to be determined

Paint Party Friday - Week 48 - The Nutcracker Quartet

2012-02-10T00:01:00.012-05:00

I think I am finished! (Yay!)

First, THANK YOU!!! I really appreciate everyone's comments last week as to how to fix/improve my backgrounds, etc.

Clara's hair stayed blonde and I added the raw sienna and other high/low lights that people suggested to her hair and eyebrows.

Lots of you liked the copper - which was actually before the beige (not after - I probably wrote my description poorly). I had immediately painted over it as it looked so ghastly (photo didn't do it justice). Because so many liked it though I wondered what else similar I could do....

Stephanie suggested all the backgrounds be the same and that was my thought (but poor execution) too.

CarlaRey suggested stamping holiday symbols or music notes on to the background and that idea leapt out at me and said "Yes!" ...though since I didn't have such stamps, I spent some time painting music notes on the backgrounds (in my rather shaky and imprecise hand). Then I added a thin coat of gold paint and another of bronze (NOT copper). Now I am much happier plus they coordinate well with my living room!

Here they are!

The Nutcracker by EVA

Professor/Herr Drosselmeyer by EVA

Clara by EVA

The Mouse King by EVA (whiskers added after rest of the photos below were taken)

Together - leaning near where they will eventually hang (more separated) during Christmas season...

With their models...

...and in an assortment of groupings...

Whew!!

Thank you all for your help and encouragement! And to Heather, for making me laugh saying how early I was on my Christmas painting when I was thinking I was SO late! Love your attitude! ;)

Oh! I guess I should sign them...

I also have continued my efforts on Ayala Art's 29 Faces in February and today's is another in the "scientist series"...

Sir Arthur Eddington - astrophysicist

Have fun at Paint Party Friday and see you over the weekend!

P.S. Brandy just finished her pages for my Travelling Sketchbook and they are AWESOME!! First time in a while since I've seen any of the work done in my book. Wow!!

29 Faces in February - #9

2012-02-09T09:19:00.000-05:00

I thought I'd try something different today's face (for Ayala Art's 29 Face in February challenge) and brought out my pastels. I rarely use them because they are messy but I love their strength of colour.

29 Faces in February - #8

2012-02-08T09:56:00.000-05:00

Today I am continuing my face sketches of scientists - using an old special issue of Discover magazine for inspiration. Day 8 of Ayala Art's 29 Faces in February - 25% complete!

Kurt Gödel

There are more interesting faces (people) for later this month. (And I am finally reading it as I sketch - something I have been meaning to do as it has sat on my reading pile for far too long!)

Creative Tuesdays - Patterns and 29 Faces - Day 7

2012-02-06T23:06:00.002-05:00

For Creative Tuesdays, the theme this time is PATTERNS so I decided to combine my effort for it with my face for Ayala Art's 29 Faces in February and make a patterned, zen doodled face..

Looking forward to seeing everyone's patterns or faces or patterned faces!

29 Faces in February - #6

2012-02-06T12:30:00.000-05:00

Day 6 of Ayala Art's 29 Faces in February challenge. Today a quick, loose sketch using one of my watercolour brush pens.

Hope you have a great day! I will try and visit this evening.

Sunday Sketches and 29 FACES in February

2012-02-05T12:18:00.001-05:00

I'm sketching! And it's Sunday! Time for Sunday Sketches with Sophia of Blue Chair Diary as I finally have a sketch to show as I also work on Day 5 of Ayala Art's 29 Faces in February challenge.

Richard Feynman

I am back to using a Discover magazine on Genius (scientific) for inspiration and Richard is one of my favourites.

Looking forward to seeing everyone's sketches and faces!

29 Faces in February - #4

2012-02-04T09:19:00.000-05:00

Continuing with Ayala Art's new challenge for February - 29 Faces, here is Day 4. I decided to try a few different things today - no model and using watercolour crayons.

Dry...

Water added... (but poorly scanned...)

I will try to be by to see your efforts when I can this weekend. Have a great one!

Paint Party Friday - Week 47 and #3 of 29 Faces

2012-02-03T00:01:00.002-05:00

Finally! A productive week and a great way to start February. (Already?? How the heck did that happen??) Inspired and encouraged by your responses to my pages in the Travelling Sketchbook last week, I decided to get my act together and work on the Christmas paintings I started in December. This is a foursome that will eventually hang together in a grid - at least that's the plan...

I think I have finished the Nutcracker. I need some advice though...

Nutcracker - finished??

I am uncertain about the background for these. Last time someone suggested underpainting it red and green. I think that helped. Then I thought copper might be nice...

then I didn't...

This painting (below - my favourite by my now-deceased sister) will come down and the four paintings will hang here over the holiday season. (I decorate with paintings too - is that weird?)

The wall is a creamy colour with a hint of yellow and I want to co-ordinate with that.

Clara - WIP

Clara is the second in the series and for Clara I also need some help. Again, I'm unsure about the background, and I know I need another coat of paint on the nutcracker... but what about her hair? I think of her as blonde but might black hair be more effective? What do you think?

Clara - WIP - with her model nutcracker... (against that wall)

I also did a bit of work on the remaining two paintings:

Mouse King - WIP

Herr/Professor Drosselmeyer - WIP

Any recommendations are appreciated!

I also started Ayala Art's new challenge for February - 29 Faces. Great inspiration - especially if you are like me and want to practice "portraiture".. (Doesn't it sound fancy saying it that way!) Here is #3...

(Charles Darwin)

Want to join in?

Hope you have a great time at Paint Party Friday or creating Faces in February!

29 Faces in February - #2

2012-02-02T08:28:00.001-05:00

Ayala Art has a new challenge for February - 29 Faces. Great inspiration - especially if you are like me and want to practice "portraiture". (It sounds so fancy saying it that way!)

Day 2 - I was flipping through a cosmetics flyer....

And decided this time to add a bit of watercolour pencil to the pencil sketch (and a little water to her lips). (Clarity improves with double-clicking on the sketch...)

Looking forward to seeing your faces!

29 Faces in February - #1

2012-02-01T09:25:00.002-05:00

Ayala at "I Love to Paint" has a new challenge for February - 29 Faces.

I have been wanting to sketch more faces and have procrastinated dreadfully and haven't made much progress so far. :( So this is a great challenge for me! I am starting by trying to sketch from photos in magazines...

Do you recognize him?

29 Faces - a great idea and hopefully an achievable goal. Posting every day in February? Not so sure - mine may be intermittent posts with multiple faces.

Looking forward to seeing your interesting faces!

Paint Party Friday - Week 46 - Travelling Sketchbook for December

2012-01-27T00:01:00.000-05:00

I finished December's Travelling Sketchbook this week! Yay! It was a fun one to do as December is a very full and eventful month. This book belongs to Brandy. I started with a nutcracker, as December always starts with nutcrackers for me. They start their exodus out of storage on December 1st and slowly emerge until the tree is up when the rest burst from their confines, onto the Christmas scene.

Brandy has pink hair, so in her honour my nutcracker asked for his hair to be painted pink.

Spread with words about my Decembers

My other spread... wordless at this stage...

Snowman Spread with words/poem

Snowflakes

(to the tune of "twinkle, twinkle little star")

Snowflakes, snowflakes falling down,

On the trees and on the ground.

I will build a man of snow,

Tall black hat and eyes of coal,

If the sun comes out today,

I will watch you melt away!

Brandy also gave us butterflies to paint and use as sign in cards - this is mine - green is the rear view and red, the front view - and in her book it has my contact information written all over it. (They are small, only about 2 inches in size, if that.)

This book is a bit out of order and is now on its way to Carmen in the UK! I'm still awaiting the September, November and January sketchbooks. Until they arrive, I hope to get some painting done on canvases. And gasp - maybe finish one? Maybe my nutcracker painting?

What are you planning to do this week?

Hope everyone has a great Paint Party Friday!!

Paint Party Friday - Week 45 - Travelling Sketchbook for October

2012-01-20T00:01:00.004-05:00

The travelling sketchbooks are moving again! Yay! Many seemed to have stopped travelling for one reason or another last year and I haven't had one since doing my August spread. This week I received 2 books! My October and December.

The October book belongs to Andrea of Falling Ladies, and while I didn't do a falling lady, I did paint a dancing one!

The quote is from one of my favourite songs - Moondance by Van Morrison. (Double clicking increases the size of the image above.) The words read:

"Well, it's a marvelous night for a Moondance

With the stars up above in your eyes

A fantabulous night to make romance

'Neath the cover of October skies

And all the leaves on the trees are falling

To the sound of the breezes that blow

And I'm trying to please to the calling

Of your heart-strings that play soft and low

And all the night's magic seems to whisper and hush

And all the soft moonlight seems to shine in your blush."

- Van Morrison

My page took inspiration from the song/quote (Hey! I think this means my pages also fit in with the theme of "Poem or Quote" this week for the Butterfly Effect!) and includes some of my October favourites such as pumpkins and squash, fallen leaves and a friendly witch! Some Octobers, my friend Ann holds a "Witches" party and invites all her female friends to attend - witches garb preferred but not required. It is always wonderful fun! While we haven't had any moondancing yet.... it may be an idea for next time!

