Simplicity

I can tell I am making some improvement because my brush looks better than my first one.

something chocolate. Hershey minatures with nuts. Yummmm

#3 something transparent

#2 clock

scavenger hunt - #1 crackers

Can you believe scavenger #8?

I can hardly believe that we are at #8. This has really been fun and have met some really great artists.

Great new list, they all have been actually.

I thought it'd start with a cracker. How simple, yeah right, just try it some time.

Since ice cream and chocolate are on the list I'll just have to have some during the week so I can sketch it. :)

Better WIP

WIP. Interesting it doesn't even look like the original sketch.

This starts the frustration. Okay it looks like a child, but it was suppose to be Gavin (sorry Em). I sketched this on paper so I will probably will finish it up, not watercolor. Sadly it looked more like him before I erased and redrew it.

The photo has a lot of shadows so no telling what it will finish looking like. Robbie keeps telling me I need to add the highlights and shadows but I haven't braved it yet.

Pre-assignment

As I wrote in my other blog I have been discouraged trying to sketch what I see. I found a sketching lesson on WC. Spent time yesterday doing hatch and cross hatching. It really is fun and I'll keep working on it because it is something I like.

The teacher has you do a pre-assignment. Something that is a challenge for you to draw.

Another scavenger hunt drawing.

Shortened the chin added some pencil marks

First try

Why Blog

Interesting information on another person's blog about why artist blog. It got me thinking about why I blog.

There are several good reasons why not to. Cyberspace is a scary place and not everyone is who they seem. Some of us cover up, some let down their walls. Sometimes it is a time waster. Just a couple of the negs.

It gives me a place to keep a hopefully daily diary of my sketching, keeps me modivated. Sometimes I get feed back which is gratefully appreciated. Another is while it still is a novelity it keeps me in touch with my daughter in law and one of my daughters. I love seeing what is new in their lives even though we have phones and email it is easier to see what is happening.

It has also given me an opportunity to see my son's art when he posts it. I think it also encourages him to persue his art.

I have to admit there are several blog sites that I love to visit. I love seeing others art growth and hearing what is up in their lives. Unfortunately I don't take time to keep up with my "real time" friends, moments dedicated to cyberfriends turn into precious hours with tangable people.
I'm not the only one, everyone I know is in the same boat.

It is sad that life has become such a busy place that visiting people hasn't a place. If you have a spare 5 minutes you can drop into someones blog and leave a note. I am getting selfish with my time as an extra half hour I invest in learning art. I even use extra five minutes to work on baby slippers, but it is usally in conjuction to reading and commenting in blogs. It's selfish but art, blogs and charity crafting are great stress relievers. Time management may be the answer but I don't have time to develop that skill yet.

Brand X

Brand X burgers - best hamburgers
At this angle I didn't get the sign. It really doesn't look like much but the food is good. I also know the composition isn't correct. It was a good exercise anyway.

At Dr Jakes office

WC hunt part of a door. This is what I did while waiting for daughter to get a root canal.

Lips and condiments

My lips WC hunt and condiments - red pepper flakes. Okay my lips don't look that good, but now I can see why my DH says I always look like I'm frowning.

Went to the library for some quiet sketching time. Found a magazine with cool looking sunflowers, but while finding the sunflower pages I discovered these tomatoes. Sketched them instead.

Truck sketched during lunch break. The front end of the truck was weird and hard to draw. Didn't have time to draw the bed of the truck.

Noses and eyes. Both are hard to do. I had fun with the noses

My sunglasses. Bifocals unfortunately, but at least I can read in the sun

shoes - used watercolor pencils and a water brush for the first time.

Scavenger Hunt #6 - coins, plastic and steps

I didn't plan ahead very well. This is for scavenger hunt #6, coins, something you step on and something plastic.

Still working on my contour drawings.

EDM #15 - a tree or trees

This is a pencil sketch I did at lunch time. There is a rail road track and on the right is a building (not a tree trunk) but I didn't have time to finish. I like the tree on the left better that the other two.

