Aug31Art

Our tomato plant looks horrible, barely any leaves (some bug was eating them) and yet it is still producing tomatoes.  This one is square, but the model was indeed plump and round.

Aug30Art

The high today was 'only' 88 degrees, but it sure felt hotter than that at the BBQ-Hog-Fest today.  I did enjoy listening to the blues band, made up of young men from 12 to 15 years old.  They were really, really good and put on quite a show.  We missed out on the BBQ tasting contest, I got too darn hot, so we came home.

Aug29Art

Was browsing some of my favorite artists on ETSY and came across a demo painting Kate Johnson had done (sold already…rats)… anyway I used hers as inspiration for this one.

Aug28Art

Feeling a little crabby today…. so a blue crab seemed the right thing to draw today.  Signed up for the 'Storytelling' Sketchbook Skool class starting in October.  I'm headed to Hendersonville, NC for a Sterling Edwards week long watercolor workshop.  Looking forward to seeing my friends Priscilla and Elly there, we're going to have so much fun I can't wait.

Aug27Art

Smiley faces and more smiley faces… it made me happy to draw all them and color them all… So here's a smile just for you.

Aug26Art

More colored pencil practice, on a clown fish today.  Meetings after work tonight, kept me out way past my bedtime, I hate it when that happens on a work night.

Aug25Art

My friend Celeste posted a link to 10 colorful birds, I liked this Rainbow Lorikeet and thought my Koi Brush Pen markers might handle this brightly colored bird.  I think he turned out pretty nice, and except for leaving the 'n' out of rainbow, I think it made for a bright colorful page on a dull back to work, back to school Monday.

Aug24Art

Today I tore paper to make my own sketchbook,  I did some M'Tiennes colored paper I've had for ages that I bought to make into sketchbooks and never did.  I only had two sheets left that I hadn't cut pieces off of.  I still have some Strathmore Mixed Media sheets of white that I need to tear tomorrow.  Then I've got to find the material I bought (ages ago also) to cover the book.  I may just  stop by Hobby Lobby tomorrow in Columbia and see if I can find something suitable. Here's a link to the tutorial I'm using to make the book http://nyergesart.blogspot.com/2014/08/we-can-try-to-make-this-book-or-one.html

Aug23Art

Used my new colored pencils to do this page. Here's the thing, I think I'm too lazy for colored pencils. I like the quick easy watercolor painting method to add color or markers.  I do like my inktense pencils, they are a bit more work than watercolor, but they blend so nicely when you add water.  This sketchbook paper doesn't like water much, so I'll be trying these pencils out and pushing my lazy self to take the time to work the colors.

Aug22Art

Caran d'Ache colored pencils and watercolor pencils are twice as expensive as most, and I've always wondered why.  What's so special about these pencils?  So I ordered a few open stock pencils mostly colored pencils (because I wanted to try them) and a few muted watercolor pencils to use to sketch paintings (expecting the lines to blend and disappear).  Just doing this color chart revealed how very soft (buttery even) the colored pencils are and how just a little effort is needed to lay down a nice layer of color.

Aug21Art

For the last several days, BBC America has been playing a Doctor Who marathon, 24/7. The new season starts next week so I guess they want everyone caught up.  I used Liz Steel's building suggestions to draw the Tardis, a few wonky lines but it turned out way better than I expected.

Aug20Art

Disturbing news today of a young reporter James Foley that was beheaded by ISIS terrorists in Syria. The only word that comes to mind is savages, evil savages they have been killing women and children. They've beheaded Muslims of the wrong 'sect' and Christians as well. The world is going to have to do something to rid ourselves of these evil savages, the only question is how and when.

Aug19Art

Beau shoved his bed up against the book shelf for a nap this morning, so I thought I'd try drawing him with my colored brush pens.  I hadn't done a drawing of him in this sketchbook yet and it's over half way finished.

Aug18Art

My James Gurney 'Watercolor in the Wild' DVD arrived in the mail today and I just finished watching it (for the 1st time).  It went on sale last Monday, and he spent a whole week release video teasers, it is available cheaper for download, but I opted to buy the DVD. Here's the link to the release notice  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DI3j-IH1mVw&list=UUTIoOLzT1jbxAcPW99xn0zQ   as well as his blog http://gurneyjourney.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2014-08-12T03:00:00-04:00&max-results=6&start=1&by-date=false  which I link on the right as a blog I follow. If you are interested in art, you should check out his blog, he posts interesting content every day, for all kinds of art topics.

Aug17Art

Even hotter today than it was yesterday, so we went to see a movie this afternoon.  Saw 'The Giver',  it was a very interesting movie, unlike middle school kids, I'd never read the book, nor heard of it until we saw a special on tv about how they made the movie.  Ron stayed awake thru the whole movie, so that in itself is an excellent review of the movie, he'll nod off and start snoring if the movie is the slightest bit boring (which is partly why we rarely go to movies).

