thrift store for .49cents. What a steal!

Varga Doll

2010-01-24T00:55:00.000-08:00

Japanese Doll

I always loved Vargas. We have a book that I was searching through and I saw this little doll posed along side one of his beautiful figures. I found the doll colorful and disjointed and I thought that she would be fun to draw. I was right. It was fun, I just wish that I had watercolor pencils intsead. The kimono is so colorful and rich, the colored pencils really are too dull.

Sketchin

2010-01-21T00:11:00.001-08:00

First Sketch for Feb. Challange.

Charcoal

A visit from my Night Owl

2010-01-18T21:45:00.000-08:00

A visit from my Night Owl.

I am surprised by my six year old son who sits down at the kitchen table as I write out flashcards of beginning sounds. It’s late, past bedtime and so there wasn’t an invitation.
“Oh, are these my cards?” He asks as he slides into a chair next to me.
“Yes.”
My son hates to write. He will spend thirty minutes looking at his pencil lead before actually writing a letter. It has been extremely frustrating for me and has become a sore spot in our relationship. So, I reduced the writing to four flashcards a week, one beginning sound per card.
He proceeds to do them. All four in one minute. No shaky wiggles or flamboyant lines. Just beautiful, defining alphabet letters that were carefully written.
Looking up at me and seeing my white board that I was using for the “ideas to throw at them this week” he asks, “Can I write math problems?”
Dumbfounded, I say “Uh, yes.”
He writes number sentences, in perfectly legible numbers. Then he writes 20 + 30 and I smile and ask him if he knows THAT one. He says, “50.”
“GOOD, how did you figure that?”
“Well, two plus three equals five, so twenty plus thirty equals fifty. And twenty plus twenty plus twenty is sixty!”
“Wow! That’s really great!”
He senses my excitement so I hear a bit of a warning in his voice, “One more and that’s it, okay Mom?”
“Fine. I’m surprised you wanted to do math at all!”
“Well, when I have the time, I able to sit down and do it.”
“What is that you have to do all day, Ben?”
“Play!”

Year of the Tiger?

2010-01-17T23:44:00.001-08:00

Sometimes I wish I could widen

And darken a bit to show off the light.

Where the softening begins, I can see my strength

Tucked between the silence of my lips.

It's eyes are a bit lopsided I know, and the bridge of the nose is not wide enough. Strange enough, the mouth is the part I hated drawing but it is the only part of the picture that I actually like. I have been feeling the need to draw but I had no subject. I found this in a magazine I tossed aside awhile ago. I am not a tiger person, but 2010 being the year of the tiger...Naw, I just thought of that a second ago.
Well, I have almost set up the "studio" my corner of the garage. A chair, really...with two shelves. Good enough. AND I found the picture that has been asking me to paint it for a few months. So....perhaps next time I will have a painting to post instead of a drawing.
AND....Although DSFDS is all done for the moment...I am committing myself to a new challenge created by my dear friend, Jessica. Not that anyone actually reads this post...I am going to post it anyhow.
Ya never know.
http://www.quarterlife.com/profiles/blogs/monthly-bimonthly-weekly

Butterfly

2010-01-09T22:56:00.000-08:00

I am discovering the joy of charcoal and the contrast with color. The charcoal really creates a depth to the subject. I think I will start wearing charcoal on myself. :)

2010-01-08T09:38:00.000-08:00

Yea, I think I'm on a roll.

I know that I have a lot of work that still needs improvement but I am pretty excited that I have been creative. The house has been a bit neglected but as I was just reading in a TJed Home Compainion book....waiting for chores to end before I take time to do anything is like standing at the banks of a mighty river waiting for the water to finish going by so that I can cross to the other side. So I just have to make a bridge to know my existence has a purpose beyond chores. :)

2010-01-07T19:29:00.001-08:00

This was a statue in a cemetery. I loved the crumpled heap, the frailness and the expectant look.