Andrea also wanted us to create tags for out input and this is mine:

This book ~~will be heading~~ is now in the mail to Nicola in Australia ~~very soon~~!

Hope everyone has a great Paint Party Friday! I missed last week - just couldn't get my act together to paint or visit. Looking forward to seeing everyone's efforts this week!

(P.S. I have started a new little blog about local Micro-Adventuring - Want to join me?)

CONNECTing to my City

2012-01-09T21:58:00.000-05:00

When I decided on CONNECT for my Word of the Year (or it decided on me), many ways to connect began to jump into my mind. Two of the countless things I wanted to connect with were to my sense of adventure and to the city I live in (Ottawa).

So I have created a new little blog "Microadventure in Canada's Capital" where every week, I will write about (and hopefully show in photos) a micro adventure I have taken that week, somewhere close to home.

Two things prompted this idea. First was last year's (failed) attempt to take "Artist Dates" a la Julia Cameron in The Artist's Way. I loved the idea but seemed rarely able to follow through. Partly I think it was because she said they should be alone/by yourself and partly because they seemed to be mostly about art - which I love - but didn't bring forth many ideas for things to do. The other idea that propelled me was reading about one of National Geographic's Adventurers of the Year - Alistair Humphreys who took microadventures around Great Britain in 2011. I loved this idea.

Now, I am on a different end of the spectrum from Alistair's extreme adventuring. An adventure to me is getting out of the house and doing something different. Something physical or something intellectual, something alone or something with other people. Something I haven't done for years or something I have never done. For these adventures, anything goes and company is welcome! And if (likely) you can't join me in person, maybe you can have an adventure in your city and tell me all about it! Blogging about it weekly aims to help keep me on track and putting myself out there.

First Adventure - Canada's Museum of Nature!

Sweet Saturdays - Not food but these are sweet to me!

2012-01-07T12:04:00.000-05:00

Christmas is over and the General said "Prepare to retreat!"

And they did...

Now all my nutcrackers (well almost all - a few are acting as models for unfinished paintings) are in their boxes and tucked away in their furnace room storage. When the nutcrackers are out, they are very sweet to look at - so I am linking to Diana's Sweet Saturdays.

Are you undecorated yet?

Paint Party Friday - Week 43 - Octopus Connections

2012-01-06T00:21:00.000-05:00

Another busy week with little time to create. I'm still thinking of my Word of the Year - "CONNECT" and started to doodle...

This silly little Octopus is VERY eager to CONNECT with you all this year!

Have a great Paint Party Friday! I will visit you when I can (it may take a few days though....), I'm very excited to see what you've painted so far in 2012!

Paint Party Friday - Week 42 - Word of the Year for 2012 = CONNECT

2011-12-30T13:11:00.001-05:00

I have been thinking about the New Year, 2012, arriving imminently. I usually like to take time between Christmas and New Years to think and plan - though this year I am WAY behind!

A few years ago I discovered the idea of the "Word of the Year" through a post by Christine Kane and the idea resonated with me. Instead of resolutions, the idea is to choose a word to guide your year.

My first try was FLOURISH. Not sure that that one worked well. My second try was CREATE in 2010 and Wow! I created more that year than I ever have in my life. I joined Creative Every Day and I did create every day - filling 4+ blank books with drawing and paintings.

2011 was PROPEL and I did take actions that helped to propel me, and in some cases other people, forward. In many ways, it was business related but not in all ways. Paint Party Friday arose partly because of this word. We hoped it would propel us forward in our painting efforts and it sure has helped me (and I hope others, too)!

For 2012 I have chosen CONNECT. I want to connect with people, my city*, my work, my passions and myself. As with last year, I wanted to paint an image that in some way reflected my WotY (Word of the Year). This was one of the ideas that came to mind...

CONNECT 2012

It makes me think of how all the circles in my life connect to me and to each other...

I didn't expect to have anything painted for PPF this week but now I do!

I will try and visit everyone over the weekend but it is still busy so maybe I will see you "Next Year"! Have a great New Year's celebration and all the best to you in 2012!

* more about this project later...

Paint Party Friday - Week 41 - WIP - Nutcracker

2011-12-23T00:01:00.012-05:00

Sigh. (Do you ever do that? Say "sigh" when you are sighing? Or am I as tired and weird as I think I am?) Christmas is almost here and I feel totally out of control. I'm probably not but I need to write a few lists to see what is left undone - and do it! Then I may feel like it is Christmas. A little snow would help too.... very unlike us to be almost snowless.

No more painting got done this week, sigh (lol). I was hoping to show you a finished painting but can't. :( Instead I am going to show you my WIP! This is my nutcracker painting where I left off...

Nutcracker Work In Progress

He needs another coat of paint in most places and needs his body widened and his hat narrowed. I'm not sure what to do about the background. He will probably hang against a cream coloured wall in a room with lots of browns and blacks so I was trying to match that somewhat. Any suggestions?

I also did a little bit on painting #2...

the beginning stages...

I want to wish all of my friends at Paint Party Friday a very Merry Christmas!! Happy Hanukkah - if that's what you celebrate! Or a happy holiday season if it is neither of these.

However you celebrate, I hope you have a great time this week. Please help yourself to some eggnog while I am in the kitchen. I will stop by to visit you when I can!

After Christmas, I will have more time to visit. I hope to stay in my pjs for a few days, see all your artwork, do a puzzle, paint and read. Hope your post Xmas week is happy and relaxing!!

Missing PPF Week 40....

2011-12-15T20:11:00.000-05:00

I made good progress on my nutcracker painting (though it still needs work). I am out of town this weekend and decided it was too much to get it posted on time. I will see you all either during the week or for Week 41!

Hope you have a great time at Paint Party Friday!

Paint Party Friday - Week 39 - Gingerbread Man!

2011-12-09T00:01:00.003-05:00

I think I am slowly getting into the Xmas spirit - at least painting-wise that is! I had so much fun with last week's snowman that I am continuing with paintings to complement my decorations. First the snowman to hang out with my snowman collection in the dining room - which is slowly starting to gather.

This week, the gingerbread decorations that live in the kitchen said they need a painted companion too!

With friends!

Bottom view...

Top view...

We all liked (Thank You!) the wraparound effect so much, I continued it here. These thick canvases are great for that!

The nutcrackers will come but the models that want to pose are still in storage - this weekend they should join in the decorating fun. I gessoed some canvasses (4) so it will be interesting to see which model poses first! (Ambitious project ahead!)

I also painted a photocopy of my Three Blind Jazz Mice header (see way above!) to make it more Christmasy. I discovered I can reverse images on my scanner and thought this one was especially fun!

Hope you have a great time at Paint Party Friday! I look forward to visiting you - though with everything going on at this time of year, it may take me awhile... :)

Creative Tuesdays - Mistletoe

2011-12-06T08:40:00.000-05:00

The theme at Creative Tuesdays is MISTLETOE and of course mistletoe goes with Kissing! But feeling silly I decided to go for a slightly non-traditional version...

Hope you have a great day and that it continues to be creative! I will visit everyone when I can.

(Oh and I decided to start decorating for Xmas - with a nutcracker background, of course!)

Sunday Sketches and back finally to my FACES Sketchbook

2011-12-03T22:48:00.000-05:00

It's been awhile since I have sketched anything much - I have missed Sophia and Sunday Sketches at Blue Chair Diary so often (and much) this year - nothing to show, to participate with.... I am also hopelessly behind on my book of faces that I started work on earlier this year. Saturday night however, I sat down with a newspaper for inspiration and started to sketch.

from an advertisement...

maybe recognizable...

Looking forward to visiting everyone and seeing your sketching efforts!

Paint Party Friday - Week 38 - A Snowman is Created!

2011-12-02T00:01:00.003-05:00

Which came first - the chicken or the egg? As one of the hosts of Paint Party Friday, I know what the post and poll will be about in advance - though I rarely integrate what I do here with PPF. This week was different. But I'm unsure if the idea for the post came first or the idea for this little painting did!

After seeing the fabulous Christmas art that many of you are creating, and thinking about my wonderful nutcracker painting that Kristin created.... I wondered - could I do something like that now that I have been painting a bit longer?

Not quite brave enough to start with a nutcracker, I decided on a snowman painting to add to my collections of snowmen soon to escape from their long storage sleep...

A Friendly Snowman!

Straight on

Right Side continues...

Left side...

"Top" Hat...

Bottom scarf...

8x8

As the nutcrackers and snowmen come out for Christmas, I think some will serve as models for new paintings. Yes - I think a nutcracker WILL be next!

Hope you have a great time at the party! I'm looking forward to seeing what you've been painting this week.

Paint Party Friday - Week 37 - New Header! And W.I.P.

2011-11-25T00:01:00.043-05:00

Hope all my American friends had a wonderful Thanksgiving Thursday and have a great long weekend!

