POTD and Other Stuff

I am absolutely stunned to see that it is the last week of September already. I am just getting into the thought that summer is over (and loving it), but at this rate, there will be snow on the ground way before I am ready for it.

Today's photo is of a heron - if you can find him. I followed him down to the north side of the yard and sat on one of the bridges in the yard so that I could see him by looking under the bridge over the road. I expected him to come back toward my yard, but he never did, so this is the best I could do.

I actually think this is a pretty good picture, if only he didn't appear to be headless.

I spent a bit of time Saturday at the dance studio so that I could watch Miss 3 in her ballet class. She was so cute, as were all the other little ones. Here she is just prior to the beginning of class.

I almost hate to see her grow up. She is my baby as the youngest of the grandgirls.

The Natural Science Museum in Ann Arbor is a great place to spend a couple of hours and do some sketching. They even had folding chairs available. I spent some time looking at birds - no surprise there. I sketched a pheasant, a raccoon, a wolf and a turkey vulture. I spent the most time on the vulture and need to add more detail to the others. Here is the vulture.

I'm pretty happy with this one.

I've also added a bit more color (another layer) to the watercolor that I am working on. I bought some masking fluid while in Ann Arbor and am going to put a bit on the right side of the fisherman to protect some of the highlights. The next watercolor I do, I will try to use a little before I put any color on it. I really should have preserved the highlights in the water before starting this one. I am hoping to try out the Magic Eraser method to bring them back later.

So far I am really enjoying working on this one and am liking it pretty much. I am trying hard not to love it so that I don't get afraid to work on it.

I am leaving for my Mom's in a couple of hours and for the first time I am taking my sketching and painting materials with me. I am hoping to get some painting done and hope to do some sketching during the two day garage sale.

My internet access will be sporadic, but I hope to have things to share with you and will try to post at least a couple of times from the UP. I am really excited about moving my Mom into this new apartment and can't wait to see it and help her get it ready to live in.

xoxo

Photo of the Day and A Blind Contour

I'm running a little late this morning. My friend, Nancy, and I are going to the Natural Science Museum in Ann Arbor to sketch this morning and I still need to grab a bite to eat and get ready. But first I wanted to post a photo of the day and a blind contour (it is blind contour Friday, after all).

Here is today's photo:

I hope you aren't tired of my flower pix just yet.

Yesterday's photo was correctly identified by Nancy as the later stage of the Clematis. I did call my sister to ask her what it was and she told me it was the seed setting stage of the Clematis, so I had confirmation from two sources. She loved the image, especially how the shadow was so clear on the lower leaf.

Meanwhile I am trying really hard to remember that Friday is for blind contour and am going to try to get a blind contour self portrait this week to post next Friday. For now I have a little maple leaf. I'm not sure the subject matters. It is the practice of sketching what you see. 

I don't think this is too bad.

I haven't worked any more on the watercolor, but intend to get more done tomorrow. I am going in the morning to watch little Miss 3 at her ballet class and then have an Algebra student coming for tutoring, but I think the rest of the day is mine.

I hope to have some sketches and the next stage of the watercolor painting to show you on Monday (I will post before I leave for my Mom's) .

Gotta run.....

xoxo

Photo of the Day and A New WC WIP

I have several photos to share today and am not sure which one earns the title of "Photo of the Day". I'll let you decide. The first one is of a very interesting plant. I took the picture in my sister's garden and it is too early to call her this morning to ask what it is. Maybe you know.

I love the shadow!

The next picture is not as pretty as the one above, but I found it interesting enough to photograph. I am always looking for interesting textures. They are great to use in Photoshop. Feel free to download this one if you are interested.

I found this tire track in the sand at a beautiful beach in Benton Harbor.

I drew a new sketch for my watercolor class that includes a fisherman as my brother suggested. Thanks for the suggestion, Dan. I have begun the underpainting. It doesn't look like much yet, but I wanted to show the work in progress. I too often forget to show the stages and just show the finished or nearly finished piece. The matting is digital; it is actually taped to a piece of foamboard.

