october pop in

Hello dear viewers. Thank you, once again, for popping in. I know it's been a while...

Not much has changed around here. Muji is still his sweet, dopey self.

Many artist/illustrators have got on board with the practice called Inktober, honing their skills with ink for the month of October. I haven't got the discipline for such a long term commitment so

I just did this quick sketch with my Pitt brush pens and Crayola coloured pencils. 

I recently bought some water soluble pastels called Gelatos. 

I've done the Lion and the Lamb many times in my past, but this time I felt compelled to do

The Tiger and the Lamb

I do have an October project I am working on. Perhaps I'll share some peeks into it next time.

peace on Earth

joy as a sidedish

Well, isn't that just the way; as soon as I feel I can't go the extra mile, there I go and find my way back to my source. It's like saying "I'll never fall in love again" and then you do. Of course, the trick is not to go back to what you know but to be open to what is possible.





5 babies 5 girls

 

  Right after that post 2 days ago, I got out my sketchbook and started pencilling in the 3 equal proportions of a baby in circles: head, body, legs. Then I went over my drawings in white ink and crow quill. "Oh that's nice". Then the little girls followed with double circles for their bodies and legs, and more white outlines. "Oh no, a blob on #4's head; now what shall I do? Should I even bother to go on?" But I did, blobbing black ink as I went because the crow quill doesn't like the soft paper in my sketchbook.  I carried on.  And somewhere along the way I realized the mistakes worked for me in a way I wouldn't have done on purpose!

 

As my friend Pam would say," an answer to a question we didn't know we asked."

 

At the end of the day, COLOUR !

to clear the palate

certainly not the palette!

 

a joyous day is a choice

that comes as a sidedish to doing what we love

 



watery ink sketches

 

Playing with pen and ink on watercolour sponged heavy card stock...

 



ride a bunny measures almost 4 inches x 2 1/2 inches

but it looks rather nice enlarged like this

 

catgirl is done in the same medium, measuring 3x4 inches

and scribbbleportrait is done in the same medium again, 3x4 inches

 

 

A windy day here, enough to blow you over.  A good walk in a big box store set me up for the day.

I'm a happier person for getting some exercise this time of year when the walkways are icy treacherous.  Midwinter is a time of inwardness, biding my time til sweeter weather comes.  Drawing, writing, reading, radio for company and pots of tea.  Keeping warm and focussed on what matters.

 

peace







continuity

continuity

 

Two Baby Boys

pencil, pen and ink wash, acrylic

 

There's My Big Boy

pencil, pen and ink wash

 

There's My Big Boy

pencil, pen and ink wash, acrylic

 

every day a blessing

 

right choices

 

This week I went back to my sketchbook.  It has not been my habit to go to it for play or working out problems, but two great influences, who have excellent work habits, have advised me to keep a drawing habit if I want to find my way into a style that is uniquely my own.

 

Back in November I left off handstitching this abstracted piece

 which I see now I like better on the backside.

 

I stalled out on this little sketch as well.

 

Two days ago I tried intuitive painting in India ink.  After 3 of them I was exhausted.

 This is the third one.

 

Yesterday I got out the crow quill nib and did a drawing painted with muddy watercolour washes.

The painting as a whole seemed unsuccessful but I like this detail of a little Border Collie rounding up his sheep.  There is always something to be gleaned from these little experiments.

 

I've been having a hard time "lightening up" lately, bringing such a heavy load of baggage to my creative time.  I think the sense of loss I felt this week at not entering a local community show AND closing my business account after 35 years  brought home the seriousness of my commitment to myself as an artist for art's sake. How odd to mourn the loss of my public self;  I suppose there is something to do with identity in it. Regardless, of the vast amount of freedom I have created for myself,  I am sure I have made the right choices. Now the trick will be to narrow in on what really matters. 



 

Breathing into the moment we summon THIS, our life, to us.

Staying present.