Mixed media postcard

I took a class at Sktchy Art School and this was one of the muses.  She had this blouse with a large bow at her neck, the instructor used this super way to create the bow! I decided that this would make a mail postcard for my next exchange. I hope the recipient thinks it is fun to receive as it was to make! 

This is my sketchbook entry made with pen and gouache 

Rooster

My current project: I’m making mail art postcards  once again. This rooster is a colourful candidate!  Muse from Pixabay 

Stenehenge 100% cotton kraft paper and gouache and adhered to black card stock 

I hope the recipient likes it. 

Selfie Sunday is here again

“Selfie Sunday” has rolled around again.  In ancient times, the Egyptians used polished metal as mirrors.  My metal spatula is no longer highly polished and it is quite scratched up but I could see my reflection in it.  I was inspired to do this by Koosje Koene of Sketchbook Skool from her daily live stream on IG last week. She used a spoon so I decided to switch it up and try another kitchen tool, one with a flat surface. 

This was fun although it’s a wonky self portrait!!   I must say, I’m not a fan of the Tombow blender pen. Possibly I just don’t know how to use it properly. 

I had some bleed through to this page from another project but no matter; this is a sketchbook and not a masterpiece.  I had started to add colour to my hand and didn’t like it do I stopped. 

Bertha comes home

Last week when we were shopping I heard a loud whining sound when I was parking Bertha!  We opened the hood and found that I had absolutely NO power steering fluid! Ugh! Not good at anytime but especially during a pandemic.  Bertha was full of groceries and bird seed so I couldn’t drop her off at the dealership (no courtesy car available). So I drove carefully towards home and took w-I-d-e turns as needed to a small garage not far from home.  The owner came out with a litre of fluid and I continued home.  I absolutely hate being without my car!  She now has new lines and a new rad and parked out front in the laneway where she belongs.

Creating in my sketchbook

This is my page from yesterday, I brought out my Ecoline liquid watercolour ink and the Super 5 and used the skewer.  Yup it was fun drawing wth Koosje for the #sbsdrawingparty Then, in the afternoon, I followed a golden card tutorial by Kiala Givehand who showed us how to make a sketchbook last year. 

Self portrait Sunday

It’s another “selfie Sunday”.  Today’s self portrait is a mishmash of this and that, commonly known as mixed media. Black Pentel brush pen on a previously prepared background of found papers, gesso and stencilling.  Then pan pastels were applied to fill in my portrait.  No idea what I’m doing so will have to watch some tutorials on pan pastels (I usually use them for backgrounds to cover the blank white page).  A silly imaginary bird stuck on a branch while I watched them out the window at the bird feeder. 

A Lady on her Day Bed

For today’s page, this painting popped up on my daily art app “A Lady on her Day Bed” by Francois Boucher 1743.  I did my own version but couldn’t quite fit it all in on the page in my handmade sketchbook. I was just going to pass by the painting since the subject of the painting (the artists wife) was wearing a hanky on her head but then I saw her teeny tiny foot and slipper. Some people think that artists of the era painted people “as they truly are”; me, I don’t believe it.  I see that foot as being way too small for the size of her body.  It made me think of the “Lucy Show” and how she tried to cram her size 7 foot into a size 5 shoe.  Unbelievably, shoe size has been an issue for women for a very long time!

If you query the name of the painting you can see the original.  

A Lady holding an orange blossom

This page began because I got an email from the Art Gallery of Ontario (we have long distance memberships) announcing a new acquisition called Portrait of a Lady holding an Orange Blossom.  The painting was done in oil on canvas mid-18th century and is a portrait of a young woman of colour.  The artist was well trained and gifted when it came to the luminosity of her skin tone and the sheen in her silk dress (and sheer lace) but some areas bothered me.  I hated the facial features he gave her; a pinched nose and thin lips.  The biggest faux pas (for me) is the hanky he painted on her head (I learned that it was likely a style at the time).  So....I made my painting different and simplified it because I used acrylic gouache in my handmade sketchbook. 

I invite you to go to the AGO website and search the painting name to see the original at www dot ago dot ca

Self portrait Sunday

Egg-cellent

An artist on FB had created this egg and she said she had been inspired by Escher.  I enjoyed looking at all his art on line.  Then I thought.....why not....I’ll give the egg a go too.  I thought it was so intriguing.  It wasn’t so easy for me to draw an egg free hand.  Not a super success!  It isn’t as “egg”cellent a drawing as I had hoped! That’s okay; I tried and I had an enjoyable time even though I got frustrated in the end and didn’t finish. Mechanical pencil in my handmade sketchbook.  

Happy Easter to all! 

The Blue Grotto

I have an app on my phone that sends me a painting a day at the stroke 0900 hrs.  It is called Daily Art.  Today this painting by Carl Fredrick Seiffert 1860 popped up.  I reproduced his work as a way to immerse myself in the memory of the time we visited in 2015.  It was quite a thrill since it had been closed a few days before our visit due to the high water level.  We shared our little boat with the oarsman and two other couples.  We all had to basically lay down to get through the mouth of the cave.  I can’t visually describe the stunning azure water with my paint but I tried. The oarsmen serenaded us while we traversed the periphery of the the cave. 

I used gouache on a yucky page in my sketchbook that I prepped  by painting over it with white gesso. 

Not all gesso are the same

I love mail art and decided to use Ildiko Karsay’s tutorial once again to make some envelope art as well.  I received a sweet piece of mail and wanted to send a thank you note and I liked the rich colour with the black and white.  The envelope will be going to Germany the next time we leave the house (the post office is en route to town).  

I had applied a thin layer of the new art basics clear gesso to the page thinking that I would use my pencil crayons to colour the flower and was surprised by what I learned: two brands of clear gesso and two totally different surfaces! 

I know this might not be news to many of you but I have to say I was very surprised; it had not occurred to me that there would be a difference.  That is good, I learned something new. 

The Queen’s Address

I love the Queen and thought her speech was extra special.  Yup, I know, there is no likeness but that is okay with me; I drew her while I listened to her talk. 

Gouache Portrait

I enjoyed watching a gouache workshop today 

Lego- Year of the Rat

We are still getting mail and this little parcel arrived! I followed the instructions and poof I got the figure completed!