Everyday in October

I tried to do Inktober but haven't been able to keep up especially with this cough and cold. But here are some drawings that I did in my Stillman & Birn Gamma sketchbook.

This is the prop from the Bombardier Q400 plane that we flew in with Porter airlines!  I actually drew it on the 8th but have never posted it anywhere.  I used my grand-daughters Crayola marker for the yellow.

this acorn was sittin on my daughters kitchen table so I drew it! 

Street view sketch in my Moleskine

I can't believe that our holiday in the Big Apple is over! This will be my last time sitting at this Starbucks and gazing over this street view. 

Yeah, there is more detail that I could add but I'm calling it done. 

So long New York, it was a great time!

I haven't read the book but I did order the work book for "Steal Like an Artist".  I stole this technique from Felix Scheinberger's book Urban Watercolour.   I am quite excited because he will be teaching a segment in the next Sketchbook Skool (dot) com class that is due to start in January. 

I took a snap and I really should go in and add more detail especially on the days that I just don't feel like doing much art.  I might help me out of the slump.  I'll see....later.

Fork in the Road

Sat in a "no parking zone" to draw this at the "Five Points" in downtown Barrie, Ontario.  The restaurant in the centre is the closest thing that Barrie has to a "flat iron" building. 

It was quite the challenge and I can see that I have been "somewhat" successful.  at least I was able to complete it, paint and all before I left for home. 

A House and a Panama Hat - kind of...

I went by this house at 158 Dunlop St E in Barrie and saw that the legal eagle firm has vacated the premises and the huge mansion of a house appears to be abandoned.  I have always loved this house when I drive by.  I stopped a year a go or so and attempted to draw it but was not successful.  So happy that I made the effort today.  Funny how people alway feel that they need to comment when they see someone drawing.  A fella went by walking his dog and he said, "Drawing the house, eh?"  Yes! Yes, I am!

Earlier this summer we were in the big city -Toronto Canada - to take a tour of Graffitti Alley just off Queen St West. It was the hottest day that we had up to that moment. We walked by this store and decided that we needed hats to survive the tour. My hubby bought this Panama hat and we were told that the way to tell a Panama from other hats is the woven circle in the centre.  I couldn't figure out how to draw the texture so I just drew. It is actually white and I didn't want to leave it as a contour drawing. Now it makes me think of a computer simulation during the graphics stage of hat building. 

Watercolour first then add drawing

A new technique that I think I enjoy doing very much is to lay down the watercolour and then apply the pen work afterwards.

This is how I did this sketch of this Canada Goose in my Moleskine sketchbook. My initial paint application has created a shadow that makes this goose appear to be in motion. 

Hot tomatoes! Too hot to handle!

I forgot to post this one.

Trying to do more art!

Every Day in August #22-Still Life. What I have been doing for weeks!! This one was a challenge for me, I am never comfortable about the placement of my subject matter. This is what I did today creatively and literally for weeks now.  Okay... so the rusty shears were just a prop in place of the new pruning shears I have been using!!! Faber-Castell pen and watercolour in a new Moley sketchbook. It isn't a watercolour one because I prefer the portrait orientation but it does seem to take the watercolour better than before.....but that might be in my imagination! 

I love gadgets even when they aren't mine!

I don't know if I am alone in this or not but my hubby and I have separate tool boxes.  I keep mine on the main floor for easy access. Today was the first time that I have ever seen this gizmo in action, he brought out because he saw me struggling. Like my purse his toolbox is his personal domain and that is fine with me. I certainly appreciated the assistance of this gadget though. So am I the only one here who didn't know what this handy dandy tool was for?!??!

I love Sketchbook Art

I love that I can take my sketchbook wherever I go. When I have it and a pen I can keep from being bored or lonely. 

I did this while eating at a Montana's Restaurant in Oakville. Thank goodness I had this to do as the table I was offered was the worst one in the whole restaurant. 

After the storm!

We are still cleaning up from the major storm that blew through our place on Sunday August the 2nd. Four loads of brush to the dump already.

Took some time out to go to town and saw this 1969 Rolls Royce Silver Shadow for sale along the road. These are rare in these parts so I pulled over. The man who lives there came out to see what I was up to and had no problem with letting me park my car in his lane way for this drawing. Only bummer was the car is white; I'm not a fan of white! My hubby wanted to know the asking price and had to tell him, I just wanted to draw it not buy it!!

New fountain Pen

I do so love this very interesting pen for its unique nib and smooth writing. I am even happier that I was able to purchase a converter for it and can use my own ink.

Wonky selfies

This is so very fun to do! You should try it. I used an app that distorted my face!

I would never have thought of this if it not been for SketchbookSkool dot com 

Visiting family

Meet Maxine (or Max for short) the cheetah! My little grand-daughters newest addition to her stuffed animal menagerie.

Trying out this new sketchbook by Cottonwood Arts. I thought I might not like it as the paper is super smooth. However, as it turns out I like how the watercolour floats on the paper! 

