Monday, September 29, 2014

Illustration Friday - WISH

This week the topic at Illustration Friday is WISH.  Would you wish for the same things?  Of the three things pictured, I'd most enjoy not having to get up until 9AM each day.  I stay up too late despite my best intentions. . . makes that 6:20AM alarm time tricky on school/work days!! 
Linking to Creative Every Day,
Check out all the fun with 29 Faces!
Thanks again to Ayala Art for sponsoring another fun 29 faces challenge!!

Sunday, September 28, 2014

Gloomy braids. . .

She distracted people from her moods with a shy smile and elaborately braided hair.
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Linking to Sunday Sketches

Saturday, September 27, 2014

The Botanist. . .


She fancied herself a botanist but mostly all she did was pick up leaves from the ground.
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Friday, September 26, 2014

Paper scrap girl

I was cutting up painted paper for the "hair" on this girl when this scrap was on the table just begging for a quick sketch.
Who am I to ignore the plaintive whines of a scrap of painted paper?
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Thursday, September 25, 2014

Flower girl

"Art is the unceasing effort 
to compete with the beauty of flowers - 
and never succeeding."   - Gian Carlo Menotti



I have no idea what this strange collage girl is about but she has pink and that will make my friend, Kim, happy!
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Linking to Paint Party Friday and

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Three's a crowd. . .

While the 29 Faces challenge is - face it - one of my most favorite challenges (did you see what I did there?  LOL) it can be difficult for me to find the time to get it finished.  That's why on three separate occasions this month I've grouped girls together - maybe it is cheating or maybe it is wicked clever of me - you can make that call.
Started with a flowered background left over from my Inspired by Henri Matisse post back in January.  Guess what?  Jeanne Oliver is heading up another Studying Under the Masters class starting next week - this one is focused on portraits and self-portraits.  Whoo-hoo!
Cori Dantini, Jane Davenport and Gillian Lee Smith are among the teachers - need I say more?
Check out all the fun with 29 Faces!

Sunday, September 21, 2014

at the mere sight of a book. . .

"Many people, myself among them,
feel better at the mere sight of a book."
                                      - Jane Smiley

Linking to Sunday Sketches and
Check out all the fun with 29 Faces!

Saturday, September 20, 2014

What holds you back?

It's not who you are that holds you back.
It's who you think you're not.

Working on shading. . .
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Thursday, September 18, 2014

70's girls

These girls are layered with all kinds of art supplies - paint, graphite pencils, watercolor pencils, markers, pastels - all plopped onto a big coffee stain.
All three have unfortunate hair - kinda reminds me of the 1970's.  My mother blessed me with a shag haircut when I was young.  I'd be more upset but I just blended in with all the other kids with that bad hair.  In all actuality the hair was probably better than the clothes!
Check out all the fun with 29 Faces!
Linking to Paint Party Friday

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Wood tag girl

This girl is on a tag - not just any 'ol paper tag but a 1.75" x 3.25" wood tag!  The wood tags were an impulse purchase that I "knew" I would use but sat in the crafting cabinet for more than a year.   
That fact that I've used ONE wood tag "totally" justifies that purchase along with the even tinier 1.25" x 2.5" wood tags that also snuck home with me that same day.  LOL
Do you end up with purchases that you wonder "why did I do that" later??
'fess up - we all want to know!
(Flowers were doodled on with a .005 Micron pen - tiny work.)
Check out all the fun with 29 Faces!

Monday, September 15, 2014

Melinda

ME - "What word do you think of when you look at this girl?"
CALEB (13) - "Sad."
ME - "Sad?  I think she looks stalwart and strong.  
What would you name her?"
CALEB - "Melinda."

Yup - made no sense to me either - LOL.
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Sunday, September 14, 2014

Coffee Stain Friends

Friendship is born at that moment
when one person says to another:
"What! You too? I thought that no one but myself. . ."
                      - C. S. Lewis

These two girls just discovered a mutual love of coffee and the color brown. . .(two of my faves as well!)
Check out all the fun with 29 Faces!
Linking to Sunday Sketches and

Saturday, September 13, 2014

Rebecca Lopez

ME - "How would you describe this girl?"
CONNOR (17) - "A white lady with a fiery Latin temper." 
ME (confused) - "Okay - what would you name her then?"
CONNOR (matter of factly) - "Rebecca Lopez"

LOL - That kid cracks me up every time - love the honesty that your children give you! 
Check out all the fun with 29 Faces!

Friday, September 12, 2014

Coffee Stain girl - #2

Had so much fun with the other coffee stain girl that I did it again - honestly, I have a pretty strong feeling that there will be several coffee stain girls before the 29 FACES challenge is over. 
The first girl was mostly acrylic paints but this one is pencils only.  I'm really enamored with the white that peeks through.  When I'm splashing the coffee around it is really hard not to paint the whole page but I make an effort to leave some open area for contrast.
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Thursday, September 11, 2014

Basket head. . .

the best plan was to walk a mile every day carrying a basket upon your head

Not sure about the basket part but I'm pretty confident that walking a mile every day would be a good plan!  This girl started as a coffee stain made in an art journal with my morning "cup of joe".  Does that mean that I put my paint brush into my actual mug of coffee?  Why yes it does.
The only downside to that was there was less coffee to drink - sometimes that one swig can make a big difference.  Am I right?
Check out all the fun with 29 Faces!

Linking to Paint Party Friday

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Yellow Ochre!

"The mind is like a parachute,
it doesn't work unless you open it."
             -  Frank Zappa

Another girl that was drawn in the car - All the males in my family hate her even though I remind them to open their minds and look beyond the thick neck and all the yellow ochre.  Personally, I think the world would benefit from more yellow ochre - what do you think??
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Monday, September 8, 2014

Antler girl -

"If you aren't willing to risk the unusual,
you will have to settle for the ordinary."  - Jim Rohn

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Sunday, September 7, 2014

Watercoloring in the car. . .

Sketched and watercolored these girls in the car yesterday - at one point the road seemed extra bumpy so I looked up and saw this - 
construction!  Can't blame that on my husband's driving, LOL! 
Not sure what to think of these gals - very different from what I normally do - maybe she is a mom with her two daughters. . . 
Check out all the fun with 29 Faces!
Linking to Sunday Sketches and
Creative Every Day

Friday, September 5, 2014

The Deipnosophist

"Despite her tendency to fade into the background, chatty fellow diners were delighted to discover that she was quite the deipnosophist." 
Debated for a while about whether or not to add the white and I am so happy that I did!  Adds such dimension and depth. 
Check out all the fun with 29 Faces!
Linking to Paint Party Friday and

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

29 Faces - Is it a towel?

Is it hair or a towel?  Good question. . . 
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Monday, September 1, 2014

Illustration Friday - METAMORPHOSIS

Did you know that this is the first day of the 29 Faces Challenge? 
Ayala Art sponsors this challenge each February and September.  It is gobs of fun and I love seeing all the amazing faces posted in the participants' blogs!
Check out all the fun with 29 Faces!
Linking to Creative Every Day