 

 If you click on it you will get a better idea of its composition.

I took the watercolor outside to photograph it by propping it in the seat of an Adirondack chair on the deck. The hubster came out to put chicken on the grill just as I was finished. He asked me if I'd seen the tree toad was back. I asked where he was. Believe it or not he was in the chair I was using as a prop for my painting. I'm sure glad I didn't go out on the deck to sit. He would surely have been squished.

Here he is:

He didn't move a muscle while I was fussing around with the picture and getting close enough to get a good photo. I don't think he looks too perturbed, but then again this might be his angry look.

I don't know for sure what I am doing today except for the treadmill (of course) and tutoring Algebra mid-afternoon. I am planning to get some tangles uploaded and then get to work on Lesson 3.  I am driving up to my Mom's on Monday to help her move and assist with the garage sale. I will be gone for a week. I am planning to take the laptop and hope to post a bit while I am gone.

I do have a blind contour for tomorrow and hope to have some tangles to share as well.

xoxo

Photo of the Day and A Favorite Guest Artist

Today's photo is of a sunflower that is just beginning to open. It is so fun to see the random placement and the amazing number of these flowers. I am guessing that birds are either really gluttonous trying to carry too many and drop them as they fly, or (perhaps more likely) they are dropping them from their "exhaust" system almost continuously.

At any rate, here is one in its beginning stages. I really like the greenness and the fuzzies, and the out of focus color behind it.

I had an unexpected guest artist yesterday and she began asking about "bainting" almost as soon as she was in the door. Before long we (actually she) was doing "awrt" and looking like an old pro. I love her attitude and her complete freedom to choose color without thinking about it too much.

Needless to say, I didn't get any art done yesterday, but I had a great day with this one and then with her 2nd grade sister after the bus dropped her off. Their Mom came around dinner time to pick them up and they stayed for BLTs and then by the time the kitchen was cleaned, the Tigers were on. I went to bed really early last night and slept in until almost 8 am. Perhaps I've caught up a little on the sleep I didn't get the last couple of nights.

I am planning to do more with the heron. Since I can't lighten it up very easily, I will try darker in the background and around the heron's head and some darker color in the water in the foreground and around him. Thank you so much for your lovely comments and suggestions, but for today's class I am planning to sketch some kind of waterway through trees with a lone fisherman in the water. At least, I think that is what I am going to draw. I'll share both the drawing and the first stages of painting tomorrow.

For now, I hear the treadmill calling. And while I am walking perhaps the "fishing in the river" idea will begin to take a more definite shape in my head so that when I am ready to sketch it out I'll know what it is I am trying to accomplish.

xoxo

Photo of the Day and the Heron

Good morning! Last night I stayed up until 2:15 am so that I could download some system software updates. They are huge files and I would be "kicked off" hughes.net for 24 hours if I tried to do so during the day.

Imagine my surprise when I received an email from Tim Clary after 11 pm to notify me that I was the winner of the a hand drawn bookmark (I chose the titmouse as the bird of choice). And at 2:05 I received an email from Karen Blados telling me that I won a 5 x 7 print of an orange maple leaf.

I gotta tell ya, I'm feeling lucky and I'll take pix of the booty when it arrives so you can see it in all its gorgeousness.


Meanwhile here is the photo of the day:

Did I tell you we didn't plant any sunflowers this year?

Yesterday after walking the treadmill for 1/2 hour, I got some fresh water, sprayed my watercolors in the palette and began to finish the heron painting.

While I don't think it is a masterpiece, from the distance you would usually stand to view a picture hanging on the wall, it looks pretty good (for a beginner).

I do think his lower beak is a bit too orangey, but may be able to quiet that down with a light gray glaze. I realize the bank behind him is a bit linear, but that is approximately what it looks like. I think maybe the artist in me is supposed to make changes to nature in this case, but I didn't think of that in time.

