Mistletoe in July

A sprig from a found limb of this after a few days of rather heavy storms in the area.  I have yet to see it when the berries are formed.  In fact I didn't even know it was growing up in the trees until now.

I was reading where all parts of the plant are poisonous; however, in some countries known to be used for medical treatments like cancer.

HSFab01 sketchbook / Lamy Vista with Document Brown ink / QoR watercolors

Memories

This month for Cathy Johnson's, Sketch With Me virtual outing, we are to sketch Memories of when we were growing up.

I chose when I first learned I was allergic to bees.  As young as I was, I still remember this incident as if it happened yesterday.

Bumblebees and Honey bees are the ones I react horribly to.  Wasps and yellow jackets, not so much.  But even with that, I am terrified of all stinging bugs.  The other tiny terror is the tick.

HSFab01 / Fab Art 140lb watercolor paper / DeAtramentis Document Brown ink / Lamy Vista

Ink Chart and Stippling Fun

This first is just a color chart of the five DeAtramentis Document Inks that I now have.  I first worked the outside lines and then with brush and pool of ink, worked the color wash.

I find with inks (just like staining watercolors), I feel a little intimidated but wasn't so bad with pre-wetting the areas before applying the ink.  I also toned down the ink on my palette with water so it wasn't real concentrated.  HSFab01

Last night was one of those nights where I laid down to sleep but was back up a couple hours later.  To fill the quiet time until I could lay back down, I turned on the TV and stippled these old fashioned rose flowers.  Stippling can be really relaxing to me.

I used the DeAtramentis inks Dark Red and Dark Green in the Stillman and Birn Zeta sketchbook and then this morning I decided to add a Magenta wash to them.

Dad had a beautiful plant wildly growing up a huge tree he had in his yard back in West Virginia.  We had taken an offshoot and planted it at our house (there in West Virginia) and it grew up a trellis and then across the bars of the railing on our elevated porch.  It was a beauty but have to say very thorny.  One had to be careful walking past because it just seemed like the vines would reach out and grab you.

Before the move here to Florida, we had taken an offshoot and planted in a pot.  Now five years later, here in Florida, it still grows in the pot but has yet to flower.  Not sure why and something I need to do some research on.  With the intense sun and heat (along with sandy soil), not sure the best place to plant in the ground.  In West Virginia it flourished under tree canopies to include our house by the porch.

String Angel Doll

Last night while watching TV, I worked on this string angel doll.  Although I had it on my board, my left and right sides of the brain battled for control.  It was really difficult following the strings by putting down what I actually saw.  Instead the left side won out and I just started adding strings starting with front and then adding different directional lines to look like those strings intertwined underneath.

Still trying out the Pilot Vanishing Point retractable fountain pen on various paper surfaces, I took out the Strathmore Visual Bristol Smooth sketchbook.  Not one of my favorites and mainly use it as a junk journal.  Although smooth like the S&B Zeta, this paper seems to have a coating on the surface.  I experienced some drag or friction as I moved the nib across the paper surface. 

At first I was only going to add color as seen on the first one.  Then decided to darken what was already down and add color to the bottom portion.

Florida during Summer

The idea to do this comes from an event I thought was coming up next weekend but then the event appears to have been removed.  So.......I thought I'd work the topic on my own.

This to me is what represents where we live this time of year.  Also gave me the opportunity to play with more color after several sketches using very limited or muted colors.

We are in the middle of the Wet Season where our days are mixed with sunny skies and daily storms....most often in the afternoon or early evening.  Often the storms go around our little area for whatever reason.  It can pour a mile down the road and maybe sprinkle here in the neighborhood....if at all.  But that's definitely Florida.

This is the last page in yet another sketchbook that I carry all the time in my small handbag.  It's 4 x 6 in size and I'm ready to make another just to be with me all the time  :-)

Checking Out Our Feeders

It's really unusual to see a family of four Sandhill Cranes.  Normally, from all I understand and have read (and personally witnessed), even if two chicks hatch, only one youngster makes it to fledging.  So this is exciting to see two instead of one.

They came into the front yard to check out our bird feeders.  They must have found something they liked as they hung around for awhile with one of the adults reaching the flat feeders and the youngsters working the ground.  Not sure if it was the male or female (I believe it was the male due to size) but one of the adults hung back as if on watch detail.  Then he or she checked out the ground beneath the feeders before deciding it was time to move on.

