Quick cloud study

Yesterday was a lovely long wander with just a quick little cloud attempt. While perhaps not the best choice for such a small format (4x6") the conte in my brand new CRETACOLOR ERGONOMIC 430 15 Austria was screaming to be used. What a lovely gift to myself this was. Don't you just love the water soluable ease of it?

I have too been walking

not posting, not sketching much of the time but I have been getting out there so I hope Julie, that you will not regret linking me to "http://onemilefromhome.blogspot.com" too much.
This was after the walk as I was with hubby and didn't think loitering would be tolerated in the drizzle.

Me & Molasses

'As slow as..' is of course, the reference here. It's no bloody wonder I rarely post it is such a arduous proceedure for me no matter how easy the site moderators/creators make the damn things.
OK Susan, deep breath.
I'll start with the angry looking self-portraits and admit that the conte version is accurate in it's sullen look. After 29 years of marriage you'd think a guy would know "I'd like to spend my last hr before eye surgury in the book stores" means exactly that! Drag me away from the books and knitting patterns to sit outside the golf store, why dear God?

River walk

Perhaps creek would better describe this sweet little spot, but river walk has more of a ring to it, don't you think?

This sketch was 20-30mins sitting in the dappled shade with the w/c done at home. I like the coloured version though I'm sure the viaduct should have darker values. I have the sketch in my computer so I can play with the colouring. I will have to wait until I walk this spot again as I simply cannot remember at the time I was really focusing on the very large maple in the top 1/3rd of the page. Nice to be able to rework thanks to ideas from the ever helpful Karen Winters and others over at EDM

By the way, for anyone who can actually read my note on the side. I know the scarey something is not a horsefly, it didn't even look like a fly, it WAS however freakish and frightening with that hypodermic needle sticking out. Overly dramatic? why in the world would you infer such a thing? ^g^

Here comes the amazing painting stool, the size of a pencil case when folded yet comfortable enough to use. Too much fun to have found such a cool little art tool for such a tiny little price. OK enough already.
The little backpack which I found at the same time is just the right size to hold everything shown with it as well, of course, as a few drawing impliments.

EDM challenge #41

This is the old catholic church in our town now known as the Old Church Theatre as it's thankfully found new life with a reporatorie company.
The ivy has taken over in the most charming fashion and I've always meant to draw it and now I have at least managed this quick sketch.

I was hoping to convey the evening sun highlighting the roof line but surprisingly I'm not finding this experience to be too discouraging (well, except while I'm applying the w/c). It's fun, I'm learning by watching my EDM mentors and by DOING!

I've just noticed how crookedly I've scanned this. C'est la vie.

Blogger seems slow today, or maybe it's just me. At any rate I'd like to put up my first link to Julie's walk&draw blog http://onemilefromhome.blogspot.com/ week 2 is on the home computer so I'll try posting that later.

I'm so enjoying tracking Julie's walks and Julie, I want to let you know that you are an incentive to getting out there both in excercising and plein air art fun. So thank you for that.

This sketch , it's fairly clear, was done May1st during a lovely woodland walk and while sitting on the amazingly small folding stool I'd just found at the thrift store for the perfect price of $2.50. I have a photo showing the amazing small stool but it also unavailable right now. There were plenty of both the pink and the wht trillium but only the pink were by a patch of sunlight and a girl does like to be warm while playing.

For challenge #59 'sign of spring' and a perfect display of how desperately I need to read the library books I'm taking out on w/c painting, ...





and for challenge #56 self portrait I offer this highly entertaining version of ? I'm quite certain it looks like someone but that someone certainally is not me. I think I'll try a few more, monthly perhaps of this readily available subject. It does make me giggle so I don't hate it, after all.

It's been so long since I've visited my own blog and have done very little in the sketching dept. during my long hiatus. Life has such a tendency to get in the way doesn't it? Not that that's a good enough excuse with all the productive folks at EDM but it's my excuse and I'm giving it. ^g^ Right now, of course I ought to be sewing or cleaning my poor neglected house, oh, yes, there's always the garden waiting in the wings..oh my.

So starting with the most recent challenge completed and working my way forward, I have a few VERY quick noses on a piece of paper towel for #65.

