Sunday Sketches - Blue Flowers

It is rare that a Sunday passes by without me posting to Blue Chair Diary Illustrations - Sunday Sketches.  The host, Alexandra, has a showing of her art at Barnes & Nobles for the month of July.  This accomplishment is impressive enough but the fact that she's achieved this despite some serious challenges makes it that much sweeter.  Go check her art out! 

Linking to Sunday Sketches and

Creative Every Day

SOC - Week 3

This week's colors for the Summer of Color challenge are Lavender & Grey with a Smudge, Splash or Pop of Plum.  Besides my love of grey these colors weren't calling out to me - but that's what makes something a challenge, right? 

I ended up with some kind of pattern with what looks like abstract repeated wrenches.  It is possible that is inspired by our younger son's current desire to learn all there is to know about fixing lawnmowers.  He had kept our limping lawnmower alive long past its expiration date until it finally kicked the bucket last week.  Then we got a new lawnmower but he didn't want to get rid of the old one in case he could fix it again. 

Subsequently, a family friend "gifted" him with a broken lawnmower free of charge for him to try to fix and sell.  Now our shed is blessed with three lawnmowers - only one of which works.  Sigh. . . seems like a daughter with a collection of cosmetics would have taken up less space than a son obsessed with lawnmowers!! 

Linking to Paint Party Friday and

Art Journal Every Day

Lobster girl. . .

Another crazy sketch drawn in the car.  I had already drawn and written around her when my son suggested I add a lobster claw.  Here is my question to you - Is she holding the claw from the lobster she is about to consume or is she some kind of amazing "Lobster Girl" from a circus sideshow?   

Linking to Sunday Sketches,

Illustration Friday - SUMMER, and

Creative Every Day

SOC - Week 2

Coral and Teal with a splash of White were the colors this week for the SOC-Week 2 challenge.  I struggled with them for days and, while I had grandiose plans for something amazing, decided to settle with these painted flowers in my art journal.  

If you find any extra inspiration send it my way, 'kay?

Linking to Summer of Color,

Paint Party Friday and

Art Journal Every Day

The Redhead

My black pen ran out of ink while I was drawing this girl and I finished with a red pen.  Turns out I like her better than if she had been finished in black.  Serendipitous!

Linking to Sunday Sketches and

Creative Every Day

Summer of Color - Week One

Kristin posted the Week One colors for the Summer of Color Challenge on Monday and now, three days later, there are already 64 linkups!!  Yup, this is a fun summer party! 

The featured colors are turquoise and yellow with a splash of pink.  I envisioned these colors in stripes because of a summer polo shirt I have.  Perfect for canoeing down the river like the people in my repurposed book! 

This girl is gesso white but she still probably has more color than me - I usually win all "pale" contests in the summer!  It was never fun to win the "whitest legs" when I was young but I'm banking on less wrinkles as I'm growing older. . . hopefully! 

Linking to Summer of Color,

Art Journal Every Day, and

Paint Party Friday

Flower Power homework. . .

I'm currently taking Alisa Burke's Flower Power class.  Alisa is an amazing artist who does incredible watercolor work in her art journals. 

She is all about utilizing economical supplies to bring the essence of things to life.  In this particular class the emphasis is on flowers. 

I doodled a stylized flower all over a page in my journal using a ZEBRA gel pen.  Love those gel pens!!  They glide super smoothly, are a very dark black and are waterproof once dry.  The only drawback is that they run out of ink pretty quickly. 

How often can you say you've used up an entire pen though?  With ballpoint pens it can take forever but with these pens you can use one up within a few days.  Frustrating if you are in the middle of a sketch and run flap out of ink though!!

Linking to Sunday Sketches and

Creative Every Day

Sketching in the car. . .

Our older son has his driver's permit and is working on getting the required hours so he can test for his driver's license.   He is SO much better than when he started  - in the beginning I would be grabbing the door handles and smashing down on my invisible brake on the passenger side of the car while attempting to explain, without screaming in panic, the best techniques of keeping the car safely on the road.  Managing a calm demeanor while teaching a teenager how to drive should earn me an honorary Oscar!!

While he is making admirable progress I still feel butterflies in my stomach when he is driving in the country.  Believe it or not I do great when he is driving in "traffic" (whatever traffic we have in our bustling town of 50,000 people - LOL) - I think because that driving is slow.  

My new sanity technique is to sketch in ink in my Moleskine while he drives.  It keeps me from making him nervous and the time flies on the way to Nana/Papa's that way.  This is the girl that I sketched during our 30 minute drive yesterday.  Added a quote from Shakespeare and a watercolored background this afternoon.  Any tips on surviving this phase of life?? 

Linking to Illustration Friday - TEMPTATION,

Paint Party Friday, Friday Sketches and

Art Journal Every Day

Summer of Color Four

Everyone loves summer fun - one of the things I look forward to each summer is the party that Kristin VanValkenburgh hosts on her blog, Twinkle, Twinkle.  Have you ever frolicked at The Summer of Color?  You won't be sorry!  Check out the video. (You can thank me later)

Sleepy girl. . .

"We are such stuff as dreams are made on and our little life is rounded with a sleep."

                   - William Shakespeare

This is the girl I drew after I woke up from a perfectly pleasant Sunday afternoon nap.  I LOVE an afternoon nap - perfect ending to the weekend and makes the requisite folding laundry so much more palatable. 

Linking to Sunday Sketches and

Creative Every Day