The adults started walking away together while the two youngsters hung back a few minutes before following suit.

Sketched these two as they were leaving to catch up with Mom and Dad.

Comparing My Pilot Falcon to the Vanishing Point Pen

Thought I would compare my two higher end pens to one another - Falcon vs Vanishing Point.

Pilot Falcon - "Soft" Gold Nib with Rhodium plating / Medium Flex / Extra Fine (EF)

Loaded with Noodler's Lexington Grey Ink

One of my favorites but one I seldom take out with me out of fear of losing.  Plus I tend to baby it here at home as well.  It has a wetter feed compared to my other fountain pens (exception TWSBI pens) so I don't always go to grab it like I do the Lamy pens.  Reason being impatience.  With a wetter feed, one has to give the ink more drying time before attempting to erase pencil and add color.  With a wet feed, the lines are starker, as well, even with a soft black or gray ink.  I'm very careful using it on toothy paper as well for fear of damaging the tines or getting lint stuck in the tines. 

Pilot Vanishing Point - Retractable Nib Pen - 18K Gold (no plating) / Fine (F)

Loaded with DeAtramentis Urban Grey Ink

Newest addition to my fountain pen collection.  LOVE the fact the nib retracts into the body of the pen.  The F Nib, so far, is proving to result in finer lines than the Falcon EF nib.  It's a dryer feed than my Falcon but a bit wetter compared to my Lamy pens or the Pilot Platinum.  I might prove different with another brand ink but I won't know that until a later time should I decide to change inks.

This shows the difference between the two Pilot pens in addition to comparing with the Lamy that I used for most of the writing.  It's loaded with DeAtramentis Urban Grey and has an EF nib.  It feeds wetter than the Vanishing Point.......darker lines.

I'm wondering if the Vanishing Point F nib produces a finer line than the EFs because only a very small portion sticks out of the pen body.  Plus it being much smaller than most fountain pen nibs. 

New Toy - Pilot Vanishing Point Fountain Pen

I have had my eye on this pen for some time but kept putting off making the purchase.  A couple of days ago, I had it up on my screen again and was showing my husband.  Initially, I was looking up and debating on purchasing another three DeAtramentis ink colors when I went off track pulling the pen back up to drool over.

My husband told me to go ahead and get the pen after my telling him about it and how long I'd been sitting on the decision to buy it; however, I said I would wait since I was considering the ink.

It ended up I ordered three colors of the Document Inks and while I was doing that, my husband went back in his room and later returned saying he ordered the pen since I wouldn't.......lol

Today, I received both orders :-)

Pilot Black/Gold Vanishing Point with Fine Nib.  What a beauty!!!  And what a joy it was testing it out with my first sketch (seen below).  I was a little skittish sketching with it due to the gold nib.......fear of damaging the tines.  But I chose to work on a smooth paper surface.  I have a light touch anyways with fountain pens and with the wet feed of this Fine nib, I realized I didn't have anything to worry about.

I'm still trying to wrap my head around a retractable nib.  I keep finding myself attempting to remove a cap to use the pen and looking for cap to put back on.

DeAtramentis Document Inks - Love all three colors!!!!

First sketch in Stillman and Birn Zeta sketchbook / pen loaded with DeAtramentis Urban Gray / Qor watercolors.

Lake Sumter Landing

Last night I was making a backup of my Note 8 photos when I started looking through the photos I had taken when I first used the camera on my phone.

First photos I took was at Lake Sumter Landing........photos of the birds feeding.  I remember feeling really impressed by how well a phone camera could catch the action of the birds flying about.  It was at that point I started leaving my dedicated camera at home.  Nice not having to carry an extra item when going out knowing my phone stays on me all the time.

Worked in the Hand Sewn journal with Fabriano Artistico 140 lb watercolor paper.  I used my Pilot Falcon fountain pen with Lexy Grey ink for the sketch and lettering at top only to realize the ink feathered most noticeably in the lettering.  Although my Falcon has an extra fine nib, the ink flow is wet so I shouldn't be surprised (at least not on this paper).

I've also taken notice that the DeAtramentis ink in my Lamys (also extra fine nibs) does not tend to feather or at least doesn't show as bad, so I finished the writing using the Lamy and Urban Grey ink.