I realize I am stalling, so without further ado, here he is:

I would appreciate any comments/critique/suggestions for things I can still do to make this one better.

Thanks so much.

xoxo

Photo of the Day and a Bird Sketch

We've had a bit of rain and gray skies lately, but that didn't stop me from getting out in the yard with the camera. I waited for a break so I didn't get the camera wet and took some pix. I found a small, perfect rose covered with raindrops and couldn't resist. I love the colors behind it, too.

I have spent most of the time since Thursday last week deciding what tweaking I am going to do to the painting I am working on. I want to add some darkness to the left side behind the heron and am thinking of doing some spattering of the bank of the creek behind him, but I have been paralyzed when thinking about actually making those changes. I have to remind myself that it is only paper and that whatever happens it will be a great learning experience. I am hoping to make changes today and share them tomorrow.

Meanwhile, I am afraid the paralyzing effect has extended into other art endeavors. I must get to work playing with the tangles workshop in my group. I also want to do a blind contour at least once a week. And I have been planning to get outdoors to do more sketching. I think it is time to get my friend Nancy and go to the zoo to sketch.

Late last night while watching the Tigers vs White Sox baseball game, I sketched a few birds. Birds seem to be my "go to" subject matter when I am trying to get into sketching. At any rate, here is my rendering of a tufted titmouse.

I need to go the the store today - we are out of nuts, bananas, cereal, bagels, avocados and who knows what else. I am also going to walk the treadmill. And then I am going to make myself sit down and make some changes to the heron painting so that I can see what happens.  I will share tomorrow no matter how it turns out.

xoxo

Photo of the Day and WC Heron WIP

I hope you aren't tired of monarch butterflies yet. I have one more for you.

I went to my painting class yesterday in the afternoon instead of Monday evening. I much prefer the afternoon session. Yesterday I was there from 4 until about 6:30; the "class" runs until 7, but I was at a good place to stop and I was hungry. Joanne told me that if others were interested, the class could be run from 3 to 6. That would be ideal for me.

I took my heron sketch on watercolor paper and began with the background. First I put in the green background with a variety of greens. Then I drew in the creek, the bank and the water. So far I am pleased with it, but there is still much to be done. 

I'd be happy to hear from you what you think of this so far; if you would change anything or add anything. I am planning to add some tufts of grass along the edge of the creek, but don't know if there is something else I should add. I can't wait to paint the heron himself, but didn't want to rush it, so will do it next Wednesday in class.  Meanwhile, I am planning to try my hand at ACEO watercolor paintings to see if small will work for me.

It is the time of year when life usually resumes some kind of structure. When I was teaching, I always welcomed the routine that returned in the Fall. I feel like I am wasting a lot of time these days, so I am going to try something new today to see how it goes. I am planning to read the blogs to which I subscribe, have a bite to eat, and walk the treadmill as usual. But today I am going to try setting a timer for an hour and do a bit of house cleaning during that time. When the timer rings, I will stop and get in the shower.

I will then set the timer again, but this time for 3 hours and I will spend that time in my art room being productive. Today I am going to try a 2.5" x 3.5" watercolor, I am going to redo my first assignment for the Tangling workshop to make patterns instead of tangles, and I am going to make a color chart of the wc paints that I own now to see how they interact with each other.

I will share these with you tomorrow and let you know how well I respond to the "timer" method of productivity.

I hope you have a lovely day,

xoxo

Photo of the Day and Heron Sketch

Today's photo is from my sister's garden as was yesterdays. There were so many monarch butterflies in her garden I couldn't stop myself from taking lots of pics.

I had a lovely day yesterday with the almost 3 year old. We went to Meijer's to pick up a few groceries, played outside on the swings, walked the yard looking for frogs, and walked over to a neighbor's back yard to visit the goats, chickens, rooster, and ducks. We saw a wild rabbit in her yard too. Unfortunately, I didn't think to take my camera. Maybe next time. The second grader arrived by bus around 4:15 and had a snack and then we played outside until her Mom arrived around 5:30.

