Final Journal Entry for 2017 - Happy New Years!!!

For my final sketch for 2017, I chose to work in my Beta Journal using the Hero 578 Bent Nib Fountain Pen.......using Lexington Gray Ink.

My goal for the year was to produce 356 sketches during the year and I know without a doubt that I achieved my goal.  In fact I stopped counting when I hit 360 which includes those I never shared online. 

Let's see how I do in 2018.

Happy New Years, Everyone!!!  :-)

The Gift of Giving and Christmas Wishes

My youngest son works as an HVAC tech and was on call a couple of weeks ago.  On one of his service calls, he worked on this couples' unit who normally receives service by another service tech. 

The lady asked Travis if he would be so kind to give her regular service tech these hand carved Santas she had for him and his family which Travis was more than happy to do.

The couple was very pleased with Travis's work and mannerism and had him choose two Santas for himself........a tree ornament size and a larger one.........as a special thank you.

Ms Carol doesn't sell these but instead makes them out of chunks of wood as gifts to people.  I'd give anything to learn how to do these!

Anyways......Travis was excited and immediately thought of me.  Although he loves these Santas, he chose to give to me as a gift because of my love for crafts and art.  He also knew that I would want to sketch them...which of course I've done for this post...lol.

Thank you Carol Williams for your kindness and giving nature!!!  Your Santas are absolutely gorgeous!!! 

Because of what these Santas mean to us as a family, I have decided to use them on my primary Christmas card to you.  A special acknowledgement and tribute to Carol Williams and our Wish for Happy Holidays to you.

Frida Friday - Leesburg Art League

Today was Open Friday where artists meet up at the center to work on various things from arts and crafts to painting, to sketching, etc.  Sometimes there will be someone modeling and other times demos shared.

Our Open Friday today was called "Frida Friday" which was themed around a Mexican Artist by the name of Frida Kahlo.  It's also Cinco de Mayo which is a Mexican Holiday.

One of the ladies at the Art Center actually dressed up as Frida Kahlo and modeled for us (which I may still do from a photo I took of her).  I chose to sketch some of the other ladies as they went about creating fans, headbands, and other works of art.

Stillman & Birn Beta / Micron 01

My little miniature bear "Opal" as my model celebrating the Mexican Holiday.

Snowpeople Figurine

I have a thing for snowmen and each year look for new figurines or plush snowmen to add to my collection.

This is one of several picked up throughout this year.  I hope to eventually record in my journal a page for each.  :-)

Strathmore Visual Journal, Micron pens, and Watercolor.

I worked with watercolor first and then used the microns for the ink lines.  Not sure which way I like better.......inking first with color added or color first and inking as final.  Either way it's nice to work both ways as a change of pace.

Holiday Wish #2

Wednesday, I purchased a poinsettia and last night worked on this in the Strathmore Visual Journal (watercolor).  Again using the Kuretake Zig Clean Color brush markers along with a wet brush.

End results as an e-card.

Holiday Wish #1

Several posts back, I shared a graphite sketch where I came up with Opal dressed up and the two other elements.  Using that, I worked this in the S&B Zeta sketchbook using the Kuretake Zig Clean Color brush markers and waterbrush.

And here is the ending e-card results I created from this color sketch.