I was working on two things this week - a watercolour pencil and paint play on the word THREE for Creative Tuesday and a notebook cover. I had so much fun creating this silly piece that I have decided to use it as a new blog header. My little robin has been wanting to fly south and seemed sadly out of season at the moment. I'm not sure how long my jazzy blind mice will last until they are replaced by something Christmasy. (Hmm - I just gave myself an idea - I love it when that happens! Maybe by next week we'll see if it works!)

New Header (and above)

Old Header (You may see him back again in Spring!)

I bought a new notebook. I really like this brand as they have a hard cover, better than usual quality of paper, and a folding magnetic edge to keep things from falling out (Cambridge Business Notebooks). I wasn't paying close attention though when I bought it (them). I started writing in it as soon as I brought it home and then peeled off the label. I was very disappointed to discover the cover was faded everywhere except where the label was. Ugh. What to do?

Why not paint it?! So first a coat of black gesso. Then my wonderful friend the Moon. And a dark sky. I know there will be stars... should there be something else?

Work-in-Progress

Have a great time at Paint Party Friday! Looking forward to seeing what you have painted!

Creative Tuesdays - Three Blind (Jazz-Playing) Mice

2011-11-22T03:38:00.002-05:00

THREE - 3.

Word association games go wild in my head... Three - Three Blind Mice. BLIND - musicians ...Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles - very cool jazzy piano players. And if there were three - what other instruments (that I could draw) might be in a jazz trio?

Et voila! My silly fun piece for Mr. Toast's Creative Tuesdays.

I'm thinking of making this my new header as winter is almost here and my little robin no longer feels timely...

Looking forward to seeing everyone's CT efforts! Thanks Mmm - I had fun thinking about this one and working on it!

Paint Party Friday - Week 36 - An experiment - unsure if successful though

2011-11-18T00:01:00.021-05:00

I've been working away at a fun little sketch/painting for Mr. Toast's Creative Tuesday * and didn't get much painting done this week. But I still wanted to come to the party and have been wanting to try painting abstracts and also to try using a limited pallette.

Well.... not so sure I was successful but here it is! Not quite the abstract look I was going for but it might be an abstract landscape....

It's only on a heavy paper so instead of trying to fix it, I think I will move on to another experiment. (My paper is too big for my scanner - I think I need a bigger scan-bed!)

Hope you have a great time at the Paint Party Friday and have a great week with some experimentation in it!

* Come back Tuesday to see my fun and silly little piece!

Paint Party Friday - Week 35 - I've looked at clouds....

2011-11-11T00:01:00.002-05:00

from both sides now...
From up and down, and still somehow,
It's cloud illusions I recall,
I really don't know clouds, at all.
(Joni Mitchell)

I've been thinking about clouds. And painting skies. Some of you PPFers paint the most amazing skies! I think this is a skill I want to learn. So here is my attempt at painting clouds...doesn't make for a very exciting journal page/painting but it takes practice, right? I tried these in my Walking in my World journal, using watercolours and some acrylic white paint for the clouds.

Clear sky with a few clouds (poor scan...)

Unusual cloud in Orlando (which always seems to have the most amazing clouds...)

Do you have any tricks for painting clouds? Want to share your secrets?

Have a great time at Paint Party Friday!

Away for another PPF...

2011-11-04T00:01:00.005-04:00

Sorry I can't make the party! Miss you. Have fun without me!

Paint Party Friday - Finishing my Sea Star!

2011-10-28T00:01:00.014-04:00

It was a satisfying week as I finally made some progress and actually finished another painting!! Yay!!

A bit over a month ago I started to paint a sea star/starfish to hang in my bathroom. And after the initial spurt of focus....there it sat, on my desk. This week I picked it up again and finished it off. I just put it on the hook in the wall....

Is this the right way up?

The view from the "throne" (in the evening with all the lights on... weird shadows)

Scanned close-up (I need a bigger scanner bed!)

Trying to decide which way it should go? This way? ( A)

Or this? (B)

Or? (C)

(D)?

This is another photo in the room where it will be hanging (not this location - the power outlet was just a convenient spot to hang it!) I think it coordinates well...

I hope everyone has a great time at Paint Party Friday! Please have one of my favourite Hallowe'en treats while you're here!

(image from fanpop.com)

Happy Hallowe'en!

Texture

2011-10-27T21:06:00.001-04:00

Kat Eye View is talking texture in photography in this week's Exploring with a Camera: Found Texture. It made me think of my journal/sketchbook painting I did recently from a photograph of a curious squirrel. The tree trunk bark was very textured and held hints of moss as well. The squirrel itself had contrasting textures - glossy eyes, wisps of whiskers and sleek fur with individual hair (is a single piece of fur a hair?) strands visible.

Here is my little textured friend...

I LOVE texture!

Autumn at Creative Tuesdays

2011-10-25T08:58:00.002-04:00

At Mr. Toast's Creative Tuesday, the theme this week is Autumn. Walking on a cool Autumn day, I thought the best image for me was a single beautiful fallen leaf. The colour and variegation in this one fascinated me and I thought it would be perfect for the theme and to do in my Walking in my World journal.

It's been a while since I've been able to play along on Creative Tuesdays and today is another busy work day. I look forward to visiting you all when I have chance but it may be later rather than earlier... See you soon!

Paint Party Friday - Week 32 - More "Walking in my World" Sketchbook

2011-10-21T00:01:00.002-04:00

Thank you all SO much for the lovely healing comments last week - you brought tears to my eyes! THANK YOU! I am now more my normal self - back to work AND (more importantly?) back to painting! (At least in my Walking in my World sketchbook.)

A few months ago I made ( and then painted in my sketchbook) an inukshuk that I made off Bate Island in the middle of the Ottawa River. I set a little goal for myself to take photos in all seasons from the same spot and this little island is perfect. It has parking and great scenic views! I went down to the water to see if my inukshuk still stood. No. While it was gone there were numerous others - some much more elaborate so I photographed many and so far have tried to paint one for you (and my sketchbook)...

This inukshuk looks almost like he's surfing!

Last week Sophia was showing and telling us about a beaver who was staring her in the eye, no beavers for me this visit - just a big bold black squirrel at eye height on a tree!

What's up?

Here are more photos of inukshuks from the river - don't be surprised if you see more painted versions here at some point! Have a great time at Paint Party Friday!!

Closest to shore...

Six here!

Quite a balancing act!

Great backdrop for this one...

Non-traditional...

An inukshuk family!

Another six!

How did the builder get out there without getting his/her shoes soaked? Wow!

And last - the one that started them all! My simple inukshuk from the summer when it stood alone. Now long gone or re-used...

Hope you enjoy walking in your world.

Hugs!

EVA

Missing PPF again....

2011-10-14T00:01:00.001-04:00

No real excuse - just fighting a bug and not good at concentrating. Overwhelmed with to dos. And when painting becomes one of them instead of a joy, perhaps it's best not to try.

I will try to visit all the PPFers and see your efforts even if I'm not joining the party this week. Hope you all have fun at Paint Party Friday!

(Hmm - Wonder why Blogger doesn't convert ascii happy/sad faces to cartoons - wordpress does...)

Paint Party Friday - Week 30 - Autumn Leaves

2011-10-07T00:01:00.001-04:00

I missed you all you PPF partyers last week! (Though I did have a great time at my conference.) Do you ever find that after you are away for some reason, that it is especially hard to get back to painting and creating? I sure do! I almost thought I'd miss two weeks in a row...

On a quick walk though I found some pretty leaves and thought I'd paint them in my Walking in my World sketchbook. Great colours here at the moment!

I painted this vertically but...

I might prefer it horizontally. What do you think?

And should I add some pen work to the watercolour, I wonder?

I'm hoping to get more work done on my starfish and would love to have it done by next week - it's Thanksgiving (long) weekend here in Canada so there is a chance (if all the chores don't overwhelm me).

I look forward to visiting everyone and seeing all your painting efforts. I've missed you!

Missing my first Paint Party Friday

2011-09-29T23:46:00.000-04:00

Away at a conference and didn't get anything painted before leaving....

Hope all my Paint Party Friday friends have a fun PPF and a great weekend!

Paint Party Friday - Week 28 - Starting a Sea Star

2011-09-23T00:01:00.006-04:00

I have been wanting to paint a painting of a sea star to hang in my bathroom for ages and have procrastinated like nobody's business! (Isn't that a bizarre expression.) I finally convinced myself to start this week. Do you ever do that?

It is still very much a work-in-progress but there is a canvas and it has paint on it! Here are a few shots so far:

The background - which resembles my floor tiles a bit.

The shadows

(What colour do you paint shadows?)

A first coat - not quite right

A second coat and start of texture but it needs to dry more...

Silly, quick, playing-around-with-leftover-paint-in-sketchbook Sea Star

Well, lots more work to do! How was your week? Hope it was productive for painting!

Have a great time at Paint Party Friday!

Paint Party Friday - Week 27 - Travelling Sketchbook for August

2011-09-16T00:01:00.011-04:00

This week I received the August travelling sketchbook belonging to Jennifer and started right in on painting it! (Later today I will be sending it on to its next stop, to Nicola in Australia. Mailing the last one from the West Coast was amazingly quick. Now I'm back East and no doubt it will be slower again this time.)

