Book of Spirits #2

Some of my friends are donating their interesting bottles while others I will happily purchase for the sake of art (Tank). I have 5 pages left in my Stillman & Birn journal and then I'm going to really challenge the paper by doing the flip side.

Book of Spirits

The collection is growing......

Old Mill Tavern

Tavern by the rails in Rockaway, NJ.

Potbellys

Rockaway, NJ

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.

Last Three Days

Here's the last three day's of the 75 day sketching challenge. I can honestly say that I DID IT! It was fun but it wasn't easy either. I learned there are days that I don't feel like drawing and those days are very visible in those sketches too.  To do the drawings without the aid of a pencil or in my case, the eraser was at first very intimidating but after a week, I was able to loosen up some and enjoy my good as well as not so good lines and perspective. I'll definitely keep with a journal for this purpose, I just won't make it an every day requirement.
Thanks again goes to the artist who supports this challenge, Brenda Swenson. You can find the details here on her blog.... http://brendaswenson.blogspot.com/2011/07/75-day-sketch-challenge.html

I highly recommend doing the challenge. 

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. 

The Perfect Place to Be.

Today was a all blue sky day with the temperature at perfect degrees. I found out the best place to spend some time sketching outdoors was at a local winery. Afterwards, sampling the product of the vineyard was an absolute necessity. We will return when the leaves are full on the vines for another sketch and more samples.

Half Way!

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

Just Add Water...

Cape Neddick - Nubble Lighthouse, Maine

After my one brother saw the lighthouse I did in water color class, he put in a special request for a painting done of the Nubble lighthouse that's located in Maine. He spent some time in the northeast area between collage and living in N.H. I hope he's going to like this painting.

Watercolor Class

Last week at the end of watercolor class the instructor asked us if we wanted some homework. Everyone went crazy with a yes! or we would love to have homework! LOL....when you love what you're doing, it's not a chore at all.
I've gotten a little bit behind in my daily drawing postings, maybe I can get caught up this weekend.

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 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.