New Year's Resolution

2010-01-05T09:30:00.000-08:00

Hummingbird

I found a hummingbird's nest in the cedar tree,

Two branches up.

Stuck in the "Y" looking just like a pine cone.

I wouldn't have seen it if it weren't for her

Ferocious calls and lightening speed dive bombs.

Funny, the actions that she did to protect her secret

was the reason for the discovery.

As I walked away, careful to pay no attention to her,

I saw that Endora was spying her while sitting on her pillar,

making not a sound.

2009-12-28T11:44:00.000-08:00

Falling Asleep

The birtch hasn't decided that it was fall until just a week ago...And now it is falling quietly back into hibernation until spring's warmth.

I wonder when I will wake up from my own hybernation.

I know that I peek, then fall back into sleep with my own excuses of winter.

Too much to do, I say.

And it's easy to focus on others than on yourself.

Gifts

2009-12-26T10:36:00.000-08:00

My favorite gifts of the season:

My six year old's hysterical laughter at his new Calvin and Hobbes Book.

A say of Thanks in the quiet of the morning.

The warmth of my husband's heart that I felt when he held my hand.

Snowflakes in Highland

2009-12-23T23:41:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is officially my favorite time of the season. Christmas Eve. Before anything actually happens. The night that dreams are made. All of your hopes are still packaged under the tree and although nothing has been fulfilled, there is satisfaction.

Today I had a moment. I have been struggling with my son and letting him "be". He is my first and being the oldest, I think I expect too much. So I have been letting go, allowing him to wander on his own and discover the world as he wants to discover it. Not throwing worksheets at him, no spelling drills in the middle of breakfast, not sticking to the plan I created the week before. Just letting him be.

I never realized how much I force my own thoughts upon him, expecting him to be just as interested as I think he should be. I think that I have been trying to dictate everything he does, even how he should react. I never realized how controlling I was as a mom until I forced myself to unclench.

So today, I had a moment when we actually clicked. He was waiting (impatiently) for his brother to finish swinging from the rope swing, and to divert his grumblings I stood by our tree and asked him to play shadow puppets with me. To my surprise, he was able to make a rooster, and we had a great conversation with my reindeer.
It was only for two or three minutes.
But it was wonderful.

Waiting to Rise

2009-12-21T07:15:00.000-08:00

Last year I started to venture into bread making.

Not because I am a good cook or baker, I actually have a serious block in domestic arts. (And yes, I believe that there is such a thing!) But I found a great no knead recipe and for what ever reason, it works for me. 3 cups of flour, 1 and 1/2cup of warm water. 1/4 teaspoon of yeast and 1 1/2 tsp of kosher salt. Mix the dry and add the wet.

Wait to rise.

Bake.

It's just so happens that our bedroom faces south and in the winter, it is the warmest room in the house.

Christmas week

2009-12-20T09:55:00.001-08:00

Sunday before Christmas. It's cold in here. Outside the sun is warming and I am thinking of the week ahead.
I wonder if I have enough for the boys to do. Are they prepared and ready for Christmas? It's really a journey towards a moment, really. Cookies, dressing the tree, going to see the lights at night. But there is always a whisper in the back of my mind that I am not doing enough...something is missing. I ignore the noise for the most part but it still bugs me. Because the day will come and go without it. Only to remind me again next year.
So...I'll warm up with some tea and start the week.

2009-06-03T19:28:00.000-07:00

Garden a plenty....

So the summer is upon us and the garden is overflowing with abundance. I cannot eat it all and what fun to see the broccoli budding and the delicate yellow flowers bloom.

So...perhaps this means I am able to rest and take a bit of time to become creative and paint...

I have decided to homeschool, I don't know if I am crazy or what...but I think that I will have even less time to paint. I dunno. I suppose we will have to see.

Aw, Geez!