This spread is for August. Some of the things that say August for me are Sunflowers and the Perseid Meteor Shower. There is a field of sunflowers that I pass daily on my way to work and they always make me smile. I even try to visit them, up close and personal, when I get the chance.

The quote reads:

"Whilst August yet wears her golden crown,
Ripening fields lush- bright with promise;
Summer waxes long, then wanes, quietly passing
Her fading green glory on to riotous Autumn."
- Michelle L. Thieme, August's Crown

The Perseid meteor shower occurs each August and I usually invite myself up to my friends' house who live on the beach. They are far enough out of the city to have amazing skies and starscapes. In the city, the light pollution makes star (and shooting star) gazing impossible. We bring our sleeping bags out to the beach and spend at least some of the night watching for meteors. It is a highlight of my Augusts.

This page will have writing all over it about what August means to me before it continues on its travels to the rest of the Sisterhood of the Travelling Sketchbook.

I am really enjoying this sketchbook round robin and am definitely painting things I'd be unlikely to choose to paint otherwise. It is so awesome to see what everyone else has done in the books before they arrive. Wow!

I hope everyone has a fun time at Paint Party Friday! I will be visiting you over the weekend when I can!

Paint Party Friday - Week 26 Who lives here? WimW Journal

2011-09-09T00:03:00.000-04:00

I'm back from Victoria, leaving my daughter behind to start 2nd year university. (Sob - bittersweet.) Where do the years go? While we were there I didn't have much time to paint, so this week I thought I'd show you another page from my Walking in my World journal.

This year I have seen 2 fascinating hollow trees on my walks - still alive and prospering. This is one...

Who lives here?

I wonder. It looks like it would make some fairies a great home! Do chipmunks reside within? Or maybe this is the tree that Alice fell into? So magical to see such a hollow tree.

Hope you all have a great time at Paint Party Friday. I will try to be more timely visiting this week (though I am writing a paper so I may be focused on that... then again, I may need distractions because of that...)

Paint Party Friday - Week 25 - Travelling Sketchbook for July

2011-09-02T00:01:00.103-04:00

Hi PPFers!

I'm away in Victoria, B.C. getting my daughter settled for her 2nd year of university. I'll visit everyone when I have time and internet access but it may not be until next week...

I still wanted to play and party at Paint Party Friday and I finally received the July Travelling Sketchbook! Yay! (Canada Post may not technically still be on strike but their service is atrociously inconsistent and Stephanie's Sketchbook has been in limbo for far too long. Thankfully it is here and about to go on it's way to Nicola in Australia soon - I'll mail it from the West Coast - maybe that will speed things up a bit!) I had just enough time to paint my entry and will write the explanation page on route.

My Julys usually include a fun, al fresco Lobsterfest party with close friends, and fireworks on Canada Day. (My journal paintings last week were based on this year's Canada Day party on the beach.) Those are what I chose to (try and) capture in my pages.

July spread

Right hand page with words/quote

"Live in each season as it passes: breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit." *

Left hand close-up

Background spread for writing about July - simple to make me think of a clear summer day.

Have a great time at the party, a super long weekend (if you have one) and I will visit you as soon as I can!

*Yikes!! I just discovered I attributed that quote to wrong writer/philosopher!!! It wasn't Emerson it was Thoreau. :( D'uh! So sorry Stephanie. I think if I try to fix it I will make a huge mess. :(

(Note to self - do not hurry, you can mistakes that way!)

Paint Party Friday - Week 24 - Walking in my World

2011-08-26T00:01:00.000-04:00

Happy Paint Party Friday! The summer is almost over here and back to school season is fast approaching. Next weekend I will be away, taking my daughter back to university in Victoria, B.C. Not sure if I will have a post then or if I will have to sit out my first PPF. We'll see.

This week I'd like to show you a few more pages in my "Walking in my World" journal where I am trying to capture sights I have seen while out for a stroll. Last week was based on the rocky river bed and this week, the sandy beach!

Shadows in the Sand

Tracks in the Sand

Beach Bonfire

I hope you have a great last week of August and a fun time at PPF! I look forward to seeing your paintings!

ICAD - Playing with Pens, Watercolour Brush Pens and Office Supplies

2011-08-20T14:18:00.000-04:00

I've been trying new tools and supplies lately in creating my ICADs. For a few days, I decided to play with pens and zen doodle and create a few more "Girls with Funny Hats".

Zen Doodling...

Girls with Funny Hats...

Then I decided to switch tools and try some using my watercolour brush pens (which are really more like ink than watercolour, and I'm not yet convinced that I like them much). Here are the pens...

And here are the ICADs I created using them...

Chickens...

Squirrel eating my pears!

Flowers

Zebra

Pear on my tree...

Mouse

And then I switched to using more office supplies...

Ballpoint Flower

Highlighter Flowers

Highlighter Hearts

Highlighter Butterfly

Highlighter Carrots

I can't believe August is almost over and so is the ICAD challenge. It's been fun so far!

Paint Party Friday - Week 23 - Walking in and Rocking my World

2011-08-19T00:01:00.001-04:00

Thank you all for your wonderful comments last week on my heart shaped rocks! I think it is so cool that so many of us enjoy beach-combing and especially finding interesting rocks! Fabulous!! And even funnier some of the places you find heart shapes in nature or as "gifts' from pets! Great comments! LOL

On our road trip last weekend, I took my paints, waterbrushes and some photos that I have taken on some of my summer walks with me. I started sketching and painting in the car (as a passenger!) and am now almost halfway through my 30 page "Walking in my World" journal.

Here are a few more on the rock theme:

Another heart shaped rock (@ 12 inches across) in the river - too big to bring home!

One of my silly/fun goals this summer was to build an inuksuk in the river, using river rocks... and I did! Such different rocks were there and the top one was of a much darker kind than most.

Hope you have a great weekend and a wonderful time visiting all the Paint Party Friday participants!

Paint Party Friday - Week 22 -Artist's Way Journal page and Frame within a Frame

2011-08-12T00:01:00.002-04:00

Not the most productive painting week, I'm afraid! Oh, well. At least I have one thing to show for PPF!

I love finding heart shaped rocks! Two!

Over the summer I have slowly been working through The Artist's Way and I am now on Chapter 6 where one of the exercises is to go rock hunting and find 5 (ish) stones that you like. (I'd started ahead of Paula and Ileana et al and haven't really been talking about it much here so far.) While I am having a bit of a love/hate relationship with this book, I am still working through it with a friend. I finally figured out where in town I might possibly find some nice rocks and went on an Artist's Date looking for some to take home. And I thought it would be fun to paint them too! (Not part of the exercise.) It's always a thrill when I find heart shaped rocks.

And speaking of heart shaped rocks.... I noticed that Kat at Kat Eye View, for her Exploring with a Camera series this week, has the theme of a Frame within a Frame. It made me think of this photo I took in Mexico through rough coral.

A few minutes later I found a big heart shaped piece of coral just as a bride and groom were walking by! So I gave it to their parents (the bride and groom had gone on already) to give to them.

I'm away this weekend so I probably won't be visiting until after Tuesday but I will try to visit you all then! Have a wonderful weekend and a great Paint Party Friday!!

(P.S. My ICADs this week are mostly zen doodles and aren't painted - I'll post them when I have more free time.)

Paint Party Friday - Week 21 - Index Card Paintings

2011-08-05T00:01:00.004-04:00

This week I again went back to creating index cards for my ICAD (Index Card A Day) project and had a mini Paint Party (holiday Monday here) with my daughters Katie and Ruth joining in, and my friends Deborah and Scott as well! They came over to have a swim, saw the paints and started to play too!

Freeform Flowers

Flowering Branch

I still have red on my mind and paintbrush...

My pears are getting a little colour...

Imagining a sunset...

Imagining a moonrise...

Imagining the beach on the river...

If only my apple tree hadn't died...

July ICAD Collage

And from the other paint party players

By Ruth

By Katie

by Scott

and Deborah took her cards with her so I don't have them to show.

A lovely, relaxing, unexpected Paint Party this week! Happy Paint Party Friday!

Paint Party Friday - Week 20 - Travelling Sketchbook and ICAD

2011-07-29T00:01:00.007-04:00

Last week I received and sent off the June Travelling Sketchbook (between our mail strike and various issues for many participants, these are starting to be delayed on their monthly voyages). The idea for the Sisterhood of the Travelling Sketchbooks is to paint (and talk about) that month, so this is what I did for June in Carmen's book...

The cardinals have been singing like crazy here (and still are). It is wonderful to see glimpses of red in trees or on power lines or flying through the air. They have also inspired some of this week's index cards for my ICAD (Index Card A Day) project.

Have a wonderful Paint Party Friday!

Paint Party Friday - Week 19 - Cheerleading Octopi and a Journal Page

2011-07-22T00:00:00.000-04:00

This week I went back to creating index cards for my ICAD (Index Card A Day) project, playing with my Neocolour watercolour crayons some more and I also did another journal page for my Walking in my World Journal.

