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.

Monday and Tuesday's Sketches

Today makes one full month I've been working these "Draw Your Day" journal pages.   I find myself slowing down a bit lacking the motivation I had when I started these.  It's hot and humid and even though staying indoors, I feel hot and sluggish...not feeling like doing much.  Is it winter yet???  LOL

Yesterday I was looking out the window and saw our black snake on the fencing.  I thought it was so neat how he weaved in around the wire spokes.  He worked his way along a good part of the fence before he slithered to the ground and made his way over to the garden area.

For today's sketching, I just pulled out my collection of birthstone bears.  Haven't been doing much to really journal about except being lazy and either listening to or watching TV.

KG sketchbook / Micron 01 and 005 / Holbein and QoR watercolors (mainly Holbein)

Morgan's New Bird - Charlie

Today I wasn't really feeling it to do any sketching until my granddaughter called all excited about a new bird she bought out of her own money.  The family are at the beach and she will pick "Charlie" up on their way home next Saturday.

While at the shop, Morgan held different parakeets until she found one that seemed to like her and not bite.  This little fellow even laid on his back for her to rub his belly and closed his eyes enjoying the moment.  Morgan has done her homework researching all she could about keeping birds.  How cool!!!

My granddaughter's phone call was enough to inspire me to grab my sketchbook and paint her bird from photo she sent me.

KG sketchbook
Holbein watercolors
Micron 01

Friday and Today's Sketching

My husband has been coming in saying how bad the midges are so I decided to document them in my sketchbook.  I went outside walking around studying and taking photos of those on the outside walls and car.  While outside, I walked around the house and saw where there were early fruits on the Japanese Yews.  My eye also caught something on the roof and it was this dove peeking over the edge.

Thursday, I got a call from my youngest son saying he had taken a bad fall in the attic of one of the houses he was checking for a break in wiring.  He found the problem and was headed out of the attic when he stepped back off the end of one of the joists onto ceiling.  So that he didn't damage or go through the ceiling, he quickly pulled back which caused him to lose his balance.  He tried to break his fall by grabbing onto an overhead support and his body swung around causing him to lose his grip.  He fell flat on his back across the joists.  Another contractor was below in the garage and heard the loud thud.  He had to help Travis out of the attic and my son's supervisor was called.  His supervisor came on site and saw to it Travis went to be checked out.  Took him to Leesburg Regional Urgent Care.  Although xrays were taken (not read yet), the physician documented Travis was suffering a contusion to the back and a spinal sprain.  He was sent home with instructions and wants him back Monday for a follow-up visit.

Travis is one hurting puppy but if there's a positive in this..........he didn't fall THROUGH the ceiling landing on a concrete floor below.  With two sons working jobs that require them at times up in attics, this has been one of my fears along with passing out due to the Florida heat.

Second page is my participation in Cathy Johnson's monthly Sketch With Me virtual sketchcrawl.  The theme for the month is "Challenge" where we choose to work something we find challenging......either subject or medium, etc.  

I'm always wanting to sketch and paint Miya but always find myself dragging my feet actually doing so.  It's her fur that intimidates me.

This started out as a graphite only sketch but then sprayed it and decided to go ahead and attempt the coloring.  Her fur is one of the things I love about her.  It's soft and I love the scraggly look due to the soft curls going off in various directions.  I keep her fur cut fairly short by sitting her in my lap and cutting with scissors..........it's one of our special bonding times together.  

Dead Ringneck Snake Found

We have a small entrance porch (covered) at the front of our house with a couple chairs.  Under Terry's chair I noticed this little guy on his back....definite sign it was not alive.  Before discarding him, I wanted to document capturing his unique color and patterns on the underside compared to how he looks right side up. 

We have several snakes, some of which are rather large.  All being non poisonous.  And we are grateful for them to help keep certain nasty critters from getting out of control.  One large black snake likes to sunbath in the middle of our back yard. 

As to what happened to this guy, we have no idea.  There were no apparent signs of another animal getting a hold of it. 

KG sketchbook / Micron 01 / Holbein watercolors

How Do They Know???

Today's page is more of a written story accompanied by a few illustrations.  Telling the story about how funny our four legged family members can amaze you wondering how on earth they know or figure things out.........even when you try to take precautions or be sneaky about it.

I haven't illustrated this but the other time Miya seems to know things that leaves us scratching our heads is when we bring home a toy in with her food from PetSmart.  We bring in grocery bags and it doesn't phase her at all.  We bring in the same type bags from PetSmart and if just food, no reaction.  But if we have a stuffed toy in among the food...........Miya will follow from front door to the kitchen jumping for the bag.  She just seems to know even if she can't see it. 

