Opal in Glass

Tonight I worked a sketch in a journal I'm sending as a gift overseas.  After I finished the ink sketch in this journal, I scanned and printed the sketch off onto Stonehenge 90 paper and added color.  This will go in my Fabric Traveler Journal.

There is a very light gray wash coming in from the sides of the glass but my scanner didn't pick it up very well.

One of My Pen Cases

This is the original pen case I purchased either last year or the year before.  This past Christmas, my sons gave me another one that has an extra compartment.  That one I haven't set up yet but definitely plan to.

Today is not rainy but it IS cloudy and quite chilly outside.  Terry's working and I'm sketching off and on listening to TV. 

Worked in Fabric Traveler Journal on Strathmore 500 Imperial WC paper.  Main pen used was the Lamy AlStar with Lexy Grey ink but then after painting I went back over the lines with my Lamy Safari with Urban Grey.

I actually thought to scan along the way for a change.

I sat for awhile trying to decide how I wanted to work the book the pen case is standing on.  The journal book is a solid black and although I could have painted it any color, I was trying to capture true to life including colors.  That being the case, I didn't want a large area of black so decided not to paint it at all.  Instead I worked the little color swatches for later reference.

Three of My Fountain Pens

After sketching the trolley dolly, I decided to sketch three of my fountain pens I've been using lately.  These are by no means all of the pens I use as I bounce around like I do with journals.

Worked in the Fabric Traveler Journal on Strathmore 500 Imperial.  Sketched with the TWSBI and Urban Gray and lettering using the Lamy AlStar and Lexy Grey ink.

The more I work between the three papers I loaded in my journal, I'm leaning towards the Strathmore being my #1 favorite paper.  It's very forgiving and I just like how one can blend on it.  Stonehenge Aqua comes in second and then Stonehenge 90.  Each has its attributes and I can use all three the way I like to work with a few adjustments in application of watercolor.

And here lately, I've been using a Silver Black Velvet #6 round.  I love how they maintain a nice sharp point.   

Loving My Fabric Fauxdori Traveler Journals

It's been months now since I made these journals and I'm loving them!!!  I have two active with one as a combination planner, art pages, and section with different papers (dot, graph, blank) for note taking.  The other is strictly for sketching, mixed with three different type papers - Strathmore 500 Imperial 140lb Cold Press, Stonehenge 90, and Stonehenge Aqua 140lb Cold Press.  In both I have pocket folders I made to carry smaller loose sketches (on scrap size paper), business cards, or loose notes.

I LOVE the freedom of removing pages when I want to sketch or paint flat.  Also makes it easier to scan.  Then there's the option and freedom of moving pages around in any order I might like.

I'm still undecided what I want to do with the finished pages.  Maybe down the road I might remove the sheets creating signatures and binding in a hand sewn hardbound book... or ... I might just keep making new fabric traveler journals and keep my full ones as I would any other type journal book.  The different patterns and colors of the covers look neat on shelves, along with the charms hanging.

Trolley Dolly

Bought this last year in April for carrying my sketching gear, handbag, thermos, and a standard size folding chair with a side table for when our group goes sketching.  If we sketch close to the car, I don't use this but normally try to keep it in the car just in case.

To carry my folded chair, I use velcro straps attached to the handle bars.....top and bottom.

Another purpose is when I carry several journals, books, and/or various sketching kits for sharing at presentations about keeping art journals. 

It has seven compartments to include the mesh pocket for carrying bottled water, which I use for carrying my coffee in a thermos type travel cup.  You can remove the fabric bag completely leaving you with a standard dolly carrying up to 110 lbs.  Love the wheels on this as it goes across any type of terrain.  The cart can fold in half with or without the fabric bag.  Another positive is the weatherproof material keeping contents inside dry.

Fabric Traveler's Journal on Stonehenge Aqua 140lb Coldpress paper / Lamay AlStar with Noodler's Lexington Grey ink

My Love for Blending

My top favorite medium is graphite and the main reason is the feel of it going down on paper and blending one can do with it.  I've yet to find a color pencil type medium that blends as smoothly as graphite does.