One of the silly ones I did last week was an Octopus Cheerleader. (Where the heck did THAT idea come from???) And - yikes! - this week brought more!

Cartwheels...

Star Jumps...

Splits...

Cheering jumps...

Y M C A

(Okay - I'm a little crazy this week....)

My grapes - getting larger...

Seagulls in flight...

A Mallard duck on the river...

Hope you had a great week and got some paint on your hands! Have fun at Paint Party Friday!

Sunday Sketches and my New FACES Sketchbook

2011-07-17T12:23:00.001-04:00

One of the things I wanted to do more of this year was sketch faces. It's now July! Oops! But I am finally getting started - inspired by faces from old Vanity Fair magazines.

Can you guess who she is?

Advertising cologne...

Hope all the Sunday Sketching with Blue Chair Diary participants are well! I will be visiting you soon.

Paint Party Friday - Week 18 - One Heart, Two Heart, Red Heart, Blue Heart

2011-07-15T00:01:00.024-04:00

Finally - some paint on a canvas this week!! And two finished fun little pieces! Yay! (Finishing something with many WIPs feels gooooooood!)

These are two of my small black gessoed experiments that I hope will bring some love to your day...

Red (well more pinkish) Heart

Blue Heart

I love having you visit and I love visiting you! (Even if some weeks it takes me awhile!)
xoxo

Happy Paint Party Friday!

P.S. I did work on my ICAD project this week too - would you like to see this week's cards?

ICAD - Playing with Watercolour Crayons etc.

2011-07-14T23:44:00.000-04:00

This week I continued my index cards for my ICAD project and played with my Neocolour watercolour crayons.

Koi - with pens and acrylic background

Pears growing on my pear tree...

My Clematis...

A duck playing in puddles...

Octopus cheerleader...

Playing with crayons...

Zen Doodle

And those were my ICADs for this week. A few days I wondered if I'd keep it up, but I did! How are you doing?

Paint Party Friday - Week 17 - More Sketchbook and ICAD

2011-07-08T00:01:00.000-04:00

A beautiful summer week (yay!) and I did get little bits of painting done. Still no canvases but more index cards for my ICAD project and a journal page for my Walking in my World Journal.

My favourite this week - the night's sky...

Remembering sunsets on water...

A fanciful night moth...

Some of my yellow begonias (poor scan).

Thinking about Carola's Owls.

Just playing with watercolours...

In my journal, I tried to capture a squirrel that was as fascinated by us as we were by him!

Ruth (my daughter) wanted to try her hand too - at drawing only NOT painting she said... and hers is so cute!

Squirrel by Ruth

I hope I will get the acryllics and the canvas out if only for a small one this weekend. I seem to get distracted every time I try!

Hope you have a great time at the party and I look forward to dropping by for a chat and to see your painting (and/or your ICADs)!

Paint Party Friday - Week 16 - Painted ICAD

2011-07-01T00:28:00.000-04:00

Happy Canada Day everyone!

Still no canvas paintings finished here (rats) but I did paint some more index cards for my ICAD project.

My Fave this week...

Doodling first... then painting a bit...

(looks like a speedy turtle to me)

and again (since the first was fun)...

(Maybe a relaxing colourful starfish?)

And since we'll have Royal visitors in Ottawa this weekend, perhaps we'll see lots of these...

I also did some more using other mediums which I am posting separately.

I will be at a friend's Canada Day Party later so I will be in and out over the weekend, visiting you when I can. Have a great time at the party!!

ICAD - Monday Challenge and others not yet posted...

2011-07-01T00:27:00.000-04:00

Daisy Yellow added a "Monday Challenge" for ICAD to create the alphabet in block letters. Here is my messy version (boy, did the orange pen ever mix and run into the black!)

Playing with pens...

Playing with watercolour pens (I am undecided as to whether I like them or not)...

Playing with Sharpies...

Watercolours...

Pen, highlighter and pencils...

What is your bright idea for today?

And here is a collage of my ICAD project for June.

So far, I'm keeping at it! How are you doing? Having fun?

Paint Party Friday - Week 15 - Sketchbook and ICAD

2011-06-24T00:01:00.003-04:00

This week I had hoped to paint on a canvas but alas, no progress. I did paint in my "Walking in my World" sketchbook/art journal and on some index cards for my ICAD project. It has been a busy week for many reasons but at least I played with paints a bit before it got out of control!

Index Cards:

Inspired by my Daisies...

By my Pink Daisies...

Looking up through my grape vines at the blue, blue sky...

And some of my sketchbook/art journal pages (pre-writing...)

A groundhog enjoying the lovely day

Fallen Feather

Did you have a productive and fun week? I hope so! I have guests visiting until Saturday so it may take me awhile to visit everyone - but I will eventually! Until then, have a very happy Paint Party Friday!

Paint Party Friday - Week 14 - ICAD and Prepping Canvases

2011-06-16T22:51:00.000-04:00

Another week of mostly small stuff but paint and paintbrushes were involved! Therefore I do have something to show for Paint Party Friday - Yay! - nothing major but I do want to participate.

This week (well late Thursday) I prepped some canvases, following Kristin's idea of using black gesso. Very cool!

4 canvases with black gesso - what a neat effect!

WIP -Started painting one of them ... but barely

I also continued with the ICAD challenge I mentioned the past two weeks - an Index Card A Day.

Inspired by my Sea Thrift/Armeria

Fun with left over red paint

Watercolour inspired by my peonies and bleeding hearts - tied for my favourite this week

Acrylic and watercolour tulip - my last this year

Doodling

Total silliness - my other favourite

And a non painted zen doodle.

More work on my weeding was done until the ants started biting me as I got too close to their hill in the middle of my flower bed! Still more to go, so I will visit all you magnificent artists between my outdoor efforts.

Hope you have a great time at the party! Happy PPF!

Sunday Sketches - The Canada Geese go for a Stroll

2011-06-12T12:31:00.000-04:00

I have finally started my new sketchbook/journal "Walking in my World" based on things I see when out for a walk and loosely inspired by Julia Cameron's Walking in this World: The Practical Art of Creativity. I haven't really started the exercises in this book and guess I won't for awhile as a friend wants me to do The Artist's Way with her, so that will come first. In the meantime though I will go with my interpretation of the title and sketch things I see when walking.

This week I had a lovely walk around a small island in the middle of the river. Lots of ideas for further pages! To start off, here is a Mother (Canada) Goose and her chicks walking in their world... for Sunday Sketches with Sophia at Blue Chair Diary.

watercoloured

original sketch

new sketchbook/journal cover

Hope you have a great Sunday! I look forward to visiting you!

Paint Party Friday - Week 13 - Painting Index Cards

2011-06-09T23:39:00.000-04:00

June and outdoor activities call to me. Painting suffers. Does it for you too? I haven't touched the canvases I have "in progress" in some time. There are more dots on my pointillist tree but not enough to look significantly different.

I have though been playing around with the ICAD challenge I mentioned last week - an Index Card A Day. Playing with watercolour crayons, watercolour pencils, watercolour pens, watercolours and acrylics, I've created some fun and very small pieces.

Tried my new watercolour brush pens... but they acted more like ink than paint. A challenge to rescue this sky.

My favourite so far - watercolour background and acrylic flowers.

The watercolour brush pen worked well for the crow though.

Some great night skies lately... worth exploring!

A columbine/aquilegia from my garden.

Please join me on my deck for a Mojito!!

Have a great Paint Party Friday!! I look forward to seeing everyone's efforts! (Though if it's sunny it may take me awhile...)

Sunday Sketches- Let Me In!

2011-06-05T00:21:00.000-04:00

Playing around with pencil and index cards for Sunday Sketches with Blue Chair Diary and Daisy Yellow's ICAD and this is what came out...

At first I thought she might be being arrested. But now I think she is locked out and is pounding on the patio door after a late night swim in the pool. What do you think?

I will be tackling weeds and edging today (unless it rains) so I may take awhile to visit all of you but eventually I will! Hope you have a great Sunday!

***

Oh!!!! And in other news.....after I don't know how many years of nary a flower - my rhododendron finally bloomed!! Yay!!

Isn't it gorgeous?! I'd even forgotten what colour it was.

And my wisteria bloomed too - rare for it, but it has happened. This time it was almost invisible - where the wisteria has shot away from its fence and intertwined itself with the green smoke tree on the other side. (Crazy wisteria.)

Great to see a flower finally (on one of 5 plants) even if I almost missed it!

Paint Party Friday - Week 12 - A Flower

2011-06-02T23:54:00.000-04:00

Tough week for painting for me. I was busy with other things most of the week though I did paint a few things and hated most of them. Not sure they can be saved or not. Sigh. I did like this even though I added too many leaves in the wrong places...

Can't decide if I like it better vertical or horizontal... which do you prefer?

I also painted the second index card for ICAD - the challenge that I started earlier this week.

Not very productive .... oh well. How about you? I look forward to seeing what you did for Paint Party Friday!

