The hills are alive...

....with lavender!  It was a rainy day so I decided to take a little trip to Italy...artistically speaking.  Have you been?  It is really worth all the hype.  I bicycled Italy in 2005 and it's where I saw the gentlemen and took the photo that became Signore Greve.  The charm and feel of Italy is pretty irresistible.  And don't get me started on the food!

This is a simple acrylic painting on paper.  Yep, I had a piece of scrap paper on my desk and started playing around.  Don't think that you have to have the best supplies and materials to be creative.  Grab and pencil, pen or crayon and make your mark.  It can send you on a little trip on a rainy day.

Sketch of the Day- James

I hate to throw anything away.  I have a small studio space which is probably a good thing.  A bigger space would make it too easy to save every scrap of paper and bit that seems like it could be art.

I added a collage to a small piece of MDF board that would in the studio.  I created a collage background with old book pages and magazines.  I had intended to create an image of a man's face.  As I worked it slowly became my nephew James.  It was in a indecisive moment in his life and the expression that emerged seemed to mirror his frustration and uncertainly.  The image is done with acrylic paint and pencil.

Where have I been?

It's not easy being a one woman show.  I am not complaining, it is the best job ever.  But sometimes you just can't keep up with it all!  I was working on two shows simultaneously which was a bit overwhelming. Both shows came together beautifully for which I am very happy and grateful. 

Here is a quick sketch of the day I did while in the whirlwind of deadlines.  Since I was doing a lot of multi-media I decided to pull out my oil pastels.  It is actually my grandmothers set of pastels that was handed down to me.  I am not skilled at oil pastels but it is always a good exercise to try something different.  This is on a toned paper which adds warmth to the image.  I layered color leaving the brightest areas on the cats head.  I need some work to figure out the blending but it was a fun little sketch.

30 Faces 30 Days

We all know about pushing ourselves, getting out of our comfort zone, blah, blah, blah.  There is a reason for the comfort zone, ITS COMFORTABLE!!  But I do want to keep evolving as an artist so I have signed up for Sktchy 30 day face challenge.  I don't enjoy drawing faces.  I don't know why,  It's like I don't want someone staring at me while I am working.  But lately I have found real love for these faces I create.  Like I want to sit down and have tea with them.

This was done from a newspaper clipping.  I never try to make faces look like exact portraits.  I want a jumping point to make my own creation.  This was done with oil pastel and pencil on watercolor paper.  I used a blending stump to take out some of the watercolor paper texture in the pastel.  I outlined the drawing with pencil.  The eyes were done with watercolor pencils so I could get the crisp edges on the pupils.

It's a start!  I can see a lot of things I don't like but at the same time I see a lot of things I do like.  I feel like she just looked up from a book she is reading.  We shall see what this month of face drawing will bring!

By the Light of the Silvery Moon

What a moon!  This month's moon has been jaw dropping for sure.  For the last week, seeing it's shimmering beams float down across the mountain tops has been a nightly gift.  I decided to create a sketch to remember it.

This art is done on tinted drawing paper.  The trees were created with a .05 sharpie and then a large sharpie for the trunks.  I used a white gel pen to add some glint of light.  The moon was done separately on watercolor paper with Gansai Tambi Starry color set.  The watercolors are all metallic with the perfect shimmer. I added some Prussian blue to give the moon the amazing texture that has been so readily seen.  I cut out the moon and used a glue stick to adhere it to the drawing paper.

Doing a sketch of an event that touched you is a great way to memorialize it.  You don't have to be a skilled artist to keep track of your life thru art.  A lot can be said with even a stick figure!  So pick up your pencil and draw! 

Sea Breeze

I am a water baby.  I grew up on the many lakes that pepper the state of Michigan.  Lake Michigan was our salt-less ocean and I have many great memories of days spent on the water.  As much as I enjoy the mountains and rivers of Alaska, the waters here are dangerous and garner even more respect then the waters of home.  When I visit my home state I rejoice in the warm waters.

I wanted a fun image for the start of the week.  I thought a fun, carefree pelican enjoying the crashing waves on his perch would be a good feeling for a Monday.  After sketching him in pencil I used a simple fine point sharpie and did a little shading and texture.  I then added color with markers.  If you are able to purchases several gradations of one color it helps with a nice blended look.  I had a light blue marker which I felt added more playfulness than just going with a grey.  Lastly I added heavy water to the paper and added in blue watercolor.  I took a cocktail straw to blow the paint into 'splashes'.

I look forward to standing on my own 'perch' this summer over the waters of Michigan.  Here is hoping for warm breezes and warm waters. 

Winter Entertaiment

   I love birds and I have this great hanging feeder just outside my studio window.  I wish I could enjoy their antics year round but that isn't allowed where I live.  Bears have learned how delicious sunflowers seeds taste and as we say in Alaska, "A fed bear is a dead bear".  Once a bear finds that kind of food source he can get a little TOO pushy about getting fed regularly.  Nothing good comes from that situation.  So winter is the season for sleeping bears and busy birds.

   It is a beautiful snowy day with light flakes drifting down.  I decided to sketch some of the activity around the window.  The background is a collage using magazine pages sealed down with Golden gel medium on a canvas panel.  I used a stencil and acrylic paint to get some texture that gives the loose feel of snow falling.  The nuthatch was drawn on a heavy watercolor paper and then watercolor was added.  I cut out the design and added some touches of colored pencil to help it stand out from the busy background.  I used a simple glue stick to adhere the bird to the panel.  I like the busyness of background.  I feel it matches the energy of these little creatures that have to work so hard to keep themselves fed and warm in 3 degree weather!

   Look our your window today and see what inspires you.  Are you thinking," I know there is nothing inspiring out this window!"  Look again, you might surprise yourself.

Cocoa Weather

Just a fun sketch to celebrate my favorite time of the year.  The snow has been light this year in Alaska and I was going with the mantra, " if you (build) draw it, it will come."  Sadly, this wishful thinking did not prove successful but the process was fun anyway.

This is a simple marker sketch on a Bristol board paper.  Copic markers are my favorite.  I want to become more skilled in shading using markers.  You really need a good variety of colors closely related to do this which I don't have, artists budgets and all.  But it is a cheerful image!

It is good to remember you don't have to have fancy supplies to make fun art!