Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Apr30Art

A day fit for ducks, rain, rain and more rain.  I do believe the last time I saw rain this hard was when hurricane Floyd was coming ashore.  The page is a bit unbalanced, I should put something on the right I suppose, just don't know what.  The lyrics to Oh Susannah have been in my head all day, so I'm hoping by writing them down I can make room for other thoughts.

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Apr29Art

Sweet Peppers so colorful, my husband Ron loves peppers of all kinds, hot, sweet, he loves them all.  Should I admit I really don't care for peppers?  I like jalapeños but not as much as he loves them.  Running out of pages in this journal soon, I'm thinking I'll use the 'Toned Tan' or 'Toned Gray' journal next.

Monday, April 28, 2014

Apr28Art

Super long day today, started at 5:30 am, finally home at 9pm… time for some fruit of the vine.  Had fun doing a pepper color wheel.

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Apr27Art

What a gorgeous day today, Ron and I rode out to Marrington Plantation after lunch today, lovely quiet tree shaded curvy road, rounded the bend and saw a man with 2 children in the road… beyond them about 25 yards ahead, a BIG gator crossing the road, from the pond on one side to the pond on the other…. we all watched and waited for him to swim away before we went by his 'spot', not wise to mess with a gator of any size, but that was the biggest one I've ever seen.

Saturday, April 26, 2014

Apr26Art

Ron had to work again this Saturday, he hasn't had a Saturday off in over a month. We went for a ride this afternoon, just up to Summerville and then back home.  Shopping trip to West Ashley for dog food this evening, we stopped off at Dick's Sporting goods for me to get some hand grips.  My hands have been cramping up and really bothering me…. I remember my Dad using these all the time while he watched TV… so maybe they'll help me too.

Friday, April 25, 2014

Apr25Art

I usually like the way my calligraphy pen skips on this watercolor paper, skipping too much on this title, pen may be running out of ink.  Week 4 of Sketchbook Skool, with Jane LaFazio instructing this week.  I've taken an online class with Jane before she is a very inspiring artist.  Signed up for the second semester of skool that starts in July.

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Apr24Art

My friend Hannah advised me to use my Quin Rose and add New Gamboge or other yellow orange to get a peach color… so I drew this peach with my trusty Preppy Fountain Pen ($5 from JetPens.com) and Noodler's Lexington Gray Ink, which does not fun if you give it a few minutes to sink into the paper.  I added the quin Rose first followed by the New Gamboge… I think I like this peach color very much… so thanks for the tip Hannah.

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Apr23Art

Couldn't quite match the peach color, mixed Raw Sienna and Quin Rose, but it is too dark, the flower is a very delicate transparent peachy pink color.  The bush is loaded with blooms and buds, so this is not the last time I'll be trying to capture this flower this Summer.

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Apr22Art

Another Sketchbook Skool sky, wet in wet, and yet I didn't get the mingling of the colors like I'd hoped for.  This is a watercolor journal but still I didn't get watercolor paper reactions… I like it, just wasn't the look I was going for.

Monday, April 21, 2014

Apr21Art

With a homework assignment to do sky views this week, I was happy to see some blue sky today and took the opportunity to paint it.  Didn't get the color quite right, this is Prussian Blue it is darker than the actual sky, but I thought Cerulean would be too light.  If the weather permits tomorrow I'll try another color.

Had a low sugar event last night that kept me up late, followed by leg cramps that woke me up around 2am and wouldn't quit until the wee hours of the morning.  At 2am I emailed my supervisor in Columbia and let him know I could not drive today, I'll be heading to Columbia tomorrow though after some much needed rest tonight.

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Apr20Art Happy Easter

Sketchbook Skool homework, paint the sky, well the sky has been gray for the last 3 days, and only today on our way home from family Easter dinner, did I see a touch of blue in the sky.  It is clearing up, and warming up this coming week.

Saturday, April 19, 2014

Apr19Art

I spent the morning walking/driving the neighborhood looking for little Miss Gracie May.  I was beginning to lose hope, when I spotted her crossing the street close to our house.  I was really scared I wouldn't be able to find her.
I didn't go to Beaufort, due thunderstorms and rain the organizer called it off.
We lost our first playoff hockey game last night, they got skunked 3 - 0, we play the same team again tonight, unless a different team shows up, our post season will be very short this year.

