Category: Uncategorized

Zentangle

        This Zentangle is bigger than I what I’ve been drawing and I am a little bit rusty.  My intention was to draw Zentangles more often, but like everything else…didn’t happen.  BUT with this Zentangle I think I may have too many conflicting patterns and it looks a little heavy on the left side.  I really don’t have a clue what  the Zen Guru’s have to say about this, because I’m self-taught and I really didn’t think that a Zentangle COULD actually be messed up.  Who knows….It was therapeutic and I guess that what counts, right?

   Well, that’s about all I have for now….Have a fun and safe July 4th!

 

 

 

 

Be Well and Happy! 

     

    

Still A W.I.P. . .

This drawing is really irritating me.  I wanted to try a different drawing technique to get more detail in drawing animals leaning more toward a hyper realism (can that be a real phrase) that is lacking in my drawings.  I guess want the strokes evident  close-up as well as far away.  Usually, when I draw I use my own technique which involves:  Stroke, Smudge, Smear, Squint and repeat.   Yes, I realize smudging and smearing is highly ridiculed and Yes, that’s just how I roll.  I do spend time drawing the fur on the neck following how the hair naturally grows.  But this drawing is causing quite a bit of stress because I’m completely lost.  I have so many graphite layers and not only is the portrait a little more than half finished I have also ran out of tooth on my paper.  I can probably spray a workable fixative  to finish the piece, but its looking no better than what I usually draw in half the time.   And the nose looks like it belongs on Mr. Potato Head.   This drawing has lost it’s romance with me and I think I need to move on to something else and add this to my best intention, to be determined pile.  I guess what works for some doesn’t work for others. 

  To change the subject completely….. I have been wondering how to respond to comments left on my blog.  Although I don’t get many, I like to show my thanks or someone will say something that I want to respond to.   I am going to follow suit and respond in my blog.  I’m just telling you first before it gets aired on Fox News tonight BAHAHAHAHAHA.

Be Well and Happy!

ATCs and Art of a Different Kind…

 Zentangle ATC – Ink on Bristol Smooth

and

Bleeding Heart Flower ATC – Colored Pencil on Bristol Smooth

   These images keep getting worse….I’m sorry about that, hopefully I will get this resolved soon.  These ATC’s are the cards that I sent Chrissy Marie.  I think the Zentangle was her favorite out of the two and it’s mine too.   Love those Zentangles!

      Thank Goodness we only have a couple more things to do before we are finally able to put the house up for sale.   Yipee!!! They are pretty big jobs and will have to wait for the weekend. So this week has been pretty easy.      I could not bring myself to finish the W.I.P. of my retriever. Maybe I’ll be in the mood to finish it soon…I hate to leave unfinished projects.     I did  get a strange request this week that I could not resist.  I have been asked to draw a lot of things (mostly dogs) but this was the first time I got a  request to draw and design a tattoo.  And let me tell you, I had a blast!  I’ve always thought I would have been a pretty good tattoo artist.  Not to mention, with what they cost now a days?  Good Living to say the least.  What bothers me is the places people choose to get them.  EEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!  I’m a tad bit bashful…well…. a lot bashful  and I don’t think a tattoo done with my eyes closed would look too good…  Anyway, I can’t wait to show you the design, but it has to stay under wraps until it’s on the skin.    Heck, forget the fame and fortune!  You know you’ve made it when someone wants your artwork with them forever….I’m just joking of course, but it’s still pretty cool.  Have a great weekend and I’m wishing blue skies for everyone!

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!

Saturday Suprise…..

   Saturday was feeling pretty lousy.  I woke up already dreading David heading back out-of-town, even though he had just come home the night before.  I was so tired and dreading what work lay ahead, fearing at the same time that we would never get done, so we can sell the house.  Overall, I was headed for being depressed the whole weekend.  Then, I received this package in the mail.  Needless to say, this little treasure added a lot of sunshine to my Saturday.

    Chrissy Marie made some ATC’s as part of her art therapy and of course being a huge fan of her work, I jumped at the chance to trade Artist  Cards with her.    She also sent a beautiful booklet that included the rest of her ATC’s with quotes and poems and a lovely handmade card.  She’s a has a great blog filled with art, amazing photography, knitting and paper crafts.  Chrissy’s blog is never boring which is why she rates as one of my favorites:)

    Chrissy’s Art Therapy project can be found  (here).

      It is such a pleasure getting to know her through her blog and I so look forward to reading her blog for many years to come. 

Thank You Chrissy and your ATC is on it’s way!

FYI – ATC Cards are 2.5 x 3.5 Artist Trading Cards in any medium that is signed and dated on the back. 

Be Well and Happy!

Bewitched….

Elizabeth Montgomery

Graphite on Bristol Smooth

     After taking a billion pictures, this was the best of the lot.  It’s very frustrating, but I didn’t want to let another day go by without a post.  I was able to sneak away and spend some QT with my drawing board.  It felt really good to lay down some graphite!  I really don’t know if this looks like Elizabeth Montgomery or not.  I like to think it does, but my sister thought it was Grace Kelly, but David knew exactly who it was  soooooo…. I’m not too insulted because both of them are pretty ladies and I mainly wanted to draw blonde hair so capturing facial features would be a bonus.   I still need to draw a man though…is there any beef cake any of you would like to see in graphite?

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!

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!

 

Theatre Masks…

Theatre Mask

Theatre Masks

Pigma Micron on Bristol Smooth

(click on image to enlarge)

Just how awesome  can a Zentangle be?  I guess this AWESOME!  Though I have way too many hours in this and I’m very excited  how it turned out.  My niece Leigh is studying theatre in college and was the inspiration behind this piece. I was looking at her pictures on Facebook and I was thinking how cool…the pancake make-up… the costumes…the lighting…..Then,  BAM! the Theatre Masks were born.   I like when ideas sneak up on you and hit you like a ton of bricks!  Leigh is such a beautiful individual inside and out and I’m very excited to see what her future holds because I guarantee that it will be just spectacular! 

   BTW, I’m still working on the Van Gogh painting and it’s still going horrible, but I’m trying to hang in there!

Young at Heart….

 

Canis Lupess

 

Graphite on Bristol Smooth

From a photo taken by  Canis Lupess at Wet Canvas 

    I have drawn so many dogs that they almost have become second nature.  When I have too many flops and my trash can over flows,  somehow drawing doggies always make me feel better about about my drawing ability.  This dog is the result of feeling really bad about my struggles with trying to learn other mediums.  The process of making art can be so overwelming at times,  well most times really and sometimes I lack the patience that  art requires.  I have faith that I’ll get it eventually and I guess that will have to be enough for now.     I’ll just have to press on.