Yuck!

Okay, I've been told not to say bad things about my work at least not unless I am willing to say something good. I am trying a new way of working with colored pencils where you layer colors and then rub pretty hard with another pencil to even out all the colors. I didn't use the best paper for this. I used drawing paper and so I will try again on bristol or in my Moleskine (cream paper version). I was feeling like pink and red when I drew my 11th self portrait so I rather overdid them. And then I ended up plastering my hair to my head as if I'd been out in a driving rain! My granddaughter on the left in their picture actually looks somewhat like her but the one on the right does not. I have lots of practice ahead of me.

I almost didn't even post these. I waited several days but then gave in to my principle of showing you all my projects even if they aren't ones that make me happy. I said I would share my 30 portraits so I will! Let's hope the next one is better. Two steps forward, one step back. That's me. I guess that leaves me firmly in the human race - no demigod business for me!

Imaginary Trip to Italy

I have taken another Imaginary Trip with Laure Ferlita. We had a blast touring Italy. You could have fun too, taking these trips. I always learn something new. Sometimes I learn new things about the places we are "visiting" and I always learn more about painting with watercolor. There is an autumn trip coming up soon. Why don't you join me?

Sambo and another Portrait

Still keeping busy with artstuff. I had put the background to Sambo in ahead of time. It's acrylic so watercolor wouldn't work well and I didn't feel like using gouache or collage so I used the Tombow pen to draw my little black poodle-chihuahua mix. I like how he turned out. I guess I could have drawn him larger but it's okay this way. At least I got him down before he moved! Getting faster with my sketching and that's a good thing when you try to get an animal down without using a photo.

The other is portrait number 9. I'm really slow at doing these. The challenge was to do one every day during the month of August but I've changed it to doing 30 no matter how long it takes! I'm pretty happy with this one although once again, it doesn't look like me or the other portraits! My eyes are too big but at least I got the head shape better. And the nose is better too! Wish it looked like me though!

Everyone ready for fall to come? I've had enough of this summer between snakes and the heat. I think everyone has had lots of heat this year and many of you got Irened too. I hope all of you did okay through her rage up the East Coast.

Portrait Number 4 and a Journal Page

Portrait number four was done without looking at a reference. I just felt bad and drew that. I think it comes across! Hope you all felt better today than I did.

The birdbath is my sister's. She's moving to Japan to live with her son since she just can't make it in California on Social Security and a part-time job. She's only taking small items with her and although she loved this birdbath, it's too heavy to ship so I drew it. I wish I'd left the writing off so I could make a print for her. When I get refreshed on PSElements I might erase the lettering and print it out.

30 Self Portraits

Violette
is having a challenge over on her blog for 30 days of self-portraits. She's asking us to let everyone know in case they'd like to practice drawing, drawing faces or whatever. So now you know why I did the picture here. I haven't done many faces so I figure 30 of them will help my drawing them. We'll see won't we? Want to join me? They don't have to be lengthy sessions or realistically done. Want to scratch one out with a pencil in 5 minutes or paint one or do a cartoon? It's all okay. So come on! Join in with me.

All Done!

Here it is in all the glory it's going to get! This is my pear. Thanks so much Ann for the tutorial and thanks to everyone who has been keeping an eye on the project.

I left the border and the extra bit of paper on the bottom because I am wondering if I want to add "Pear" in calligraphy (Ann, was this a Bartlet?) or maybe something more in that space. I also am wondering about a background. What would any of you do? Leave it white, add some colored pencil - and what color would you use? I'm rather stumped at this point so thinking it'll probably remain white. All opinions welcome!

So once again, check out Blue Bird Hill as she can inspire you too!

More Pear

Second stage of my pear! So far so good but I'm worrying I've added too much color now for the next stage. I might have filled the tooth of the paper. We'll see. Stay tuned!

As always, check out Ann's Bluebird Hill blog for the tutorial and some wonderful art!

Working on My Pear

This is my pear with the first layer of light yellow all over except in the highlights and then the second layer of adding some other yellows and green. On to some more colors. Actually I had to go over this a few times as it was too light to see when I turned off the Ott light!
Remember this is being done with the tutorial found at Bluebird Hill blog. If you want to try it, just hop over and check out all the lessons. There is even a downloadable PDF.

Color Pencil Drawing

Hi everyone.  Ann Nemcosky of Blue Bird Hill blog is offering a tutorial on colored pencil drawing.  I've told her I want to follow along.  She's asked to see where we'll be posting our work as we go along so I am going to post the steps as I do them here.  The picture she's chosen and already prepared for us is this pear. 