Friday, April 18, 2014

Apr18Art

My friend Celeste got one of these and was posting about it. I realized that I had one in the drawer loaded with markers and pencils I don't use.  I pulled it out, cleaned it out and loaded it with pens and spray bottles for the sketch crawl tomorrow.  It is raining… so I'm not sure whether to drive down to Beaufort or not tomorrow.

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Apr17Art

Had to draw my favorite old dog, one more time.  He's become a very easy fellow to draw as he sleeps most of the day. He's going deaf now, so noise doesn't interrupt his sleep these days. At 16 he is our oldest dog, but we have a house full of old dogs, the youngest is Dixie the lab, and we've had her 7 years now, and she was not a baby when she showed up in our yard one Saturday morning.

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Apr16Art

Well WINTER is hanging on really hard, some places up North got snow, we got REALLY chilly weather today, but not cold enough to hurt my Calla Lilies nor my vegetables… so I'm happy about that.
Used my Kuretake Clean Color brush pens to color this Lily, I like how I was able to blend it to get nice rich color, just like my Calla Lilies.

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Apr15Art

Put the checks in the mail today for our taxes, along with the forms.  I file using snail mail, since I always owe them money.  At least this year it wasn't too bad, it's been a lot worse in previous years.
It rained all day long, good for the grass and for the vegetables out back, but the muddy paws on dogs was no fun for me today (dogs actually don't mind the rain at all).

Monday, April 14, 2014

Apr14Art

Senator Rick Santorum is such an inspirational speaker, I really enjoyed hearing him tonight.  The meeting ran way long due to all the candidates speaking, but everyone needs to have a turn between now and the primary election in just 58 days now.

Sunday, April 13, 2014

Apr13Art

Sat outside to paint the pink hibiscus bloom, l had pre-painted the page with Quin. Burnt Orange, so I had to use gouache to paint the pink flower.  Lessons learned, that pen I got the Danny used on TOP of gouache, RUNS when used UNDER gouache… however, the ink does mix a bit with yellow to make a deep green. Other lesson learned for next week's Sketch Crawl in Beaufort SC, bring BUG SPRAY, the no-c-ums attacked almost as soon as I sat down.  Ron was waxing the motorcycle not 10 feet from me, and the bugs were not bothering him at all.  They drove me inside where I finished up the painting.  I'm having fun with the gouache, why did it take me so long to try it out?

Saturday, April 12, 2014

The Greatest Water Colour Show in the World. The Three Amigos

Apr12Art

Sketchbook Skool homework/daily journal page combined.  I spent a good portion of the day doing our taxes, then took out my aggression digging holes to plant flowers.  When Ron got home we took the bikes for a spin.  I got my Dick Blick goodies box, my toned Tan and toned Gray journals, and a set of pastel pencils… oops, I was supposed to get colored pencils…. used them to draw this pepper.  I learned something, I'm too impatient to use pastels and/or colored pencils, I like the immediacy of watercolor and ink. I don't think I'll used these much… I'll see tomorrow how much it smudges the adjacent page (I did spray it with fixative).

Friday, April 11, 2014

Apr11Art

Sunny yellow page, just had to add daffodils to this page. Headed to the last regular season hockey game tonight. Rays did make it into the play offs, so our hockey will continue for a while.

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Apr10Art

Taxes loom, I'm planning to do them Saturday, I dread doing the taxes every year… this year is no different, I think/hope we've paid enough to either only owe a little or for the first time in 7 years maybe get a refund (nah, probably not)…  Ron has to work Saturday, so he says he will wake me up when he leaves so I can be finished with the taxes before he gets home Saturday… wishful thinking on his part, but I'm hopeful I can finish in 8 hours.  Always good to have a goal :-)

Sketchbook Skool Week 1 - ends

Here's my homework pages for week 1 - it was fun, and I learned about new tools and bravely tried things I'd never tried before. Thanks for the great introduction to Sketchbook Skool… looking forward to the lessons ahead.