Watercolors - Holbein

Playing with Shapes

Last night while watching TV, I started this page using pencil.  Before my eyes started blurring from fatigue, I had started inking but had to finish today.  Once that was done (or most of it), I added watercolor.

There were a few places I added comments or notes after I finished painting not paying attention to what I had already written or included last night.  I repeated paper / paint / and pen/ink used on the left side.  Didn't notice until after I shared in one of my Facebook groups.  Talk about feeling embarrassed.........ROFL.  Lesson learned (at least I hope so)  :-)

Anyways.........I was in the mood to just play with various shapes and my lego figures came to mind.  I chose the artist figure pulling the pieces apart wanting to sketch each piece individually and then again put together.  The note about "ordered separate" is because the original figure came with different color hair.  I went on the search to see if I could find hair pieces for legos hoping for gray to represent my hair color.  I could't believe I was able to actually find one and about the length of my hair.

Monday and Tuesday Sketching

Monday and Tuesday's sketching:

Hand Sewn Journal with Fabriano Artistico (old stock) 140 lb watercolor paper / Lamy Safari with DeAtramentis Brown Document ink / Holbein watercolor

Stillman & Birn Zeta Sketchbook / Lamy Safari w/DeAtramentis Brown Document ink

Bear - Holbein

Rose - QoR watercolors

Been messing with scanner settings as a trial and error to see how close I can come to actual results in my journals.  Scanning normally results in higher contrast so I've been trying to change that in the scanner rather than trying to adjust in Photoshop Elements.  One of the scanner settings I've been changing is Linear to Flat Contrast when scanning.  Not sure I like the results any better. 

Sketchbook vs Art Journal vs Visual Journal vs Artist's Journal

I've been asked this question several times and have had trouble really expressing my own thoughts or feelings on the subject....until now.

Is there really a difference between the terms?  Honestly, in my humble opinion, I think it's subjective and totally individual what each term might mean or if there is really any difference between them or not.

To me, I do tend to differentiate between the terms and this post shares my own personal thoughts in how I view each:

First off, what is a Journal?  To me it's a fancier term for what we used to call a Dairy.  A place we could freely express our feelings and thoughts in written form (hoping no one else ever saw the contents.....lol).  A private personal place not intended to be shared with other people.

How I view each term:

Sketchbook - Raw and less defined.  Something that may be more for one's own benefit that is either kept private or content of interest possibly shared that might be beneficial for another artist (technique, etc).  A book to practice ideas, play, doodle, experiment with various materials / techniques, a collection of roughly worked out illustrations with intent to use for more formal or professional work.

Sometimes the term "junk" journal comes to mind where there's no real concern about how something turns out and a place that gives people internal permission to just play and not care about the results.

A place to work where one's inner critic tends to stay quiet.

Art Journal - More defined works of art.  A collection or showcase of sketches, paintings, more fine-tuned, and is all about the art itself and its outcome.  Page after page of artistic expression that might include mixed media, collage, use of stencils, stamps, etc.  More in line with results and presentation subject to viewing, comparison, judging or critiquing.

Visual Journal - An illustrated diary.  More personal in nature and more about the act of doing or process for various reasons.  A place of healing.  A place to illustrate and write about events, places, people, feelings/emotions, day to day life of the individual working in the journal.  Often more private.  A form of stress relief, a quiet place one can lose themselves....an escape.  A nice haven in which one can focus on something positive rather than negative or getting negative feelings out and onto paper in an artistic or creative manner.

Artist's Journal - A collection of all of the above that relates to the individual artist's day to day life.  An overlapping of all three listed above under one cover.  Can be private or open to sharing.  All visually illustrated or a combination of visual and written word.  Formal or less formal.  Complete or incomplete.  A combination of process, personal healing/therapy, and product presentation.  A place where one can do anything they want and how they want.  No rules / no rights or wrongs!  Personal expression, experiences, memories, playtime, safe haven to escape to, and place for therapeutic healing.  It can be anything one wants it to be without fear of judgement (outside of one's self....ha ha).

So.........how do you interpret or distinguish between the terms we see and hear all the time?   Have you really given it much thought?

Documenting "Cup" Flowers on Curcumas

The Curcuma is a fascinating plant (at least to us).  We grow it strictly for the flower stalks. 

