Lightning over the Atlantic

It has cooled off a bit tonight and the temperatures have gone down to 27C.  This is the view from our balcony!! I love watching this sky! I think there will be some rain soon.

Christ the Redeemer

We took a tour yesterday and the last stop was at the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue that overlooks the city.  We drove 2310 up the mountain then two escalators and one elevator ride to reach the top.  His arms strath out 92 feet and he is 97 feet high and the pedestal he stands on is 28 feet!  Construction started in 1922 and completed 1930. The views of the city were stunning! 

Not facial tissue

I’ve been taking part in the pantry art project, this is my entry for today.  My hubby had the sniffles when we left home so we had to go to the supermarket here in Rio just a few streets away.  This tiny double roll was cheaper than facial tissue.  

Being a tourist is thirsty work

Being a tourist is thirsty work since no liquids were allowed in the national art gallery.  We walked across the square to this bar to have a libation. This Brazilian beer is very smooth and is served COLD, so cold the beer has ice chips in it! 

Museu Nacional de Belas Arts

We took the local bus into city central today (thank goodness we found someone who spoke English and showed us what stop to get off at).   The national fine art gallery was free today and we enjoyed the art we saw there even if not all of the galleries were open. 

At first I was told that the gallery holding this painting was closed. A young woman I met told me later exactly where this painting was hung.  

Meet Tarsila do Amaral 1886 - 1973 who is considered one of the leading Latin America modernist painters. I drew her portrait from her self portrait painting. If you are interested, check her out on google to see the original painting. 

Pantry Art Project Brasil

For the #pantryartproject This page took two days to do but I did get some pantry art done. Pen and watercolour in my handmade sketchbook 

Copacabana Rio de Janeiro

The beach here is gorgeous and the temperatures awesome at 28C

Almonds - another pantry art entry

20/31 - we are visiting family right now do this bag of almost empty almonds were in her cupboard.  I used my QOR watercolours because I have their travel set with me! 

Self portrait Sunday

I was walking out to the mailbox at the end of our laneway and found this branch laying on the snow. Picked it up when it occurred to be to have a good use as an art tool. I whistled the end a bit to bring it to a point. 

I used my new pen and dipped it in a bottle of Super 5 ink with my non-dominant hand. Not a whole lot of control since I held the “pen” farther back.  Little control means more fun! The Canson Bristol XL Recycled bleed too.

I bought Greek honey in Quebec

I had been bummed that I didn’t bring home any honey home from Crete! My friends and I went to Quebec and spent 3 days.  I found this in a tiny corner store in the village we were visiting 

Fence Post Friday

Happy Fence Post Friday everyone! On my way home, I was very happy that the sun showed us her beautiful face at sunset yesterday so I could post it today.  I’m praying that the weather forecast isn’t as anticipated; crossing my fingers and toes! 

I love Maple Syrup!!!

I drew this for the Pantry Art Project over on IG

Self Portrait Sunday

Another self portrait.  Today I used a mono printing gel plate (by Gelli Arts).  I’m thrilled with the process but not over the moon with my results today but that is okay.  This is my fifth day giving this a go and I think I will move on to something new before I try this technique again.  I followed a tutorial in an on line class I’m taking but there is a similar video (but not on portraiture) by Birgit Koopsen who works for the Gelli Arts company (as far as I know). 

Drawing is done on the gel plate using a cheap black alcohol marker.  At first, I just used regular student grade Liquitex Basics paints but I switched to Golden OPEN acrylic paint (because I have them already and use them on the plate).  One thing about this technique is ...... you never know for sure what you are going to get when you pull the print! 

I like making and receiving mail art so this selfie is on an envelope that will be going out next week to Chantal in France. 

Cheers all, Happy Sunday!!

This is what my painting on the plate looked like before I pulled the print.

Art before breakfast

“Breakfast of Champions” - I can remember the day when that meant bacon, eggs, home fries and toast with jam and an endless cup of coffee to swill it all down!  A few decades later and breakfast has been reduced to heart healthy grains. I’m not going to lie, I prefer the bacon and eggs days. I seem to do wonky really, really well. No matter, I made something today! #pantryartproject 

Self portrait Sunday

Here is my first “selfie” for 2020 and since that number made me think of my vision....I dew myself without wearing my glasses. No, no, I wore them to draw just didn’t add them on to my face in the drawing! 

Im wearing the pained expression and I was surprised that I could get one eyebrow lower than the other! All this time and I didn’t know that about my face. 

A little short on time do only smudged one side of my face!  Staedtler 2B in the last page of my Stillman and Birn sketchbook.

To the Moon Alice

Thanks to artist/illustrator Fred Calleri for the inspiration. 

It took a bit for me to figure out how I was going to deal with this page.  It is a left over gel print in my previous sketchbook and I really wanted to use it.  BUT .... I had made a mask to create the heart and that left me stymied. Then, I started a different drawing in pencil but hated it. So weird when this happens; I woke up in the middle of the night and the answer came to me (maybe that is why I woke up...who knows).  The “Honeymooners” had popped into my head. 

I know it is a bit “out there” but I’m okay with it!  Acrylic gouache and cheap craft paint. Assorted pens. 

Happy New Year

My page inspired by the work of Martin LaBorde.  I like polar bears and pray for their continued survival. I learned that due to global warming they spend more time on land than ever before and have even changed their diet include birds and eggs!   I wonder what it would be like to ride him bareback all gussied up with a party hat!  I left the gel plate “under painting” exposed over on the right and it is my claim that it represents the aurora borealis.  I like how this page grew on its own; my original plan was that one page would be enough and was surprised when it ended up being a two page spread. 

Acrylic gouache and cheap craft paint