After dinner, the hubster and I watched the Tiger game (that is until I couldn't keep my eyes open around 9:30), so I didn't get any art done at all. But I got up this morning and sketched the heron that I am planning to take to my watercolor class this afternoon. Here is what I have so far:

I realize his face is somewhat centered on the paper, but I wanted his body to be entering from the left. I will add willow branches above and some grasses in front of him. I don't know if I am going to add water or not. I thought I'd talk it over with the watercolor teacher and see what she suggests.

I need to get on the treadmill, I have a haircut at 10 and then I am going with the hubster to Lowe's.  I also have my watercolor class at 4.

I am hoping to find a couple of large sponges at Lowe's - one for absorbing some of the water on my brush when I am painting and one to hold my favorite brushes. Joe Fettingis showed his preferred way to have his brushes handy and what he did was take a large sponge, hold his brushes to it one at a time, trace around them and then use a craft knife to cut out a depression so that they could lay flat in it. I'd like to try that.

I am anxious to begin on the heron painting and will share my progress with you tomorrow.

xoxo

Photo of the Day and A Sketch Using Photoshop

It is another beautiful day here in southern Michigan and I hope to make the most of it.  I am thinking art, art, art. But maybe I should be thinking bathrooms, dusting, vacuuming.

*Ring, ring*

We interrupt this posting for a phone call - It seems I will be spending the day with the almost 3 year old and the 2nd grader will be getting off the bus here. That means I won't be getting all the art done that I wanted to do, but that I will be doing other wonderful and creative things.

At any rate, here is today's photo:

 I have this same plant in my yard, but haven't seen any monarchs. There must have been about two dozen of these beauties flying around my sister's garden.

I didn't go to my watercolor class last evening. I am going to join the Wednesday afternoon class instead. I found an old photo of a blue heron in the creek in the backyard and hope to sketch him and take this to the class to begin painting. Here is the photo:

I am going to have to make the background on the left more interesting!

Here is what I will use as my guide when I sketch him:

I got this version by using Photoshop and the filters Stylize > Find Edges; New Adjustment Layer > Levels to darken the lines a bit; and finally New Adjustment Layer > Invert to get the darks and lights right. I'm not sure why there is a dark blotch below him in the water just in front of his front leg, but that is supposed to be one of the brightest spots. I'll have to remember that when I am sketching and then painting him.

I will share hope to share the sketch with you tomorrow.

For now, I'd better get on the treadmill before my little sweetie gets here. I've really missed my morning visits on this lovely machine and can't wait to get back into the routine.

I hope I will see you tomorrow.

xoxo

Photo of the Day and Results of Watercolor Workshop

I am back home and feel like I've been gone a long time. Today's photo is of a very different nature than what I usually have. This one is architecture and is of a lovely church building in Mason.

It is not a great photo, but is something I would like to try to draw.

The Joe Fettingis watercolor workshop was spectacular. The three days were well planned out and he has a style that I really responded to. He provided sketches for us to transfer onto our watercolor paper (this was a painting class, not a drawing class) and then he would have a demo (he called it blah, blah, blah) of the first part of the painting suggesting colors and showing techniques and sharing his brush choices and paint choices.

Then we would go back to our places and try to begin our own painting. We were not limited to his choice of colors, but most tried to mimic his to a great degree. After everyone was well into the first part (and some had gone on to do more fiddling), we would have another session to see where he was going next.

We were two to a table, 12 to a room. There were two rooms. In my room there were 3 sets of sisters and a woman and her daughter-in-law. It was a really good room with everyone focused and helpful. I met some really nice people there and hope to run into them again some time.

Here is the first painting I tried. It is an young Amish man. I really learned a lot from Joe, but see lots of problems with this painting. Still, it is much better than I could have done before the workshop.

The second painting is a ram. Mine is quite a bit more colorful than Joe's was, but he has really grown on me. I can see even more problems with this one than I could see in the Amish man, but still, I am happy with what I have learned and produced.

