We had more snow yesterday and that means more shoveling.  I had to clear off the deck and the path that leads out to the bird feeder.  I should actually should belong to the nearest "procrastinators R-Us" chapter, I took some time out to build a snowman.  The snow was the perfect consistency even if my results are less than stellar, I didn't bother to round him out.  Poor snowman; little did he know that his lifespan would be so short and that in minutes, he would be falling down the steps behind him. Yup, you guessed it....I had fun!! 

Off prompt- Snow globe- I've always loved a snow globe myself! "Santa" brought our granddaughter one for Christmas as it was on the list that she sent him earlier this month! 

Snow globe- I've always loved a snow globe myself! "Santa" brought our granddaughter one for Christmas as it was on the list that she sent him earlier this month! 

It wasn't the night before Christmas however.......

We live in an old house with old house problems and use an old time solution (my hubby says it is the best).  The Victor Mouse Trap Company was established in 1898, six years after our house was built! 

My hubby is a lovely man, he didn't bat an eyebrow when I said I wanted to draw his "catch" before he disposed of them.  He doesn't usually get two at one go. We have called his plank method "The Last Supper" for eons! 

.......In the end....not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse! 

Merry Christmas wishes to all! 

I'm filling up the Christmas stockings and just had to give this one a go.  Lots of mistakes and I lost my way but for this time around, I'm happy with the results.  However I will have to give it another go....later! 

Pen and a Paynes Grey watercolour in my Moleskine sketchbook. 

It has been a very busy day: digging out from the snow that was dumped on us yesterday and trying to get my Christmas shopping done. Now we are waiting for the next deluge that is expected over night. 

This is our mailbox and the variable cloudy skies of the last few days!  What a bummer, the flag wasn't up!!  I love snail mail! 

Thanks to Sue  from Sktchy for posting this photo! She has so many wonderful choices but I knew that this one would be a challenge and it was indeed.  I was fearful of the folds in the fabric of her hat and of course her lovely jewelry. I overworked her face a bit but still happy enough to post it regardless.  Tombow markers, watercolour and coloured pencils in my Moleskine. 

Christmas sweets- these aren't actually only for Christmas but this is the only time I buy them! They are chocolates from Italy. Yum!! 

What I really love about them is that these are NO CALORIE, NO FAT and NO SUGAR! That means these are good for me! Regrettably, my palette wants the real thing!!! I have to be s good girl and edit until Christmas morning!! 

Didn't have a plan except to use the vintage dictionary page.  Uniball, watercolour, acrylic paint and pan pastels in my Moleskine sketchbook. 

The ornament I received at the party Sunday night 

IPart1/2 Experimental background. I have seen this many times and finally made a point to buckle down and try it for myself.  

1. Slap Gesso on your page - let dry

2. I used permanent green deep acrylic paint.  Well watered down. I only applied on a quarter of the page at a time. I need to learn how to add more paint with out showing the line between the different quarters. 

3. Sprinkle 99% rubbing alcohol with a brush to create the organic shapes

4. LET DRY patiently or use your gizmos

5. Then I applied a greenish blue and did the steps above.

5 then I applied watered down white paint and sprinkled the alcohol on the paint. 

On the right page there are 6 layers. I didn't apply enough water to my paint so I added some organic shapes with Neocolor II crayon. 

I didn't add the last white layer on the left page and I actually like it better. Remember to WATER DOWN your paint enough or the alcohol won't be able to move the paint. 

I have to say that this was lots of fun! 

Part 2/2 Experimental background.  While I played in my. Sketchbook creating the background. I also had a watercolour page going. Then I thought- what do I do with this???!!! 

Then it occurred to me, to use the little food tray stamp fishes I made during ICAD 2016.  

Here is my end result. I'm happy. 

Sooooo excited!!! I finished my drawing this morning for my granddaughters Christmas prezzie!  I hope I can get it framed in time! Going to get some prints before I do that! 

I stalled big time on the grass! I don't know what it is about it but just ploughed through the mire this morning!!

I use to watch his little brown bunny eat clover on the front lawn.  I was able to grab a snap as a reference photo.  Glad I did as it got squished by a truck on the concession road out front.

Graphite only - Staedtler Mars Lumograph and paper stomp on Robert Bateman 110 lb sketchbook paper.

Off prompt- I was st a bookstore yesterday so I bought this book for my granddaughter.  Well, okay do it really is for me! I like to read different and interesting books!to her and not the usual drivel for kids. I have been reading this one so this will won't be wrapped until I'm done! 

Ballpoint and brush pens in my Moleskine. 

Documenting my wardrobe to relieve stress

The last week and a half have been busy on the family and difficult. We said a farewell to my brother-in-law today. This morning I drew what I wore yesterday and today before we went into town. 

The other day I purchased two new tops at the mall. So glad I hadn't thrown/given away my jackets and pants that I use to wear to meetings when I still worked. 

I will journal tomorrow about how I had to "staple" the hem on the pants for the flat heeled boots I was wearing.  Now to let the staples out so I can wear different shoes the next time.  Always need a bit of humour during these dreadful times. 