Using my Pile of Index Cards - ICAD - 2 ways

2011-06-01T21:15:00.000-04:00

As if I don't have enough things to do....

This week, I came across Daisy Yellow's summer challenge of an Index Card a Day - ICAD. And since I have a PILE of index cards on my desk.... this idea resonated with me. So I am playing along - 2 ways.

The first will be as a fun and silly art experiment - and here is Day One:

Playing with zen doodles again...

And why, you may ask - do I have a pile of Index Cards on my desk? These cards are part of a system I use to keep myself organized. My friend Priti Lisa thinks I'm organized (um thanks Lisa!) and sometimes I am though other times I can be wildly out of control - you should see my house (and garden) at the moment. When I am organized though, I give all the credit to Index Cards and this book: Sidetracked Home Executives(TM): From Pigpen to Paradise. It suggests breaking all your tasks down into doable portions and making index cards for each. And then take out a card and do a task. Write down the date and put it away for a day, a week, a month, a year or more - depending on the task. Here are a few of my cards:

Time to do this one again!

Back on Track today!

So this is the second way I will participate in this challenge. I plan to do AT LEAST one task-related Index Card A Day! (Today I did about 10 - maybe I will start making progress again!)

Want to play along? One way or the other?

Paint Party Friday - Week 11 - The Weeds Won

2011-05-26T23:42:00.000-04:00

I thought I would have nothing to show for Paint Party Friday. (Severe Pout.) But the accountability of the PPF check-ins inspired me on to finish up my May page for Kat's sketchbook as part of the Sisterhood of the Travelling Sketchbooks. Soon it will be on its way to Nicola in Australia. (If our postal service isn't disrupted, that is...)

My page spread shows some of my Spring Garden along with a few tools of the trade for this time of year. (As always, double-clicking on the image increases the size.)

My Saucer Magnolia, Tulips, Daffodils and Lilacs

Flowering Crab, Irises, Poppies and Purple Sandcherry

Really though - the weeds won. When it wasn't raining I was weeding and pruning and digging up dandelions and cleaning/raking garden beds and this is what I had to show for it on "yard waste" day.

And I have only done a small fraction of the garden. Sigh. Not sure how productive my painting will be when all my non-work hours are spent weeding!

What about you? Does gardening take away from your painting time?

Here are some photos from my garden that inspired my pages:

Forget-Me-Nots

Purple Lilac

Flowering Crab (a bit past its prime)

Tulips

Purple Sandcherry

Poppy

Saucer Magnolia

The mint has started to grow, so please help yourself to a mojito and keep me company while I weed! Have a great time at the party!

Sunday Sketches and Creative Tuesdays - Four Seasons Tree

2011-05-22T11:32:00.002-04:00

Sundays seem so busy lately and I have been missing Sunday Sketches with Sophia of Blue Chair Diary! So this week I wanted to get back on track. I was thinking about the seasons recently and how we may have skipped one! Spring never seemed to come here or if it did it was so rainy that it was hard to notice. And yesterday felt like full on summer. (Yay!) Any decent day - the garden (and the weeds) call and I need to be outside working instead of inside on my computer. I did however make some time one rainy day and played with Creative Tuesday's (which I have also been missing lately) theme of "tree". I thought it might be fun to try my own variation of the Four Seasons Tree:

I have also been working on my pointillism tree painting (which if you're joining in at Paint Party Friday you've already seen).

WIP - Pointillist Tree

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone's effort at Sunday Sketches and Creative Tuesdays but it may take me until the evening or when the forecasted rain arrives (sigh) to visit!

Paint Party Friday - Finishing something finally!

2011-05-20T00:01:00.009-04:00

Do you ever start things and not finish them? It seems like I have a lot of unfinished projects in the works at the moment! I have made progress with my "dots" but it is not finished. Nor are my other painting WIPs but I did finally finish painting my Mexican Sketchbook. Yay!!

I took a Strathmore Windpower drawing sketchbook (with 80lb paper) to Mexico with me on vacation and tried to capture all the highlights of what I saw in this book. Some pages I painted there while others have been sitting since March with unfinished pencil sketches. This week I finally decided I was going to finish it, and I did.

Here they are for Paint Party Friday. (Warning (and apologies) - there are a lot of pages so I will show most recently finished (and previously unshown) pages first.)

Sea Fan found beachcombimg

Statue of Balam

Beach Map

Sand Writing

Sergeant Majors and Brain Coral

Angelfish?

Variegated Foliage

Painted Cover

View from Balcony

Beach in late afternoon

Champion Fisher-Bird

Start of the Day

Sea Tang or Doctorfish?

Friendly Iguana

Mexican Flowers 1

Mexican Flowers - Hibiscus

Mexican Flower 2

Mexican Flowers - Bougainvillea

Mexican Flowers 3

Mexican Foliage - Banana Palm

Mexican Foliage - Purples

Mexican Foliage - Sun Palm?

Mexican Foliage - Elephant Ears

Pina Colada (help your self to one at the party!)

Eagle Ray

Sea Turtle

Sting Ray

Sketchbook pre-vacation

Travelling Paint Set

Travelling Pen Set

Do you ever paint on vacation? I found it to be very relaxing and a nice little break from reading, plus now I have a fabulous and unique souvenir of the trip. (And I fell in love with those waterbrushes!) I keep looking at the pages, trying to decide if I have a favourite painting or not but am so far undecided. When you finish a journal, do you usually have a favourite page?

(Update - LOL!! My PPF partner and friend Kristin and I must be on the same wavelength today as she has tropical sketchbooks on her post as well! And she has just reminder me of Illustration Avenue's theme this week of "Tropical" and this sketchbook definitely suits that theme! P.S. Kristin, I LOVE the Thank You painting!! Thank you!)

Have a great time at PPF!

Paint Party Friday - Week 9 - More dots but not yet enough dots

2011-05-13T20:20:00.001-04:00

Happy late Paint Party Friday! This week I continued work on my pointillism piece when I could. It will take a lot of dots to finish this piece! It's still a work-in-progress but looking back at last week's photo, I can see that I am making (slow) progress.

Photo 13May2011

Scan 13May2011

Where I left off last week...

As you can see, I have lots more dots to go but I have made progress! And thanks to Theresa's encouragement, I kept searching Google to figure out the name of the painting I thought was so spectacular. it is Bonaventure Pine by Paul Signac. And while mine will be very different, here is my inspiration below:

Gorgeous, isn't it!

I expect the party will continue over the weekend with all the challenges everyone has had (it will for me) so I have fun and I will visit soon!!

Sunday Sketching - Ideas Flying at Me

2011-05-08T11:47:00.000-04:00

When I was on a plane last week, I was reading Stephen Pressfield's new book Do the Work (free on Kindle! Pressfield is great at helping with all the "resistance" that inhibits artists of any kind from producing well) and at one point I just felt compelled to stop and take out a pencil and start sketching.

All kinds of ideas flying my way. (As always double-clicking shows off pencil work better.)

I'm not sure what more I'm going to do with this but I suspect I will redo it in my journal and paint it. (I drew it in my travelling moleskine journal and I really don't like the paper quality.) And then I will likely write thoughts on it too.

Hope you all had a great few weeks of Sunday Sketches while I was away! Happy Mother's Day!!

Paint Party Friday - Week 8 - Inspired in Houston

2011-05-06T00:01:00.002-04:00

I'm back from my busy 10 days of travels and while I am still not caught up, life will soon be back to normal, (I hope). No painting has been done on my WIPs as I haven't had time or energy (yucky cold/throat thing) to do much. What they need would take more than the time I had available, so instead - to ensure I painted - I started something new.

My flight back was later in the day last Friday, so I had a little extra time on my hands in Houston and decided to put it to suitable Paint Party Friday use. I went to see the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston! With limited time before my flight, I focused on the Impressionists special and regular exhibits. There were many fabulous pieces but this time what fascinated me the most was Seurat's work and that of several other pointillist artists (whose names unfortunately I did not write down - which leads to one of my biggest pet peeves with galleries/museums.*)

I decided to start a pointillist piece this week. I have done ink versions but never before in paint. I was a bit surprised by the size of the Seurat's dots, they were larger than I'd imagined.

Camera 2 View

First I decided to gesso the canvas adding a little background colour to the gesso:

Then I started with dots and got this far:

Camera 1 View

I think I may be halfway there.... Hopefully by next PPF I will have finished one of these WIPs!!

I'm looking forward to seeing all of your painting efforts AND in a much more timely fashion than the past two weeks! My daughter wants me to thank you all for your lovely comments on her portrait of my father as a young man. My Dad was also very flattered and appreciative. Thank you!!

* Museum/Gallery Pet Peeve - No more photos in galleries, it seems. :( So I think to myself, okay I will buy postcards of the pieces I like when I leave. But while they have some, they are only for what someone else perceives to be the most interesting pieces. :( None for the pieces I like. :( So I think to myself next, I will look online when I get home. The National Gallery in Ottawa has almost everything online (though remembering the name of the artist helps.) The Museum of Fine Arts however has their 100 "most popular" (or famous) and so the creator of the beautiful pointillist tree that inspired me remains unknown. :(

Why do Galleries/Museums not have postcards for ALL pieces? Or show ALL pieces on their websites?? Sigh. Okay, my rant is over. What do you think? Do you share my pet peeve?