The closest thing I've found that mimics graphite blending is using a digital drawing app like Procreate.  The only thing it cannot mimic is the feel of pencil lead to paper; however, I do like the feel of the Apple pencil moving across the screen when blending.

In Pokemon, one of the creatures I love is Tangela because of the ball of intertwining vine.  I thought this would be a great subject to practice some color blending.

Each main color and darker value of main colors is on a different layer, blending each as I work.  I find this very relaxing.

On My Desk Clutter

Another sketch I worked at wee hours of the morning with Miya on my lap.

I was up until 5:30 a.m when it finally stopped raining.  I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep with Miya shaking so I just sat up and made use of my time sketching.

All the channels I normally watch or listen to were showing paid advertising at that time of morning so I switched to Date Line only half paying attention to it.

Looking around me, I decided to sketch what was on my desk and needs to be put away.  What grabbed my interest was the way all of this was sitting on my desk.

Small sketchbook with Stonehenge 90 paper / TWSBI Eco with Urban Grey ink.

I may return to this at a later time adding color but for now, leaving as is.

UPDATE:  Added a bit of color this afternoon

My Evening Lap Board While Sketching

Miya, our yorkie-poo, has not had a good day.  With it raining, she waits or expects booms from thunder she has come to expect living here in Florida.  I think the daily storms during the summer have made her even more fearful than she used to be.  Before we moved here, she never reacted to just rain or wind but that has all changed now.  She shakes and becomes extremely clingy and when we do have several hours of stormy weather, we have to give her a mild sedative.  Today, even with a steady light rain all day, she's been nervous and if she's not in with Terry wanting attention and reassurance, she's in my lap in the living room. 

Tonight while Terry sleeps, I'm sitting watching NCIS LA until it's over at 3 a.m.  And while watching (or better stated......listening) to TV, I'm sketching with Miya in my lap.  She had no problem allowing me to use her body as a lapboard.......to include when I added watercolor to the sketch.

Sketch worked in little spiral journal I made with three of my favorite papers.  This is on Stonehenge 90 using a Lamy Safari with De Atramentis Document Brown ink.

Getting Through a Rainy Day

It has been a constant cold rain today and still raining.  At least it's not storming.

To pass the day, I've been playing on the Ipad.  After the scales I sketched earlier, I started another sketch thinking of a different way to display the art charms I created yesterday. 

I think if I were to do this again or make changes, I'd change the vine of roses on the top portion of the heart.  Maybe having them drape down instead of going upwards; but, I'd have to figure out a different way to hang the two brushes.  I might play with that tomorrow to see how it might look. 

The beauty of digital is being able to change things around as I create each component on its own layer, which helps.  The time it takes to make changes can still be quite time consuming leaving me to wonder if starting from scratch might not be easier and less time consuming.  But it's fun to play.

One of Those Days

Today I've been sketching how I feel......the battle I often fight as I try to retrain how I think and feel about various things. 

I've always been the pessimist thinking that if I expect the worse, it would help when things go wrong versus expecting the better and things not work out.  It's taken a lifetime to realize expecting the worse is not the way to deal with things opening one's self to an ongoing depressed state of mind.  So for the last almost five years I have been trying to counter all negative thoughts and feelings by trying to find positives.  Some days that battle is far more difficult to fight than others.

Our weather today is not helping matters as it's quite chilly and has been raining all day which plays havoc with my mental/emotional state of mind.  It reminds me of how I felt most days when living up north and very thankful we're now in the south where all day gray or rainy days are not the normal.  And feeling as I do, I thought I would lose myself in sketching those feelings out.

But...I Still Want to Sketch!

After spending hours sketching on my Ipad, the battery life indicator for my Applie pencil let me know I was only 5% and needed to charge it.  As soon as I plugged the pencil into the port on the Ipad, my Ipad notified me it only had 2% battery life remaining.  Being so low, I unplugged the pencil and stuck my Ipad on the charger.

Still, very much in the mood to sketch, I decided to sketch my hand holding several pens.  It's been awhile since I've practiced hands so thought this would be a perfect time to do so. 

This is worked on cut down cartridge paper I made as a little pamphlet journal....dedicated to hands.

