Photo of the Day, Drawing Lab, Blind Contour and Another WC WIP

Yesterday morning I was having serious problems with my internet connection, but have since worked on the phone with hughes.net to get it resolved. The good news is that while I was waiting for it to resolve itself, I got outside with the camera and got some fresh photos. The bad news is that while I was out shooting, the mosquitoes were having a feast on my blood.

Today's photo is of one of my favorite flowers, the Cleome. She is even prettier earlier in the year. The only thing about her is that those long wispy attachments are quite prickly.

While I was watching the Roddick/Soderling tennis match last evening I spent some time doing assignments in the Drawing Lab book. I was having so much fun, I was planning to do more, but the next two were about getting outside and drawing what you see. In the first place, it was dark out and in the second place, I don't have enough blood to spend that amount of time out of doors this time of year with the mosquitoes queuing up to get their turn. But I did really love these two, especially the bug one.

This one suggested watercolor, but I used colored pencils and Neocolor II wax crayons.

I used my Staedtler  Triplus fineliners to add color to this one.

Since it is Friday and I've been meaning to continue practicing blind contours, I have this little drawing for you.

Sorry for the blurry picture.

And finally, I've attempted another watercolor landscape and I don't hate it. It has several problems, but overall I think I can see improvement over the last one I tried.

I'm not all that good at a graded wash yet, but I think my sky is better in this one than in the last.

I like the overall color, but wish the open hillside was a bit further to the left. It is pretty close to the center, which I was trying to avoid.

My birds are a little large, but I am calling them sandhill cranes and they are huge.

My animals are not so great, but I think you can tell they are animals. I intended for them to be cattle, but I think at a glance maybe they are sheep.

My fence isn't very good, but I think it's addition added something to the picture.

I'd sure appreciate some critique of this one, and suggestions for improvement are always welcome.

I've gotta get ready for the day. I am still in my pjs and haven't had breakfast yet. I'm either going to run errands with a friend I haven't seen in a long time and then going to spend the rest of the day and evening with the little girls, or I am just going to spend the day with the little girls. In either case, I'd better get my act together.

I won't be able to watch the Molly Murrah free WC class through Creative Live today, but next week's is supposed to be about having fun and putting it all together and I think I will be able to watch that one. I will tell you about it the Monday after.

xoxo

Photo of the Day, Drawing Lab and A New Watercolor

I love how lush everything is this time of year, but I can already see a change in the "feel" of the light. It is starting to look Fall-ish. There is a particular spot behind the house which includes steps down to the creek that is surrounded by ferns that catches my eye each time I walk by it. I don't know that it qualifies as a great picture, but I really like it and hope you do, too.

I didn't get as much playing time in my art room as I thought I was going to get yesterday. In the first place, it was a mess (I'll bet you can understand that), so I spent about an hour getting it back together. I do have a little bit of art to share with you.

These are the paint blobs from the other day. This was fun!

This lab is called Scribbly Drawings

These are One-Eyed Monsters

I have the girls tomorrow and there are a couple of Labs that are meant to be done with a child. I can't wait to try them out. And I am sure Miss 7 1/2 would love to make some one-eyed monsters.

This one is a watercolor I did yesterday. I wet my paper and then added bits of blue and let it dry. I then painted in the wispy background plants. After that I added the large tree and finally used a sea sponge to add some "leaves".

While I like it so far, I think it needs more. Here is what I think I need to do:

- add some roughness to the trunk of the large tree

- put a bit of deeper blue in the sky

- add more seeds onto the small wispy plants

I'm not sure how to achieve the adding roughness to the tree trunk of the large tree. I am thinking adding a bit of darker color here and there; or maybe roughing it up with my fingernail; or maybe dry brushing along it.

I'd sure appreciate some input as to what you think it needs - or even if you think it needs to be turned over and tried again (I hope not! because I really think it is not too bad so far).

I've been on the phone for more than an hour with hughes.net because of connectivity problems this morning. I started this post at 7:30 and am just finishing. I spent some of the down time outside with my camera getting some new pix and some of the time sweeping the entrance and kitchen, so I guess maybe it wasn't all that bad.

I have a math tutee coming at 10 and then would like to walk the treadmill, call DMV about enhanced drivers' licenses, and then work on some watercolor ideas.

Tomorrow I have the girls and am hoping to have a great day. That means that I will have to watch Molly Murrah in fits and starts from home, but I'm hoping to see something helpful.

That's all I have for now. Thanks so much for visiting.

xoxo

Photo of the Day, Paint Blobs, WC, and A Winner

Do you believe August is more than half over? I cannot believe how the summer is flying by, but am really looking forward to cooler temps and less humidity.

