Walking Down Memory Lane Using Various Mediums

After working the watercolor sketch of Aransas Pass, I was interested in viewing other mediums I've worked to include some of my full size watercolor paintings (safely stored away) I had prints done for ATC cards.  It shows I haven't only worked sketches or strictly in a journal.  I love "journaling" however, so I haven't really done anything recent like these shown here.  I like having my work in books I can sit and flip through and that do not take up a lot of space.

Back in my acrylic painting days (painted decades ago):

My only oil and pastel.  I quickly learned with first attempts that I can't handle the fumes associated with oil painting and I can't handle the dust from the pastels.  I still have the pastel protected between wax paper and cardboard and my brother displays my oil painting:

Watercolor Paintings through the years:

Drawings (which I feel more comfortable calling sketches but back when I actually tried to meet composition rules that I now rebel against......ha ha) in various mediums to include ballpoint, fountain pen, and pencil...one with a watercolor.

The top left is from one of my trips to the UK.  Top right is the back of my house before moving to Florida.  Middle left is where my Nanny (grandmother) lived in Mannington, WV.  Middle right on location sitting outside the funeral home my step father was being viewed before the funeral.  Bottom left also from my trip to Rockport, TX.  Bottom right again during one of my trips to the UK.  The gal I stayed with was also an artist who belonged to the same forum I did for so many years.

The funeral home is definitely more of a sketch but I included it as I remember trying to place things as guidelines say we should.  The others are prints and not just works in a sketchbook.

Sometimes I think about doing more "formal" work but then I remember why I was drawn to working in journals.

Reliving a Memory

Last night I was looking through various sketches I've worked through the years.  Sketches that were more than individual illustrations.  I came across a pencil sketch I worked while sitting in the car during a trip visiting my sister in Texas.

I didn't do much in the way of documenting on my pages back then as it was before I found the Artist Journal Workshop book by Cathy Johnson when I learned about visual journaling including descriptions and titles.

In the mood to paint, I worked this loose watercolor sketch from what I had of the pencil sketch adding a little artistic license to fill in something behind the sign (trying to recall what was there from memory).

FIbook75x75 with Stonehenge Aqua / Metropolitan pen with N#41 Brown ink / DS watercolors

Hurricane Dorian Update

Worked this quick journal sketch of where things seem to be right now as of 1:26 p.m. Tuesday, September 03, 2019, plus a few facts as I understand or took note of leading up to today.

We were in the cross-hairs days ago with the potential of the hurricane riding up the center of the state. 

Each day it appeared to move further east with projected tracks with a little wobble back towards the west Sunday/Monday. 

Woke up this morning to see it appears to be staying out far enough away from the coast to minimize the amount of damage to our coastline. 

Now the unknown as to what it will do as it moves up towards Georgia and the Carolinas.

Waiting to see more coverage of the impacts on those folks in the Bahamas and dreading it at the same time :-(

Zeta sketchbook / Sharpie pen / QoR watercolors

Monday and Still Waiting

Each day I've been trying to concentrate on sketching as we sit and follow the hurricane updates.  It's so heart wrenching thinking what the people in the Bahamas are going through.  I just can't wrap my head around a storm of this magnitude sitting stationery or barely moving over an area and what it's doing to that location and the emotional toll on those going through it.

This has been such a long drawn out state of the unknown and for so many people, I'm sure, very exhausting.

To keep busy and as a break from the news updates, I've managed the following:

August 31st - Going through photos, I first decided on this Fuchsia flower.  We miss having them here in Florida.  Looking up what information I could find, you can grow the flower here but can be quite a challenge due to the heat and humidity.

I worked this by painting first and then going back and adding the ink lines using a Micron 02 pen.

September 1st brought on a new challenge between my friend, Clare, and myself.  It was her turn to choose the challenge.  Her and I both have what's called the Cuttlelola Dot Pen, so she wanted us to work a sketch using that pen.

Before prepping the pen (charging it), I decided to first use Procreate and the Stipple Brush Tool to work a rather large thumbnail that I would follow when using dot pen in sketchbook.  The advantage of working this in Procreate is the ability to control values and size of dots.

Once the dot pen was charged, I started working this sketch.  I had to recharge several times to finish plus take breaks due to the vibration and hand fatigue.

