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.

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. 

Getting excited!!

My foreign currency finally arrived on Friday! St Lucia uses a shared currency with 8 other independent islands in the Caribbean. I took these images from the different denominations of bills that I received.

I think this two-page spread might be a throwback to my grade school days. A shoutout to all school teachers out there who have left an indelible imprint of curiosity to their students!


I used BIC ballpoint pen and Faber-Castell PITT brush pens in my Moleskine sketchbook.

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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!

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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. 
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Mixed Media Collage and Prototypes

I  have signed up to participate in another The Sketchbook Project challenge and I can't wait to receive my 4 X 4 canvas to paint.  I haven't decided if I will actually "paint" it per se or if I will make my painting a collage.

I have a bunch of old dress patterns "from back in the day" when I sewed more.  I got the inspiration to do this from a fellow Instagramer.  She was using the packaging in her altered collaged journal pages. My IG friend Carol had some real "vintage" dress patterns from 1950's that were really cool.   Since my patterns are not old enough to be cool, I decided that I would try and use the dress pattern  tissue in a collage.

I really like the effect and I am seriously considering using the technique for the 4 X 4 painting challenge. I found some tissue tape that I had purchased at a local art supply in the sale bin.  The reason it was in the sale bin is because the glue was dry so I just tore off what I could and applied it. 

I like the idea of adding text, of having something to say in my journal page.  I have to remind myself that it is okay to play like a child.  We have to remind ourselves that children live their lives "in the NOW" all of the time.   I think we need to return to that.  I think it makes it easier for me to make art when I get myself into this "childhood memories" zone.

What I used to make these:

-recycled paper substrate (from the recycle bin at work)

-recycled dress pattern tissue applied with soft gel medium

-stencil that I had purchased some time ago and never used

-wooden puzzle piece

-magazine page cut out using paper punch from dollar store

-recycled foil gum wrapper dot applied

-Text (in a different language ) applied using Magic tape from a cookbook  to make "artist" tape

-Micron pen and coptic pen

-oil pastel for smudging

I am planning on joining another postcard swap this month with Shannon Ganshorn and I think that I will use this as part of this next swap.

Pen and Ink Sketch

I am a bad, bad, girl!!!  Try as I might, I seem to be having some difficulty keeping my own pledge to write here often!  The month of September seems to have gotten away from me somehow!

I haven't been doing too much with my art these days either but I have a couple of drawings that I have been able to complete!  Pen and ink is quick and easy!  I have left all of the marks that if I had drawn it in pencil I would have erased much to keep the drawing "pure" and error free.

I would like to "redo" this and see if I can improve my drawing.  However, I have to say that I like it for all of its "imperfections" too.  I think that often we shy away from drawing or even from posting one's drawings because they are "perfect".  I fall into this category too even though I try to espouse the fact that I am free from self-doubt!

This is a very small drawing....but it in fact, for a "sketch" it took longer than I had thought it would.  It is hard to get the shading that I wanted so that the hat would look like a hat and not have that flat look.

This drawing was created using my Strathmore Mixed Media journal and a Sharpie pen.

I am so happy that I did take the time to make some wild Oro grape jam from the fruit that grows wild around our house!  I had fun and I loved taking snaps of the results!

April Fools

We have been fooled by mother nature!  She has given us warm weather and sunshine and now we have got a mixed bag: snow overnight and rain today.

Here is a doodle that I have been working on over the course of the month!  I enjoy distilling my life, both personal and work wise, on to a single page in this way!  It makes me select those key areas of my life that are either milestones or important in some other way!  I try to put enough drawing in to make it an art form but really I just want to keep a journal of sorts; a record of my journey that is not simply "typed" on a white background.

Maybe this is something that you could do too!!  If you are thinking of trying it, please send me a note or add a comment.

The month of March in review includes:

•  listening to a new podcast on my iPod!  I really like this one!  

• I am really upset that Kraft salad dressings no longer include low calorie French.  It seem it has been "de-listed" - Whaaaaat the heck!!!!????  Don't they know that I have a yen for French the last few weeks and now it is simply unavailable...say that is not so, please?!!!  

• My opinion about Rogers has changed.  I thought they were on the ball and I found out the hard way that they have a bunch of people working for them that have NO CLUE!  I shouldn't be surprised since we employee the same sort.  The 20 - 35 year olds who think that they are "ENTITLED" to anything they want.  This means that they also think that THEY KNOW IT ALL!   Technical services technician are a especially full of themselves there; I was told that the Rogers Rocket stick doesn't work on my MAC Lion operating system.  Whaaaa??!  I have been using it all along and loaded on Lion a year ago with no problems.  The technicians are so dim with regards to Apple that they did not even know that Mountain Lion will be coming out this summer.  So, how many other MAC people have they told to remove the connection manager from their applications list??  I know now that I know more about my system that their dimwitted technicians.  

What will I be working on this month? This month I will be working on a new "mixed media fibre art" birthday postcard for another friend.  I think that I will make three the same or similar because when I finish one, I like it so much that I regret that I have to give it away.  That negative feeling will be solved if I make more than one.  I think that I have her fibre art birthday card all figured out in my head.  I spent a bit of time this afternoon getting my materials together in the colour palette of choice - blue!! 

Welcome 2012!

Thankfully I'm not one for resolutions!  That said I have hopes:  I hope to make more art this year than last.  I hope to read more books (real and digital) in the new year.  I hope that a fairy will appear this year and clean my house for me.  Hmmm! That is certainly a dream come true and I am doubtful that will happen in this millennium!

Since I can't have everything I want, I did my first doodle for the new year.  What I like about mimicking the zentangle doodle is its simplicity. Usually it is just black and white and for this special occasion I colourized it!  I don't think I like the effect really.  I will try it again but use a different set of coloured felt markers.  These were a large set that I got in the sale bin at the local craft store but not all felt markers are created equal.  This set is meant for children and although they have been good for other simple projects I don't like them here.  But a doodle is a doodle....it is meant to be fun, so here it is..... Welcome 2012!!