Be Both Soft and Wild

 Encouraged by videos by Alisa Burke, I've been keeping an art journal in a cheap composition book. I thought it wouldn't work because of the cheap paper, but as Alisa says, the paints make the paper stronger. I've enjoyed it because it's not a precious book, and I feel free to experiment, make lists, and make a mess! 

This page was inspired by notes and thoughts during a presentation led by Flora Bowley, which I did in white pen over a previously painted page. I wanted the woman to be dancing and twirling. Hopefully the twirling shows through the way I drew her hair and her legs. The quote from Victoria Erickson seemed perfect to finish off the page. 

In His Own Words

I drew this several days ago and added lots of quotes from President Trump since the virus came to the USA. Or at least since we've known it's here. I try to always listen to him whenever he speaks, hard as it is with his rambling style, because I can decide what I think instead of relying on a recap by the news.  As much as he complains about the press, all of the press actually makes him sound more concise in their effort to distill the main points of his speech.

When I draw political or religious or social leaders, I like to put their words around them rather than my opinion, though on some pages when I'm trying to sort something out, I might journal in written form about what's going on in the news.

This is not a political blog, but journaling is about recording life, and politics is part of that, for better and for worse. So, even if you don't agree with my take on something, it's no matter....do pages with your take. That's what journaling is all about.

Yard work while sheltering..

A couple of days ago, it rained all day, then two days of sun,and my lawn grew a foot! Usually I barely have time to mow my yard during the months the shop is open. But now, even with making masks, I can take a break and mow and plant some little marigolds I picked up. The reason we are all locked down is very serious, but I think it's wise to try and notice and appreciate the way we are slowed down, and what good things it adds, as well as the losses.  I'm trying to learn the lessons in all of it.

Lately, I've been drawing from life more, in the spirit of urban sketching. But now I'm kind of combining drawing from life and drawing from photos, because I want to include myself in the drawing. Sometimes I find a photo reference, like I found a picture of a woman mowing the lawn, and as I was drawing her I made her more curvy like me,  gave her shaggy hair like mine, and made the lawn mower look more like mine. Then I drew my yard around her/me. It's pretty much an experiment. I guess I could take pictures of myself, but that would be complicated and I'd probably never do the drawing if I had to do all of that.

Masks in my Covid19 Journal

I have been spending a lot of time at my sewing machine making masks. I stated out making them for my SO's daughter who is a nurse, and it's taken on a life of it's own since then. Today I ran out of elastic again, but I have a spool that is supposed to arrive tomorrow, so I can continue filling orders. I drew this tonight, from a photo I took of myself when I was trying one on and figuring out how to make them. I tweaked it so it was comfortable and easy to breathe through. The original pattern is free at https://www.craftpassion.com/ , but now I make them a little bit differently even though I still use her pattern.

And here is a gem by Shel Silverstein...about a different kind of mask:

Pandemic Times

Okie dokie. Well, we are living quite a different life style these days, aren't we? No appointments, no eating out, no visiting in person, no shopping except groceries, no work for many of us. Obviously my souvenir shop is closed...I'm staying in place and hopefully helping to flatten that curve.

When the "shelter in place" was ordered by the governor my parents were visiting. I was already spending most of my time alone at home or with Jeff at his place before they came, so we were not exposed to many people. We really locked down when my parents got here. I'm not sure when my shop will open up this summer if at all, since we would not want to encourage people to travel until it's safe. So in the meantime, I started drawing in a new journal all about this odd time in our lives.

 Here is a quick sketch of Dad watching the news. Sorry dad...I was tense about drawing again. He's much more handsome in person. Dad has to go to dialysis each day, so he is the only one who regularly sees other people. Watching the news and press briefings is an important part of the day. Things change quickly. Weird things are said. More weird things are said that contradict the previous weirdness. Thank God for Dr. Fauci and the other scientists who stick to facts as we know them with this new virus that they are researching on the fly.