Have a great Paint Party Friday!

Paint Party Friday - Week 7 - Not Mine, but...

2011-04-29T00:01:00.001-04:00

I haven't been around much this week. Last weekend I was on Vancouver Island for my Dad's 90th Birthday Party (and Family Reunion). Most of this week, I have been on a business trip to Texas returning late Friday, so I haven't painted all week. (Pout.)

But I love PPF and wanted to participate in the party, so I thought I would (cheat and) show you what my youngest daughter did for her grandfather for his birthday. (Proud Mom.) A portrait of him as a young man.

Grandpa by Ruth

And here he is, after blowing out 90 candles! (Proud daughter.)

Many of you wished him Happy Birthday last week and he passes on his thanks for your best wishes.

Birthday cake anyone?

Paint Party Friday - Week 6 - Something New

2011-04-22T00:01:00.002-04:00

Happy Easter and Paint Party Friday everyone! I am in B.C., on Vancouver Island, for Easter weekend for my Dad's 90th birthday, a family reunion and to bring my daughter home from her first year at University of Victoria. Busy! I can't promise I will visit you in a timely fashion but visit you, I eventually will!

Last week's poll on inspiration oddly inspired me and I have started a new piece because of it. Potentially a new series, if it works out. You'll see more what I am talking about when it's done but for now I am just hinting at what it will be (if my execution comes anywhere close to my vision, that is).

(WIP - except for a few brush slips, I actually think it looks pretty like this even though this is far from finished!))

(WIP - stage 1 Pencil Outline)

(WIP - stage 2 adding texture)

Since I have "advance knowledge" of this week's PPF poll and questions, I wanted to mention two recent posts which I found to be very helpful for my own largely self-taught learning. The first is a video by Alisa Burke about her sketchbook. I have often admired her sketchbook when she shows glimpses of it but until I watched this video tutorial, I had everything backwards! I figured one did the ink outline first and then added watercolour - not vice versa! Her explanation has made a real difference to my Mexican Sketchbook which I started shortly after viewing that post.

(Ink and watercolour influenced by Alisa)

Earlier this week I was trying to figure out the blue in my painting and knew I didn't really have a good handle on the shades in my paint kit so I created this "legend" to see which was the just right shade of blue.

(I ended up mixing it myself as no blue was close to what I had in mind.)

Then yesterday I saw this idea at Elvie Studio (someone else whose journaling I love). Fun and practical! I will at some point try that for both my acrylics and watercolours.

So much to learn and so many incredible ideas out there in the blogosphere!

Help yourself to an Easter egg while you're here and have a super long weekend!

xox

EVA

Sisterhood of the Travelling Sketchbook

2011-04-16T23:20:00.001-04:00

For the next year and a bit, I am participating in the Sisterhood of the Travelling Sketchbook. It is a sketchbook round robin - our books travel monthly to the next participant and then we get our original book back at the end. Each month the "theme" is that month so it will be easy to remember! But the first spread is about one's self and a colour that has meaning at the moment.

I thought I would show you my page spread and my sign-in page for this week's Sunday Sketches with Blue Chair Diary before it leaves for Australia to meet Nicola!

My colour page spread - purple inspired

Close-up views:

Page 2 (hat related to Word of the Year)

Page 3 - A quote I love and favourite friend

Looking forward to seeing everyone's efforts for Sunday Sketches!

Paint Party Friday - Week 5 LIVE at Diana's

2011-04-14T22:59:00.000-04:00

Late last Friday (and continuing Saturday morning), a few girlfriends and I held a LIVE paint party! We all headed up to Diana's house after work and stayed overnight. She lives on a beautiful stretch of beach on the river and has a huge dining room table with an incredible view. The snow is almost gone though we discovered there is still a bit left when we went for a walk along the beach. All my friends hadn't painted in years but were ready, willing and able to try! I brought a great sampler set of paints and both Diana and I bought canvas boards and canvases. It was an excellent time!

My favourite of my two little paintings is this simple one:

We played with paints at her dining room window with an incredible view:

Spread out and painting away

The view post-winter

The beach and river inspired several efforts:

Teresa playing with watercolours

My riverscape

Loraine's beach morphed into one much further south!

Deborah focused in much closer:

Her spring-like version

Her model

Abstracts were also part of the party:

Diana's dots

Diana has the blues

Teresa geometrically and vibrantly inspired

We had a wonderful time. It reminded me very much of doing jigsaw puzzles with my girlfriends. There was something incredibly calm and relaxing as we worked away on our own little projects yet worked together. Sharing the comradery and the experience. I loved it! (As did they!) Great creativity and conversation. Aren't girlfriends wonderful!

The rest of the week hasn't been terribly productive for art and it took me until Wednesday to visit all the PPF players. (Sorry about that.) The next two Fridays, I will be out of town so I'm unsure what my ability to visit or participate will be like, but I will try to get around to seeing everyone's efforts when I can. I so LOVE seeing your work!!

Paint Party Friday - Week 4 - Coffee Painting #3

2011-04-08T00:10:00.000-04:00

Slow progress this week, but progress! I started the week off well - painting a self-portrait on a new Sketchbook cover and sketching out an idea for the third of my "coffee" paintings. I started the painting, doing the background. And there it sat. I wasn't sure I'd get much further but knowing it was almost time for Paint Party Friday check-in spurred me on! (Yay - it's working!) Here is my new little painting:

Espresso for Two

(6x6 Acrylics)

I had a hard time with this - especially with the shadows and outline definition. Not sure if it is done or if I will try to improve it.

So please have a cup of espresso while you're here during the party!

I have a question - what do you do with excess paint? I hesitate to always throw it out or wash it away. So this is what I've been doing lately (still a WIP).

I'm looking forward to visiting you all! And tonight, some of my girlfriends and I are going to get out the paints, canvases, brushes (and the wine!) and take Paint Party Friday LIVE!!

Sunday Sketches - more Mexican Sketchbook

2011-04-03T06:45:00.000-04:00

I have been sketching a fair bit this week - preliminary sketches/ideas for paintings, self portraits for an art journal cover and sketchbook pages - but for Sunday Sketches with Blue Chair Diary I thought I'd show a page from my Mexican Sketchbook that I am happy with. (Well I am actually loving the whole thing but I won't show it all today.)

This bird was fascinating to watch. I took several photos as I was watching him and was very impressed when he caught two fish at the same time!

Here are a couple more - the view from our balcony (sans basketball court)... not the greatest sketch but you see how pretty the resort was.

And the beach in late afternoon:

There are still some more to show you and about 8-10 more pages in one state or another of progress. I wasn't sure if bringing art supplies with me on vacation was a good idea or not, but I am so happy I did!

I'm looking forward to seeing what you did for Sunday Sketches!

Self Portrait on New April Art Journal

2011-04-02T15:05:00.000-04:00

I am starting a new art journal for April. (For at least April - it only has 30 pages but it might take me longer to fill depending on my time available, inspiration and whether I use both sides of the pages!) I looked at it and decided I wanted to paint the cover (or most of it) immediately. Maybe I should try to incorporate Inspiration Avenue's weekly challenge of "Self Portrait"?

It does look like a slimmer, younger version of me out walking in my golf shirt and skort! I have been thinking about restarting Julia Cameron's book Walking in this World: The Practical Art of Creativity and wanting to walk more, now that the weather is more conducive - thus the my journal's title. I am really liking these Strathmore books and am keeping the picture as it reflects my "Word of the Year" so well!

(Original Cover)

There are several other challenges that I am loosely participating in with this journal that maybe you haven't seen and might be interested in? Julie Balzer at Balzer Design has an Art Journal Every Day "challenge" running on Flickr. Kristin Donovan of Journaling Saves is doing a "creative expedition" based on the Julia Cameron book - which is what gave me this idea. Also there is the ongoing Sketchbook Challenge. Check them out if you like to journal!

Paint Party Friday - Week 3: Kitchen/Coffee Paintings

2011-04-01T00:03:00.001-04:00

Two paintings finished!!! I even managed to sign them (something I find to be a major challenge). These are 6x6 and were done with a kitchen in mind.

Coffee

(Mark to right of cup is on my scanner, I discovered. Fixed but not rescanned.)

Coffee Beans

I am thrilled that the Paint Party Friday check-ins have helped me make such progress in my painting goals! I did work a bit on my poppy painting, trying green for the stamen but again they got lost in the already dark center. Hopefully by next week I will have figured it out. Maybe yellow...

This is a page for my art journal. After I finished painting it (watercolours), I thought it looked rather nice and worth sharing. A classic old school. Now to write all over it!

Looking forward to seeing you at the party!

Mexican Sketchbook - Flowers

2011-03-30T22:15:00.000-04:00

When I was away in Mexico in early March, I brought with me a nice new sketchbook. 30 pages. A perfect size to art journal every day! I've shared a few pages earlier this month. Today, I thought I'd show you some of the gorgeous flowers I saw there. (As the snow here slowly melts...nary a flower in sight.)

