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Zentangle  8-9-2009

Pigma Micron Pen and Graphite in small derwent journal

  This little Zentangle is the only thing I have completed since my last post.   I haven’t had much time for art with my niece in from Bassett.  To tell you the truth I spent most of my time in the kitchen.  The girls were hungry 24/7.  Then Friday Alana had a slumber party that lasted until Sunday morning.  We went to VA. Beach Satuday.  It was really hot and the water was ice cold…It was kinda wierd.  Oh, and while the girls were playing in the ocean, three dolphins were playing in the water about 20 to 30 feet from them!  And me, as usual, without my camera!   I feel certain that when the girls got home they were good and tired.  I know I was, and still am!

     I still have an itch to paint though.  The library books were horrible and of no use… (the poor trees that died for that garbage)  Like always, I guess I’m going to have to do it the hard way. 

      David leaves tomorrow and won’t be back home until Tuesday.  I hate it when he goes out of town, but I am going to use this time to my advantage.  First, I’m going to get him to fix my easel and then I’m going to drag out every brush, canvas, every bottle of paint that I have, throw it on the kitchen table and paint until I come up with something.   Sound like a plan?

It’s Friday…

 Zentangle 7-30-2009

Pigma Micron and graphite in derwent small journal

  This is another Zentangle that I threw together while watching TV.   It’s a little odd looking but who cares:)

Nothing goin’ on this week really, except for cleaning out somethings.  I did go to the library and checked out a few books on Acrylic painting and one on abstract landscapes that I am really excited to dive into.  But we’ll see.  Abstract is on my “Art Bucket List” so I will atleast have to try it again (the right way) instead of this way and this way.

We are picking Alana up Sunday, and I’m pretty excited.  I miss the little thing terribly!  My Grandma use to tell me that the reason I had her was to have somebody to play with and I’m starting think she knew what she was talking about.  I’m sure she had a great time.  We will have Somer next week, so I don’t know how much time I have for art, but it will be a good time none the less.

Have a great weekend!

No Art Just News….

  For the last couple of days I have been cleaning out closets and such, and by the time I am able to sit down and draw I’m too tired….  But I do have a couple of things to share.

   My nephew Richie has had some local fame this week when  a reporter was gushing over his “mad skills”  on the skateboard and was put in Sunday’s paper.  He’s the one on the left about 10 feet in the air.  The boy has no fear what so ever and thankfully hasn’t broken anything (knock on veneer).  

    The other news is that my Everyday Matters  drawing group (based on the books by Danny Gregory) has it’s own super blog.  I think it’s a pretty neat.  Anyone can see art from artists all over collected in one blog.  It is definitely worth a look see.  Clicking  the words in bold above or clicking on my pear badge on the bottom right will take you right to it.   Seriously….grab a cup of something, sit in a comfy chair and browse…

A Zen Weekend…

 Zentangle I

Pigma Micron in Derwent small journal

(Click on the images to enlarge them)

   I came across the Zentangle about a year ago from a twelve year old artist’s blog.  I wish I could remember her blog because she has some outstanding Zentangle artwork.  The Zentangle has been on my “Art Bucket List” and now I can mark it off (yay me). 

    The only way that I can explain it is that it sort of  like doodling with  purpose, and  you have no idea of the outcome.  Well, that’s not exactly true you are guaranteed not to mess it up.  Beware though, they are extremely addictive.  The supplies needed to create your own Zentangle is smooth card stock, and a fine felt tip pen and a pencil if you want for shading.  The directions are fairly simple make a shape fill in with squiggles and fill them in with doodles.

If you want your zentangle as a keepsake,  I recommend acid free  paper and use archival ink to keep the paper from turning yellow and your ink from fading.   The second Zentangle was drawn while traveling to Farmville to celebrate the birthday of David’s Mom and Aunt.  Sadly, David’s Aunt and her husband couldn’t make it, but just about the whole family was there.  We had such a good time visiting with the family.   It was just a feel good kind of day and I really hope we can have times like that more often.  

This is a photo of the family.  Thank goodness Vicki had brought her camera and tripod.  Thank You Vicki, for the pictures!  I brought my camera but only took one picture.  Now how pitiful is that!  I should be ashamed of myself because I was too busy running my mouth. lol 

After the party, we drove to South Boston to meet up with my brother and his wife to drop off Alana for a week so she could spend some time with her cousin Somer.  Then we will meet up again and Somer will stay with us for a week.  The traveling is a pain, but a promise is a promise. 