KG sketchbook / Micron 01 / Holbein and DS watercolors.

Three More Draw Your Day Pages

Sunday was easy to journal with illustrating our favorite restaurant.  Monday wasn't so much since I didn't do anything but watch TV.  In fact I just didn't feel up to doing anything to include sketching.  Yesterday I actually left the house and joined up with my sketching group at the monthly Library Tuesday meetup.  Our time was just sketching what we had with us as practice capturing various shapes, setting up mini still life if people chose to, or working from photos on their phones.  I chose to take several items out of my sketching bag and set up as a mini still life arrangement.

KG sketchbook / Mixed watercolor brands (Holbein, DS and Qor)/Micron 01

A Little Bit of Nature

For these pages I chose to capture a few things going on right outside our door.

Yesterday's sketching - We have a pair of brown thrashers that hang around on the ground below the feeders and will often fly and sit on the feeder pole.  This is right before they decided to fly off.  The male is in the pose right before taking off.  The female followed.

Today's sketching is of three of several flowering plants/shrubs off the sunroom.

KG sketchbook / Holbein and Daniel Smith watercolors (mainly Holbein) / Micron 01

Gecko Babies and Eliminating Self Imposed Anxiety

Left Page - Baby Geckos

We had unexpected baby geckos hatch from eggs found months ago (found in lunch bag in storage we closed out) I had sitting in a dish for sketching.  It was early evening and walking by where the dish was sitting, my eye caught a glimpse of something that looked different.  At first I thought I was suffering double vision of a dried up brown anole also sitting in the dish.  Looking closer I saw it was a baby gecko.  I carried the dish out and released the baby in the garden so he could get to food and water.

Looking closer at the eggs, three other eggs look different.  They are darker in color (as if something inside) and have some weight to them.  I was sitting in the chair next to the table the dish sits and heard a noise.  Within 30 minutes we had a second hatching.  We set that little guy outside as well.

Right Page - Eliminating Anxiety

It's been eating at me that here it is June already and I still have the 75 Day Ink Only Challenge looming over me to do this year.  A self imposed yearly challenge I set each year simply because I feel I have to.  Well meaning compliments or comments has left me to feel or given my inner critic the excuse to nag at me that using pencil must be a no no and that I need to work towards not using one.  I have finally made the decision that I'm not going to feel like I'm doing something wrong by using pencil first and setting myself free of that anxiety.

I like using pencil for several reasons.........it's NOT just about having the ability to erase (although that does take pressure off a person....HA HA).  I'm not in a race to work a page and the entire process I enjoy the most  (pencil / ink / paint ... and in that order) is what makes my sketching relaxing, fun, and therapeutic in nature.

More Game Play and Pet Antics

It's becoming a little more difficult coming up with what to include in my day to day due to a non-active life style and rarely leaving the house.  What I do day in and day out is pretty non-eventful and repetitive.  Might be I don't actually sketch my EVERY day and go back to working how I was before.  We'll see how each day goes.  One thing for sure, I want to continue at least doing something until the next rest period hits.

KG sketchbook / Micron 01 / Holbein watercolors

What My Mind Was On Yesterday

Yesterday was one of those days I couldn't satisfy my hunger.  Not that I was really hungry but instead just wanted to eat.  I behaved throughout the day but all I could think about was food.  Come evening I kind of blew it eating more than I normally allow myself.  It could have been worse but to me bad enough.  Hopefully today will be a better day.

KG sketchbook / Micron 01 / Holbein and Daniel Smith watercolors

Sunday - Quiet Day Until...

Well we may have our #3 on the "what will happen next" scenario........lol.  Still awaiting on Toyota's decision to cover my tailgate under warranty so it's not that.  Instead it ended up being my youngest son's dog all of a sudden taking ill and being taken to the Emergency Vet Hospital.  It was quite a scare but appears to have been an allergic reaction to something Sunday evening and was taken care of with treatment.  She's all back to her normal self :-)

KG sketchbook / Micron 01 / Holbein and Daniel Smith watercolors

What's Next

Although it's probably just silly superstition, it's seems to always play out to be true for us when something bad happens, it comes in three.

First it was the refrigerator and now it looks like our vehicles.

Wednesday evening Terry went shopping for groceries and came out to his truck only to find it wouldn't start.  My first thought was the battery but we didn't have cables on either vehicle to test that out.  He was thinking starter because he thought he heard a clunk sound when he turned the key in the ignition.  I brought him home and Thursday he had his truck towed to Toyota.  As it turns out, it was only the battery and an expensive one at that!!!  Here he was sitting in a parking lot where Advance Auto sits and could have had a choice in batteries at I'm sure a lower price.  Oh well.  The positive to this.........he FINALLY has maintenance done on his truck while at Toyota.  Something he's been dragging his feet on for over a year.