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Apr09Art


I tell you what I LOVE dealing with http://JetPens.com I placed an order for pens Monday with FREE SHIPPING I still got my order today!!!  How can you not LOVE  a company like that.  So the drawing above was made with my favorite fountain pen and my Pentel Parallel Calligraphy pen.  After the mail came this afternoon, when I drew the same date stamp for my Sketchbook Skool homework I used my new Kuretake pen.  Nice pen I think I like it a lot.


Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Apr08Art


Today I drew my breakfast, I cut up fresh strawberries and add them to Light Strawberry Yogurt.  Tip for making fresh strawberries last up to a week or more in your refrigerator, spray white vinegar on the berries when you get them home, really wet them all down with the vinegar, then rinse well with water and put in the refrigerator.  Tried doing my shadows like Karen Blados… I think I'll leave that method to her much steadier hands and better eye sight. 


Monday, April 7, 2014

Apr07Art



Today's subject 'Wisteria', done in my daily journal, and again in my Sketchbook for skool.  Different and yet the same, on the pre-colored page below I felt the black ink wasn't showing up, so I used a white gel pen to highlight the drawing, and to add some text.  It is pouring rain now, and thundering too, my poor chicken little 'Gracie' is not a happy doggie right now.

Sunday, April 6, 2014

Apr06Art

Cooler today than it has been lately, and it did start raining around sunset.  We went to see the 'Gala of Royal Horses' today, it was a good show, and very interesting as they had some young horses and demonstrated how they train them.  I had seen the Lippizzaner Stallion as a child so I talked Ron into going to see them today.

Saturday, April 5, 2014

Apr05Art


Met Ron at 5 Guys for lunch, then we went to Lowe's and bought flowers and some vegetables for a container garden… just a few of our favorites for Summer salads, cucumbers, tomatoes, jalapeños, banana peppers, and habenero peppers.  
While Ron was at work this morning I finished watching the Sketchbook skool videos for week one, and did this drawing for the Day 1 assignment.  
Like a lot of other people, I'd LOVE to know the name of the pen Danny Gregory used to draw over the gouache, I tried a Pitt Pen… but didn't get around before it totally clogged up, tried my fountain pen, it refused to even try. Looked for my Pentel Pocket Brush pen, couldn't find it, did find a Chinese calligraphy brush pen that I didn't use much because the ink bleeds so much… however, it was smooth as silk over the gouache. I was going to write about how much I love these flip flops and how I so look forward to warm weather so that I can wear them… instead I poured out my frustrations with the tools I tried to use… It was a FUN exercise that had me digging thru my hoard of art supplies that I've never used, the Dr. Phil's liquid watercolor that I've never used, and the gouache too, in a box, in a drawer, never seen the light of day before… so THANK YOU Danny for this great Demo… I'm using a 9x12 Strathmore Watercolor Journal for the class drawings, so this is 18 x 12 as it spans 2 pages, a real stretch for me as I usually draw much smaller, and do the lines first not last.



Friday, April 4, 2014

Apr04Art

Happy today that sketchbook skool has finally started, and happy about the nice weather.  Pain has gripped me the last few days and really put me thru a wringer… sometimes it is really hard to maintain a positive outlook and today is one of those days.

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Apr03Art

Got some M.Graham paints, they have a honey base, and boy are they gooey.  I don't think I'll be carrying these out and about, but I do love the green and the 2 blues.  Another gorgeous day today, weather for the weekend look bad, perhaps I'll do taxes then.

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Apr02Art

I'm trying to keep track of what I eat, and to eat a better variety of foods.  I did not eat a pear, but I do love them and may get one tomorrow.  Had our first dinner of the Spring of chicken cooked on the grill… boy was it good.  It was a gorgeous day today, so it was a pleasure grilling outside.

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Apr01Art

One of the down sides to working at home alone, is on fun days like April Fools, nobody Fooled me all day.  The few I saw on TV were too obvious to actually fool anyone.  I guess the cloned Dinosaur was the best one I saw, the Octopus in the tree, the worst one.