2009-04-01T23:04:00.000-07:00

Gardening....
I have been consumed! Not with painting...but with my garden and the "farmhouse". I decided to make my own bread and grow my own veggies...but time was ticking and spring is fleeting in the high desert so I spent my time sowing the seeds! Mind you, there are nine of these boxes, all with a different variety of green goodies.
But now that I have time to watch them grow...perhaps I can pick up a brush and paint a bit.

Different Folks Potrait

2008-12-27T23:50:00.000-08:00

Portrait, Oil on 8x10 Hardboard.

I was pretty nervous starting out this project, we were to paint a fellow Different Strokes participant. This was difficult for me because a face is so personal and being that I have never met this person, I don't want to paint her as someone she is not. I am not good at doing a painting and making it look exactly like the photo...something always is amiss. Usually I am able to work that "amiss" to my advantage with an object and consider it my artistic prerogative. But with a face, anything "amiss" can amount to a complete character change. So, I was continually looking at the picture and fiddlin' with the painting. And to make matters more challenging, I painting on hardboard again and I realized how afraid I am of brushstrokes. I spent most of my time painting and softening, painting and softening...painting and softening...thank goodness oil is a manipulative medium for days! I only hope that my beautiful subject recognizes herself and likes the painting! :)

Boots

2008-12-12T20:19:00.000-08:00

Work Boots, Oil on Canvas 8X11

Yippee hurrah, I have reunited with my oils! I went out and bought some new oil paints and some actual canvas (because I am really not so happy with the hardboards) because damn it, I am worth it. Mothers spend way too much time spending on everyone else in the family so I figured it was about time to buy a bit of luxury for momma...besides, maybe I will send this one out in the universe and see what it may bring back.

A swift kick in the...

2008-11-30T23:01:00.001-08:00

Yep, I have stuffed myself silly with Turkey and all the dressings...now I need to get back into the swing of things and kick myself into gear. I felt like I was on a roll there for awhile but then life happens and...well, no time for creativity. And not to mention I have a bit of a artist block now that I am throwing myself into the Internet soup-mix. It's easy to compare my work with everyone else and throw my arms up in disgust. So...here is a reminder to myself to just keep going...a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step, right? And I also have to remind myself that this is suppose to be a hobby...a relaxing cup of tea at the end of a crazy day. I recently heard that a new therapy is being implemented with psychologists...study a raisin. Yes, study the raisin and really notice the details and folds and just really look at the little thing. Apparently, it creates a calming effect on the observer and helps reduce stress and depression. So...it got me to thinking that when i draw or paint, I create the same effect...studying the object(s) in front of me while trying to recreate it on a canvas. So...it is a therapy and if I would pay a shrink $150/hour I can spend $150 on my paints without feeling guilty about it. ;) Yeah, I like where I am going with this. Tee hee.

2008-11-16T22:57:00.000-08:00

I drew this upsidedown and suprised myself! It worked! I used crayons on this...yes, crayons.

Autumn

2008-11-12T00:00:00.000-08:00

Different Strokes Challange...
Shesh, this was a task for me, I thought that I wouldn't be able to really do this one because the subject at first seemed...random, and I was afraid of the subject. As I mentioned before, I am not good at putting together pictures with a horizon and those street lines bothered me a bit, especially because they went on forever. So I started to draw it with charcol...erased, shadowed, erased, shadowed....then I discovered that I can use my acrylics on it....(I am still not on good terms with the oil....) and then babes woke up so I had to move on to watercolor pencils. So, this experiment of charcol, acryilc and watercolor worked out pretty well, I think. Shadow play is pretty interesting and I hope that I captured a crisp, autumn morning in the contrasts.

Three Cigars

2008-11-07T00:15:00.001-08:00

Three Cigars Watercolor 9X12 on Coldpress

I am not a fan of cigars but they can look beautiful. The tobacco leaf has so many folds and it has such a rich color of brown. And the labels, they really are great to look at up close and see how much detail goes into one of those labels.

