I haven't worked on colored paper since my Freshman college art class way back in the 80s! So, this was a fun and exciting drawing for me. I have been dying to try out this 5.6mm Cretacolor white charcoal lead and feeling a bit adventurous today, visited my neighborhood art store and found this great Strathmore Artagain black paper. This is 6"X9", drawn from a stock photo from istockphoto [dot] com.
#1: Reed's Bay, Big Island, Hawaii
#2: Wailoa State Park, Big Island, Hawaii
#3: Ironworks Building, Bay Front, Big Island, Hawaii
TIS THE SEASON OF GIVING!
In the spirit of giving ... and to follow up with Steve Loya's (Go Flying Turtle) own giveway in which I won a beautifully created ATC (and perhaps some other things (?)) by Steve ... I'd like to offer three ATCs (above) that I created to the first three visitors that leave a comment. And to carry the tradition, I only ask that the winners hold a similar giveaway of art-related pieces that they've created, sometime soon.
These three Artist Trading Cards or ATCs are just 2.5 inches by 3.5 inches. I began drawing with these cards because they were small, quick to do, and jogged my long-lost creativity from its slumber. I did these cards earlier this year and it feels good to be able to give them to folks that might enjoy them rather than have them sit in a box next to my computer. I will give out the cards in the order I receive the comments (e.g., #1 for the first person to comment, #2 for the second, etc.). I'll contact the winners by email. Thanks everyone and good luck!
Tonight, I got lost in this drawing. I used my Pigma Micron 005 so it took a little longer than usual but it was a nice distraction. I might work on it some more later but I'll stop for now.
A collection of leaves and debris is a little thing worth stopping for and taking a second look.
Another quick sketch of my other pair of boots. If I were to draw a pair of work boots daily, I would have enough sketches for a week and a half!
I'm not much of a gym person but I am a hiker and admittedly, this is my favorite form of exercise.
What is a niftier gadget than a ratcheting pipe cutter? Maybe an iPhone, but not much else.
This must be the season of miracles. My miracle happened last Monday, after my toilet blew out. I took my toilet apart, thinking I would replace the parts myself. Well, as you noticed from my last post, I really needed help because I couldn't take this dang piece off the toilet tank (I drew it so you'd know which part I mean). It was so tight on there that I couldn't budge it at all. I tried everything and I got close to cracking the tank. I called all the plumbers in town, but no one returned my call. I felt pretty dejected and quite helpless. It is quite a serious matter when you only have one bathroom.
Then, I heard a car horn toot in my driveway. This strong-looking fellow with very kind eyes drove by the house and noticed that I have a cast iron tub in my garage and stopped to ask if I'd consider selling or refurbishing it because he does that sort of thing. I wasn't ready to refurbish it yet but we talked and I found out he's a plumber guy! I sheepishly asked if he'd take a look at my toilet and of course he said, "Sure!" After applying his plumbing know-how and with some difficulty, he got the part off!
What a wonderful thing to happen on the exact day, the exact minute, I needed help! Just before he left, A.J. (Angel James, as I call him) mentioned that he drives by my house often and never noticed the tub before, but he did that day. :)
What do ya do if your copper overflow pipe breaks and your toilet runs all night? If you're an Aries like me, you'd consider taking apart your toilet and fix it yourself! I can't proclaim that I actually fixed the thing although I now have a zillion nuts, bolts, washers, and unidentified pieces strewn across my bathroom floor! I think it's time to call the plumber. *wink*
On lazy Saturdays I sit on my porch with the pooch and a cup of Joe. Sometimes I sketch and sometimes I just sit and listen to the birds or admire the flowers. This is a view from my porch, looking out onto the street. The large stone lantern was made by my neighbor's father, given to my parents when they built the house.
The first page of my watercolor moleskine ...
Ever notice how artwork reflects your mood, whether you intend it or not? The way lines are placed, the colors you choose, the intention by which they are laid down, are like little reflections that seep from your subconsciousness. I wonder how others would interpret this painting. Any thoughts?
Here is my last installment of my travel sketches. As you can imagine, I was busy with wedding festivities in NC and didn't have much time to draw ...
But, I leave you with these images of my trip that reflect feelings of excitement, boredom, exhaustion, and also wide-eyed wonder. I had fun!
Some misc. drawings from my trip to North Carolina. It is such a beautiful state of so many wonderfully warm people! The shrimp boat was parked across the house where we stayed. Being next to the ocean, we were treated with gorgeous sunsets and watched these boats meander the canal every morning and night.
Don' t ask me what an Air Bear is but I found this massive sculpture in the Craven County Regional Airport in New Bern, North Carolina this morning. It is amazing to me that I was a zillion miles away from here, at the start of my 24+ hr journey home.
I guess it has been a while since I've posted anything. I just got back tonight from a trip to North Carolina to visit with an old friend Karen who got married this weekend. The wedding was beautiful! I didn't have much time to draw, except for quick sketches in the many airports I visited both going and coming. I'll be sharing some of those in the coming days. Hope you are all well!
I spent the day botanizing with friends in the wet forest on the north part of the island. I forgot how fun it is to take the time to appreciate the incredible flora we have here. This is a little pencil sketch of a fern fiddlehead that I saw today. It reminded me of an alien.
WOOHOO! Check this out! I've teamed with Kathleen (Kate) Rietz (children's book artist, designer, crafter, and all around awesome woman) on a collaborative blog called Potluck Sunday. It is where we share our creative odds and ends, including photos, stories, artwork, and other things under the sun that did not make it onto our personal blogs .... just a little of this, a little of that. :)
Children are the coolest beings. Their sense of wonder and excitement over the smallest things is fascinating to me. Here, a friend's son is watching his sister dig a hole in utter fascination. lol.
A beautiful bracelet I bought yesterday from Pam. Gorgeous crystals and silver butterflies! I love it!
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