Today's photo is of one of my favorite birds, the red bellied woodpecker. His belly is not red, his head is, but I didn't get to name him, so we are stuck with the strange name.

I've been working on The Drawing Lab using Carla Sonheim's wonderful book and am currently in Unit 5. One of the labs is to make 10 paint blobs on separate pieces of paper with acrylic paint and let them dry. Once they are dry see what you see in them and use a pen or marker to complete the picture.

Just at a glance, I think I see a head and a foot in there.

I've not been making any "art" with my watercolors, but I have been doing a bit of practicing with my brushes and trying out different strokes and the like. I actually like the practice piece that developed.

Oh, and of course, the Rhodia Webnotebook giveaway - I went to the random number generator and asked for the following:

And this is what I was given:

I don't have my comments numbered, so first I counted backward from the 72nd one until I got to the 60th; and then because I just needed to make sure, I counted down from the top to the 60th one and here is the winner:

I think it is interesting you thought you were comment number 58; there must have been a couple of commenters entering at the same time as you. At any rate, I've sent you an email to give you the good news.

Thank you to all of you who have entered and I hope you have luck in one of the other Rhodia giveaways that are ongoing.

I have an appointment to get my teeth cleaned this afternoon and am planning to do a bit of grocery shopping afterward. Meanwhile, this morning I need to walk the treadmill and shower and maybe even find time for some art. I was thrilled to find for the second Monday morning in a row that my weight is officially in the 150s. It is actually 159.6, which is just barely in the 150s, but I am definitely moving in the right direction and am feeling great!

Hope you are all having a wonderful day and I sincerely want to thank you for taking the time to visit and leave comments.

xoxo

Photo of the Day and a Watercolor Flower

Today's photo is of a yellow ladyslipper that I transplanted from the UP to my own backyard. They are a protected plant which means you cannot pick them, but this one was in the right of way and would have been mowed down by the county. And, technically, I didn't pick it; I simply moved it.

I tried something yesterday that I thought would be easier than the landscape with barns that was my first attempt, but am not sure I have managed to do any better with it.

This is an imaginary flower; I didn't model it after anything I know. I tried to make the background a mixture that would mix more on the paper than on my palette, but it didn't turn out quite like I wanted it to. Overall, it seemed a bit flat, so I added the black ink afterward. I find it very hard to show depth and "shadow" with shades of yellow.

Ideas? Suggestions?

I am tutoring today and need to get on the treadmill again. After that I need to spend some time working on the next Unit in the Drawing Lab. I also have a book from the library called, "The Natural Way to Draw" by Kimon Nicolaides and I want to try some of the exercises in it, especially the contour drawing. The first assignment in the book is 3 hours of contour drawing. I am not sure I can spend 3 hours, but I'd really like to try his method.

It rained most of the day yesterday and was very humid and I think it I am expecting more of the same today. I am tired of a closed up house with the air on and am anxious for cooler temps. When I complain about the heat and humidity, the hubster reminds me that it won't be long and I will be complaining about the cold; and he is so right.

Gotta go and get my first mug of coffee and do a bit of art before my tutee arrives. See you,

xoxo

Photo of the Day, Drawing Lab, and Watercolor WIP

Today's photo is of some leaves on the rose bush in the side garden. While I think they are beautiful, they surely look fallish, don't you think?

I am working from the Drawing Lab by Carla Sonheim through the Yahoo group Artists of the Round Table and have one of the units to share with you. This is a really fun book that gets me to loosen up and just have fun.

Sorry about the quality of the photo, but I think you can see how fun this is!

I have been trying to add color to the trees on my watercolor WIP, but am having great difficulty, so I have several questions:

If I want to make the tree line recede so that it appears to be much further back from the barns, do I make them a much darker color?

If I want to keep the trees at the same relative distance as they look now, can I use gouache to add some yellows and reddish orange?

Any other help you can think of?

If you haven't seen the previous post where I review a Rhodia webnotebook and have a giveaway, be sure to check it out and register to win!!

xoxo

Photo of the Day and More Drawing Lab

Why is it that when you think you need to be seen by a medical professional it is Saturday or Sunday. I have been in pretty serious pain in my lower right abdomen for a couple of days, today worst of all. I am just waiting to call until they open at 8:00. I've decided that if they can't see me today, I will go to an urgent care center.

There is a complication - I still don't have a car. My daughter has agreed to come and get me and take me wherever I decide to go to be seen. I hate going to the doctor, but today I will take my sketchbook and make myself do some quick sketches of people/things I see while I am waiting.

Today's photo:

Don't you just love dahlias?!

I'd also like to share some drawings I did for the Drawing Lab that I am participating in with the Artists of the Round Table group. The book is by Carla Sonheim and is a really cool, useful book.

