Category: Family

Another Golden…..

Jake

  photo by klricca at Wetcanvas

Graphite on Bristol Smooth

     I have to say the tongue was the most fun to draw on this one.  I guess it’s because I haven’t drawn many animals with the tongue out like that and it was something new.  I need to work on eyes more BUT  I am doing much better on noses and fur.  See, if you find one thing negative in your work make sure you find two positive things so you don’t feel so bad, heh.  I have a bunch of reference photos for dogs to work on, but I can’t seem to find more exotic animals to play around with or even the domesticated oddities that people choose for pets.  At least I have my doggies….

   Things have been pretty quiet here so far this week.  Alana is back home spending the week with my family and David is still working in Danville.  So it’s just been me and the dog.  After having a house full, being alone 24/7 is pretty hard to get accustomed to again and Sam (the dog) hates when things and people aren’t where they should be.  I think the Samoyed breed are herding dogs and some of Sam’s sheep are missing, lol…..  I guess that’s about it for now.

Be Well and Happy!

Did I do that?

As you have read we have been working on the house so we can put it up for sale.  It is taking a long time because aside from all the painting that I completed, the rest of the jobs are pretty big and I can’t do them alone.  David works out of town and we have to tackle the big jobs on weekends while David is home.  I am happy to report that the inside of the house is showroom ready.  So now it’s time to start on the outside.  The first order of business was to take down the pool.  We could have left it I guess, it is definitely a nice BIG pool that is only a couple of years old, but we thought it would put buyers off as a liability.  So that was on the list for this weekend.  First, I unscrewed the top caps and started to remove them.   I was very careful for fear I’d find a creepy crawly or a spider, but surprisingly they were really clean.  I said to myself, “piece of cake” and began just to zip them off.  Then I unscrewed the last one and it was full of straw and I saw something pink.  For some reason I thought to myself….SNAKE!!!!!…and I flung the cap across the yard!  Well, come to find out it was a bird nest with 5 baby birds and 3 of them were laying in the yard.  I felt terrible because I just knew that I had killed them.  Thank Goodness they were still alive.  Alana and I wrapped grocery bags around our hands and placed the babies back into the nest and put them in our flower bush.  I sure hope the mama finds them.

Here’s a picture of the babies.   They were moving all over the place…I hope that’s a good sign?

Here is their new home.

  I have been getting some drawing in, but it’s only a few little bits at time.  I am drawing the same Golden Retriever that I drew in colored pencil.  I think it will be awhile before I can get it done but here is my work in progress:

Be Well and Happy!

Moving…

     All those mundane tasks that weren’t worth mentioning?  Well, the picture to the left is one of them.  Let’s see…so far I have painted 2 rooms and a closet twice (hated the color), guest room, took down the paneling and painted my artroom, painted 12 doors front and back, the garage front and the fronts of the windows.  I can’t tell you how sick I am of painting.  I have sanded some of my fingernails off and possibly a top layer of skin…So Bob Villa I ain’t.  If you were wondering why we are doing so much work so soon?  Well, it’s because we are putting the house up for sale. 

     David got a  job (which he started Monday) in Danville.  So between now and summer we’ll be preparing to move there.  We are from near that area, so it’s no stranger to us.  I guess what I’m most happy with is that David won’t have to travel.  Although I was use to him traveling, It will be great knowing that he’ll be home every night.   The only thing I am really worried about is that I really want Alana to finish her 8th grade year at the school that she attends now.  Since she’ll be transitioning  into high school in the fall, it would be a good to wait until summer.  But I guess we’ll  let everything fall where it may.

     I think this move is a good thing, but as we work on the house, we are finding that with a little… no… alot of work and updating, it’s really pretty.  I can’t believe the transformation.  At least I’ll get to enjoy it a little while before we have to hand it over to a realtor. 

   I hear my drawing board calling to me late at night…saying, “Hey, pick me up! Quit ignoring me!”  I don’t know how much more I can avoid him.  Yeah, My drawing board is a he! (Hubba Hubba!)   So, I have a bit more work to do over the weekend, but I am hoping to get squeeze some art in next week. 

Be Well and Happy!

I turned 2 and I missed it….

Tigerlilly

Graphite on Duralar

     I can’t believe I missed my blogaversary!  I would smack myself but in all fairness it’s been a pretty crappy month.  I have had two family members pass away within weeks of each other  and  my little big girl is recuperating from a nasty cold and a double ear infection.    So thank goodness, I found this drawing in my computer that I could post on this belated occasion.   Drawing on duralar is like taking a chicken bone to a gun fight,   But hey! I did it, it looks ok and I’ll never have to do it again.