I'm sure my granddaughter will like this page; she is such a little fashionista! 

I used make-up, crayons, watercolours and pen in my Moleskine. 

Drawing while at the Art Gallery

No prompt- we went to the Art Gallery of Ontario today with our granddaughter.  They had an art station just outside of the Mystical Landscapes exhibit. We stopped and I sketched while she created a drawing. 

No cameras or SKETCHING allowed!  I never saw that sign the last time we were there and I did.  I think they don't want people to hog the best views of some paintings - like Starry Night and the Olive Trees.

Christmas stockings over the fireplace

My husband, brother in law and I stopped in to this restaurant after visiting their oldest brother in the hospital.  He is not well but rallied enough that he knew that we were there.  I drew this while we waited for our salad and sipped on our beverages.  I've decided to leave it black and white.  

Very happy that the server put us in front of the gas fireplace.  I enjoyed the heat.

Ballpoint pens - drawing the clementine as I ate it

I can't recall which course it was but I think it was a lesson by Danny.... maybe... someone might remember better than I. 

Here is my clementine from this morning, the sweetest I have had in ages! 

Ballpoint pens, gel pen and Inktense pencil in my Moleskine. 

Just be because I have a cold doesn't mean I can't draw

I have a rotten cold so this is as good as it gets. My favourite Canadian coffee shop! 

I love to draw my perfume (bottle) collection

I'm pretty stoked about this drawing.... I drew this without a ruler and many of my lines are parallel to each other. I know not all but they are fairly straight too. The reason I chose to not use useful tools is that I lose focus on my subject. 

Love the Sktchy app especially when I can't sleep

I woke up and 4 this morning; did the fish-flop maneuvers until 0430, then I dragged myself out of bed. This fella kept me company until the dark sky relinquished to the grey light of day.  How I hate it when this happens. I'm not the napping type but hope it does happen today.

Sktchy inspired. Pens. Felt tips, markers and ballpoints. 

I'm going to call her "Sylvia" the "City" mouse

Here is my quick sketch for today. I have been reading the adventures of Sophie the mouse to our granddaughter and yesterday we saw a "city" mouse traverse four lanes of traffic on one of Toronto's (over 2.5mil pop. ) busiest streets.  We clapped and cheered and the people waiting at the bus stop must have thought we were bonkers! I had to commemorate the win....against all odds Sophie lives for another day. 

National Cash Register at DeSoto's on St. Clair Ave W Toronto Ontario

No prompt- we sat directly in front of this antique cash register this afternoon for liquid libation. I had some difficulties with it as it had do very much detail.  I did the best I could but didn't have time to finish. 

I never knew I would enjoy creating GRAFFITI

Off prompt-switching things up again! I did the blue background sometime ago as leftover paint. Then added acrylic ink swirling marks. Then left it...what now? Today, I pulled it out and this is card #8/10. A bit of a departure for me but I took a creative writing class with Andrea Joseph of Sketchbook Skool and thought I would give it a go today. 

I bought a can of lager from our local craft brewery called "The Flying Monkeys" and it had graffiti painted on it with their statement- NORMAL IS WEIRD"!  So there you have it...I don't care, it is sometimes fun to be weird!! 

I had a piece of packaging that I used with some white gesso to simulate a bricked wall. 

Yes, I have jazzed up the envies with leftover paint too! 

"I was dancing" she said - iHanna Postcard Swap

Off prompt. Card #7 Inspired from advertising in a fancy dancey interior design magazine for a piece of jewelry by Van. Cleef and Arpels.  I have had this old book page for a bit and finally had the chance to use it! Wasn't sure how I was going to get the ballerina "married" to the background. I could have done more but I ran out of time today......it is what it is!!!!

I LOVE to hate our Cardinal

Off prompt-I did the background and then drew the cardinal on a piece of paper to collage it on. Inspired by the nasty white blotches on my car - AGAIN! Then a flyer came in the mail for wild bird seed. Decided to roll with it. It turned out a bit Christmas like but the season is fast approaching so I'm mailing it out as is! 

Off prompt.  I have joined an international DIY art card swap so here is one.  I sketched the chair and my message to the recipient is about Postcrossing dot com and how the world arrives in my mailbox!! 

The village is all hidden by alcohol inks and acrylic paint and pen marks and stuff. I used a brush pen for the sketch. 

Okay, so I started the class with every intention of completing it and having something to show for it - some wall art. However, I received my names and addresses for an international postcard art swap that I joined some time ago.  I have had to change directions and cut up my sheet for my postcards instead.  I'm not bemoaning as I am happy to start again later and use a different colour palette.  I am trying to use what I have and not buy anything (or very little) so my colour palette is: Paynes Grey, transparent Red Iron Oxide, Quin Gold, Nickel Azo Yellow, Quin Nickel Azo Gold, Burnt umber.  I used alcohol inks in brown, orange and gold for the dripping. 

Here is my first almost finished card that I will be mailing to Miriam in New Zealand.  Now that I have it photographed, I see some tweaking that I would like to do. Inspiration: Most of the leaves are down now and soon there will be a full moon. 