My SUV has had an ongoing issue with the tailgate.  Started years ago and three trips to Toyota only for it to work just fine when they tested it.  And we always left feeling like idiots because they would just pass it off as needing to hit the reset button on the tailgate.  Each time following the trip to Toyota, we'd get home and it would not operate correctly.  This went on until it reached the point where we had to forcefully open and close the tailgate 90% of the time.

Friday we scheduled for my car to have it's maintenance done (only a few months late) and Terry went to the service manager about the tailgate rather than relying on one of the techs.  We were tired of being put off without them holding onto and really taking the time to check it.  Of course at first try, the tailgate opened and closed just fine.  The service manager said they would test it while doing the maintenance and lo and behold, it failed to open.

Out of three prior trips only one tech bothered to document our complaint and fortunately it was when our car was still under warranty.  The service manager did some research and found this was a common complaint for our year SUV and is submitting for approval for Toyota to cover the cost since it was first reported while still under warranty.  No promises though (and I'm not holding my breath) but we can keep our fingers crossed.  If they don't cover the repair under warranty, we're looking at least $1300 just for the part.  We won't know until this coming week.

So we're asking ourselves, will these two added issues with vehicles be considered #2 or #3...........lol  What's next?

Yesterday was rather uneventful here but my nephew was married up in West Virginia.  I hated we had to miss it!!!  The entire day my mind was on them while I tried to focus on here at home.  At least my oldest son and his family were able to make it and I'm so thankful for that!!  At least someone from my side of the family made it to the wedding.

With yesterday's lack of focus, I at least managed a little illustration of the wedding and then decided to chart my greens for comparison.  I have all these tubes of green paint but normally only grab the Sap Green.

KG sketchbook / Mixed brands / Micron 01

Yesterday and Today's Sketching

Yesterday I was just plain lazy.  I had a rough night where I couldn't fall asleep so I used that time to sketch at least one page to get my mind off my leg.  After a few hours of sleep, I finished the page adding color but then didn't feel like scanning and posting.  The rest of the day was rather uneventful watching TV and just relaxing.

And for a change I used one of my fountain pens.  I love using them but not crazy about having to sit and wait for the ink to dry before moving on.  That's one reason I've been using the Micron.....it dries almost immediately.

As for today's sketching, I went back to the Micron; however, I didn't realize I had grabbed my brown Micron.  As I was working I thought.......pen must be finally starting to dry up.....which I really didn't mind since I like the look.  It's not so stark.  Then I realized it was brown ink....duhh!

A 3-Page Day

Today's Draw Your Day includes illustrating a really weird dream I had, a little rhyming verse to myself (for when I find myself feeling guilty for using pencil first), and today's outing with the sketching group.  This is three pages in my KG journal using Holbein and Daniel Smith watercolors and Micron pen.

Depending on Mood - Guilty of Comparison

What's included on yesterday journal entry is a reminder to myself as I can be guilty of doing this depending on the mood I happen to be in...which can affect my enthusiasm for sketching.

I surf the web quite often looking and admiring other peoples' work.  I have two art groups in Facebook and a member of another large art group where many of my friends (local and online) share their work.  If I'm in one of my iffy (vulnerable) moods, I can find myself comparing my work to others I admire and start feeling self doubt.  It can awaken that negative inner critic I try to keep at bay.  I've caught myself feeling "why do I bother," or wishing I could sketch or paint like so and so, and I'm sure you can think of other thoughts that might enter one's head when caught in the trap of comparison. 


Yesterday, I thought I would add this to my journal to refer back on as a reminder.  To help get me back on track, when necessary, keeping in mind why I keep art journals to begin with.  Although I share hoping to inspire other people, I do this for myself.  I don't work on commission or sell for that matter....nor do I compete in shows.  My journals are an outlet where I can escape to.  They are a source of activity I can still do after having to give up so many other things I used to love, like gardening, hiking, bowling, etc.  They are my visual diary keepsakes for family.  My journals help with boredom and therapeutic in nature to focus on something positive........a safe place I can go.  If I HAVE to compare with anyone, it should be only with myself :-)

Draw Your Day - Day 7

Well.......I've been at it so far for one week.  So far so good :-) 

Last night was a bad night for sleep so I ended up starting this before daylight with the necklace and game. 

The rest of the day has been mainly relaxing and watching TV, but I did manage a few light chores. 

KG sketching / QoR watercolors / Micron 01