 I love my blog and I’m really blessed for my virtual artist friends and  family members for their love and support…then I would like to thank the Academy…(hee hee just kidding).    It means a lot that I can go to an artist’s blog and ask ,”Hey, could you tell me how you did that?”  And they tell me with no hesitation.  Another example is when I  bought this drawing book and I didn’t understand some of what author was trying to get across, so I emailed her.  She took time out of her busy schedule and she explained it to me again,  breaking the instruction down more for me. She didn’t have to and could have easily told me to shove off or buy another one of her books, but she didn’t.  It’s many many little things like that has kept me going for the last two years  and makes me want to keep going, keep drawing, and keep learning….  I hope one day that I will be able to pay it forward.   

 Thank you!

Be Well and Happy!

EDM Montage….

 

EDM Challenges

 Colored Pencil on Sketch

 Since I am so far behind on completing my EDM challenges, I thought I do another grouping.   It was a great exercise in practicing colored pencil and layering color.  I used my cheapo sketch pad and colored pencil set. 

EDM #33 Draw an eye – I liked this exercise and I will probably do more of them on my own.  The books are right in saying that it is less daunting practicing one part at a time. 

EDM #26 Draw a vegetable or anything you like – This is my beautiful carrot drawing and my favorite drawing of all the exercises.

EDM #19 Draw something you’ve made – This is a pair of ear rings that I made for my sister-in-law.  The ear rings are supposed to resemble tie-dye and were made out of polymer clay. 

EDM #40 Draw something with folds – This is from an exercise that I got out of a book.  I have a lot of difficulty with folds too.  I messed up some of the drawing by adding violet to heavily.

EDM #39 Draw your toothbrush – This is my cool black and pink toothbrush.  It’s is one of those breast cancer proceeds brushes.  The odd shapes in the brush made it a fun exercise.

EDM #22 Draw something old or vintage – This is a drawing of my Great-grandpa’s shaving brush.  The brush is one of my precious treasures.

EDM #23 Draw your foot – Well, I’ll never draw my naked foot, but here’s a drawing  of my foot in my favorite handmade,  half-inch thick, knitted house socks….Better than shoes! 

Be Well and Happy!

 

Jacob….

Jacob

Graphite on Bristol Smooth

     This is another portrait that I worked on that was a Christmas gift.  The original looks so much better than the image above, but at least you have an idea of what he looks like.  I was asked to draw two of him in the same pose.    Drawing people is still pretty scary for me….Sometimes they work out and most of the time they don’t.  So as I write that I am extremely proud of this portrait, it’s a huge understatement.   I still have a hard time with blonde hair  though, but I’ll worry about that another day.  

      I have been breaking in my new easel and painting like crazy!  Not that I have anything remotely nice enough or finished enough to show…but I am really having fun making a complete mess:)  So even though it may not be good for the eyes, it is definitely good for the soul.

Be Well and Happy! 

   

   

     

Khaki….

Khaki

Graphite on Bristol Smooth

   This portrait is of our childhood dog.  He was a sweet, loving dog and Genghis Khan of the neighborhood possibly fathering hundreds of  pups throughout the surrounding area.  He bears a very strong resemblance to this dog and most certainly could be Khaki’s granddoggie.  He was closer to my little sister than the rest of us and was she devastated when he left one afternoon and never returned home.  I  don’t know if he went away to die (he was really old), or he got shot, but we hoped that another family adopted him.  Anyway, my mom asked me to draw this for her for Christmas and of course I was more than happy to do it.   She loved it and I think it was her favorite gift!

Be Well and have a Happy New Year!

 

My new pretty….

     I have a few things to post, but I thought today I would share a very special birthday gift, my easel.   My old easel did not work very well and when I would paint, 9 times out of 10 the easel as well as my canvas ( wet with paint) would land in the floor.   Now, I could beat the canvas to pieces and my new easel will take it like a champ.

    The oil painting on the easel is one that my Dad and I were working on Thanksgiving.  It’s a Bob Ross  style painting.   The portion on the right isn’t finished, but I hope to complete it very soon. 

Well, I’m off to paint:) 

 Be Well and Happy!

Merry Christmas!

 

 Colored Pencil on sketch

       Well, I guess this is my last  entry until after the holidays.  I haven’t completed any new artwork, so I am posting this candy cane that I drew and colored in with crayola colored pencils a long time ago.  This is one of my favorite sketches and is certainly relevant to the upcoming season.  I do have a few pieces of art that I will be able to share after the pieces get to their homes.   But other than that, I’ve been shopping, wrapping, baking.  Then I had to give Sam his Christmas shave.  I had to get him handsome so he could see his girlfriend…It’s true love…really!

The drawing on the top is Sam and the one on the bottom  is Shasta.   A beautiful couple huh?  NOT!

      I’m going home for Christmas  and as it turns out I will also there for my birthday on the 23rd.  I am sooooo excited.  I haven’t been able spend Christmas with my family  for the past couple of years so I can’t wait! Oh, and did I say that I was excited?  

    I guess that’s about it for now.  I hope everyone has a safe and Happy Christmas!