If I were to choose which I personally liked better, it would be the Procreate sketch.  I particularly like the cloud formations in the digital sketch plus the atmospheric feel to it versus the one done using the actual pen.

Once the ink was totally dry, I decided to add some color using watercolors.  Worked in the Zeta sketchbook.

After the landscape, I decided to work another sketch using the dot pen.  This is some sort of plant from a photo I had taken back in 2010 when we lived in West Virginia.  The challenge here was definitely in the long thin tendrils or whatever they are called using the pen.  I had to keep stopping...lifting the pen and then setting it down hoping I picked up right where I left off as I turned or changed direction with the pen.  It was a bit taxing on the eyes, to say the least.

September 2 - White Breasted Nuthatch.  From another photo taken back in 2010 while living in West Virginia.  A bird I haven't seen here in Florida.

This one is worked in the Hand Sewn journal with old stock of Fabriano Artistico 140lb watercolor paper.  Decided to paint and then stop before taking ink to it.  I've decided to leave as it is.

And for a change I actually remembered to scan along the way.

Water Oak Removed

From the time we purchased the house we're in, we've had to clean up the lot (which is about 1/2 acre) where the house sits by removing MANY trees and shrubs just stuck growing all over front, back, and sides.  You couldn't see the house from the street, mowing was a true pain in the backside,  and was a real eye sore to the neighbors.

The house was a rental for many years so it's no wonder the property ended up so unsightly.  And many of the trees were planted too close to the house causing issues with roots and branches with roof, windows, etc.

We lost count after 30 the first year after we purchased the house.  And we've continued little by little shaping what's left and having more removed if considered unhealthy or a risk during hurricane season.

This week we had a huge water oak removed at the front corner of our house/driveway.  A large camphor tree near our garage right up against the concrete driveway, and heavy trimming of another camphor in the back that was top heavy on one side leaning in towards the house.

Next week we will have another type oak trimmed of two very large branches that grows over the driveway and house and a bowl depression at a fork that could rot from water and bacteria filled in with concrete.  The tree is in a healthy state so we don't want to have it totally removed.  Plus it provides us a great deal of shade we appreciate.

We love our trees but due to the risks we face each year, we had to do something.  And we still have plenty still standing.  Looks like a totally different place and our neighbors love us for what we've done.

Anyways, as the guys worked, I sat and watched as the oak was being taken down.  Amazing how they do it and safely without damaging anything around the trees or harm to those working below.  We were willing to move our pontoon and cars but they said not to worry about it.  And the orange tree and lemon under the oak was left untouched by falling debris.  The lemon tree was suffering from lack of sunlight so we should now see a major improvement.

Statue at Lone Oak Cemetery

Still haven't been in the mood to paint so I worked another pencil sketch over the weekend after I worked the self portrait for the sketch with me event with Cathy Johnson.

Mars Lumograph 3B pencil on Stonehenge 90 paper.

In the Mood for Graphite

Last couple of days I've been more into sketching with pencil than painting.

Worked this one early morning from one of my photos when our group met up at Simon Seed Gardening Center in Leesburg early last year.

First I worked a quick sketch trying to get the main shapes down.  Then I went back and refined adding other items, more detail, and shading.

Worked on the back of Grumbacher watercolor paper, which is extremely smooth. 

3B Mars Lumograph

This next one is worked on Stonehenge 90 paper following an assignment in a book I've borrowed from one of my sketching pals from our group.  Also used the 3B pencil.

I really like this paper for graphite work as the slight tooth shows texture that I like.  Love the feel of the pencil moving across the surface.

The book is called Ernest W Watson's Course in Pencil Sketching (Four books in one).   The author shares various techniques with examples and then shares a photo as an assignment with similar subject matter for the reader to practice.

From the photo I tried my hand at, I only worked a small section of the building rather than the entire street scene and building.

Practice with Trees - Different Methods of Ink Lines

Using Procreate and Apple pencil, I've been practicing sketching trees.  Once I get a good feel for what I am doing, I plan to repeat using my journal and either fountain pen or dip pen. 

This first one using squiggly lines to build everything up.  As I look at the steps here on screen, I see I might want to lighten some of the middle front just a bit.   I used my neighbor's tree as my model but time of day wasn't great for lights and shadows..........I had to use my imagination.

