A Bit More Watercolor

I joined the YMCA late last week, but have only been there twice so far. The first time I got an orientation on the weight training equipment and the second time I worked out in an aqua aerobics class. The hubster is in town running errands this morning including getting new tires on the car, so I will not be going to the class I was thinking of today, but I am planning to go to the Y when he returns. If there is a class I'd like to try, I will do that. If not, I will do the weight training circuit. My right knee, the one I call my trick knee, has been bothering me since I began running/walking on the treadmill, so I am babying it with ice and a support. I am hoping it will calm down soon. Yesterday I woke up with the most awful pain in my left jaw. I have struggled with TMJ most of my adult life, but haven't had an incident since I retired from teaching. It is thought that stress plays a role in it. Today it is feeling pretty good, so I have returned to a chewing diet and am counting points with the Weight Watchers app.


I spent a bit of time the last couple days playing again in the foreign language book that has become my go to spot for an art fix. I first applied clear gesso and let it dry before using watercolor. The titmouse looked really awful until I gave it a bit of fine tuning with the black fine liner. Now I don't think he looks too bad.


The vase needs some work. I think I will put a bit of design on it with either a black fine liner or a white one. I think it also needs a shadow and/or a table to ground it. What do you think?

When I took my hiatus from blogging, I also quit following so many of you, but have misplaced some of your blog addresses. It would be nice if you would check in here so that if I've lost you (or never found you in the first place), I could start reading you again.

xoxo

Rooster

I have a serious fondness for birds of all kinds and am particularly fond of barnyard fowl. I tried my hand at a fowl in the last post, but never was happy with it even after playing with it for some time. Today I decided to play in one of the books that I like to do art in and chose to try an Australian rooster who is very blue. I'm not sure his head is the right size for his body, but overall, I rather like him.

I wanted to scan it, but my new Canon MX922 printer that I purchased so I could print from my iPad won't cooperate. So for now I have to take a photo to share. It is difficult to get the whites in the background to appear even.

I have, however, so far done some kind of art each day in 2014 and hope I can continue to do so.

On another note, I walked 3 miles on the treadmill and then followed it up with a weight training routine that I used to do with the personal trainer class that has been cancelled. Tomorrow I am planning to drive into town and join the Y. They have lots of classes and a very nice facility for weight training, swimming, and walking. I may even find some people who will teach me how to play pickleball. 

I hope you are finding time for your creative side these cold and snowy days......

xoxo

Art with the Oldest Granddaughter

I have my beautiful red-headed granddaughter spending the day with me and we are in the art room playing. I thought you might like to see our works in progress. Miss P is working on a vase of flowers.

I am working on a rooster. He needs more work - his eye especially. And as you can see, I dabbed with tissue one too many times to remove excess water. Once it is completely dry I will try to fix that and add more color and perhaps some ground and a shadow.

What are you up to today? We are under a winter storm warning and expecting 6 to 10 inches of snow by Monday morning. The worse thing is the high on Monday is expected to be below zero with really frigid wind chills.

Stay warm and keep making art.......

xoxo

Happy New Year

And so it is 2014; another year has flown past.

My wrist is completely healed except for some nerve pain that can be quite distracting, but overall I am in very good health. I've made the usual "get in better shape" resolution and already have 5 one hour walks on the treadmill under my belt. My more important resolution is to do some kind of art everyday.

Here is my first attempt. I spent three days on it and am ready to move on to the next endeavor. After such a long absence from my blog, I feel like a beginner again. I hope that if you are still reading you will offer me some advice and/or honest feedback on my artistic attempts.

I haven't made a commitment to how many days to blog this year, but am hoping to find time to post at least once a week - perhaps more.

I did the bouquet first with watercolor and then added the vase. When I thought it was done, I went in with some Brushables to add some dimension.

xoxo

Big Grid Journal Spread 4 WIP

I've begun the latest two-page spread in the big grid journal, but am now trying to do all my own artwork from scratch instead of cutting and pasting. But between a colonoscopy (everything appears to be quite good and I needn't have another for 10 years - YAY) and two days of Miss Z, I haven't spent enough time in my art room lately.


This is what I have so far:

The banner on the top of the left hand page needs some pizzazz and I should add more sketches. I've been using a combination of watercolor pencils and Tombow markers with just a touch of Pan Pastels. I think the pot on the left hand page needs some more gradations of gold in the unshaded part and I might need to add some pears. I love pears in any medium and may try my hand at a bit of oil pastel or maybe some Tombow markers with a bit of water added for shading. Whatever I choose to do, I will share it with you when I have these two pages completed - perhaps some time next week.

Tomorrow around midday, I will have my daughter's two daughters for the weekend. They are Miss P at 10 and Miss M at almost 6. I will try to engage them in some kind of art project at least one of the days and will share their art with you next week. They are so much more clever than I and so much less critical of their own work. It is a great pleasure to play with them.

What about you? Are you finding time to play in your art room? Do you have children or grandchildren to share art with? I'd love it if you would leave a comment with a link to your blog.

xoxo