EDM - #15 another tree

A tree I could see in Albertson's parking lot while dropping off DD to work. New portable watercolor kit, I can't remember the brand but I like the way the colors laid down

J and I stopped at Micky "D"'s after we dropped R off to work. She loves pancakes and I don't like cooking them.

Scavenger hunt something open - the container, something hot - hot cakes and something greasy - sausage.

Every Day Matters - ears

EDM #79 ear. This is from a photo.
I decided to draw from the EDM list. It gives me another incentive to practice, practice, practice.

I started this by turning the picture upside down. Trying to teach my eyes/brain to see what is there, not the idea of what I think the ear looks like. It is a fun practice that I first heard of in Betty Edwards book "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain". I came across it again on Wet Canvas.

Scavenger Hunt #6

Scavenger Hunt #6 Tried my hand at pencil sketching.
Some made from paper
Something stretchy
Something by bed (books and books on CD's)
Stamp
Label
Something cold
Something locked (jewerly case)

Julia and I had a day off, or at least the morning off. We went to the library and I decided to sketch a house that I could see from the parking lot. I have the proportion off and the camera made it even more so. I still complicate things, I want to strive for clean and simple. However that may not be my style.

But this is still going with contour drawing with no erasing trying to draw what I see. I am using the scavenger hunt for modivation and inspiration.

I am posting this so that next year I can see where I was and how I have (hopefully) progressed.

I have been wanting to draw a house, but have been fearful to try. Now I have made the first step. The next one will be easier.

Something that makes music. Used the pad of watercolor paper that SF and SV gave me yesterday

It was very inexpensive watercolor paper, actually made for kids. But it still took the paint differently than the smooth paper that I have been using. Maybe I am also improving a little.

Okay I decided to sketch a little before bed.

#5 scavenger hunt - #23 something that starts with T

We were eating at the mall and thought this tree would be fun to sketch. DH said he didn't think it was a tree.

#5 scavenger hunt - #24 bottle

1st attempt of portrait in 30 years

This was suppose to be Amanda, but looks more like Hailey if anything. I think it's a matter of trying to run before I can walk. But it was fun to do.

Eye for scavenger hunt

Dresser. I didn't do it justice. It is a beautiful piece of furniture

Tools

Plug

Really quick sketch and wc with the wrong brush, but I have #14 phone, #24 camera and #15 battery

Mom Called

My cousin Sharon passed away. Not sure when, their religion doesn't believe in doctors or funerals. I guess she had breast cancer and the growth was around 5". She was creamated and no services. I guess for the last few years she didn't go out of the house much nor would she invite anyone into her house. It makes me sad.

Frustrated by an error I can't find I decided to draw three more drawings from WC #4.
I didn't find the error but Carol told me to add or subtract 1.

Julia had a root canal today and after we went to the Orem
library. While Julia was researching some stuff, I did a couple of sketches. I'll post when I finish.

Orem has a new thing. You can download audio books for three weeks. I am going to try it.

More later

#9 bag. It is my small travel art bag.
#18 pencil sharpener, jury is out on this one. Not sure I like that sharpener itself, but it was fun to sketch.
#20 Brush
I'm trying out different media. Had some inexpensive watercolors so had fun playing with them.

Love Page Kits

Didn't sketch last night (still not in the sketching habit), the scavenger hunt was won, so I will gear for the next one.

I did scrapbook 18 pages. Thanks to preplanning, journaling already done and e-cuts (hence page kits) I was able to start at 8:00 and finish about 10:00. Watched a Kirby - non Mormon - movie (can't think of the name, but Kirby and his brother posed as foreign exchange students) and part of The Pacifier.

Julia, Jer and I went to Red Lobster. Yeah, I know none of us like fish, but we had a gift card. Not surprising Julia had chicken strips. Jerry and I had shrimp and steak. I haven't had shrimp in 5-6 years. It was great and their biscuits are great.

Caught the mouse last night. The night of the first trap, the mouse ate the peanut butter without releasing the trap. Now I need to get more traps because you never have just one. . .

I put together an in the field art kit. I will need to try it to see if it has what I want in it. Taking the big kit wasn't practical. It is bad enough that I take the camera everywhere I go.

LA