Working Out and Virtual Travel

I've reintroduced myself to Cathe, an intense exercise instructor whose DVD I used to work out with years ago. I still have the DVD and yesterday I did the hour workout. It is a weight training workout, but I did it using only my body weight this time and intend to gradually add weight. Even though I didn't use weights, I am sore today, but it is a tolerable sore. I just know if I'd done my usual "jump in as though you are 25" workout with 10 pound weights, I wouldn't have been able to get out of bed. Does this mean that I am growing up? I'm not sure I ever wanted to do that. But it sure feels good to have a good overall ache rather than a huge soreness. I will skip a day as it is a whole body workout and do it again tomorrow.


Meanwhile, I did a quick sketch of Serena during a tennis match. I am telling you who it is because you surely wouldn't be able to tell if I didn't. I probably should have tried one from a distance and whole body to show it was a tennis player and then maybe she would have been more recognizable, but this one up close was on the screen for a bit longer than many of the far away shots were. I can see that her head is not wide enough. In real life her head is not so pointy. I may have to try to sketch her from a magazine photo in the future to see if I can capture her likeness sometime.

I've also been traveling.  The Virtual Paintout destination this month is Thailand and I was quite lucky when I chose a place to land. I was in the town of Chiang Mai and there appeared to be a bazaar in progress. I was standing facing a decorative staircase with vendor setups and dogs on the steps. The vista was much too wide and busy so I chose to "crop" it to get just one corner. I then used colored pencils to add just a bit of color.

I've been meaning to begin a vase of flowers in watercolor, but my room is such a mess from the altered book "stuff" that I don't even know where to begin. I must do a clean up in order to get the space I need. Some time ago, my sister took a photo of a bouquet from her garden for me and I'd like to do a painting of it. I am going to try for a loose representation, but then I always try to be loose and haven't gotten there yet. Perhaps this time, eh?

It is supposed to be over 100º today so I don't think I will be going anywhere, so I will certainly have time to work on the clean up of my art space. I will probably find things I'd forgotten I had to use in my mixed media pieces and hope not to get sidetracked. Do you have this problem? 

I hope you are staying cool today and that you are finding time to be creative. I can't wait to see what you've been up to.

xoxo

Art Sale, A Rework of the Ceret Sketch, and More Altered Book Fun

I had a wonderful time at the JCAA Artist Garage/Bake Sale last evening and I met some new, fun people. Actually I met a woman in the parking lot as I was arriving who felt like a friend from the very first. She actually has spent some time in the town in which I grew up. I feel that she is a kindred spirit and those are not easy to find. I am hoping to get to know her better soon. It is unfortunate that she lives as far south of Jackson as I live north of Jackson; but we are planning to meet at the June 28 life drawing class and we'll see how it goes from there. I did sell a few things, but was unhappy to pack up much of what I took there to bring back home.


Any of you who know me well will not be surprised to find that I redid the Ceret, France, sketch in ink. It is after all the first sketch in a new Moleskine and my intent was for it to be my Virtual Travel journal and to be in pen and ink. I may try adding a bit of color, but fear the pages were not meant to take water. I think I like the sketch better in ink - and that is a good thing as I erased the pencil work on this page. I think it is a better composition anyway and the people seem to be more noticeable. I am trying not to put so much detail into my sketches. As you can see on the rounded wall on the left of the sketch, I put in far too many of the horizontal lines. I think I just needed one to indicate the curve of that wall.

I also spent more time in my altered book yesterday and I must thank you for your comments. When I apply gesso today, I will try putting it on thinly with a credit card (if I use it at all) and see if I get better results that way. I must admit that I was emulating Donna Downey whose videos I watched with the little girls when they were here. She was putting her gesso on quite thickly - I just remembered she was using a journal she made herself with watercolor paper. Quite a different proposition to these thin book pages.

I don't think these are done yet, but I've moved on.

I'm really liking the beginning of this two page spread.

The first two pages above seem a bit discordant to me and I think I will probably add more to them. Both the words on the left hand page and the flower on the right hand page are image transfers gone wrong. I wasn't able to remove all the paper and haven't decided whether to leave them like that or see if I can remove some of the paper so that they aren't so filmy. The problem is that when I started to be more aggressive in the paper removal of the paper on the text one I removed some of the words themselves.

I do like the latest 2-page spread I am working on. I didn't gesso it first and that is working for me. The striped part on the left hand side is an image transfer that didn't quite work out. There was actually a quote from The Lorax on it that hasn't come through - but I love the colors and was happy to find some flowers in an ad in a magazine to go with them. I may work a bit more on this today.

I have an appointment to get my hair cut today and it needs it. I am a bit shaggy. Miss P is coming this evening to spend the night and she and I are going up to St. Ignace to stay at my Mom's for a visit and for Aunt Mary's memorial service. I am anticipating a very good time. She and I are taking a few art supplies and will be doing some walking and sketching for sure. I'm not sure if I will be able to blog with my iPad or not, but you know I will try. I will be sharing our adventure and artwork for sure either while we are there or when we return.

I am not going to my conditioning class this morning because of my haircut appointment, so I need to make time to spend on the treadmill. And then I have to do some head scratching to decide what to take up north.  I am afraid it is going to be another very hot day and that means I won't be spending much time out of doors, but then again both the treadmill and the art supplies are indoors, so I'm in luck.

What do you have planned for today? Are you making time to be creative? Are you sharing it? I'd love to see what you are up to.

xoxo

Two Sketches - One Ink, One Pencil

It is a beautiful, sunny morning. I can't believe May is just about over. Little Miss M is done with preschool for the year and Misses P and K will be done next week. It must be time to get out the hula hoops and frog catching nets.


Yesterday after cleaning my work play room, I sat down with my "Through A Looking Glass" journal and decided to sketch a bit. I looked through my reference photos for something to catch my eye and happened upon a house with a big front porch that I liked. I grabbed my Uniball Signo and began.

And then I found a photo I'd taken during my still life frenzy of a few weeks ago and liked it, so thought I'd try my hand at a pear with a glass of wine.This one is in pencil; don't ask me why. I try to use pen so I can't erase. My guess is that this one seemed trickier for me. I think the crop made it look like the wine is aslant a bit.

It is going to be a busy day today. I will be going to my conditioning class this morning and then will be taking my BIL to the hospital for an outpatient surgery. I am expecting to find some sketching opportunities there. I will take a sketchbook and my iPad. That way I can sketch, listen to music, read a book, or surf the internet (if they have wireless).

A little kitty has found its way to our house (I am suspecting a drop off). It is very cute and friendly. I am not in the market for a pet, but I am quite taken with the little thing. I am hoping that if the hubster and I offer spaying and declawing, my daughter will take her. I don't have any kitty food and I don't think milk is all that good for a kitty, so I opened a can of Albacore tuna packed in water and gave her a bit. I think she loves me!

I believe the hubster came up with some kind of litter box and let her into the screened porch for the night. I guess we have officially taken responsibility for her. I really don't want to give her to the shelter, but am not in the market for a pet.

What do you have planned for the day? Does it include art? I am anxious to get started today and think my muse approves of the cleaning.

xoxo