Broken twig ...

I wasn't going to post this but then I looked at the date and realized that today is the last day of February and it would be nice to post just one more for the month ... you know, to go with one of my "goals" of posting/journaling more. I broke this branch off a dead tree because I thought I would like to see if I couldn't show the moss growing on it, but I was in a hurry and didn't try very hard ... maybe later I'll give it another try. What you see down the center of the page is where I cut two pages out to make room for pasting objects in my sketchbook to allow room for expansion. ... boy it sure shows up good in this photo, huh?

Just one of many ...

This is just one of many sketchbooks I own. I have some large ones, some very small ones, some hard bound, some soft bound, some with great quality paper, some with such poor paper I think the manufactures should be ashamed of themselves ... but my quandary is why do I start so many sketchbooks and fill very few. In fact I can only think of one that is completed. I love it ... poor quality paper and all ... because it is finished. This one has a corigated brown cardboard cover with brown paperbag type paper and appears to be hand bound. I did this drawing with some inexpensive "decorating chalks" ... or so the plastic container says. I thought it would be fun to do the whole book with little chalk drawings. There are only two sketches in this book and the date on the drawing says 10/21/03. So much for filling it up fast, huh? I'm pretty close to filling up one that I used to show the last two watercolor sketches. I'm now wondering should I fill up one of the others that is only partially full, or start yet another one.

Hemlock branch

This little hemlock branch is what I picked up today on my walk ... I'm not sure if you can read the date, but obviously wrote it down wrong ... my computer telles me it is Friday, February 23,2007. Again the same scenario as the last sketchbook entry ... sitting in a recliner with my cat on my lap. By the time this little watercolor sketch was finished we were both annoyed.

A finished product.....

Lately I've been working on a vignette for a friend who owns 3 cats ... I think all of the cats are becoming elderly. I hope I've done them justice........


This is the finished product and will go in the mail today ........

I had planned on ...

For the last two day's when I go for my daily 2 mile walk, I plan on picking up something from nature, to sketch/watercolor. But once home I realize that I've forgotten to grab a twig, a cone, a weed etc. Today when I realized it had happened yet once again I remembered that a friend had given me some bulbs to plant. So this evening, while the cat was sleeping on my lap and I was watching Jeopardy, I grabbed my sketch book and tried to get a likeness of the bulbs on some unforgiving sketch paper that doesn't like watercolor.

and you thought ....

And you thought I have been doing nothing. To tell you the truth, I want sketching/drawing to be a daily habit. I'm finding that when I do sketch something I've hurried and have a poor rendering on the page so in return I become discouraged ... that in return makes me reluctant to do more. I can hear you all now saying that's part of the dues that need to be paid in order to become better. I hear you ... I'll continue. But let the record show how much pain I'm in showing these few sketches .... and you can bet these are the best. *wink*

The first, from left to right, is s blueberry plant that is not in good shape... with only a few leaves left, the only color I added is some green to a the leaves. The next is some raspberry's from memory... The far right is a lantern/lamp that has a paper shade on it that sits in my studio. It is used only in the early mornings when I awake and can't stand the glare of other lights. On the bottom left, taken from a photo, is an Airstream trailer we use to own. Lastly is a small Carmex jar. It is poorly done... the ellipse is all wrong and the jar is too tall in the drawing. But, now you know what I've been up to lately.... trying to squeeze in a drawing or two, in between other things that seem to have invaded in my art time.