4B Mars Lumograph pencil

Creating Art Charms

This evening I've been doodling art charms using Procreate.  I chose Procreate so that I could resize and rearrange as need be as I play.  I can also duplicate adding other parts like chain or string without changing the original drawing.

This first is as I created the individual items before doing anything else.

This is after duplicating and adding eyelet screws or other means to attach chain links.

This third example is taking the individual charms adding string and chain and creating this hanging arrangement. 

I like doing things like this as possible ideas for flyers, cards, reminders, etc.

When You Want to Remember a Word

I have heard this word in conversations and seen it written but really didn't know it's meaning, how to pronounce or remember how to spell it.  I had an idea of what it meant but tonight I decided to look it up and as a means to help me remember, I created this bit of word art.

The style is inspired by the book, "The Art of Drawing Dangles" by Olivia A. Kneibler. 

For those who might not have seen previous posts, F.A.S.T. is the abbreviation of our sketching group here where I live.  It stands for Fetch a Sketch Trekkers.......a name my husband came up with last year when we decided to rename our group.

The word, camaraderie, definitely fits our close knit group :-)

Additional Wobble Mini Figurines

Today's sketching pulling additional figurines out of the curio cabinet.

Additional information not put on page is the color mix I tried for the shadows.  Normally I use Daniel Smith premixed Shadow or Moonglow color but didn't have that palette out.  I mixed QoR Fr Ultramarine with Dioxazine Purple and a touch of Aliz Crimson.

Evening Sketching

Was up early due to storms moving in and fought to stay awake during the early evening hours.  Worked this first sketch trying to stay awake.  Then at 10:30 I laid down only to lay there tossing and turning not being able to fall asleep.   I get back up and decide to sketch some more.

Stonehenge 90lb paper / Sharpie pen / Watercolor Pencil - dry for the left sketch and same paper with Lamy Safari and DeAtramentis Brown Document ink and a touch of watercolor.

Mason Art Center Leesburg

Today at noon three of us met up to go over setting up a Facebook account, joining the sketcher's group in Facebook, and using Facebook on tablets and phones.  

Arriving 20 minutes early, I parked and decided to sketch what was in front of me while sitting in the car.  Worked a quick pencil sketch and started with pen and ink when it was time to go inside Starbucks for coffee and working on our tablets.

This art center is right across the street from the Library and Starbucks.

Worked in Fabric Traveler's journal using Strathmore 500 Imperial watercolor paper / QoR watercolors.

Lamy Safari EF with De Atramentis Document Brown ink.  

**Was a nice surprise to find after my pen sitting unused for several weeks that it started feeding ink immediately.  Didn't have to work with it to get the ink flowing.

What My Day Was Like Yesterday

Our sketching group was scheduled to meet up at Simons Seed and Garden Center in Leesburg yesterday.  I got up with all intentions of going; however, I didn't make it.  Woke up with a horrible headache stemming from the base of my head/neck.  When I get these type of headaches, OTC medications will not help.  Fortunately they don't hit me as often like they used to :-)

This traction unit has been a real blessing and was so glad my physical therapist talked with my doctor to prescribe it......along with a Tens Unit that I use all the time.  That was back when you could only get these with a medical prescription.  Now you can get them online at various places to include Amazon (at least the Tens Units).  Both units I have are from the company Empi and back when I bought them, were very expensive but to me well worth it.

Sketched in my fabric traveler's sketchbook on Strathmore 500 watercolor paper using a Sharpie pen.  Only color used was Paynes Gray.

Wobble Critter Figurines

These remind me of wobble heads due to different parts that wobble at the slightest movement.

When we were in Texas six years or so ago, I found these at a shop in Rockport, TX, while visiting my sister.  They are tiny little figurines I keep in a curio cabinet.......made of resin (I believe).

Worked in my fabric traveler's journal on Strathmore 500 Imperial watercolor paper.

Old Time Keys and Memories

One of my friends recently sketched her keys and last night I took these out to sit and sketch.  As I was working on this, memories came flooding back of my grandmother, who we called "Nanny".  She lived in an old HUGE house in downtown Mannington, WV we absolutely loved.  The house is well maintained and still looks great today.