Aug16Art

Really hazy, hot and humid today… just sucked the life out of me, so I didn't feel like doing much of anything.  Managed to doodle a bit with my dip pen and since it was out on my desk, I drew it in my sketchbook.  Got my 'Painting Flowers in Watercolour' book by Karen Simmons, today and read several chapters, good book, looking forward to reading more of her color suggestions for shadows on flowers.

Aug15Art

Well bad title, these weren't 'ink' blobs, but paint blobs… oh well.  It was fun deciding where the eyes and beaks went, and then legs, tails… well sometimes it's fun to just play.  Ordered some colored pencils and watercolor pencils from Dick Blick today along with some paper to attempt to make my own sketchbook.  Following a tutorial on this blog… http://nyergesart.blogspot.com/2014/08/we-can-try-to-make-this-book-or-one.html

Aug14Art

I went out in the yard today to try to plug the hole one of my JRT's is using to escape the yard.  I feel like I donated blood, the mosquitoes swarmed me, I had to come back in the house and spray myself with deet.

Aug13Art

Just drew something totally fun and out of my imagination.  Sketchbook Skool final week,  I don't think I'm going to get my tea cup done this week, mostly because I don't have one yet, might do a coffee cup instead.

Aug12Art

The Chesterton quote yesterday caught my eye in Charles Krauthammer's book 'Things that Matter' that I'm reading now.  I'd never heard of Chesterton before so I googled him, and found even more pithy, prophetic quotes. He died in 1936 and yet he could have written some of these quotes last week.
Very sad to hear of Robin Williams suicide, such a funny man, and yet darkness consumed his soul.  My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends, such a loss is especially hard on the family.

Aug11Art

Final lesson in my Diana Gessler class, included this cute little bird, final lesson in sketch book skool is to draw a tea cup.  My problem for the sketch book skool is that I don't have a tea cup, here in Charleston SC we drink our tea in tall glasses with ice and maybe a slice of lemon.

               

Aug10Art

It rained ALL DAY long today, Ron hung a new ceiling fan in the bedroom while I went to the store for dog food and wine.  I was hoping to get in a ride today, but the rain killed that idea.

Aug09Art

Ron's daughter Melissa got married today, Ron and I went to the reception.  It was good to see Melissa again, it's been a few years.  She lives in Raleigh NC, her Mom would love for her to move here to Charleston.  We took the Harley Trike over there, it was a nice ride and we were lucky to miss the afternoon thunderstorms that hit just as we got home today.

Aug08Art

Did a drawing of my toy tiger model today, another homework page for Diana Gessler's class, and watched the beginning Liz Steel videos. Called to wish my Mom a happy birthday, need to call my brother too.

Aug07Art

Got an empty ink bottle from Goulet Pens, that I can use to pour ink into, to use my dip pen.  I had Sumi-e ink that I bought ages ago, it really works great, last a long time with one dip, today's entry was all done from one dip.

Aug06Art

Got my replacement fountain pens from Goulet pens this morning, I've been writing with it all day, used it on this page.  It still needs 'breaking in', unlike regular pens, fountain pen nibs wear based on the way you write, the more you use it, the more it smooths out for your way of writing and becomes 'yours'.  So while I'm breaking in this new pen, my eye is pealed for my old one to turn up now LOL.

Aug05Art

Ebola patients are now at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta.  I have confidence in the doctors at Emory, they are some of the finest in the nation.  If a cure or vaccine can be found they will find it.  It is scary though, especially watching the tv show 'Last ship', about a virus that has reduced the population of the world to pre-historic levels.  How many people could survive if a plague killed off most of the people?

Aug04Art

Painted a 'pink bird' again for Vickie, she had wanted the original pink bird, but I explained that it was in a book, so she couldn't have that one. While I was painting pink birds today I painted a Flamingo, for her as well. I have some books and DVD's by Anne Abgott, she does lovely Pelicans and flamingos and other birds. So I did a Flamingo in my sketchbook, and another one that I cut out of a Kilamanjaro 140 lbs wire bound sketch pad. I hope Vickie likes it.

Aug03Art

Rain and more rain, the sun popped out tonight around 5 o'clock, but the rain came back in just an hour.  I don't believe it's been this rainy in the Summer the last 16 years that I've lived here.  I'm about tired of all this rain.

Aug02Art

Went to Staples this morning and got some Bic pens, I think Andrea Joseph is very, very talented.  It is very difficult to shade with a gloppy Bic pen, I have enough trouble with fountain pens.  On another story today I lost my favorite fountain pen, I had it yesterday, today I can't find it anywhere.  Went online to Goulet pens and ordered 4 more,  I expect my pen to show up now that I have a replacement on the way.

Aug01Art

Getting used to my new #2 Koi waterbrush, it feeds water very different from my Niji waterbrushes.  I do like the fine lines I can get with this brush, even if I have to use it like a normal watercolor brush.

Vaya Maya - People

This lesson was very difficult for me, I did a lot of practice before tackling this page.  The fellow in the cowboy hat I did about 10 times, hat after hat after hat… still not entirely happy with it.  I'm glad that Diana included this lesson as hopefully I will be able to add people to my pages in the future thanks to this.