When we first moved here five years ago, I purchased a single Curcuma and fell in love with it.  When I saw it came back the next year in the same pot purchased in, I looked to see if I could get more.  It wasn't until last year I finally came across them again being sold at Lowes.  It's possible they were there each year before and my timing was off when checking as I believe they are seasonal when sold.

Last year we purchased three more of a different color main flower (at top) and a more exotic one that grows very large with a totally different coloring of stalk, main flower, and the little flowers that grow within the cups forms on the stalks that collect water.

This is only documenting those little "cup" flowers of the two main varieties we have.

Top is of the more exotic variety.

Fabriano Soft watercolor paper / Holbein and DS watercolors / Lamy Safari with DeAltramentis Brown document ink.

My Three Sons

It was late through the night I started this and then finished this morning.  Taking two of the figurines (out of 9), I sketched this grouping. 

Hand Sewn Journal with Fabriano Artistico WC paper / Holbein watercolors plus Daniel Smith Buff Titanium / Lamy Safari with DeAtramentis Brown Document Ink.

The boy standing actually is holding a gold heart but I chose to have one hand on "his brother's" head and the other peaking out from "Mom's" shoulder.  One of the boys' hair I chose to use black since the coloring I chose truly represents my sons' hair color.  My middle son had the most beautiful black hair with blue highlights (as did my mother and his dad had brownish black hair) whereas the other two ended up with my hair coloring....lighter when younger and turned darker as they got older.  In fact, I was a blonde as a little girl as was my eldest son until around age 5 or so.

Collection is Willow Tree I started many years ago.  Can't remember where I purchased these except it was via mail order over the course of a couple of years.  A few gifted to me at Christmas.

Scanned version - Although I scan all my work, I do find the results are not exactly true to color or tones.  My scanner struggles with light blues as well as buff or light tan colors.  Plus scanning loses the slight off white color of most papers as well as the texture.  However, my photography skills leave a great deal to be desired so I choose to go with the scanner even with its short-comings.

Photo taken showing the figurines.

Testing Zebra F-402 Ballpoint Pen

My youngest son gave me a pen he wanted me to try for sketching.  It's his favorite pen for writing and using on the job filling out work orders.

I love sketching with ballpoint minus ink build-up and blobbing.  That takes the joy out of it for me if a pen blobs too easily having to keep wiping on tissue.  Disrupts the flow of sketching for me.

This little sketch is my testing out the pen on Stonehenge Aqua watercolor paper that has a little tooth to it.  I was testing values I could achieve, how well the .7 mm point fed the ink on toothy paper, and how bad it might produce ink blobs.  It's didn't do too bad.  There are a few little blobs and I only wiped the point maybe three times the entire time I worked this.

**Misjudged overall size of sketch subject resulting in bird tail running off the edge.  Ooops.

Sketching With DeAtramentis Document Brown Ink

For a change I've been using a fountain pen loaded with DeAtramentis Brown Document Ink.  I'm not one who likes real stark black so I normally use a soft black or dark gray ink like Lexington Grey.  Thought maybe I would sketch with the brown for awhile to see which I might like better.

One thing I've noticed, this ink 'seems' to flow so smoothly in my Lamy Extra Fine Nib.  Maybe it's the nib...maybe it's the ink....I really don't know.  Anyways, I've had this brown ink stored in my pen for months and unlike other browns I've tried, hasn't clogged or dried up in the pen needing help starting it.  That alone is a plus!

Also trying a new eraser called VANISH Four in One Eraser.

What's In YOUR Wallet

Inspired by a Capital One commercial. 

It's really disturbing to me how many daily ads we see, emails we get, plus all the pre-approved credit offers received tempting people to borrow money and go into or deeper into debt.   And it's not always about self discipline or lack thereof but for many having no choice .... caught up in a vicious cycle.....with banks/lending companies taking advantage of that, often making matters worse.   :-(

KG Sketchbook / Lamy Safari with DeAltramentis Brown Ink / Holbein watercolors

Outside Treasures

New discovery of a different type lizard we've never seen before.  This Blue Tail Skink was inside a bag of mulch we've had sitting outside the last couple of years.  We planted a grapefruit tree and when Terry opened the bag of mulch, this little guy made himself known.

On a piece of dead wood sitting in the back on a table, I saw this small mushroom growing.