Election day

2008-11-04T23:45:00.000-08:00

9X12 Acrylic on Board

Election Day

Just keep moving

2008-10-24T23:12:00.000-07:00

9x12 watercolor pencils (is that cheating?)

So I have these grand ideas throughout the day of all the things I am going to do once I get a minute to myself. But the reality of the evening hits me hard and I have to struggle to move forward sometimes. So, paints are a bit of a nuisance right now. But I have promised myself that I would try to discipline myself into creating something...anything at least twice a week, if not more. AND I also would post them on my journel, no matter how lame or great I think they are....expose my talents for what they are and hopefully, what they can grow into.

So I have been toying with the idea of landscapes...especially some sort of tuscan theme. But damn those posts! I have a serious problem with the point of horizon...especially when they are flagging you down in some sort of numerical form. I suppose that's why impressionist is more appealing to me. I really need to work on that. To be honest, I wanted to paint this picture so I am glad that I drew it first. Now I see my pitfalls on actaully laying out the picture, painting it should be fun and I am going to do it! yep. That'll be my next project.

Yes, I took the challange!

2008-10-23T00:02:00.000-07:00

9X11 Pencil on Watercolor

Surfing the web can be so much fun. I decided to give myself some focus and take Karin Jurik's Different Strokes from Different Folks challange. Each Wednesday Karin Jurik posts a picture and we have a week to paint/draw the picture. So I thought I would try it out...give myself a challange and see where it takes me. I started with oil on pressboard but the oil paints must have been too old and the pressboard was so smooth that each stroke I placed on the canvas would erase the previous stroke...so, on the verge of quiting the project completely, I thought I would draw the cow instead. I love the hairdo. Almost looks like a party hat from here.

By the way, if you all are interested in Karin's challange.... http://differentstrokesfromdifferentfolks.blogspot.com/2008/10/week-8-challenge-alabama-cow.html

It's so interesting to see how many different pictures can come out of the same photo. Well, I still would like to actually paint something...

Absurd

2008-10-19T00:32:00.000-07:00

8x10 Pencil on Paper

I haven't a clue how this came about. It started out with the Glamour mag that arrived in my mailbox. I hate fashion mags. Absurdity. Pages upon pages of overpriced cotton hung on skin covered bones...all the while making you feel selfconscious and little (in a fat kind of way....;0) Then I thought about how fantastic this magazine will be for me. I found new interest in the advertisments and color and textures and form...that's when they struck me. Lips. These lips struck me as insane. (I know, they don't look that way now...but the actual pic...they were, well..stricking) The gap in the teeth was also intriguing. So...I thought I would try drawing the lips and worked my way around the face until the picture finished itself.

Neon Fancy

2008-10-11T09:43:00.001-07:00

Neon Fancy

Watercolor and Pencil 9x11 on coldpress watercolor paper

My uncle is coming for a visit, so it got me to thinking about Hong Kong and the lights of Nathan Road. I loved the rides on the double decker bus and the fantastic lights down the road. Thank you Unx for so many "once in a lifetime" experiences....

I took several days painting this and I realized how much I hate liking a painting so much because each time I added something I liked, I was that much more hesistant to continue in fear that I would add some fatal stroke to the picture and screw up the potential that I saw building. So that was interesting to realize. And I found it funny that I choose to watercolor neon, something vibrant and brillant and instead of using oil or acrylic...I make watercolor, a medium that is delicate in my mind and see-through, into bright lights. (I am pressed for time...the words escape me)

Dawn

2008-10-04T10:29:00.000-07:00

Last night's watercolor experience.

Sean

2008-10-01T13:33:00.000-07:00

Sketch, done a few years ago but I like this one a lot.

Went out and got a few more paintboards, I am still on the fence about the boards, but canvas seems to be a bit too much for doodles.

