Chevrolet Coup

My first urban sketch for this year! This is a rebuilt 1939 Chevrolet coup with an exposed engine.  Yup, it is one wonky drawing but boy did I have a super fun time giving it a go this afternoon! Gouache on hot press paper sketchbook.

Purple Dog

 I got a text yesterday from my 9 year old granddaughter asking me to make her some purple art.  I made this prototype in my Moleskine journal from a inspirational doggie photo from the Sktchy app.

Last painting of my tulips

Red Trilliums

I’ve been waiting and watching for these to bloom out back of our bunkie behind the house.  These are rare in comparison to the ubiquitous white trilliums that grow in rural shady wooded areas across Ontario.  The trillium is our provincial flower and the trillium logo is placed on all official provincial documents; our drivers licences and health cards for example. 

You will notice that the flower and leaves are all based on the number 3 including the stamens that are comprised of two groups of 3. 

Daffodils

When I saw these daffodils face down in the snow I knew I wanted to rescue some and bring them indoors 

Saying goodbye to the tulips

My last drawing of this bouquet of tulips before they end up in our compost pile out back

You know, I really love the shapes of the created by stamens that are left when the petals start falling off!!

Found Poetry

I was inspired by Jane LaFazio to create an “overlay” on one of my pages.  I thought I would try a bit of experimentation and I’ve been using this Moleskine for that purpose.  This page(s) took me quite some time to figure out as I had to think how to do each step.  Then I finally finished  today with the found poetry text pieces from old books. I stuck them on a mono-print. 

I don’t have any velum so I re-used, re-purposed the interior bag from a cereal box for the “overlay”.  I spread on some glitter glue (from Christmas) through a repurposed book cover that I used like a stencil (I got it from a dollar store).  

This isn’t something I usually do but I had a good time trying this out.  I added my info to the page so that I wouldn’t forget my process!

Eraser stamps

Today, I am having fun playing with my Lino cutter and cheap white erasers. The little sun is actually stamped on the page and not a drawing. 

Postcard mail art

No prompt- I am making postcard mail art.  I wasn’t able to come up with a theme until I bought the tulips last shopping day.  So here are 7 of the 10.  I have enjoyed painting the same subject in 7 different ways

I don’t normally post two photos at a time so they look a bit incomplete but you get the idea. 

They are all on 100% cotton paper

I got my vaccine

I forgot to bring a pen but I did have some pencil crayons with me!! I drew this while I waited with the Derwent Inktense pencil.  In my Stillman and Birn pocket sketchbook. 

I bought pretty tulips

Yesterday was our shopping day and when I saw these pink tulips I knew I had to buy them. I was inspired by Jane LaFazio! 

Line work

I enjoyed making this bun thing.  I saw it on IG and decided to give it a try myself.   Not loving the background.  I tried to make it look like it was twirling in space.  Uniball pen and some India ink and acrylic for the background. 

Draw This in your Style

Yesterday, I was watching a Utube video with Tamara Laporte (Willowing) who made us aware of a Draw This In Your Style challenge by  an artist on IG - kaiselka.  So I went over to see her page and thought I would take part as well. 

So here is my version using craft paint, gesso, pencil crayons and Uniball Signo white pen. 

I loved the colour palette in the inspiration photo so I kept it.  An idea popped into my head of a childhood rhyme; “there once was a girl who had a little curl right in the middle of her forehead”!  I could do more work on her face but this is outside my comfort zone so I am going to leave her be for now!  

Tulips

Vaccine Day

I worked in this building for 21 years, having worked in the old building across town for 16 years.  When we moved in to this building, we were all excited but the city grew so fast that we were bursting at the seams long before I retired.  Last year they moved to their new digs. While I worked here, I never thought of drawing this place. Today, I sat in the car and waited for my husband to get his COVID vaccine, I’m younger so I have to wait. 

This is what I wore.

Gardening begins

The gardening season has begun.  My hubby threw on our compost and some sheep manure.  I drew and painted this from memory. 

I drew and painted this from memory do there is little accuracy 

Shopping Day

I’m pretty happy to be getting out of the house today now that we are u see another “stay at home” order!  I know that this is only Day 2 but it feels like forever already. On a bright note, I finally wearing these shoes that I bought late last fall!!  

Fence Post Friday

Happy Fence Post Friday everyone! Looks like there is some April showers in our future.  No matter, enjoy your weekend!   I couldn’t help myself but I had to do a double back to grab for this snap.  This dude was moving these humongous bales of hay from one pile to another.  Well, so it seemed to me at least.  This was the day before we started yet another provincial “stay at home” order. Stay safe, stay well everyone!  

Black Crows

This pair of crows has been spending time in the yard the last few days.  I expect they will be the ones that will stay for the summer.  There was a murder of them along the tree line and the rest of them carried on with a cacophony of calls and then took off.  I found out some interesting tidbits of info about them.  Very unscientific but interesting nevertheless. A single crow-bad omen, 2 crowds - good luck, 3 crows - health, 4 crows - wealth, 5 crows- sickness is coming and 6 crows - death is nearby. 

I was fooling around with my mono-printing plate so I stamped the ink on the page.

Arrival of another summer bird

Good afternoon!  We were really thrilled to see this summer bird had returned earlier than expected! Now I have to pull out the feeder and get some seed. 

Thankfully we can still get curb side now that we are firmly entering our 3rd lockdown tomorrow.  

Green Pairs

I watched a tutorial by Susan Chiang for this but didn’t use her reference photo that were red pears.  I used my own pears and a lemon yellow first layer. I used lunar blue and some green in the shadow.  I wish I hadn’t applied the cobalt teal splashes but it was too late so added more of the colour.  Gave it a bit of a border and some words.  Happy with my page in my handmade sketchbook. 

Canola field

Thanks go out to Trupti Karjinni for her tutorial that I found so very informative.  I used the reference photo and melded it with a memory of the Dutch elm tree in a farmers field by our house.  I added more yellow to my field to represent a field of canola flowers.

I will practice again and again in order to get this to a place where I really like it. 

Toilet Bowl Blues

Due to the provincial shutdown in Ontario that starts Saturday morning, we switched up our shopping day from Friday to Thursday and this is what I noticed at the grocery store.  First, I couldn’t buy my usual toilet bowl cleaner because they didn’t have any.  Secondly, when I checked what was on the shelf most said “with added bleach” or that it killed “90 something percent of bacteria”! Good grief! We are on septic and I don’t want to kill the bacteria in our tank.  So I left without buying any.  Some bacteria is good but honestly am I the only one that thinks this??!!! 

This made me think of how the city to the south of us is checking waste water for indications of COVID-19.  This makes me wonder can a cleaner actually kill the COVID-19 virus?! I mean, if I lived in town, I probably would have purchased one of those containers.  

I enjoyed watching Koosje Keene segment and used my pencil crayons and craft paint in my Moleskine Journal. 

A sad Day

A sad day! We had to go shopping today since the province will be shut down again as of Saturday morning.   It began with what and when vaccines are arriving, then “modelling” data and ended with the notice of the shutdown.  I guess they wanted to get ahead of good Friday since there is nothing good going on.