It was a three story with owners living on the bottom main floor and my grandmother rented the second and third floor (attic level).  She lived there for many many years until her and my mother bought a house here in Florida.

For years Nanny only rented the middle level but her not liking neighbors over her, when it became available, she rented the top level even though she seldom was up there except to dust and vacuum.  It was where I would stay when visiting her.  A perfect apartment for one.

Anyways, the house in West Virginia had doors inside that took this type of key and I had always thought how cool these keys were!

Practice with Ellipses

These sketches are practice with ellipses (which I still struggle with) starting with the medicine bottle sketched in the Handbook sketchbook with Mars Lumograph 2B pencil.

This next one was worked in the Fabriano Venezia..........only two more pages and I'm done with this sketchbook.........FINALLY!!  

Favorite Sketching Locations

As I sit thinking about where we'll schedule our outings next month, the desire to sketch a map hit me.  This shows several locations we enjoy going with my favorite spots marked in red. 

My favorite spots are normally along the water's edge.  I love the smell, the breeze, the hypnotic soothing ripples and sound as well as the vegetation and the wildlife.  For me, there's nothing more relaxing!

Those marked as my favorites:

Discovery Gardens Agricultural Center - this is one place not located on the water but is one of my favorites due to the variety of trees, plants, and flowers.  

Wooton Park - There's a children's water pad, playground, boat dock, train, and where seaplanes take off.  

Gilbert Park - Nice park area near a marina and where Mt. Dora lighthouse is located.  

Venetian Gardens - my #1 favorite spot.  Located along the edge of Lake Harris with various channels with walking bridges that adds a welcoming feel.  Close by is Roger's Park which is a really nice playground area for children.  

Sharpie pen in Fabriano Venezia sketchbook.

Pokemon Let's Go Eevee

My husband and I are Pokemon fans and have played the console game for many, many years.  We look forward to the new releases every year to two years.

This past November there was a new release but was for the Nintendo Switch, which we didn't have yet.  We hesitated in buying this game as it's different and not what we've been used to playing.  The Pokemon Let's Go series follows with the game play of Pokemon Go and that was one we never got into.....we preferred the original game series of Pokemon.  However, with the release of this Let's Go Eevee and Pikachu, you were able to stay home and play on the Switch unlike the original Pokemon Go where you use your phone having to go outside the house to catch pokemon.  We decided to go ahead and give it a try since we could play this particular release in the comfort of our home.

Both of us are playing the Let's Go series with me playing Eevee and Terry playing Pikachu versions.  That way what pokemon he can't get (or vice versa), we can trade with one another to collect all the pokemon to fill the pokedex.

I play to collect all pokemon so I can get the shiny charm and later shiny hunt.  I've been shiny hunting now for weeks and have 69 shinies and passed on 12 others that popped up but I already had.  Some shinies I'm catching for Terry since he can't get certain pokemon in his game and he's doing the same for me.

Another thing that is very different between the version types is that in the Let's Go series, you see the pokemon you can catch.  They pop in and run around and then shortly disappear with others popping in.  The original game series, you walk around in caves or grass but cannot see the pokemon.  All of a sudden you are alerted you've encountered a pokemon and it shows up.  You're basically hunting blind.  We LOVE the fact you can see them in Let's Go and can select which ones you want to go after.

Anyways.........this morning I was asking myself if I had to pick a single favorite pokemon out of this game, which one would it be?  Easy answer ........ my #1 favorite is Squirtle, which is one of the three starters.   If asked why, it has to be because of what this little fellow represents or reminds me of..........my three sons as toddlers running and jumping about giggling as they toddled off making us chase after them.  I was playing the game when this came to mind and decided to stop long enough to work this quick sketch :-)  The sketch is based off of a stuffed squirtle toy and I love and collect stuffed animals ... even at my age........lol

Our Sketching Group's First Library Tuesday Meet-Up (LTM)

The Leesburg Library has granted our sketching group (FAST) permission and the use of their Tech Room to meet on the third Tuesday of each month.  The purpose is for our group to have a regular structured time together going over topics related to sketching......to include demos, presentations, exercises, etc.  And it's not limited to just our sketching group.  The Library is including us in their newsletter of events open to the public hoping to reach out to others who might be interested in what we are doing.

