June30Art

Actually I think this is a 'Herring Gull', Laughing Gulls have black heads according to what I could find on the internet.  There are black headed Laughing Gulls at the Wal*Mart but the one yelling at us today in the rain had a white head.
It started thundering and raining around 3am and has stormed and rained all day long.  I think our 4th picnic will have to be cancelled, it is supposed to rain all week.  I do believe this is the wettest month of June here in Charleston, since I've been living here (16 years).

June29Art

Lazy hazy day for me today... hasn't started raining yet... but it is coming soon.
Need to tackle the laundry and maybe tidy up my desk.

June28Art

We managed the whole day with no rain yippee... managed to get the jungle out back cut back before tomorrow when we have a 70% chance of rain.
Went to Gilligan's on John's Island for dinner.... love their seafood.

June27Art

Unlike last years drought, it has rained almost every day in June this year.  We are 9 inches over our normal YEARLY rainfall already.  The swamp behind our house is now in our back yard.  Pretty soon I'll be able to go crabbing in the back yard.

June26Art

I met Elly from NY city in Boone NC at a Birgit O'Connor class... she has been tutoring me long distance on calligraphy... and in a recent mailing from her I got this darling pen & ink watercolor, in a magnet frame.  I have it right on my desk... her flowers are similar to what I just drew... she is an inspiring artist... with a heart as big as New York state.

June25Art

It was a pizza from Dominos kinda night tonight.  Ron took his new motorcycle for a spin around the neighborhood.
I puttered around in the yard for a bit.
Hockey is over, the Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup in an exciting game last night... so maybe I can get some sleep now LOL

June24Art

Popped over to Wal-Mart for a few things, the brown headed cow birds in the parking lot are fearless.  They rarely fly and walk about looking for hand outs or dropped bits of food... I guess this 'on the ground' strategy gives them an advantage over the gulls who circle overhead looking for scraps to dive down to get.

June23Art

Almost did all the piles of laundry today... still need to do whites... but that would be too boring to draw.
I'm craving ice cream... time to go find some.

June22Art

Went shopping today for shoes, Ron got some boots I got sandals.  We went to see the movie 'Runaway Slave' tonight... very moving documentary film.. reminded us both of 'Looking for Superman'... I'm inspired to read Fredrick Douglas' autobiography now after seeing that film.

Next lesson, draw the oldest building still standing in Charleston... the Pink house, started life in the 'red light' district as a bar/brothel... in modern times it was an art gallery... today hard times find it boarded up and for sale.

June21Art

Testing coral pinks and Charleston Green... I think I have the green just about right.  Summer Soltice... 14 hours of sunlight today I've spent way too many indoors... and finally it may not rain tonight.

June20Art

I don't know what made me remember my 8th grade English teacher today.  First I remembered her quote... and then I started trying to remember the main thing she pounded into my head that year.  Diagramming sentences... well a google search and low and behold some people still know how to do that.  I'm not so sure public schools that think reading a menu is a 'rigorous' standard for High School reading and use 'spell check' instead of teaching kids to spell... will bother teaching kids to diagram sentences ever again.

June19Art

We have little bright green lizards that hang out on our front porch and one the is on the window in the office.  Good spot to catch bugs attracted by the lights I guess.  I decided to make him a friendly blue, instead of green... artistic license they call that.

June18Art

Potato chips are my downfall... along with french fries, baked potatoes... well the potato in all it's forms pretty much.  My go to comfort food after a stressful day... so they were on my desk and for the brief moment it took to draw them they were spared being eaten... all gone now.

June17Art

Ron bought me some earrings that I wanted, then today I changed the French wires for locking wires and beefed up the jump rings with 16g a wire.  Now there ready for 70 mph wind in my hair ;-)

June16Art

Father's Day is a bitter sweet holiday for me.  The last time I spoke to my father was a phone call on Father's Day... I'm so glad that the last thing I said to him was 'I love you'... 2 weeks later he was gone.  I still miss him very much.

June15Art

Ron got a new Harley today, he's been looking at this bike for a couple of weeks, finally took it on a test drive today.  That sealed the deal, it's a beautiful black with a hot blue pin stripe.  I see some trips to the mountains this Fall on this bike.

June14Art

June 14 1777... the flag was adopted... 236 years ago... we are still a very young country compared to Europe, Asia, or Africa.  Will the USA last? Will this experiment in government of the people, by the people for the people be replaced?  Will people give up their liberty for a little safety?  Will Americans let the 'elites' in the government raise our children, supply our needs and decide who lives or dies? Or will the Republic for which this flag stand continue... and grow stronger and freedom and equal justice for all prevail?

June13Art

Practicing rotten apple cores for some post cards I'll be sending out soon.  Can't decide if I want to paint them all or just scan then print out on cards... I see a trip to staples for postcards in my future, because I'm too lazy to draw and paint the number of these I need.  