As for the magnolia, there was a tree in the back that was growing kind of strange (top heavy with a ball like shape up top) and would never flower.  We decided we would take it down but left the trunk in the ground a certain height with the intentions of putting a bird feeder on top.  To our surprise, it started sprouting limbs and leaves and now has a gorgeous shape to it; AND, early this year it actually produced a single flower and I found the pod sitting on the ground.

Door Entrance Downtown Leesburg

Down the street from where the sketching group went last Tuesday is a rather plain looking building with this door entrance.  The door itself really stood out to me against a plain outer wall because it reminds me of a clock with hands pointing around 3:43. 

KG sketchbook / Pilot Falcon / Lexy Grey ink / QoR and DS watercolors

My Shoes

I've lost count the total number of shoes I've purchased (last 10 years) hoping to find a pair that doesn't cause my feet to cramp either while wearing them or most often after I take them off.  I've spent big bucks for the better quality shoes that are suppose to give best support and still deal with the issue.  Many of my shoes end up being worn a couple times and then donated to Goodwill or Salvation Army.

Anyways.........I don't have a closet full of various shoes like some women do.  I have two old pairs of dress shoes (navy and black) with low heels and two pairs of sneakers.  One pair ties and the other slides on.  The pair I tend to grab most these days is the slip on kind and I don't pull them up on the heel like they are suppose to be worn.  To be honest, I wear shoes only when I go out anywhere or sometimes when in the yard.  I'm a barefoot gal (and probably why I suffer as I do).

Today's journal page is sketching my slip on sneakers.  They have a mottled (think that's the word) blue coloring and I had hoped to achieve the look on paper but didn't.  Maybe on a rougher surface.  I mixed heavy granulating pigment to make my blue by using DS Lunar Black with Holbein Cobalt Blue.   On the palette the granulating pigment did exactly what I was after but not so once applied to paper.  Oh well.  Rest of the colors used are Holbein.

HSFab01 - Holbein with Lunar Black by Daniel Smith - Lamy Vista with Lexy Grey ink - Micron 01 for some of the wording.

Starting a New Sketchbook - Hand Sewn

I have finally reached the end of the journal I've been working in for awhile ..... giving myself permission to start a new one.  I chose one of my hand sewn journals (labeled HSFab01) that I made back in April.  It is made of old stock Fabriano Artistico 140 lb Cold Press watercolor paper.  Paper purchased back in 2005 or 2006 when I could get 10 sheet packs and before the manufacturer changed their papers.

With the first page in this sketchbook, I decided to sketch the palette with Holbein watercolors for reference.  I set this palette up like over a decade ago but has been sitting in a drawer all this time.  I am totally amazed by how fresh the pigments have remained and the ease in re-activating.  I tend to grab my palette with Daniel Smith, QoR, or Winsor & Newton (in that order it seems) first.  I don't much care for Winsor & Newton pigments as many dry and crack or become hard as a rock not re-wetting very easily.  I'm finding a few of the Daniel Smith are doing the same thing.  Anyways.........I decided to use the Holbein for awhile.

With Miya healing and improving, I'm back to feeling like sketching again.  With the round the clock care for several days and lack of sleep, I just didn't feel up to doing much of anything.

Trying to get a feel for working on cotton paper again, I worked this sketch after I did the Holbein palette color chart.

Yesterday's sketching was setting up my miniature animals as sketching models.  For today, I decided to pull out several items from one of my drawer units that sits on top of my table/desk in the sun room.

FAST Sketch Outing - Victoria's Antique Warehouse

Our FAST sketching group met up at a local antique's warehouse yesterday.   There were four members who made it......Connie, Patricia, Lee, and Shari.  I wasn't able to go but had photos I could work from from previous trips.  Instead of sketching what's indoors, I decided to sketch the building itself.

KG sketchbook / Micron 01 / Holbein watercolors

Sporadic Sketching

It's been a rough couple of weeks between son and our dog with injuries plus health issues.  Although slow going, both are recovering.

The round the clock care with our dog has been really taxing so it's no surprise I haven't felt like too much sketching.  I've done a little.

All in the KG sketchbook / 07 mechanical pencil / #2 Mars Lumograph pencil / Micron 01 pen / Holbein watercolors

With the praying mantis, I didn't feel like messing with the shadow......although I may return to this later and add it in.