Chimney Pots from my UK Trip 2010

Trying to determine what I wanted to sketch next, I went to my photo folder of our UK trip in 2010.  Of course..what grabs my attention over everything else???  Chimney Pots.  There's just something about chimney pots that I really like. 

I am finding one sketch a day is just not enough right now.  My mind is in over-drive thinking what I want to do next.  I know I'll run out of gas at some point but for now cruising along :-))

As I continue with the pen and ink, I'm finding it a bit easier.  I still have so much more to learn with shading in ink using hatching and cross hatching; but, it IS getting a little easier.

Here's a page in the 9 x 12 Generic No Name sketchbook.  I love filling a page with several illustrations.

Pens used are noted on the page.

Ya Gotta Love Country Living

Here's another resident up here on the mountain we come across at times hiding under rocks....especially those nearest the stream.  Some are not much bigger than a night crawler.

The ringneck has the yellow ring around the neck and matching yellow belly.  The body itself is a slate bluish gray.

From what we understand they can produce a foul smell to ward off predators.  They use their yellow belly to scare off some and they have what's described as a nasty bite if all else fails.

West Virginia is known for the copperhead snakes but fortunately we have not come across any up here.  The only other snake we've seen is a 7 foot black snake that decided to pay me a visit up on the front porch.

Stillman & Birn Alpha 4x6 journal

Calligraphy pen with water soluble brown ink and Pilot Prera with Namiki water soluble black.

Daniel Smith:  Raw and Bt Sienna, Bt Umber, Cobalt Blue, touch of Sap Green, and Cad Yellow.

Creepy Crawlies

Although these don't quite have that "creepy" characteristic I place on ticks and stink bugs, I still don't like ants......especially in the house. 

We've been battling these little pesky crawlers for the last two weeks in the kitchen area.  Haven't been able to locate the source but it seems we almost have them under control.

Nothing like leaning on the counter and realizing you have hitchhikers crawling on you >:-/

We didn't have any bug spray but I did find Windex zaps them just as easily and without that horrible insecticide smell.

Isn't it funny how we as people as big as we are can be so squeamish or uncomfortable about something so small???

Alpha 4 x 6 journal alternating between the Platinum Carbon with black ink and the Uniball brown black.

Food Scales - UK in Pen and Ink

For me this was a very challenging subject to sketch in pen and ink.  I had never seen a set of scales like this until my trip to the UK in 2010.  I've wanted to attempt this for some time but wasn't until last night I actually gave it a try.

I used two pens with the Platinum Carbon as my primary pen (black ink) and then the Pilot Prera with Lexington Gray ink.

Worked in the Generic Sketchbook

Something Blue

This sketch is using three of the color-black Uniball pens recently purchased with Blue-Black as the primary.  I really like having these different shade blacks.

Stillman & Birn Alpha 4x6 Journal

Daniel Smith:  Ultramarine, Cerulean Blue, Opera Pink, App Green, and Cad Yellow.

3/8" Angular Flat

On a Roll

I've been in one of those moods where I'm sketching quite a bit.  I do go through spurts so it will be interesting how long this one lasts.

Here are several I've done the last couple of days.

We are dreading the onslaught of these bugs come end of September through October.  They have become quite a nuisance and hard to keep out of the house.

This is from my Texas trip last year.

The Chapel here is from the Miracle Whip commercial with my adding my own bit changing the overall landscape.

I just finished this one a little while ago.  Used a Uniball UM 151 Brown Black 0.38 gel pen.

Dried Mushrooms

These mushrooms I picked early last year.  I've held on to them for some reason and have since dried.  They are sitting in an empty glass.  Might be the funny tops that have intrigued me to keep them.....I'm not really sure.

Stillman & Birn Alpha 4 x 6 journal

Pilot Prera with Lexington Gray ink later adding some line work with Uniball UM 151 Brown Black 0.38

Daniel Smith Raw and Bt Sienna plus Cerulean Blue

Pricketts Fort, WV Ink and Wash

Here's an ink and wash done of one of the buildings inside Prickets Fort located only a few miles from us.  It sits off an inlet of the Mon River.  Now a park where they have reenactments of the life style inside the fort many years ago.

Stillman & Birn Alpha 4 x 6 journal and Pilot Prera with Namiki Black ink.

Finalized with a little wash of color using Daniel Smith watercolors.




This is an earlier pen and ink I did for the 75 day challenge two years ago.

Rock Climbing in West Virginia

This is a sketch of one of my favorite places to visit a couple hours away.  It's located on the eastern part of West Virginia off 33 and 28. 

I've been there camping in cabins a few times, fishing, and several years ago went on a horseback ride up part way of this peak.  You can only go so far on foot.....otherwise in order to reach the top one has to have rock climbing skills.

There is also a small cavern one can visit.  The thing I remember most about the cavern were the bats hanging.

Consists of Tuscarora Quartzite which is white gray in color.

Alpha 4 x 6 journal; Pilot Prera with Namiki black (water soluble), and Daniel Smith watercolors.  #8 Round and 3/8" Angular Flat.

Special Place

This is a sketch of Valley Falls, WV that is about 30 miles from us. 

It's known for "THE" ideal location for weddings.  You can visit and at times see people sitting and sketching or painting the area.  Family reunions are held at this park to include our own.

First I sketched using a Pilot Prera with Lexington Gray ink.  Worked the watercolor using Daniel Smith watercolors and then went back with the Uniball UM 151 0.5 Brown Black gel pen to re-emphasize some of the rocks.

Worked in the Alpha 4 x 6 journal

New Sighting - Tanager

After moving out in the country up on a hilltop surrounded by trees, we have seen so many new things.  Various type trees, fungi, wildlife from coyotes to turkeys plus a few new bird species never seen before.  The most recent being the Scarlet Tanager.