June12Art

I'm taking an online journaling class... our next assignment is a pineapple... painted without drawing first. I watched the video and downloaded the reference photos 5 days ago... and still I haven't started.  The pineapple has me paralyzed.

I wonder what the folks at the NSA think about my internet activity?  I'm sure my use of the phone to play Words with friends and text my husband, either "I'm here" or "I'm home" are so dull they wonder why they bother.  In spite of that I am OUTRAGED at the invasion of my privacy.

June11Art

Rain, rain and more rain... I'm about tired of all this rain... the yard is a soggy bog out back... which means muddy doggy feet to deal with not to mention Gracie who is terrified of storms and goes nuts with the barometric pressure drops... she is our early warning storm detector.
So I figured I'd draw a sunny, sunflower... and hope for sunny days ahead.

June10Art

What does the pelican have to do with the quote?  Absolutely nothing... very hectic day today with a trip to Columbia for work and then a County Executive Committee meeting tonight.
Finally ending my day that started at 5am at 10pm, with Gracie having a fit because of the thunderstorms rolling thru town.
Last month I paid off my car... woo hoo... tonight my car's roof sprang a leak!!!!  What is up with that?  How did the car know it was time to start falling apart now?

June09Art

The instructor in my online class suggested that we come up with a talking head / icon to represent ourselves in our journal drawings.  My good friend Dan Kent of Dan's Canvas popped in yesterday to comment and I saw his charming Dan icon... and decided to try my hand at an icon to be me.  This one has possibilities... I'll see what it looks like reduced to avatar/icon size.

June08Art

Ate WAY TOO much... we usually go to Olive Garden for lunch and just get the soup and salad.  Tonight we got a full meal... I'm stuffed.
Watching the Chicago Blackhawks, and LA Kings in the Stanley Cup finals... Chicago looking good so far.

Online Journaling Class

I'm taking an online class about journaling in Charleston SC... since I live in Charleston I'm hoping to do some on location drawings during this class.

Next lesson, draw the oldest building still standing in Charleston... the Pink house, started life in the 'red light' district as a bar/brothel... in modern times it was an art gallery... today hard times find it boarded up and for sale.

 I do LOVE the window boxes in Charleston, and I like the idea of combining the best parts of different ones to create a fantasy window.  Again, now that I've posted it I see I forgot to stipple the bricks... I always seem to forget that part. I went back to my pen to draw the awning and window... but only used the brush on the flowers... baby steps for me :-)

I'm so behind in this class and with my trip to Atlanta next weekend, I need to get as much done as a can before the class is over on the 17th.

Final lesson page... I have REALLY enjoyed this class and learned so much. Sad it is almost over now.

June07Art

Andrea has moved on, the sun is out and the frogs in the swamps are singing.
My little dog Gracie is finally sleeping peacefully in her bed, she does not like storms at all.  She shakes and hyperventilates... and is quite beside herself even before the storm hits.

June06Art

Tropical storm Andrea has been dumping water on us for two days now... tomorrow she should be over our heads dumping even more rain and wind.  Not a hurricane but an annoyance none the less.

D-Day today, watching the Military channel shows about that day.  My Dad was on those beaches... he never talked about it when we were kids.  When the movie 'Saving Private Ryan' came out, he did talk about it and said he thought that movie was the closest thing he'd ever seen to what it was like that day.  We all owe a lot to that generation of brave men... if you know a veteran I hope you thanked him today.

June05Art

Reading my book on 'Drawing Birds' by John Muir Laws... very comprehensive so a lot to practice and comprehend. I'm still floundering without a daily list... but I'll get back in the groove again soon... I hope I do... I hate spending hours staring at a blank page.

June04Art

I don't know how long Chili's will have this new dessert... so if you have a Chili's near you... you must try this chocolate chip cookie... warm from the oven... heaven in a cast iron skillet.  WOW... whoever thought of this is a genius.

June03Art

Mockingbird singing his heart out this morning... just before the downpours started.  It rained all day long, my flowers loved it....

June02Art

Everyone needs at least one day of rest, and today was that day for Ron and I.  He's been working a lot of overtime, so today was his only day off this week.  I did get everything out of the car and into the house, but have not unpacked nor taken pictures of my paintings.
Without the Everyday in May list, I drew a blank today on what to draw... saw a lady bug today, which made me happy, as I think one of my crepe myrtles and my lantana have aphids again... akkk.  

June01Art

Spent the day doing laundry, and a bit of housework... scanning the pages I wasn't able to upload while in Boone NC... still haven't unloaded my art supplies, so Dogbert is hogging the brush jar along with my back scratcher.
Got a new sketching bag from Rickshaw bagworks in San Francisco... my new tiny palette along with a pen, water brush and my hand book journal fit snuggly inside... perfect fit.  Sadly the Stillman Birns Journal is too large.  While I was away my book from John Muir Laws on 'Drawing Birds' arrived.  Discovered his website and book thru Kate Johnson's Pen and Wash class... I so want to learn to draw birds... and this book looks like an excellent reference... now all I have to do is practice :-)