Besides the wonderful learning and the really nice women I met, including the lovely Rebecca who is the Education Coordinator for the Krasl Art Center, I had a really lovely time with my sister and her husband. We played lots of cribbage, Yahtzee and Scrabble. We watched several Tiger baseball games and I watched the women's final tennis match.

My sister and her husband are very good hosts and made delicious dinners each day. They eat healthy and buy lots of fresh vegetables and fruits so I am pretty sure I didn't gain any weight while I was there.

This past weekend will certainly be filed in my memory as one of my favorites. The workshop was only $165 and my lovely sister lives only 20 minutes away and was happy to have me stay. It was perfect!

If you get a chance to take a watercolor workshop with Joe Fettingis, I would highly recommend it. And if you get a chance to get to the Krasl Art Center in St. Joseph, I highly recommend that also. I know I am going to keep an eye on their offerings in the future in the hopes that I will find another wonderful workshop at a good price.

It is wonderful to be home, but I have tons of things to do to get caught up, plus I have a watercolor class this evening. I am going to ask the woman if she would consider offering a day time class as I hate to drive in the dark and it is getting dark earlier and earlier in the evening.

I sure hope you like this post and appreciate that you take the time to stop by and leave comments.

xoxo

Photo of the Day and More Doodling

You've got to love this weather; a little chilly morning and night and cool and breezy all day long. I feel as though I've been reborn.

Today's photo is an old one that I love and I can hear this guy (or a relative of his) out by the creek often, but haven't been able to spot him yet this year.

He looks to me like he is having a great time and may even be telling jokes.

I think I told you that I am participating in a Tangle workshop online. Well, I made a couple of them yesterday, but think I misinterpreted the instructions. Still, I really like them and thought I might share them here.

The first one started with the sketch of a gingko leaf and then was randomly doodled. I hope you like it.

The other one is made from hearts that I used a stencil to draw. Then I doodled inside them.

I now think that I was supposed to make patterns from these shapes, not make these shapes and then doodle in them. I will have to work on that idea this weekend if I have the time. 

I am leaving in a couple of hours to go to my sister's house. We will play games and visit today and then I have a three day workshop with Joe Fettingis. I am so excited and I must admit I am also very nervous. I won't know anyone there and they will probably all have more experience than I do. But I am determined to learn a lot and am expecting the other participants to be friendly and fun.

I am not planning to take my laptop so don't know if I will be posting before I return home next Monday. Then again, my sister has computers so I may have something to show and tell about before I return.

For now, I need some more coffee and then need to eat a bite, pack some clothes and hit the road. I've already packed my art supplies for the workshop and the hubster made me an 18" x 24" plywood board to take with as instructed.

Bye for now.....

xoxo

Photo of the Day and Doodling

Today's photo is another flower from the back. I particularly like the different colors from this side. From the front this flower is, except for the yellow center, pretty much all one color. What do you think? Do you like this view?

I really like the background on this one too!

I got everything done yesterday that I planned to do except the bathrooms. Man, I hate cleaning bathrooms! Maybe I'll get to them today.

We finally got our passport applications in. We picked up the forms some time last year. The cost of applying for passports makes us think that now we can't afford to go anywhere. By the time we paid the application fee, processing fee, photo fee, and the cost of our birth certificates we were in for around $200 each. It's a good thing they are good for 10 years. If I spread the cost over those 10 years it doesn't look quite so bad.

In one of the Yahoo! groups to which I belong we are working through the book Totally Tangled by Sandy Steen Bartholomew. I haven't started yet, but have fond memories of doing a bit of tangling last winter. As a matter of fact, I made a few Christmas cards with tangles. The recipients were thrilled to receive them.

Since I didn't get any art done yesterday - I did get my errands done, watched several tennis matches and watched the Tigers thump Chicago - I thought I'd share a tangle in the shape of a Christmas ornament that I made last year.