Do you want to try out some colored pencil drawing.  Grab your pencils and join in.  Go to her blog I've linked for you above and let her know.  Ready?  Let's go!

Drat That Cat

We are back in Simi Valley. It's cloudy and cool but not so wet I can't go out. Once while I was out with Mistress but on a leash, I saw Ashley sitting in the front yard near some bright orange flowers. (Mistress says they are nasturtiums and we can eat them but I prefer her fig tree's leaves back home that she doesn't allow me to eat). I tried really hard to paint Ashley but she is just a fluffy hunk of gray. I also really wanted to chase her down but there is that issue of being on a tight leash, hmpph! When I am indoors I can't chase her because she hisses at me and that worries me just enough to keep me from trying it plus there are other cats in the house and I wouldn't want them to gang up on me. One of them, a black cat, weighs almost what I do or at least it seems that way and he takes a swipe with his claws at anyone who walks by so I don't mess with him indoors or out.

The bird was a different story. This time I was inside looking out while Mistress waited for her coffee to brew. She tried to take a picture of this bird we saw outside just sitting so nicely at leaping height on top of a shovel stuck into the ground (these people are finally working on the weeds) but didn't get her camera fast enough so I painted it from memory for her. Doesn't that bird look good enough for a quick treat?

I sure hope you are all having a great day. I really appreciate you all coming to see my pictures and hear how my trip is going.

Taking a Break

Hi once again everyone. I'm sorry about the skewed picture. I had to ask Mistress to take a photo as we are at her sister's house in Fallbrook now and we can't get hooked up to her scanner right now.

We've been so busy it's taken a few days to get this done and posted. We went to see a cheapo property for sale with a small mobile home on it in Hemet. The realtor didn't show up the first day and it's an hour's drive so Mistress was a bit upset but she got to talk about it with her sisters and we got to see two dogs who live at the home next door. They were pretty large dogs but I am bigger and a bit more refined (at least I hope). They seemed friendly enough and after saying hello a few times, they settled down. They were behind a fence so we couldn't properly get to know each other. (Mistress deemed the property unfixable which is sort of what she expected as it was only $36,000.00 in California. Yes, that's really unreal isn't it?

Anyhow, back to the subject here. We went out to sit on the patio here at Cherrie's and it feels like a nice room. It's really pleasant except that two of the chairs just aren't my style. Mistress finds them comfortable enough and was kind enough to leave the 3 seater swing for me. I didn't swing but it felt so good to be able to stretch out for a bit. It's lovely here in Fallbrook. It's still a bit cool except midday but it's so green! I love it.

Hope you all have a great day. I'm going back outside to sniff the pretty flowers and maybe, just maybe, the neighbors cat will try to go through the yard while I am out there. Oh, won't he get a surprise?

This is Food?

Mistress and I drove from Simi Valley to Oceanside, California and saw some very pretty bits (tiny bits) of ocean and pretty hillsides which I need to figure out how to paint but right now, it was what was in front of me (or not) that I want to concentrate on. James is a vegan. I am a poodle and never the twain shall meet so to say! His table had a nice pretty bowl on it and the colors were wonderful but let's face it, a poodle does not want an orange or a Minneola (such fancy terms these humans have for something not really edible as far as I am concerned). He won't even allow meat in the house like pepperoni on a pizza - boy, isn't that sounding good to me now! So anyhow, I drew what was available wishing it were something else but life is what it is and I'm grateful for the fenced yard with grass in it and that he lets me up on the couch. The sun was shining too so overall it was great but, oh well, I'll be home soon enough where I'll get eggs and bacon, cheese and hamburger, pork chops and steak.... excuse the drool okay?

I'm ready - Or Not!

I have my new journals ready for my trip and classes. I have one for Laure's upcoming class (The Imaginary Trip To The Garden where there is still openings available). It has the butterfly on it. I have the blank white journal for Mitzi the pink poodle to decorate and write in for Roz's International Fake Journal Month

and I have one with a bird on the front filled with 90# paper, both hot and cold-pressed to see if I like working on it. This should cover me for my whole trip and more.

The reason for the second picture showing the bottom edges of the journals is to show you what happens when you don't want to waste the cardboard so cut it where it will barely fit. The journal with the butterfly barely fits in the cover. It saved me a lot of wasted cardboard but I will not do this again. I'll probably have worn or dirty pages later because I tried to save a few cents. The journal on the right is much better and I will do it like this from now on. Sometimes it doesn't pay to skimp.