So grabbed a few boards before the kids tore down the isles too much and right before I left, I saw the watercolor paper. Hmmm. Watercolor. I really have a fear of watercolor. Such an unforgiving medium. I like to work with my mistakes and that is why oil is such a wonderful tool for me. But watercolors? Do I dabble with the watercolor?

I should step up and find success in my failures and accept them as they are instead of searching for a way to erase the mistake.

Yes. Watercolor will have to be next.

Given

2008-09-28T22:11:00.000-07:00

9X12 Canvas

Arylic

I was looking around searching for something to paint, flowers are really not my thing as they are too grandma-ish and I was not looking for a typical flower arrangement. But as of late, I am definately scrambling around once the wee ones have settled their heads on their pillows. Ever since I have awakened my muse, she has become loud and abnoxious if I ignore her for a few days. So...voila, the gifts my boys pick from our garden and I store in my "milk vase" on the kitchen table.

Consenting.

2008-09-24T09:55:00.001-07:00

Consenting. 5x7 Acrylic on Canvas

I thought I would freestyle this time and see what the subconscious brings out.

Truth be told, I felt like I was a bit of a spew monster today...and at the end of the day I realized how much others around me have to take in what exploded out of my head.

Even though most of the frustrations comes out of love, I still felt like a monster inside.

BUT, being that this picture is totally abstract, I tilted it and thought I would ask what do you see?

Landscape, faces?

Untitled

2008-09-20T23:35:00.000-07:00

Untitled. Oil on canvas.

I have a hard time with faces...so I ventured.

Coffee Nut

2008-09-19T23:41:00.000-07:00

8X10 Acrylic on paint board

Coffee Nut

(do I need to point out the almonds??)

Gathering

2008-09-18T21:25:00.000-07:00

Gathering the bits of work I did earlier...revive the older bits of work and hope that by looking at them collectively, I can see myself in a different light and adjust my work accordinly.
This one is called Black Oak. I love this one.

I love trees...so I thought I would follow the seasons and paint a tree in spring.

Which led me to a night tree...but now I can see how I really could have used a bit less limbs...

Sideways

2008-09-16T23:05:00.000-07:00

Salt.

Pencil on paper.

Thinking that I need a better photographer. Ahem.

Trying to remind myself that this IS work in progress and I have to keep pluggin away...and post even if it's a bit sideways.

Ms. Poor Sounder

2008-09-14T22:18:00.001-07:00

Denver ate the peach. That's alright because he shared it with my next subject: Ms. Poor Sounder. Sweet little gals, and boy, do they love those peaches.

She's acrylic and is on a 9x12 press board. I don't know if I like it as much as canvas. The smooth surface didn't leave much to imagination for strokes, which actually worked to my advantage to show the feathers. But it was nice to actually attack the project with more confidence and purpose.

Actually broke down and purchased some new brushes and a tiny bottle of turp. But now I am looking forward to starting up another one...seems like this will be more of a weekly instead of a daily. I am still working on sketching right before I head out to the land of nod...and that is actally keeping the muse satisfied for the time being.

Plum daily.

2008-09-12T08:50:00.000-07:00

First "daily" of a plum. I dug out the old brush and acrylics...would have preferred to use oil, but I had no turpentine so....waterbased it was. I also realized that I threw out all my old brushes when we moved last year. Probably out of frustration because I never seen to have the time to sit down and actually paint. But my second one turns three and the first is in kinder so I actually feel the ablity to breathe. I also gave myself the freedom to paint an everyday object with no pressure of actually painting well, without the forethought of subject matter and purpose. So I rummaged through the garage and discovered one flat brush (a bit big, though) several tiny brushes with three or four hairs clinging on, a lipstick brush and a few of the basic colors. Sat my butt down at the kitchen table and did it. Painted a floating plum. Yes, I think I definately need to set a horizon on it so that there is a foundation the fruit is on...but I am actaully thinking to leave it and move on. I spy a few peaches....