One group I'm in prompted us to do the view out the window. These are the sliders in the kitchen. Greta loves to lay there and watch the squirrels.

My favorite position to watch movies and the ever important news coming out.

Mom watching the news snuggled up in blankets.

While my parents were here this became a super important room. I was cooking more; Jeff came over and cooked for us a couple of times. We don't eat out...seems safer to eat food prepared here. I don't normally use Clorox often, but these days, it's not even put away. It reminds me to keep those counters clean.

Jeff making dinner for us. My friends and family all understand they should not expect any sketches to actually look like them. I'm not a portrait artist, that's for sure. He was deep frying fish caught by a friend last summer. I should also draw my freezer...I love that I have lots of meat in there and don't have to shop as much.

This is about the shortage of personal protective equipment. My heart is breaking for our medical professionals and that they are having to work with out the proper equipment to stay safe and with out the equipment to treat patients either! It's like soldiers going into battle with no guns or protective gear. Jeff's daughter is a nurse, and many friends are in the medical profession. This issue is a constant worry on a personal level.

One day I went to the store, then went to the parking lot at the museum complex where my shop is. I drew my favorite exhibit, which is this 1966 school bus conversion that was built and owned by artist Bob Waldmire.

I stayed in my Jeep while I drew. That's good social distancing...but there weren't many people out anyway. Most of the time it's rather eerie how few people are out, but that's a good thing. Flatten that curve. On nice days people are everywhere on foot and on bicycles, and even a few motorcycles. People are home, so they are taking the time to ride bikes with the kids, walk the dogs, meeting neighbors at talking ....each person well over six feet from the next. It seems we are apart, but somehow also together more.

 This is again, my favorite spot. Jeff calls it my nest, because I have knitting and books and something to drink nearby. I drew this after my parents left. I was a bit lonely and got teary when they left...these days, you never know when you might see someone again. So far they are still allowing travel, if necessary, but we don't want to spread this virus or have anyone bring it here either. If a loved one gets sick with COVID-19 and needs to be hospitalized, they will not allow you to visit your loved one in a hospital.

Also Greta, who gets impatient with all this drawing going on.

La Mex is one of my favorite restaurants in town. Most restaurants are still doing delivery and carryout. Not sure about La Mex though. I heard they boarded up for security because they are on the edge of town. Good thinking!

Well, that is it for now. I still have a few more pages that need to be photographed, but I will share them soon. Stay safe everyone. Stay home...save lives. Seems odd but it's so true.

Draw Daily

Yep, trying to get back to drawing daily, even if it's just little sketch or contour drawing. I haven't been doing too well at it! So here is today's little sketch on a page about what I'd like to do in the future and improving my health. Soooo...if I can get on the bike often this summer, I might end up looking like my sketch! That would feel great!

I've been doing quite a bit of cutting and pasting on my pages too. It helps me get a whole idea down quicker because I'm not a speedy sketcher, and if I'm going to get back to sketching each day, it often needs to be a quick exercise.

Pages from Route 66 Travel Journal

 Here are a few more pages from my Route 66 Moleskine travel journal. This is the Blue Whale in Catoosa, OK. It's one of my favorite stops on Route 66! It was a popular swimming hole for years, and at one time there was also a small zoo with a large ark.  It's still a great stop today!

 This page is about Bob Waldmire. and all the exhibits about him in Pontiac, IL. I love sketching the school bus he turned in to a winter home...he parked it in Hackberry, Arizona and stayed there in the winters. Bob and his VW Van was the inspiration for the Fillmore character in the movie "Cars." You can learn all about him at the Illinois Route 66 Museum and Hall of Fame in Pontiac, Illinois. 

On this page, I used some drawings I'd made before in another book. I'm trying to corral all the 66 pages in one place so I copied them and rearranged a bit and came up with this page. I also included the drawing Bob made of his van and Fillmore meeting up somewhere on Route 66.