These are non-dominant hand drawings. A really tough, but fun assignment!

As the name implies, these are cheater blinds - almost blind contours, but you can check your position once in a while. These are drawn from family pix.

This lab is called "100 Faces" As you can see, I wasn't at my best for these and it is messy, but it is my journal/practice book. For now we are being asked to draw 3 out of 100.

Stanley Steemer is on the way to clean my carpets, so I'd better get some breakfast and get organized so that I can call the doctor precisely at 8. Here's hoping I can get in and that it is not something serious!!

xoxo

Photo of the Day, Blind Contour and List Progress

The photo today is a gem for me. I have never seen one of these birds near my house let alone at the feeder. I've only seen them at a friend's house a couple of miles from here. She has a deck on the back of her house and a huge open field behind - no close trees. I am thrilled that he came to visit and angry at myself for having to shoot this through a dirty window. The feeder is so close to the window, it is nearly impossible to focus on the feeder and not get the dirt in the window as well.

We usually get the red bellied woodpecker (go figure, his belly is not red, the top and back of his head are). He looks like an overgrown downy with a bright red (not this wonderful deep red) top and back of his head and striped wings. 

I hope this guy comes back and I can get him through a cleaner window. Unfortunately, cleaning it doesn't do much good as the raccoons come at night and leave their marks from swiping at the feeders.

Now to the list from last time:

- walk the treadmill  I did an hour including 15 minutes of jogging

- unpack

- call the carpet/blinds professional cleaners

- get my trade with my friend, Sandy in the mail  not actually in the mail but ready to go - I still don't have a car!!!! The hubster assures me that he will take it today and get it sent on it's way.

- get my ATCs for the ATCsForAll trade in the mail

- restart my third girl in the Faces in Technicolor class (she was a disaster and is now buried under gesso and molding paste) she is in the ugly stage; I'll share tomorrow.

- do Lab 2 in Carla's Drawing Lab book blind contour giraffes (see below)

- replace the pix on the digital photo frame in the living room

- strip beds and do laundry

Looks like I should make lists more often. I do have the ATCs for the ATCs For All trade ready to go and will see if the hubster will mail them today when he sends the other.

I'm a bit disappointed; today is weigh in day and I am still just over 160. Is it so unreasonable that I should be in the 150s? I walked and jogged on the treadmill for an hour instead of half an hour three times this past week. The plus is that I was in a size 14 and now my size 12s are a bit large. I know better than to be hooked on a number, but it is what it is.

Here is my blind contour from Carla Sonheim's book Drawing Lab:

They are not very impressive, but I think you can tell what they are. My goal is to attempt a blind contour every week (my goal in a goal is to do one every day). 

Meanwhile, I am working on my third girl in the Faces in Technicolor class. I have started and gessoed over twice and finally am to a point where I like some of it, but it needs a lot of work. I will share her tomorrow. When I got to the point where I was afraid to go on yesterday, I had a small palette paper full of a variety of Golden heavy body acrylics and didn't want to waste them, so I opened another canvas panel and smooshed them into it.

I'm loving this as a beginning and am hoping to use it as a starting point when I begin my next "masterpiece" :-o

I am supposed to be going to the zoo with my daughter and miss 7 and miss 2 today, but it looks like it is going to be raining on and off most of the day. Maybe we could go to a mall and have lunch and walk a bit instead.

xoxo

Photo of the Day and Drawing Lab

I so envy the people with their beautiful long lenses that are able to get those wonderful bird shots like the ones found here, but every once in a while I am able to get a picture through a window with my wimpy long lens that I am quite happy to share.

In one of the Yahoo! groups to which I belong we are doing a workshop using Carla Sonheim's wonderful book, "Drawing Lab for Mixed Media Artists". What a lovely book this is and what a great way to get yourself to loosen up while exploring drawing. I am a little late in getting started, but have completed Lab 1 and here are my fine drawings.

This is "Drawing Cats in Bed"

This one is what I made by choosing one of the cats in the picture above and playing with it in Photoshop.

I have many items on my list of things to accomplish today:

- walk the treadmill 

- unpack

- call the carpet/blinds professional cleaners

- get my trade with my friend, Sandy, in the mail

- get my ATCs for the ATCsForAll trade in the mail

- restart my third girl in the Faces in Technicolor class (she was a disaster and is now buried under gesso and molding paste)

- do Lab 2 in Carla's Drawing Lab book

- replace the pix on the digital photo frame in the living room

- strip beds and do laundry

There are probably a lot more things I should be doing, but I am trying to throw off the shoulds and just take it as it comes.

What do you have planned for today?

xoxo