Hibiscus

(colours seem distorted by scanner - argh!)

Bougainvillea

I have lots more pages done and a few still to finish. I'll show more another day! See you for Paint Party Friday!

SPRING!

2011-03-27T02:12:00.000-04:00

Wow! What a party! Wasn't sure if I'd get this done after this week's busy Paint Party Friday. I had a silly idea that seemed to cover both Inspiration Avenue's weekly challenge theme of "Hello, Spring" and Mr. Toast's Creative Tuesday bi-weekly challenge theme of "Springtime" .

I was having such fun with it though that I kept on going and here it is in time for Inspiration Avenue, Sunday Sketching with Sophia at Blue Chair Diary and a bit early for Creative Tuesdays!

Initial sketch:

All of these challenges are great fun with such talented artists participating! I'll be visiting them, will you?

Paint Party Friday - Week 2 and the Working and Progress continues...

2011-03-25T00:04:00.000-04:00

It would have been so easy this week not to have done any painting... busy, busy! Thankfully Paint Party Friday is having the desired effect in keeping me at painting and so paint I did! Not enough to finish anything but paint did get put on canvases and progress was made!

Last week, I left my poppy painting at this stage:

I felt either the canvas was too big and I should crop it... (Ha! Maybe it's possible but I don't know how) or I needed to do something to the background. I decided to add a dark colour to the edges. It will also complement the colours where I am considering hanging this. (If I ever get it finished that is!) It still needs considerable work (as it is again in the looking worse before it looks better stage) but my mantra is "progress......."!

I worked on the interior of the flower a bit more as I continue to mull over what else I need to do to the background...but now that it has dried I see that colour of stamens blends too well and another colour is needed. Hmm... maybe black instead of dark red?

And that's as far as I got on it this week.

But I started 2 more pieces that might eventually live in my kitchen over one of the doors. Likely it will be a triptych but I've only started two of the pieces.

Sketches on canvases (6x6)

I added the first coat of paint to one of them and that's where it sits:

I was also thinking of the PPF poll from last week and noticed that no one likes to paint with their food! So I thought I would try! I took the end of this:

and used it to create this! (What?....Wine is too "food"!!)

Well, it sure didn't come out the colour of wine but otherwise it was a fun little experiment! How about you? Have you ever experimented by painting with food?

I'm looking forward to seeing you all at the party! I'm bringing canapés!

Sunday Sketching - Is Spring Here?

2011-03-20T08:53:00.001-04:00

Time for Sunday Sketching with Blue Chair Dairy! I have been longing for Spring and there are some signs of it. But the ONE, the most important sign that Spring is here for me, is my first robin sighting. While I haven't seen one myself (my house and lawn are always the last to lose their snow), I have heard others say they have seen robins. So for Sunday Sketches, I did this:

(final version)

(preliminary pencil sketch)

Maybe it might bring a robin to my house sooner! I still have some berries even if no worms may yet be accessible! And I think it is also time for my snowman to melt away until next year, so I am also making this my new header.

Looking forward to seeing everyone's sketching efforts!

IA - St.Patrick's Day

2011-03-19T17:44:00.001-04:00

Belated Happy St. Patrick's Day!! The very timely theme at Inspiration Avenue this week is "St. Patrick's Day". I hope everyone had a fun day and wore a bit of green! I was focused on our new Paint Party Friday most of the week but wanted to show you two pieces I've done that were inspired by St. Patrick's Day.

We had a fabulous time at the first Paint Party Friday and invite any of you who would like to paint more to join us next week!

Looking forward to seeing how St. Paddy inspired you!

Restarting my Stalled Painting for Paint Party Friday - WIP

2011-03-18T00:01:00.000-04:00

I admit it - I am a painter wannabe with no clue what I'm doing. But I have a keen interest in dabbling, experimenting and (hopefully) getting better by doing. Sometimes, however, I get stalled. Well, often. But I hope Paint Party Friday (PPF) is going to change all that! I do much better with check-ins. Do you? That's one of the reasons why Kristin and I decided to start this and we are so happy you are joining us!

I found during CED2010 that I wanted to paint. I tried a few small acrylics on canvas board, then months later went big. This January, I started a new piece and have stalled twice. First, I stalled on my WIP (WIP/Work in Progress - I love this term, it holds such a promise of better things to come!) when it looked like this:

(I think painting must be like cleaning/tidying up, it always looks significantly worse before it looks better)

A while later, I started again. I did a sketch to help me plan the painting better...

Painting restarted but life got busy and I stalled again at this point:

And now, because of the PPF check-in, I have an incentive to paint AND some accountability! Yay! (How embarrassing it would be to co-host the party and not paint the opening week! Hmm, maybe I could bring wine and no one will notice the lack of a painting?)

It felt great to have the acrylics out and to make progress! It still has a ways to go before it's done (lots more detail and tone needed) and I'm not happy with the background but it is getting closer to the image I started with in my mind.

I am so looking forward to seeing everyone's efforts. I hope you have lots of fun and that everyone will make painting progress and meet new and interesting friends!

See you there!

EVA

Creative Tuesdays - Breakfast in my Mexican Sketchbook

2011-03-15T11:16:00.001-04:00

"Breakfast" is this week's theme at Mr. Toast's Creative Tuesdays. My little submission is another page from my Mexican Sketchbook, this time showing how breakfast started on my week of vacation.

Coffee and Mimosas! Yum!! Join me?

P.S. Paint Party Fridays start this week! March 18th. Kristin and I hope you'll join us there too!

Sunday Sketches and my Mexican Sketchbook

2011-03-13T01:22:00.000-05:00

I'm baaacckkk.... and I missed you, fellow Sunday Sketchers with Blue Chair Diary!

I had a lovely week on the Mayan Riviera and relaxed. I didn't turn on my blackberry or connect to the internet (or the office) once. I did however take some art supplies with me and spent a little time creating a Mexican resort themed Sketchbook. So my submissions today are some of the things I saw when in Mexico. I did do some snorkeling but it was much windier than I expected and there were either yellow or red flags on the beach - no calm water green ones. So not as much snorkeling as I would have hoped for but enough to make me smile and enough to see new (to me) creatures.

Here are a few of my sketches of what I saw:

A Sting Ray sleeping in the sand, partially covered! He was @ 4 feet wide! Saw 3 in different areas!

A charming sea turtle swimming along and grazing on the sea bottom.

A leopard ray as graceful as a bird in flight. I don't really know if this ray is called that but his spots were very reminiscent of a leopard's.

And these are what I took with me for creating:

New Sketchbook (now about half full now and I have more ideas from the trip to finish it up later this month! More posts with pictures to follow!)

Paints and water brushes (LOVE these brushes!!!)

Pens

I am looking forward to visiting all of you but I have friends visiting from B.C. so I'm not sure how much internet time I will have or when, but visit I will!

I hope all of you who are interested in painting more will come and paint and party with Kristin and I starting on Friday (March 18th) for our new Paint Party Fridays!!!

We're excited to have you join us!!

EVA

Creative Tuesday - It was the angel's bedtime...

2011-02-28T22:31:00.002-05:00

and she fell fast asleep on her irresistibly soft pillow-top cloud. Immediately she started dreaming of....

poker playing sheep?

Who knew!!??

(Initial pencil sketch)

Was I dreaming when this popped out of my head as I thought about Mr. Toast's Creative Tuesday theme of Bedtime? Who knows!? (It sure surprised me!)

I hope all of you, my wonderful art friends, have a great almost two weeks. It is extremely likely that I will be out of touch as I am leaving soon on vacation and then have guests arriving immediately upon my return! See you at Sunday Sketches on March 13th.

And stay tuned - the big debut of what Kristin and I have been plotting is March 18th! Save the date! We hope you will come play with us!!

BREATHE!

2011-02-26T12:59:00.000-05:00

BREATHE is the theme for this week's Inspiration Avenue challenge. I've had ideas brewing since I first read the announcement post! This is what I came up with. (I had a bit of a problem with the words and tried using a letter stencil at first. Mistake. So free hand with a paint brush it was. Anyone have suggestions on techniques to handle wording better?)

(I know see that the gold wording isn't as clear in the scan as it is in reality. It says "Breathe Life into your CREATIONS".)

Great theme for this week's challenge! I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone does with it!

Breathe also made me think of this wonderful song!

Enjoy!!

Opposites

2011-02-25T23:50:00.000-05:00

The theme for this month's Sketchbook Challenge is OPPOSITES. This started me thinking about colour theory and colour wheels. Purple and yellow are opposite each other on the colour wheel. The yin/yang symbol represents opposites (though I know there is much more to it than that). And I wanted to further represent opposites within each colour so I zen doodled this painted version with hard lines in purple and softer, more flowing lines in yellow/gold.

I wish the scan beds of these printers were just a bit larger or maybe I just need a bit smaller sketchbook to prevent the shading and buckling here!

Are you participating in the Sketchbook Challenge?