The tree this is modeled after is very dense and you really don't seem much in the way of gaps showing limbs.  This is what I see throughout the day sitting at my desk.  It's located right across the street and is very large.  I believe it's in the oak family.

I used the Technical pen tool for this similar to a Micron 3 pen.

This next one is from imagination and I chose to use a different method for creating my values.  I left more white space in the clumps within the canopy and used hatching/cross hatching/squiggly hatch marks for the darker areas.  The above is my normal method so this next way I'm not sure if I like or not.   I love this method when others use it but not sure about my line work.  Will continue to practice.

Also using the Technical pen tool.  I have it set emulating a Micron 3.

Today's Outing - Discovery Gardens

We had a gorgeous morning to meet up at Discovery Gardens which is an agricultural establishment in Tavares, FL.

There were four of us who met up with several others who couldn't make it due to health issues...Ella, Nancy, Susan, and myself.

This is a place I could go to repeatedly as there's so much there of interest to sketch.  And the people who work the grounds are all super friendly welcoming us and making our time there very pleasant.

I arrived about 30 or 40 minutes before others did walking around and taking a few photos.  Then came across this tree that just called out to me to sketch.  I love twisty / knobby trees!!!!  This particular tree is a Contorted Mulberry.

Worked the sketch to include a little watercolor while sitting there and then came home and touched it up a little with darker ink lines and a bit more color.

I chose not to paint the entire scene as everything is gray......paved stones, gravel, tree, the lawn ornament to the right of the tree (with a little yellow in it), and fence.  The only real color was the green plants up near the fence.  I thought about adding green for some color but then felt that would cut my scene in two halves so left it alone.  My main focus was the tree anyways.

Fabriano Soft watercolor paper (which my fountain pen doesn't care for) / TWSBI Eco / Urban Grey ink / Watercolor


Nothing fancy but worked this page as a recording of Rosemary cuttings that were given to us by one of the workers.  She shared how to cut the tips stripping the last few leaves off the cutting; dipping in Rootone, and then placing in a small pot of soil.

I couldn't find our Rootone and it was too late to go buy new so I looked up alternative ways to root Rosemary.  One place just suggested to cut tips, strip bottom leaves off and stick in a jar of water changing the water every couple of days.  Also suggested to keep in a warm spot out of direct sunlight until roots appeared.  Then plant in soil.  We'll try that to see what happens.

As for the rest of the cuttings, we will dry them and use as seasoning :-)

Stonehenge90 paper / TWSBI Eco with Urban Grey ink / 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.

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!

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.

Sketch Outing Venetian Gardens

Our F.A.S.T sketch outing today.

First worked on Strathmore Imperial using the TWSBI Eco with Urban Grey ink.  

Second sketch worked in the Fabriano Venezia using my Platinum Carbon fountain pen with Platinum Carbon black ink that comes in a cartridge.

One more I worked at home from a photo.  I have no idea what type of flower this is.......it may be a weed for all I know.  There was a clump of several and this one off to itself.  This one grabbed my attention representing something personal to me.

Small spiral with Strathmore Imperial wc paper.  TWSBI Eco with Urban Grey ink.

Cathy Johnson's Sketch With Me Effort Nov 2018

Miss Kate has initiated a monthly "Sketch With Me" project where people all over the globe work a sketch on a particular weekend and then share online.

For November (weekend following Thanksgiving Day), we were to sketch something we're thankful for.

This is what came to mind for me.

Coming Into October - Lone Oak

This is one I worked last night thinking ahead with October and  a sketchcrawl scheduled for the 30th at Lone Oak Cemetery that we've been to twice before. 

This tree is one that always catches my attention when visiting with the few markers that sit below it.  Love the face I see in the trunk.

Procreate HB pencil tool.

This Past Week's Sketches

Although I've been trying to sketch every day, I was also glued to the TV watching weather news on Florence since I have family in the areas that were hit.  Talk about a long weekend and I wasn't even the one going through what all those folks faced and still facing with all the flood waters. 

Sketch to the left was worked in the Fabriano Venezia sketchbook.  One on the right is using Procreate using a bit of imagination.  Source is from a photo my middle son took when at Universal April 2017.

This one is from a figurine our neighbor gifted us last week.

Using a photo a member in one of my Facebook groups shared with me, I worked this next one using a Kuretake Brush Pen.  I find using brush pens very awkward.