EDM # 51, 52

Whew, took forever to scan this time. With me it's always something it seems. At any rate. The dog sketch is from a few months back when we were last b'sitting my DB's Tessie, or Stinky dog as our DGD refers to her. Yes, she truly was that fat at the time, she's slimming down now that the vet has begun treating her hypothyroidism.
The TV sketch I will add a touch of colour to but wanted to get it up as it was drawn on time and who knows how much longer before I add colour?
The colour version of the view from our entry I'm posting as I feel it adds clarity. Thanks to all who responded with such kindness. You amaze me and I am so grateful.

Learning w/c washes step 1

This is a sketch done from one of my fav photos. The sketch just done the other evening while watching a movie with DH. The photo of my dad cherishing, and being adored by, our DD was snapped abt 23 yrs ago. Of course, it doesn't do them justice but it is just for learning purposes though still I hesitate. Maybe I'll read just a bit more about light washes. Oh my, yes, this is my style, more dither than drive! LOL

EDM challange #50

Sat at my front door today and sketched this panaramic view of our living rm, a sliver of the dining rm and the closed door leading to the utility rm (enough is enough after all).

Mini holiday

Since retired DH would love to be on a relaxing-in-the-tropical-sun type holiday yet married to,I-need-all-my-holidays-to-prepare-for-DD's-wedding, me, we've just returned from our first-of-many 2night getaway w/e's. Yikes, that was a little difficult to follow, wasn't it? Sorry about that. Anyway, while we were relaxing I did a quick sketch with w/c wash of a tiny sliver of our view across the bay. Luckily for me it was pouring rain so I can blame my inacuracies on the droplets I had to peer through rather than my lack of talent and quite frankly that works for me. ;-)

Now to more current concerns

Well the weather outside is frightful..no, I'm not still thinking it's Christmas but we're enjoying marvelous Winnie-the-Pooh blustery days and nights this week.
In the summer these shutters frame my bit-of-Tuscany back deck. This time of year they make a terrific clothesline to freshen my clothes and pillows. I LOVE that freshly aired scent.

Back in time to Christmas

It's clear I haven't posted in a long while so let's just start with a few of the Advent gifts our amazing DD's dreamt up. Their very creative and thoughtful and YIKES expensive gift to their dad &me(OK, mostly me - can I help it that I'm easier to shop for?) this year.

Opps

wrong pic. Actually the tree trunks behind lovely DD look more like antelope horns, don't they. Trust me, there is a photo that does show my evilness.

Now what?

Two wks in, I finally decide I have the time to post some sketches and I can't get Blogger to recognize me on the computer that houses my scans. Now it'll have to wait until I get around to moving the info to my laptop (my current location...well, oK, my current favorite & constant location as I visit all your delightful sketch blogs from the beloved laptop).
So..determined to accomplich the goal set out for the day, she instead puts out to the world a photo of herself with her DD's looking like her devil horns are showing. LOL. Later for artplay, OK? Sue

Steppin in

Steppin in
A fresh new year. Exciting, yet already I am falling behind in my as yet undeclaired goal of a sketch a day in 2006. Art blog cruising is terrifically inspiring but totally absorbing. Dang.

before supernanny and sketch time..

I'll post a few from last week.
The darling toddler whose mouth, believe it or not, is dead on (even though I overworked the eye til it was mucked up) Something about it works and it's only a sketch and when you're sketching every day, or even 4Xper wk who cares! This is so free-ing isn't it? Oh, yeah, back to my original statement. The toddler is my grandbaby, asleep while we were babysitting (which also explains the overworked eye - the light was very dim)
The window and the door done way apart in time are of my mom's childhood home which she adores and what I would like to do someday in the not too distant future is to put the entire house together in it's proper order and setting and do a watercolour perhaps with some ribbon embroydery foxgloves in the forground. Anything's possible. Right?!

How Handy; a post for EM#10

Those are some old looking hands, for sure. Dried up from honest labour but man, don't you hate seeing your mother's hands on your wrists? What's with THAT!? The really bad one is in the cutest little book I've had for ages and use now to be unobtrusive (or sneaky)It's abt 5" by 3.5"