There were eight of us from our sketching group plus twenty new faces.  Our first time together at the Library was an introduction to sketching and keeping sketchbook/journals.......sharing page ideas and layouts for those who wish to do more than just sketch on each page (to include headings and descriptions).

Each of us from the group took turns sharing our journals and talking about what we enjoyed doing along with some of our sketch kits we set up to take out with us.  Following the sharing and discussion of our members' sketchbooks, I shared several examples of my own sketching ideas and layouts on screen that I use that doesn't take a great deal of pre-planning.  Basically selecting a spot on the page to sketch and filling in empty space with headings and/or description.

It was such a fun two hours and really pleased by the turnout of new people.

Next month we will go over and play with Hand Lettering for the purpose of headings and jazzing up our pages while at the same time keeping it simple without a lot of fuss.

Nature's Waste Management

This morning we started seeing vultures and found in the road by our driveway was a dead possum.  A few vultures had discovered the possum with several more vultures coming in.  At one point there were over a dozen of these large birds in the road with several chasing off others that came in.  There were vultures in our oak tree and on top of our roof as well as the our neighbor's.  A sight we've not seen or experienced before.

I went outside to take a few photos and then came back in to finish a journal page I had been working on when I looked up and saw three people standing in our yard and behind our cars taking photos. 

A little bit later when Terry was outside with Miya, he opened the door to tell me there was an eagle out there so I grabbed my camera and once again started taking pictures. 

With several of these large birds still on roof and in our tree (evidently waiting their turn), there were a few vultures off to themselves with one prancing and strutting in the road.  Off to the right of that little display, the eagle had bullied his way into the mix of several vultures who had been picking at the possum dragging the possum over in our neighbor's yard charging any vultures that tried to take it back.....it was quite a display.

This went on for a few hours and with vultures landing on our roof, made quite a bit of noise.  Unbelievable how heavy and loud they are.  Sounded like a pack of large dogs romping around in our attic.

After I finished the page I was working on, I worked this quick pencil sketch of one of the vultures on our roof.

Mars Lumograph 2B pencil in Fabriano Venezia sketchbook

Our Winter Bully - The Mockingbird

Mockingbirds from all I've read are known to guard bird feeders but normally if there is a suet block out.  We don't normally put out suet but our bird seed mix does include nuts.  Maybe that's what our "bully" is guarding.

He chases the tits, chickadees, and other small birds away when they land on the flat feeders but doesn't intimidate the larger birds like the cardinals and blue jays.

This is a sketch from this morning while watching him where he perches as he guards the feeders. 

Fabriano Venezia sketchbook and Mars Lumograph 2B pencil

Trying A Different Brown (Watercolor)

A very dear friend told me about one of the watercolor browns she uses called Sepia Extra Warm.  The brand is Old Holland, which I've never used before.

I purchased a tube and tonight decided to give it a test run.

The subject is a pine cone I kept from a bouquet of flowers Terry bought around Christmas.

I've been wanting to sketch this pine cone for the last couple of weeks but each time I grabbed it, I talked myself out of it.  I have to be in the right frame of mind with subjects like this as I tend to get lost in the detail losing track of where I'm at and where I need to go.  I finally found myself confident enough to give it a try tonight. 

Worked on Stonehenge 90 lb paper using Lamy Safari with Document Brown ink.

Hand Lettering Design Practice

This is me playing around with lettering.  I've been playing on the Ipad, a chalkboard, and in my sketchbooks.  This one is worked in a sketchbook.

The sketchbook I'm using is not one of my favorites as you really can't work watercolor on the paper surface as you can true watercolor paper.  This one in particular is Global Arts Handbook which I think is better suited for drawing.

F.A.S.T is the abbreviation for the name of our sketching group (Fetch a Sketch Trekkers).

I've worked this particular illustration a couple different ways trying to decide which I like better.  Trying different lettering styles, different art tools, various placement of lettering versus illustration, etc.

Below is an example of chalkboard play.  I have to get used to working with chalk due to how easily it smears and then there's the dust factor I have trouble with.

The first one was using a piece of chalk straight out of the box and the second was after sharpening the chalk to a point.