Because I hadn't used the pen, it was dried up and I had to take it apart and clean it.......first soaking the brush end in warm water and then flushing.  It took me near 40 minutes to finally get the dried up ink to "give" and start flowing with the water flush.  I never did get a clear stream of water through the brush end though.  Maybe I should have just let the tip soak for a day or so before attempting the pen cleaning.

This next is where I'm impatiently waiting for some cooler weather.  I miss four seasons living in Florida and definitely miss seeing snow once in awhile.  I'm not one who really likes the hot weather......although I do love and appreciate the sun shine nearly year round.  

This was worked last night......bringing out my autumn favorite figurines/shelf sitters.

Breakfast and Quick Outing last Thursday

A friend and I met up Thursday morning for breakfast at a place called Billy's Cafe in Tavares.   Shari tries her best to get me out of the house so we are going to try to meet up once a week now while the sketcher's group is taking a summer break (due to the heat and other activities going on).

After we ate breakfast, we compared two type of water soluble markers brushes.  I brought a few Zig Real Brush markers and she brought Jane Davenport's MM Mermaid marker brushes.  We compared on Stillman & Birn Beta paper.

After we played a bit with the markers, we drove across the street to Discovery Gardens to see what might be blooming now.  We started walking around when it started to rain.  So that visit was short lived and Shari went to get her hair cut and I made my way back home.

Worked in the Fabriano Venezia sketchbook with a Platinum Carbon desk pen with Lexington Gray ink.

Spontaneous Painting Following Steve Mitchell (Mind of Watercolor)

As one who needs to see something in front of her to sketch or paint, I decided to step outside my comfort zone using some imagination to produce this.   This exercise is following Steve Mitchell - Mind of Watercolor - video tutorial on YouTube.

This was fun but also a bit of a strain on my brain as I tried to work through seeing and producing the shapes with pen and ink.  Reminds me of looking to the sky and visualizing shapes in clouds or shapes seen in wood grain and floor tiles.   I need to do more of this :-) 

With kind permission from Steve Mitchell, I'm sharing my results. 

Worked in the Strathmore Visual WC journal.  I used an American Painter 4400 - 5/8" angular flat to lay down the color (Daniel Smith watercolors), 01 and 05 Micron pens, and a small round for a few areas.

Trying to Get Back into the Swing of Things

I haven't managed to do a whole lot of sketching since my last post.  We ended up making a trip to West Virginia on May 17th and talk about a rough trip!  Stormy weather topped with accidents made for a very long drawn out trip but we made it safely.

During our time there visiting Mom in the hospital, I only managed a partial sketch.

We made our way back home a few days later and that trip wasn't as bad.  We chose to drive at night and except for a few spots of light rain, the weather was clear.  We're learning driving straight through between Florida and WV is getting more and more difficult to do.

Now that I'm home, I'm trying to get back into the swing of things.

For a few days we are keeping my youngest son's dog, Lola while he and my middle son make the trip to WV for their dad's 65th birthday and to visit their grandmother who's been moved from the hospital to a rehab center in Huntington.

This puppy is so full of life..........a play monster for sure.  Our 9 year old dog is not crazy about  her being around either.  She sees Lola as a bull in a china shop and just wants to be left alone.  Lola on the other hand wants desperately to play.

There's an overpass in Charleston that we traveled each day to and from the hospital.  Each time we drove over this overpass, I was drawn to all the rooftops one sees and took several photos.  This sketch is from one of those photos.

Catching Up with Latest Sketches

I've fallen behind again posting what I've done.  A lot going on between starting the new project mentioned in post prior to this one and a family member in the hospital that's struggling.

This is the monthly sketch I chose to put in my Fabric Journal/Planner for May.  I worked this when our sketch group went out last Saturday and a young man (about 8 or 9 years old) sat next to me watching what I was doing.  His mom was interviewing us about keeping sketch journals and our sketch outings that we plan.

This next one is worked in the Fabriano Venezia sketchbook.  It's one of the flowers growing where we went on Saturday.

Also from Saturday's outing, I worked a quick sketch using the Ipad.

This too is a sketch on the Ipad of my Mom in the hospital.  What a way to spend Mother's Day :-(

Mom was checking her message from me that I sent via Facebook Messenger sending hugs from all of us for Mother's Day.  My brother took the picture this is from to share with me that she was reading what I sent her.