Cincinnati. . .

We spent the weekend in Cincinnati and had a blast!  Stayed downtown, visited three art museums, ate great food, went shopping and slept in both days until past 9AM!

Have you ever seen a Pringles machine??

Just love this pattern on the booth at Panera!

Isn't it required to take at least one selfie??

Our favorite museum was the Contemporary Arts Center which was within walking distance from our hotel. 

Only two floors were open since exhibits were changing but there was a lot to look at. . .some pretty and a lot weird.

I wish I had taken a picture of the three full sized trees rotating from the ceiling upside down.  I took a movie but no stills - that display took up a huge gallery room.

It was creaky and loud with the mechanics of the display churning away.

Shark Girl was having a bad day - note the black cloud following her around. . . 

We also visited the Cincinnati Art Museum and the Taft Museum of Art and enjoyed more artistic traditional fare including pieces by Renoir, Manet and Van Gogh but for sheer fun the Contemporary Arts Center gave us the most to talk about. . . 

Tomorrow is our 24th anniversary - thanks for the great weekend, Corey!!  Love ya!

An attempt at line drawing. . .

I'm a big fan of Lisa Congdon's art - colorful, whimsical, and fun while appearing deceptively easy.  Her Basic Line Drawing class is a treat to watch.  I'm nearly finished with it and love her effortless way of teaching. 

Tried my hand at some stylized flowers - while they could use some work I think the addition of watercolor helps to disguise some of unintentional wonkiness (is that a word?) - 

Linking to Art Journal Every Day and

Paint Party Friday

Unusual girl -

"If you are not willing to risk the unusual,

you will have to settle for the ordinary."

                                      - John Roth

Linking to Sunday Sketches and

Creative Every Day

It's all in the Attitude. . .

I picked up this great quote during one of my recent visits to Pinterest.  It is an outlook that I am fervently trying to cultivate. 

For example - gaze upon this amazing photo of my 13-year old son.  He has been endlessly fascinated by the styrofoam heads at Hobby Lobby forever.  While some might find his craft store antics to be an ordeal, I embraced the spirit of adventure and snapped his pic!  BTW - he reminded me several times that he will be that height very soon. . .

Lori Barnett posted a card with rays today that inspired me to try the technique.  She has a much fancier cutting board than me and I have less patience so taping off sections with Frog Tape (found in the painting section of your hardware store) and quickly painting worked for me.

My foolproof method for protecting my mat wasn't so foolproof - I still managed to get paint on it.  Doodled, cut out and glued a flower and called it a day.  I really gravitate toward clean graphic lines - love this look. 

Linking to Paint Party Friday

and Art Journal Every Day

Illustration Friday - JOURNEY

"If my ship sails from sight,

it doesn't mean my journey ends,

it simply means the river bends." - Enoch Powell

I've never been on a boat bigger than a motor boat - never a sailboat, cruise ship or yacht.  I've always been fascinated with the idea of ocean travel - how in the past it would take weeks to travel to your destination and weeks to return.  Now large cruises are more about the journey than the destination.

Linking to Sunday Sketches, 

Illustration Friday - JOURNEY and

Creative Every Day

The Philologist

Even though referring to her love of learning and literature as philology was obsolete, she still considered herself to be a Philologist.

Dictionary.com has a word a day app that I love accessing through my phone.  I couldn't resist using today's word on this girl that I scribbled on a piece of scrap paper the other day.

I often scribble girls on the back of grocery lists, on envelopes, etc. and this girl was no exception.   

Pan Pastels toned down her green face while still allowing a bit of the pattern to show through. 

I've got lots of new favorite words now including:

Sciamachy - an act of fighting a shadow or an imaginary enemy

Perspicuous - clearly expressed or presented, lucid

Cockalorum - a self-important little man

Do you have a favorite unusual word?? 

Linking to Art Journal Every Day and

Paint Party Friday

Flower doodles. . .

More flower doodles - they are becoming rather addicting! 

There are some flowers that I love more than others but the total effect is pleasing in the end.

Started with a watercolored background of orange, yellow and pink hues.  These first flowers (my favorites) were drawn in the car - I seem to be doing some of my favorite stuff in the car.  Go figure!  I think it may have to do partly with me taking all expectations off myself since we could hit a bump, etc at any time.

Linking to Sunday Sketches and

Creative Every Day

Cranky gouache. . .

That's what people do who love you.  

They put their arms around you and love you 

when you're not too lovable."      - Deb Caletti

Tried painting with gouache today - not easy - I'm sure there must be a technique to it but I sure don't know what it is right now.  It seemed to be fighting me - cranky gouache! 

Linking to Art Journal Every Day,

Friday Sketches and

Paint Party Friday