Coney Island Beer

I'm having a good time with bottles.....especially when they're filled with something good to drink!

Weekend Van Gogh

I'm still having fun learning about Van Gogh,  copying his work and seeing how his style changed over the years with a lot of it depending upon his state of health. I have to say he's a very interesting character.   

I'm continuing using colored pencils as the medium of choice when I'm doing past artists work.  It's a much slower process than watercolors which allows me to appreciate the master's artwork even more so. I have a lot to learn about using these pencils, for instance I just found out about a blending pencil which should cut down some of the harsh lines. Anyway, I'm having a great experience and open to any suggestions too.

 And back to a water color....My oldest brother had requested a painting of this bottle so he could give it to his neighbor as a card for his upcoming birthday on the 19th.  I guess this is his favorite choice of drink. It gave me the idea of filling up my Stillman & Birn beta hardbound journal with nothing but bottles so maybe by the next to the last page I'll finally have more equal than slightly cockeyed sides to these bottles that is as long as I keep the bottles closed until the sketching has been completed.

3 day mix

Three days here and only three days to go. I can't believe I'm going to finish the challenge that begun 2 and a half months ago. It reminds me of the saying that "time passes" anyway, there's no stopping it and I might as well be doing something productive so in the end I get a sense of accomplishment.

Berries, Sponges and Abe

Abe's face is from a jigsaw puzzle box top showing the art work of Stephen Fishwick. If you get a free minute, google the name and you'll see the unusual painting technique that Fishwick uses. I stuck with my ink fountain pen and water brush to do my rendition.

I See Flowers

I have to say that I'm having fun with this one picture of potted flowers. Maybe it's the colors from the window or the striped wall paper, there's something about the picture that is enticing me to keep drawing and painting the same.
My framed painting turned out okay until I realized that watercolors should not be displayed like an oil painting. One badly aimed shot from the water bottle (the dog barking deterrent) and I could end up with a much different painting. LOL. Another lesson learned. 

Three more days.....

The flower pot was good practice for a painting I'll be doing on the same. I'm experimenting with a sheet of watercolor paper stretched and stapled onto a frame.  I did the set up yesterday and today, with the paper dried I'll begin painting and see how it turns out. Since I can't be where I'd like to be, camping in the middle of a snowy somewhere watching the aurora borealis, I'll take a short flowery vacation into my creative zone.

Challenge Update

I'm getting very close to the end of this challenge found here and supported by artist Brenda Swenson......

http://brendaswenson.blogspot.com/2011/07/75-day-sketch-challenge.html

 

75 days is a long stretch but I'm finding out that using only ink to sketch out a drawing, even though my shapes are not perfect, I now have more confidence in my lines than I did 2 months ago when I began this challenge. 

Half Way!

Actually, a little over half way through to the 75 day sketching challenge. YAY!

Just Add Water...

75 Day Challenge - Day 16

The past two days I've done portraits of my dogs. I'm happy to say there's only one more dog to go because this is the first time in the past week or so that I've really missed being able to make corrections with an eraser. BUT....that's part of the challenge.

75 Day Challenge - Day 11

I think it's gotten to be a habit now and a good habit to keep going. I'm not worried about if I can finish all 75 days now and it's not like I'm going to run out of things to sketch either.  Yesterday I was running out of time to do my sketch so I picked my favorite pens to model for me.

75 Day Challenge - Day 9

The view outside the window.

75 Day Challenge - Day 7

The rest of my travel kit and it fits into a pencil case.

And I made it through the 1st week of not using a pencil or eraser. I'm on my way.

75 Day Challenge - Day 6

Coming up are some days filled with the stuff I'm currently using. Here's my ultra lightweight watercolor pallet that I made up from other peoples ideas on the internet. It's difficult finding a tin that does not have the impressions of the name stamped into the top lid. I found this vintage sucrets tin on ebay. I chose to use full pans on the primary colors and half pans on some of my other favorite colors. You could get up to 12 different colors by using all half pans but for now, this set up is working for me. Next time I just have to remember to wait long enough for the freshly squeezed paint to set. The yellow traveled around the tin on it's first outing. Live and learn right?.

75 Day Challenge - Day 4

Day 4 and I decided to keep this one totally inked, no watercolors. I like buildings.

I really missed not having the preliminary erasable pencil sketch on day 2 of The Gorilla and day 3 The Pink Truck but that's what this is all about, right?

Lamy pens and Noodler's ink.

75 Day Sketch Challenge - day 1

I've been thinking about starting this challenge for the past few weeks and decided today would be a great day to begin for no other reason than for me to make the commitment and do it (otherwise known as sh*t or get off the pot).  So this it the first of 74 more of ink drawings. Besides the daily sketch the other requirement is no pencil is allowed allowed, only ink. It's already made me see the lines, shadows and space differently and slower too. I think I'll be getting a ton of experience out of this exercise. Done in Noodler's kiowa pecan in with a light water color wash.
Check out the challenge here..... the supporting artist, Brenda Swenson, provides a very cool incentive for completion.

The Korner Store

I spent about 90 minutes parked outside the Korner Market. I don't know how many times I've driven by the place and always thought it to be a good painting subject and finally. I think I'll be hitting up more of the little stores in town as well as some of the many tattoo shops.

ADNW - October Challenge

A Day Not Wasted painting challenge for October was a picture of this lad in Dublin. I used my Lamy pen for the outline then tried out my Progresso colored pencils. I'm happy with everything but the face. I made the young man a few years older. sigh

Running Across the Road

Wow....I can't believe I haven't posted in a while; nor have I sketched or water colored. I had so many plans of doing nothing but art work during my time off from work! I guess it happens to all of us. Today though, was different. I decided to go for a ride and look what crossed my path! I think this is the first one I've seen in the 6 years I've been back living in California. A stop off at a library to look up some pictures of the Roadrunner, a quick sketch and ta-da! or should I say beep-beep.

THANKSGIVING - 2011

I have so much to be thankful for so the day was easy for me to enjoy. I loved all the cooking and everything turned out delicious and the timing was right on. This is my first time with drawing a person and who best to draw first than my 92 year old Dad. This is him, after eating today's feast.