We went to the Royal Winter Agricultural Fair yesterday in Toronto Ontario and watched the goat judging. 

There were lots of students from a local college sketching the penned animals so I chose to draw elsewhere. 

I thought this goats sounded just like the sheep! 

Uni ball, in my small Moleskine sketchbook! 

Sin and Redemption, Toronto, Ontario Canada

Creating a story board collage

Trying something new.....I thought of doing a story collage.  I just saw Tammy's post on the November writing challenge. This had not been my original intent but since we are visiting family, I have limited supplies.  I used my granddaughter's construction paper-clearly Halloween leftovers- and cut out some bird shapes, then a little girl shape. I moved the pieces around to figure out a story and drew some music 🎶 to indicate that the little girl was singing.  At first it was looking like a scary movie so I made it a sunny day instead. I found some washi tape and sticky tape for grass. The reinforcements were painted up some time ago so I glued them in place to represent flowers. 

As the story goes... once upon a time there was a little girl who had a golden voice. She loved singing while walking in the fields full of wild flowers. All kinds of birds would come just to hear her wonderful melodies. Then each bird would sing her songs.  The birds loved this little girl; she didn't realise her singing was magical. 

Now I am wondering what story my granddaughter might come up with. 

I have glued these in my sketchbook now but I could have left them and created more backgrounds to create more stories.  

Thought I'd post in case anyone is interested in using this as part of their creative art process with story writing. 

It is that time of year so I got my pens out this morning and drew up my Remembrance poppy. 

31/31 Inktober is over #inktober #inktober2016

I had this background in my sketchbook and I wanted to use it so....I did. Sktchy inspired, architecture from Sevilla Spain

Background created using bleeding tissue spritzed with water and left to dry before removing the tissue. Micron brush pen in Moleskine. 

28/31 Thanks to Derian from Sktchy for this  fun photo! We had our first  ❄️❄️❄️ storm yesterday and the snow is still on the ground today so I'm thinking about an early winter holiday somewhere warm. Uniball pen, Noodlers Lexington Grey ink, and Winsor Newton ultramarine blue ink. Love that there is some red pigment in the ink. #inktober #inktober2016 

27/31 #inktober #inktober2016

Meet Olive (from Sktchy), what a fun doggie portrait.  Ballpoint and roller ball in my Moleskine. 

Basset Hound

25/31 #inktober #inktober2016

Here is my basset courtesy of google. 

All ballpoint: yellow, orange, brown and black pens used in my Moleskine sketchbook. 

I miss having a doggie so much. When our last one passed, we chose to not have anymore so that we could travel unencumbered and without guilt. This drawing was done for a friend from a art group. She is a substitute art teacher and wanted to have some examples of doggie drawings. I choose to do mine in ballpoint pen because I wanted her students to see that you don't need expensive stuff to create something worth the time and effort.

24/31 #inktober #inktober2016

I bought this perfume eons ago because of the egg shaped bottle and I t fits in this cool purple box/container.  I drew it in my junk journal but thought the page was way to empty and added my hand. 

Noodlers Purple Martin and Lexington Grey ink on vintage blank music sheet.

22/31 #inktober #inktober2016

Today's entry is courtesy the Sktchy app. Micron brush pen in my Moleskine. 

21/31 #inktober #inktober2016

I'm tea staining some Strathmore 140 lb paper in preparation for a class with a local group I belong to. 

To document this in my sketchbook, I drew it with a Micron then applied Noodlers walnut ink like watercolour.I quite like the variety of values the ink produced.

Noodlers Lexington Grey for the shadow in my Moleskine. 

I 20/31 Today's entry is Sktchy inspired. Thanks to Audrey for posting her inspirational photo. 

Uniball pen and Noodlers Lexington Grey ink in my Moleskine. 

17/31 #inktober #inktober2016

I started this at the local film festival in town. Love the acronym BFF for Barrie Film Festival!!

We saw two films and the first one was a focus-drama that really interested us as it was an extension of anthropology at university. 

I darkened everything up this morning and glued the image from the brochure where the screen was. 

Uniball in my small Moleskine sketchbook.

Oh boy this was hard.

14/31 #inktober #inktober2016

My hubby found a strange plant in the garden and it finally has "flowers" or seed pods so we can identify it.  We'll sort if, I think it is a lantern type flower that should be orange but at this rate the plant will die of frost bite before if ripens. 

It self-seeded from the compost.  My hubby claims that I bought a package of seeds awhile back.  If you say so dear! 

I'll put a photo down in the comments. 

Platinum Carbon ink and Noodlers Lexington Grey in my Moleskine!

Journal

10/31 #inktober #inktober2016

I've been away from home for the Canadian thanksgiving weekend so behind on posting!

Meet 6 month old Thomas! What a chunky monkey this fella is! Had quite a time trying to draw him from life!! Babies are so very hard since they move around so. Then I used ink for the colour and I don't have the right colours for skin tone. So here it is regardless. 

I was fooling around with the background on the opposite page and some of it sneaked over to this one so I just went with it!