"Silence your mind. Pick up your pencil and draw."

"Silence your mind.  Pick up your pencil and draw."

                     -  Pinterest

We had such a nice weekend with family in from Mississippi.  No stress - just visiting and catching up with each other.  Those are the best visits aren't they?  While we sat chatting in the living room last night I sketched a girl in ink but since we were visiting so long I tried out some shading with graphite and I'm pretty happy with how she turned out - her eyes are a bit wonky (as always) but my younger son said, "Finally, you made a girl that is pretty."

Brutally honest but I'll take that as a compliment! 

Linking to Creative Monday and

Sunday Sketches

Everything grows you. . .

Took my sketch from last week and made a little mixed media piece with it. . .

Linking to Sunday Sketches and

Creative Every Day

That look of otherness. . .

"She always had that look about her,

that look of otherness,

of eyes that see things much too far,

and of thoughts that wander off the edge of the world."

                                   - Joanna Harris

I wanted to try painting a girl on a black background - had never done that before so I haphazardly taped a rectangle in my art journal and painted it black with matte paint. 

Sketched a face in pencil and then started filling in with flesh paint - lightly though so that the idea of the black would maybe show through a bit.

I really like her at this point and a big part of me wishes I had stopped here - she seemed too "unfinished" at the time though so I went back to my comfort zone of black/white lines and dots. 

Maybe one day I will be brave enough to be looser - I'm always trying to "fix things" with line work instead of just stepping back and letting go a bit.  I still love her though - the blue is my favorite part - quirky and moody at the same time.

Linking to Paint Party Friday,

Friday Sketches and

Art Journal Every Day

Work in progress. . .

A little something that I am working on - still in the beginning phases. . .

Linking to Creative Every Day

Robin Hood

"Would you like to join the Robin Hood Club?", they asked.

"I'd be thrilled", she replied.

In eager anticipation, she dyed her hair green and painted her face to better blend into the forest and to please the Merry Men.

You can imagine her disappointment when she realized that the Robin Hood Homemakers' Club had nothing to do with the forest and everything to do with baking with Robin Hood flour. 

Linking to Paint Party Friday,

Friday Sketches and

Art Journal Every Day

Society6

Have you ever ordered from Society6?  I'm in love with my new mug featuring one of my very own girls!!  Some of my favorite artists have their work available there - including Denthe.  I ordered one of her mugs several months ago (fabulous mug on the left below) and have been very pleased with its quality.  It has been through the dishwasher innumerable times and is in great shape. 

It was a bit of a learning curve to load my own art (the girl is repeated three times around the mug) but I am so happy with the results!  Think I will try loading more girls. . .

Send now. . .

She had no clue that she was so far past her expiration date. . .

Linking to Sunday Sketches and

Creative Every Day

Spoon Mood

Remember those tourist spoons that you could buy in cheesy giftshops?  Sometimes people would have whole collections of them reflecting their eclectic travels around the country.  

Maybe this gal is pondering which spoon to add to her collection or perhaps she is wishing that people would stop bringing them to her as gifts - you make the call. . .

I'll bet you thought that "spoon mood" meant that she needed a snuggle cause she was cold. . .

BTW - there is possibly a small child that got a couple of words wrong on his/her spelling test since I found these two papers on the sidewalk outside at work and felt compelled to swipe them.

Linking to Paint Party Friday,

Friday Sketches and

Art Journal Every Day