I also have a large bag full of my art supplies, some knitting and I even have my suitcase almost filled with clothes. Still have to pack up my computer but I am waiting till the last minute for that. So I am almost ready but I always hate leaving home and most of my pets even though I'll enjoy the trip. So I am almost ready but not quite!

Fake Journal Month for 2011 and A New Class

It's time for Roz's International Fake Journal Month again.  You can find out all the info by clicking on the button (I can't seem to remember what the clickable pictures are on the sidebar) of the blue dog on pink background over at the top of my sidebar or you can just go here.  Just be sure to scroll down and maybe even go to previous posts to read the whole thing.  There is a description at the top of the blog but if you want to join in do read the whole thing.

I am going to be Mitzi, a pink, standard poodle who happens to be very unusual in that she can do art but hey, my family insists I live in lala land and if that's true then I get to decide what dogs can or cannot do in my world.  I decided that although I prefer toy poodles, I do not want to keep my nose to the ground for a month.  I want to be able to see what's on the table at least!  So stay tuned and we'll see how this goes.

I'm going to be in California for most of the month and I am also going to be taking Laure Ferlita's newest class "An Imaginary Trip To The Garden" so I believe Mitzi will be seeing lots of interesting stuff.  I think Laure still has some open slots too so why don't you join me in both the Fake Journal Month AND Laure's new class?

Wall Decorating

I have been busy painting a wall in my bedroom/craftroom. I moved the bookcases that you can see here to another wall and that left a brown and yellow wall - ugly! It took me months to get to it but I finally went and bought the paint and did it.

First, I used the paint that is on my furniture for a sample so I could match it at the store. Knowing it was a large area to be done, I lightened the sample a bit so it would read right. Well, I didn't lighten it enough and after getting it on the wall I had to lighten up some of the paint and recoat it. Then I added the squiggly pink lines one at a time till I finally covered the wall in a diamond pattern. I finished by adding blue paint to the top edges where the wallboard had a frame already and painted some really sloppy green leaves on the blue strips to match what I had done on the furniture. I either need new brushes or get back to practicing strokework but overall it turned out. This wall took me four days to do - painting those lines is hard on the wrist. As you can see it matches the furniture I painted several years ago. I think my room is done now. Well, until I need to rearrange my art supplies again anyhow!

Hmmmm.....

I was just wondering how everyone is doing? Are you having fun getting ready for Christmas? Is it more stressful this year than last? More joyful? I really hope you are all having more fun and if you aren't I hope you can find a space to stop, take a deep breath and relax for a few minutes.

I finally finished my Christmas cards and am getting them mailed out. Here's what I came up with this year. I stopped making originals for each person - that was taking the fun out of it as time would fly by and then I'd feel stressed and rushed.

Now who has baked anything for Christmas? I've made some brown sugar fudge that I started making after my mother-in-law died. My husband missed the candy and his mom so I tried making it. After three failures (in one day), I said a prayer and it must have been heard as the fudge has come out fine now for the last 25+ Christmases! So, please, let me know what you are cooking up. Let's have some fun!

Tea Anyone?

Yesterday Laure Ferlita posted a painting of a tea bag on her blog. Some of the commenters including myself wondered if we could do a painting like that. Laure came back telling us to try it so I did. This is my result. This is the sort of thing you can do after taking a class of hers (warning: the classes are like potato chips, you can't stop at one!). We don't just learn to copy her lesson; we learn how to put what she teaches to paint anything. I know it's just a little teabag and a used one at that but it makes me so happy to be able to take up that challenge and come up with a reasonable painting of it! Thank you so much Laure!

Back to Beadin'

I was going through all my old bead magazines trying to thin out all my "stuff". I came across many patterns I still want to try so I saved those and chose one to do after reading a post about making time on Kathy's blog Catching Happiness. I let time slip away without anything to show for it much too often. I will give this necklace to my daughter at some point. She has a birthday coming up and then there is always Christmas or just as a "here, this is for you" gift. It was a fun project and I think I will make a few more.

I am working on other things now to. Every so often I guess I just need a swift kick in the rear to get moving!

Autumn Fun!

Once again, a class of Laure Ferlita's is finished. These are the pages I painted for my journal. Don't you want to try this? A new Fall class started just today. You could join in right now and not miss anything! There are other classes listed on her site too. Check them out. You won't be sorry.

Beaded Flowers

I mentioned doing beading in my last post. These are some of the flowers I made. The pot is about 2" high and the larger daisies are not quite 1 1/2" across. I also made some roses but they are not in an arrangement yet so I'll share them later.