The Bud that Wouldn't Bloom

Terry cut this bud several days ago.  We had others cut before that would bloom within a day or two but this one opened a petal and than stopped.

Now the bud is showing signs it's not going to last much longer so we're not hanging on to any hopes that this will open up.  Shame too because this particular rose has the most beautiful fragrance. 

Worked light pencil sketch first and then watercolor.  Added the ink last using a Sharpie pen.

Colors used were Perm Aliz with Sap Green and a touch of D Purple added to the mix.  Green is straight Sap Green.

Strathmore 500 Imperial Cold Press 140 lb weight.  Paper I cut down and added the spiral binding.  I carry this little sketchbook (4 x 6) everywhere. 

Brush used was the Black Velvet #6 Round

Pelican Sketch for Travis

This is a sketch I finished for my youngest son who took the photo thinking of me and loving birds. 

Travis and Terry (husband) had gone on their second charter fishing trip at Crystal River early December and while out came across this Pelican.  He sent this along with other photos while out. 

Although I started this last month with an initial light pencil sketch, I'm only now getting around to finishing it.

One thing I love about my family is the fact they always think of me and subjects I might be interested in........taking photos I might wish to sketch.  And when found, my husband will bring actual found treasures for me to sketch like flowers, seed pods, etc. he might find when walking Miya in our neighborhood.

This guy looks as if he were posing for Travis :-)


Wolf's Carbon pencil - B in the Fabriano Venezia sketchbook.

Another Roosters Sketch

The rooster is from a figurine found inside the shop and not from their painted logo that includes a rooster.

The lettering is trying to follow their sign lettering style.  .

Fabriano Venezia with Sharpie pen. 

I found the lettering much more challenging than I did the rooster sketch.

Six Hour 10 to 15 Minutes Sketches

Today I decided to work some quick sketches each hour for six hours.  I used photos from yesterday's sketchcrawl at Roosters on Oxford as reference material.

Most were done within 10 minutes except the larger lamp looking gizmo that took about 15 minutes.  The ivy I started but was interrupted shortly after I began sketching so I didn't get very far. 

Although I consider this as quick sketching, I'm still taking care in my line work.

Didn't allow myself any erasing but instead started out with very light pressure and then darkened the lines once I was happy with how things were looking.

Worked in Fabriano Venezia with Wolf's Carbon pencil - B

Today's Sketchcrawl - Roosters On Oxford

Not too long ago, a new business had a grand opening that one of my sketching friends told me about and went to.  She told me that it would be a great place to sketch and the owner welcomed us any time. 

The place is a house converted to a coffee shop and vintage furnishing shop.  They sell organic coffee as well as baked goods.  Inside is beautifully set up with various antiques with tables and places to sit throughout the establishment.  Outside is a large covered porch also set up for people to sit and have coffee.

The owner and all who work there are artists and you can tell by the menu and advertisements in chalkboard art as well as murals on the walls.  Under one table is a painting of a carpet which we thought was really neat!!!  Wish I had thought to take a picture of that but we'll be back so I can do so then.

We had a great turn out with eight of us there plus a hubby who came with his wife. 

I didn't personally get any sketching done on location but came home and this evening sketched a couple of items I saw there (and took pictures of) in graphite using the Wolf's Carbon pencil B in the Fabriano Venezia sketchbook.

Rogers Park, Leesburg, FL

When we were out last Saturday at Venetian Gardens, I walked around a bit taking photos.  Across from where we were parked (along Venetian Park Drive), sits this newly reconstructed playground area at Rogers Park.  There's a splash pad, playground area with various structures for children to climb, as well as a covered building one can rent for events.

What grabbed my attention from where I was standing were the greens and angular shapes.  Keeping my sketch simple, I only concentrated on capturing the main angular shapes rather than including all the clutter around and under the canopies and climbing structures. 

Behind this area are oak trees providing lots of shade.  I chose to leave the background out as I didn't want the green of the trees (or the brown/gray of trunks and limbs) to take away or clash with the angular green structures.  Instead I decided to add notes to fill in some of the white space using Urban Grey ink which is more subtle than Lexy Grey or Black ink.

The greens I used are all from Daniel Smith while the other colors are QoR watercolors.