I hope you don't mind a rerun.

I've got another busy day planned today. As soon as the hubster arises, I am going to do my half hour on the treadmill. I am taking the daughter and her almost 3 year old out to lunch, then bringing the little one home with me while Mom gets her hair done. Of course there is more tennis to watch and I am sure the Tigers and playing the White Sox again this evening. I suppose  I should start my tangling homework while watching. I have an Algebra student coming around 3 and then should get packed for my weekend trip. I am leaving tomorrow and will return some time on Monday. 

I am so looking forward to visiting my sister - we will play cribbage, Scrabble, Yahtzee; go for walks; take pictures of her lovely garden; and who knows what else. I am attending a 3-day workshop at the Krasl Art Center in St. Joe while I am at her house. I have heard wonderful things about Joe Fettingis' workshop and am quite excited to get this chance to attend one.

I'd still like to put more color and shadowing into my still life from my first watercolor class in Jackson. Maybe I will get some time with that today after tutoring. If I get to it I will be sure to share it with you tomorrow.

xoxo

Photo of the Day and A Sketch

Today's photo is a familiar subject from a different perspective. I just love the "hairs" on this one. It is a whole new way to look at a sunflower.

It is the first day of school here and I feel so fortunate not to have to go. This marks the 4th first day of school that I have been able to stay in my "jammies" drinking coffee watching the buses go by and it still feels glorious. I am tutoring a bit and have been all summer. I expect I will have more tutees now that school is in session for Fall semester.

The weather has been Fall-ish, too, and I gotta tell you, I LOVE IT!!

Last evening before I went to bed, I tried a quick sketch of a fawn in a field. I may have to try to put some color in it to see if I really like it. It is drawn on regular sketch paper, so I may have to use colored pencils rather than watercolor; or I may just leave it as a sketch and turn the page to start another of another subject - maybe the sunflowers above.

Anyway, here he is:

It is a bit faint, but if you click on it, you will see it better.

I have a lot on my plate today. There is the usual half hour on the treadmill followed by a short ab and triceps session. I need to do a bit of grocery shopping. The bathrooms are screaming at me to be cleaned. I want need to start the "Totally Tangled" workshop through Artists of the Round Table Yahoo! group. I've got to get a package and letter to my Mom in the mail. I need to put the Title to my new car in the safe deposit box. I need to take mug shots of us and we have to go to the post office to apply for passports. I also want to take the time to watch some tennis and baseball.

I feel some multitasking coming on!!!

I hope to get most of the things on my list done today and still have a photo and some art to share tomorrow. If that is going to happen, I'd better get it in gear.

xoxo

Labor Day, Photo of the Day and a Bit of Art

Good morning! If you are in the US I hope you are enjoying a long weekend and are not planning to go to work today. Enjoy!

Today's photo is of a rock that was found in the yard. It is a strange one:

It almost looks like it formed up against a hinge or something.

I had a birthday party on Saturday and decided to make my own wrapping paper and card. I forgot to take a picture of the card, but have a shot of the art on the paper. 

The party was for my "just turned 7" granddaughter.

I've been faithfully walking the treadmill every day for the last week (I was walking just 4 or 5 days a week before that) and on alternate days I do ab work and triceps work. I feel really good about that.

I have not been getting any art started and I am feeling bad about that. I have cleaned up my art space, so I have no excuses except maybe for the fact that the US Open is going on and many of the singles matches are televised and I've been watching the Tigers each day they have a game.

My muse is somewhere around I think - she is probably outdoors enjoying this Fall-like weather. I am hoping she will show up some time this afternoon so I can get something started. I've been wondering if I force myself to start something even when she is absent if that will make her come back. I'll let you know.

Have a great day!

xoxo

Photo of the Day and A Blind Contour

Today's photo was taken through the living room window. I love how the colors pop this time of year and am so impressed with the multiple heads on the "volunteer" sunflowers.

I also remembered to try a blind contour this morning. I did this at the dining table even before my morning coffee.