The male is red and black and the female greenish yellow and black.  Their sound is like a Robin only raspier.

Terry noticed first the male in the berry tree at the side of our house.  We're not sure what type of bush/tree it is but has a wonderful fragrance in the Spring and loaded with small orange to red berries during this time of year.

I worked this pen and ink/watercolor sketch in the Alpha journal using the new Uniball UM 151 pens.  Colors used:  green black 0.38, bordeaux black 0.38, and brown black 0.28 and 0.5.

Daniel Smith:  Perm Red, Cad Red, Paynes Gray, Fr Ultramarine, Green Ap, and New Gamboge.

#8 Round and #6 Mini round

Playing with a Sheaffer Calligraphy Pen

When I was packing up the house for a possible move back into town, I came across this Sheaffer Calligraphy pen set I bought back in 1996.  I used to create miniature tags with fabric angels for Hospice patients while living in Texas.

Thought I would play a bit with one of the pens using it to sketch with.  As you can see the ink is definitely not waterproof.

The brown leans towards red.  Nice color for a change.

Ooops......I'm a day behind.  Just noticed I wrote yesterday's date.

Easter Cactus - Pen and Ink with Watercolor

Here's one more sketch using the Uniball UM-151 pens

Green Black and Bordeaux Black

Alpha 4 x 6 journal.

Daniel Smith watercolors and #8 Round

Color is primarily the pen and ink but then went back over with light washes of Green and Opera Pink.

At this point I'm not sure if I like using pen and ink to fill in subjects like this.  I love it with buildings and trees but for plant life and flowers I'm just not sure.  I might have to try this again with watercolor as my primary and pen and ink to add some detailing.  

Lucky Bamboo - Pen and Ink plus Watercolor

Thought I would try mixing the color Uniball inks in a sketch and chose one of my favorite plants to do so.

I chose to use my No-name Sketchbook that I had dedicated to pen and ink only.  Unfortunately or fortunately (however you see it) I was lost in what I was doing and ended up taking watercolors to the sketch.  I honestly didn't think this paper would do well even with light washes but was pleasantly surprised.  No bleed through on page either.

Uniball UM-151 Colors used were:  Bordeaux Black, Green Black (both 0.38) and my 0.28 and 0.5 Brown Black.

Watercolors used:  Daniel Smith

#8 Round

Testing my new Pens in the Uniball UM 151 Series

I've already used the Brown Black 0.28 size point and decided to try the 0.38 in various colors plus one 0.5 in the Brown Black.

The UM 151 comes in all sorts of colors but I chose to stick with the various Color-Blacks offered through Jet Pens.

I just love how the gel pens glide across the paper!

This was done in my Alpha 4 x 6 journal. 

One of my Favorite Movie Characters

Have you ever had a movie you could just sit and watch over and over again?  My movie or movie series I absolutely love is the Ice Age series.  Barbie is another after being introduced to them by my granddaughters.

I'm not one who can take watching gore, killing, and destruction.  In fact I stay away from anything that can trigger fear.  I enjoy an occasional Romantic Comedy but my favorite are those produced like Dream World and Disney animated...........those cute feel good type family movies that often make one laugh.

Last night I was in the mood for Ice Age and one of my favorite characters is Sid so I decided to sketch him.

This was done in the Alpha 4 x 6 journal using a Pilot Prera pen with Lexington Gray ink.

Queen Anne's Lace - Pen and Ink

My youngest granddaughter picked some of these for me several days ago.  I've sat and studied them wanting to attempt to capture on paper.  Last night I finally did so.

Worked in the 4 x 6 Alpha journal using my Platinum Carbon fountain pen.

Haven't done a great deal since the last pen and ink house. 

These are just a couple of small sketches in my Alpha 4 x 6 journal.

Nanny's House

 This sketch is a special one to me.  I have wanted to do this for some time but would feel a bit squeamish attempting it until now.

This huge house was split into three separate dwellings.  The owner of the house lived on the first level and rented out the middle and attic portions.  To access the apartments, one would go in through the left side going up a long staircase to the middle apartment with a outer hall way that wrapped around leading to yet another long staircase to the attic apartment.

The middle apartment consisted of five rooms plus huge bathroom.  Very easily used as a three bedroom apartment.  All rooms were huge.  The kitchen was a large eat in kitchen and the large bathroom had an old tub with the fancy legs and no shower. 

The attic apartment was also very large consisting of four rooms plus bath with shower.  The kitchen was a gallery type kitchen opening wider into the dining area.  Off the dining room was the large bathroom.  The other two rooms consisted of a large bedroom and huge living room.  One of the things I love about old houses are the sizes of the rooms.

My grandmother (Nanny) on my mother's side rented the middle apartment in 1963.  She had the place fixed up as a two bedroom apartment, a sitting room, and living room looking out towards the front of the house.  She was married three times (each spouse passing on) during this 28 years.  When her and Melvin (4th husband) married, they decided to rent the attic apartment as well to keep tenants from living over top.  Melvin also built a screened in porch at the entrance leading up to the two apartments.  I always enjoyed visiting my grandmother and loved staying up in the attic apartment.

Each time I pass through Mannington, this place calls out to me.  It will always be a special place to me!

Worked in the No Name sketchbook using the Uniball UM 151 Brown Black gel pen.  Talk about slow work shading the dark areas with the 0.28 pen but I enjoyed every minute of it.  Also used a white gel pen in areas.

My House is a Very Very Very Nice House....

Our house is a very, very, very fine house; with four dogs in the yard, life used to be so hard
Now everything is easier, 'cause of you...............................(little twist on the words by Crosby Stills Nash)

Sketch of the back of my house using the Uniball UM 151 brown-black gel pen.

No name sketch book.

Worked this during wee hours of the morning while watching TV.