My grand-daughter wasn't so sure that she liked the green paint even though that is the colour of her living room walls. 

This is the drawing I did for The Daisy Yellow Index card a Day! It is my grand-daughters baseball cap. When you are born and raised in Toronto, of course you have a Blue Jays cap even if you are only 3 years old! 

Another first -first ever hair colour high lights

What was I afraid of?? However, I was glad that I went to the sister of a good friend of mine. I knew that she would do right by me. I'm doing what most gaur dressers don't want you to do and that is allow my grey hair to grow in gracefully. I just hate dying it so often. The new shiny grey hair growth is do obvious to me and I would zero in on them when I would look at myself in the mirror!


Rene has a pretty cool set up in her basement! I love her colour palette - I mean who doesn't like purple and grey!

I received this brand span king new pen in the mail yesterday. I drew it before I had even loaded it with the converter and ink. I have since done a quick test drive and I love it!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Ouch!

I had someone back into me from a parking spot while I was in the driving lane at a shopping plaza. I went to get the appraisal for the body work yesterday. Thankfully I am not at fault! Who knew that this minimal damage would be assessed at $4,037.00 CDN What truly irritates me was her blasé attitude since she was driving a fleet vehicle and had there been much damage to her she would simply get a new car to drive. Me....I got to be without my dear Bertha for 2 weeks!!! I stood out in the -24C wind chill for the ink work after I got home from town and rushed inside to warm up! Applied watercolour today.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

I love perfume

This is a drawing I did to celebrate the wonderful scent my hubby bought me for Christmas. I love it, its aroma is truly unique!


I don't know what I was thinking, seemingly I didn't have my brain engaged. I should have used a ruler and did some measuring. Then for some reason I used a different colour of watercolour on each page. So I tried to unify the page with the pattern using the same colour. I like the wonky page much better now!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Winter scents

'Tis the season for my favourite wintertime scent! Uniball pen and watercolour in my sketchbook

It is a winter wonderland here but it is expected to warm up so much of the snow is melting.  I'm trying to create a visual journey in my sketchbook and since this is one of my favourite scents, I think it deserves to be recognized. 
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Not all Green is Good

Try as I might not everything in my sketchbook is great.  I don't think it is suppose to be but I do try.  I really liked the page I titled The Taste of Red and I tried a green one (at the suggestion that by a fellow student in my virtual classroom at Sketchbook Skool).  I'm just not loving it.  I did it several days ago but wasn't going to post it.

I just can't seem to get the greens just right or that right that appeals to my eye.  I found the green to "olive" or brownish or then it was too blue.  Agh!  Should get some better watercolours.

It has been cold today at 3C and it wasn't until almost 5 p.m. that the sun finally shone.  I went outside for a minute and actually saw some purple so I grabbed my phone and got a shot.

Finally some pretty spring colour out there!  This has been an awful spring after a horrible winter.  I am just so thankful that I have been keeping busy with art.

I am finally getting close to finishing up my postcards for the iHanna postcard swap  Unfortunately, I am late but I expect that I will have them all out in the mail this week.

Wishing and hoping and two days early!

Some days I am running behind and then today I find out I am ahead of myself!  I thought the new Strathmore workshop was up.  Ugh, it is not until Monday.  So I will content myself with posting here and then get cracking at the postcards that I am making for the iHanna Postcard swap that I joined.  I have to get them done since it is a fact....I am once again "late" getting them done and mailed out!

Here are a few more drawings from my sketchbook.  As I said, I am making an attempt to keep at it!  I love the notion of it so I just need to buckle down and do it.  I haven't finished the one I started for today so here are a few from days past.

Kiddie toothpaste

Need to work on the tube again but it makes me chuckle nevertheless.  I am using a children's toothpaste - well - I am +8 years - so it should be okay?  Ha! Ha!  It had fun trying to get the notion across of "bristle" and the handle is a bit wonky but it is all about "the making" or rather the drawing. It is about the act of putting pen to paper.  I did it.  I filled a page with a drawing and I did my journalling in it later. 

I used the sticker from the bananas and added it to the top of the page in my Moley.  I had some difficulties that day with the banana but the paint helped.  I know we call recognize the fruit shape so that is a good thing but I was trying to capture the ripeness.  I like my bananas well past what many other people do.  I have any green parts but as you can see there was some.  However, it had "dots" on it so I ate it anyway.

I love the sound the spoon makes when I stir my coffee in my new mug!  Cheers!  It is Saturday morning and never enough coffee.  

This is similar to Danny Gregorys' video "The Art of Breakfast".  If you haven't seen it yet head over to Youtube to find and watch it.  It is amazing.  This was my breakfast that day.  

I got to go and finish some more of my postcards now.  The weather report has somewhat shifted and there might be a spot of sunshine later.  I want to be ready and head outdoors to enjoy it!