EDiM #23 Draw a Souvenir

Still trying to get caught up from May....not too hopeful.

The Moon Never Bores Me

I do hope my (seeming) obsession with photographing the moon does not bore you... I can't help myself. Before you say anything, I do realize that this photo is ridiculously noisy/grainy. Setting my ISO to 1600 seemed like the right thing to do given the darkness and I was too lazy to get out the tripod. I will keep experimenting with that. Noise aside, I thought it was lovely!

In other news, it has been an interesting week. The weather appears to finally be giving us a break; temps are dropping slightly. Not a moment too soon for my electricity bill either! With the change in the weather I am happy to see an improvement in my energy level and mood. Summer in Phoenix can suck the life right out of you!

Page 1 - Pie in the Sky?

I have started working on my sketchbook for the 2012 Sketchbook Project. My theme is "I Remember You." I will illustrate memories of people and experiences that have made a lasting impression on my life. This year I will complete the book. I think I have a better handle on budgeting my time...(we shall see). Here is a sneak peek of my first page (click to enlarge). One of the few things that can cause me to stop & ponder is a beautiful sky full of clouds so I figured what more appropriate subject for the opening page. I have also decided to start working through  The Artists Way again, if only for the sake of completing it. I have a small problem with finishing things that I start, can you relate?

Last night while trying to avoid working on my drawing (it takes a lot of energy) I was scanning through a few of the blogs that I follow and came across this article that centered around the idea of making changes in your life by changing your focus, "focusing on the No to become clear on the Yes, defining the Yes to clarify the No." Although I am not a follower of Zen philosophy, I do try to be open minded. There were some very interesting concepts, you can read that here.

Time to have a rare (these days) early evening cup of coffee and walk the dog, I need to relax, it has been a stressful day!

Hello Springtime....

Okay, maybe not quite yet, but this drawing does make me think of spring!

I needed a cheery diversion full of bright colors and happy images after spending several months thinking about the negative effects of smoking. While working on my sketchbook for the Sketchbook Project I really thought deeply about the profound impact cigarettes have had in my life, mostly in the taking of loved ones by cancer and heart disease. Did I mention that I hate cigarettes....

Anyway, I will be back on the "Coffee Break" drawing series soon, posting for your critique. Thanks for stopping by!

In My Garden #1

Big Horizon

After spending the last two months consumed with The Sketchbook Project, my brain needed a rest. So, after sending my book off to New York last Tuesday I took the rest of the week off from creative endeavors. I am now ready to kick off the new year! I am starting a series of drawings that will be an extension of the topic "Coffee & Cigarettes." Look for those to be posted as they are completed.

"You Light Up My Life", Sketchbook Project 2011

The Sketchbook Project

On Monday I signed up to participate in The Sketchbook Project. I am super psyched to do this, mostly because over the last few years I have become fascinated with the whole Moleskine movement and have started trying to keep an ongoing sketch journal. I am excited to be challenging myself with a theme and a time frame. I am out of my comfort zone with this gang, but I am up for it. I am also looking forward to seeing as many of the other participants sketchbooks as I can. Check out the project at http://www.arthousecoop.com/projects/sketchbookproject and join in! You can view other peoples pages at http://www.arthousecoop.com/

I will (eventually) post all of my sketchbook entrys on my Sketchbook Project page in sequence so you can see them all together and follow the theme. My chosen theme is "Coffee and Cigarettes" I will also post my pages on my home page as I do them. I can't wait to get started, just waitin on my book to come...

Molly Idle Prismacolor Workshop

Yesterday I participated in a Prismacolor workshop with Molly Idle of Idle Illustration. She is a lovely person and a fantastic illustrator. I don't know her entire bio, but apparently she has been an author/illustrator of childrens books for some time now and has a background in animation. She has a number of titles out, some of them sadly are now out of print. If you have children, you must check out her website and go and find her books in your local book store. I intend to pick a few of them up for the future (you know, WAY DOWN THE ROAD, when I'm a grandma) with munchkins to read bedtime stories to. Anyway, the workshop was good. I learned some new techniques for working with colored pencils, met some fellow Prismacolor enthusiasts and also saw some cool gear. One of the other folks had this great pencil case which she purchased from Dick Blick Art Materials. More on that later...

My Favorite Place

It's a beautiful fall day here in sunny Phoenix and I have been out running errands thinking about all of the projects waiting for me at home. I have not started a new drawing, perhaps later today. Of course, this is what is calling my name.

EDM Challenge #3 Purses, Bags or Totes

I finally finished this drawing and my reaction to it was unexpected. Although, technically it is pretty good, considering I have been away from my colored pencils for awhile, artistically it is somewhat flat. What I have learned once again is practice, practice, practice and that even our best ideas sometimes disappoint us in the end.

I also realized that I had not considered that the paper would be too big to fit on the scanner....so I did a couple of scans so you can see everything and am including a photo (a terrible photo) so you can see the whole drawing in one piece. I love learning new things, don't you!

Love These Colors

I started cleaning up my office/studio(LOL) last night trying to eack (sp?) out more space. I realized one of the things I am lacking is a well lit spot to set up still lifes. I am preparing to start my next EDM Challenge. Hoping that will happen today.

But in the meantime, here is an old drawing to keep you entertained. This is a re-creation I did from "The Colored Pencil Solution Book" by Janie Gildow. This book is a great reference for anyone wanting to improve their colored pencil skills.