The weekend ended with swimming, dinner off the grill and a movie.   It just doesn’t get any better than that.

Well, for now that’s about it.  I’m sorry this post is rather long winded, but I thought I’d share my Zen Weekend.

Elizabeth Taylor…

It is strange that the years teach us patience; that the shorter our time, the greater our capacity for waiting.  -Elizabeth Taylor

Graphite on Bristol Smooth

 

      Well, here is another portrait.  I can’t tell you how excited I am to be able to draw people.   I’m actually drawing eyes, a nose, a mouth and it actually looks like eyes, a nose and a mouth!  And I’m crushin’ on that hair!   It isn’t as black as I would like but the tooth of my paper would not hold anymore graphite.  

    The drawing is a little different from the head shot photo.  In the photo she seemed to be leaning against a curtain with some kinda cord that was in her eye line.  I thought that it competed with her eyes and drew attention away from her long lashes.  The curtain was blurred out but so were her hands so I drew in darker fabric and brought her hand out a little.    I think she is just so beautiful.  I just hope I did her beauty justice.

Marilyn Monroe…

 

Hollywood is a place where they will pay you a thousand dollars for a kiss and fifty cents for your soul.  -Marilyn Monroe

Graphite on Bristol Smooth

EDM #151 Free Choice

 Well, this is my third  portrait…All I’ll say is that I got a lot to learn, but I’m getting better (hopefully).  I love drawing hair, but drawing blond hair is pretty hard to pull off.  It may not look exactly like her but it was a good learning experience so I’m not going to be too hard on myself.  Drawing celebrities is intimating because everyone knows what the drawing is suppose to look like, but they sure are a lot of fun.  I can see why a lot of artists draw them.   I wonder who I’ll draw next?  

Our Anniversary….

    Today is our 14th wedding anniversary.  I would say it’s hard to believe that we’ve been married that long, but if you figure in that we’ve been together off and on since 1986 it’s about right..lol.   We don’t really have anything planned except maybe getting something to eat tonight.  Which is fine by me….at least I don’t have to cook..YIPEE!!!

    Today would be perfect except for the fact that my nephew is signing himself over to Uncle Sam today.  I have mixed feelings, because I feel the experience will enrich his life but at the same time I will fear for it.  It is something he really wants and considering his mom was is in the Army and his Dad retired from the Army I should have expected it.  Well, at least I won’t have to worry about it until he graduates  or is it I’ll have til he graduates to worry about it.   

Well, enough about that… we can’t keep kids from growing up and it’s my anniversary I’m off to enjoy my night with my hubby!

Here’s another one….

Leopard

Graphite on Bristol Smooth

      I like this one too and for some reason the picture is a little better that the last one.   I really like drawing the small crops.  It’s nose looks crooked to me… ah, well I’ll just say he’s leaning. 

The eye of the tiger…

Tiger

Graphite on Bristol Smooth

   Sorry the picture is a little dark and fuzzy, but that’s my camera for ya.  It takes great shots of everything but artwork.  But atleast this gives you an idea of what this piece looks like.   This is 6 x 6 which is small scale for me to draw in pencil.  It was really fast moving and didn’t take very long to complete.  Most of the animals that I draw fits comfortably in a 11 x 14 mat and I usually don’t like to draw smaller than that. But this was pretty cool.  I picked this picture because the tiger’s eye is watering and it has a tear going down its face.  Ahh, pitiful huh?

Somer…

Somer

Acrylic on Canvas

This is a picture of my niece. I did these pictures for the boys Christmas and Somer wanted one too.  The boys went CRAZY over their picture.   You realize how hard it is to get one type of gift that would please a 5, 14, and 16 year old?  Well, if you ever wondered paintings of themselves like this on is it!  David was bothered that her nose was so dark, and I tried to explain that this isn’t suppose to look like a portrait. You just let the camera and computer do its thing and paint it like you see it and if I tried to “pretty” it up, it would look horrible.  Needless to say, he still didn’t get it, but that’s okay I feel fortunate that he interested enough in what I am doing to give me honest feed back.  I was informed last night that Alana wants one, except in purple and pink.  So, you’ll see this again.   See, I’m tellin ya kids love it!