NOTE: THE EYES AND NOSE WERE ADDED AFTERWARD!

This is the model.

I have some questions about blind contour: Am I supposed to be able to do the facial features and spots without looking also? Somehow I think of a blind contour as just the outside of an object.

My art room needs a good cleaning, the last of the free Creative Techs WC painting webcast is on today, and there are a couple of YouTube videos to watch. I am planning to go to the coffee shop in Mason to do the computer related tasks later today. 

My art assignment for today is to paint the Kraft paper I bought at the dollar store yesterday to make personalized wrapping paper for Katie's birthday present, and I have to make her a card. Her party is tomorrow. She will be 7.

So I am off to walk the treadmill and then get this room picked up. I sometimes think my Muse leaves me because she can't stand to be in this room when it is such a mess. I am thinking that if I get it cleaned up she will spend some time with me later today. I'll share whatever finds its way onto paper.

xoxo

Photo of the Day and Guest Artists

Good morning!

Yesterday I didn't get any art done, but I did have a full day with a couple of art divas in residence. I will share some of their work later in the post below the photo of the day.

Today's photo is of the berm on the north side of the house. I think I have shared a photo of this berm earlier in the summer, but the colors are so much stronger this time of year. Even though it is still hot and sticky, the quality of the light and the intensity of the colors say "Fall".

I subscribe to a wonderful blog that is full of art ideas for kids; it is actually called Art Projects For Kids and I have seen and used wonderful ideas from her. Her name is Kathy Barbro and I really appreciate the fact that she not only shares projects, but actually has step by step instructions.

Here are a few pix of the divas and their lovely art work:

This is not from the site mentioned above. These are from Michael's and are just right for little ones to paint.

I called them divas for a reason. I was running for ideas and art supplies and trying to explain to the little one why she should use watercolor paint and a brush instead of my Copic markers or my oil pastels. And as they worked, they expected photos to be taken. I must say hosting art divas is not an easy job, but someone has to do it. (grin)

Now I just have to get Miss I'm going to be 7 on Saturday out here to do some art with me. When I do I'll be sure to share it with you.

Not sure what I am doing today besides the treadmill and shopping for the birthday girl. I hope to get some art done so that I have something to share tomorrow.

xoxo

Photo of the Day, Watercolor Workshop and EDM #136

I didn't get back to my still life to add some dimension yesterday, but I did get to the library, sketch my tree frog, and had two little girls stay overnight. Miss 7 and Miss 2 stayed overnight last night and slept with me in my bed. At about 4 am Miss 2 woke up and was very talkative and was telling great stories. Miss 7 was half way down the bed sleeping horizontally and Miss 2 was at the top of the bed lying horizontally with her head on my pillow. I suppose it is no wonder that my back hurts this morning.

Here is today's photo:

I'm not sure this a great picture, but it draws me in everytime I look at it. It is a reflection of the rock retaining wall on the road bridge over the creek in my yard.

I also sketched my tree frog from yesterday's post as EDM #136 Something That's Alive. I tried to use a bit of crosshatching for the shadow, but am not altogether happy with it. I really need to refine my drawing skills as they pertain to shadows.

And perhaps most exciting of all, yesterday on Kristameister's blog she told about her experience in a 3-day workshop with Joe Fettingis and showed an egret she painted in that class and she described the class as life-changing. I sent her an email to ask her about it and she responded, "RUN, do not walk and see if you can get into one of his classes." 

I did a quick search online and found that he is teaching a 3-day workshop in St. Joseph the weekend of September 10-12. Knowing that it would already be full, I emailed him to ask if there was room and he responded with a phone number to call and told me that there was one seat left. I called and then sent in my registration. I am waiting to see if I made it. The best thing about the St. Joe location is that my sister lives just 15 minutes away and I will combine a trip to visit her with this workshop. I can't wait!!! And you know I will share my experience with you.

Gotta go; there is a 2 year old bugging me to play and do art.

xoxo