Only a little more than 13 miles of Route 66 is in Kansas, but it's a pretty cool 13 miles! This is the story of a Bordello and madame in Galena, Texas. She was convicted of murdering a miner, and it was suspected that many of the other missing miners may have met the same fate. Very creepy story!

Here's another Pontiac, Illinois page. Since I live here, and own the gift shop at the museum, I have drawn quite a few sights here. The sketch is one I made from my car over the winter. There is a nice place to pull off and look at the barn with it's advertising of Meramec Caverns. I used a sticker of my drawing of the Old City Hall in Pontiac, IL.  It houses the Route 66 Museum, the Livingston County War Museum, and the Bob Waldmire Experience. Also included is a sticker made from my drawing of the Livingston County Courthouse in Pontiac. I have a rather crudely carved stamp I made and I use it often for Journal pages and other Route 66 artwork I make.

I'm working on a Joliet project right now, so you will see quite a few more drawings about Joliet that will be used in the finished project. This little pen and ink of Rich and Creamy will reappear in that project too. I copied the pen and ink drawing I made months ago, and added colored pencil and glued it to the page.

Journaling Paris...

Right after stowing our luggage at the hotel, we walked over to the Eiffel Tower. Of course this has been on my bucket list forever, and it definitely did not disappoint. It's every bit as beautiful as I imagined, and the views are fantastic!

 I made a little pocket for my Paris Pass. I couldn't bring myself to throw it away, so now it's part of the souvenirs. I put more of the little photos I had printed in these pages. These are just cut and paste over some of the pages I'd painted up before leaving home.

 Here is Jennifer looking out over the city and Pat, Jennifer, and I up high in the tower.

Later that night, we saw the tower glowing with golden light, and it several times in the evenings it puts on a sparkling show.

 We stayed at the Hotel Duquesne Eiffel, which was charming. Old and yet, modern...a nice combination. We could see the Eiffel tower if we opened the window and looked down the street.

 Another pass I kept, Plus a little map torn out of a guide.

 I drew this as we sat at a café by Notre Dame and drank mulled wine (it was pretty chilly out).  The cathedral is stunningly beautiful, and also a moving place to visit. Mass was in progress while we were visiting.

Here is another page that is totally cut and paste. So many of the maps you pick up are wonderfully drawn and colorful. This one was for the Big Red Bus. It's one of those hop on, hop off tour buses, and it had the tour on tape in many languages. It was a nice way to see some of the city, and give our feet a rest at the same time!

 Musée de l'Orangerie was also a bucket list site. I 've always wanted to see Monet's large water lily paintings. They were simply amazing. It was a moving experience to sit and soak them in. While I was sketching I saw another sketcher, so I sketched him too. This was one of my favorite moments in Paris.

 We spent one whole day at Versailles. It's hard to imagine the expense that went into creating this palace...which was the summer palace...it's incredible. It also makes you think back on the history of the time, and maybe understand some of the angst and frustration of that time in history. It makes me glad that it's a place everyone can visit.

 We had to try Ladurée's macarons while in Paris! Lovely treat!

 Here's a page with a photo of the three of us in the garden at Versailles and a bit of a post card of the chapel there, and a little drawing of a settee/bed in one of the bedrooms. Everything at Versailles is incredibly ornate.

A cut and paste using a pretty postcard.

Pat treated us to a wonderful early dinner at the restaurant in the garden. These images are cut from some paper placemats that the waiter gave to us, after we explained about our journals. There were nice fabric tablecloths on the tables, but maybe they use these outside. The artwork is charming! Cut and paste makes for a quick page and captured memories.

 Jennifer had been doing some reading about the Petit Trianon, a village built for Marie Antoinette to get away from her responsibilities at the palace (a summer place away from the summer place). She had it built as an idyllic country village.

 I just used the beautiful map of the gardens for this page. It was like something straight out of storybook. It was not the easiest thing to find..even with a map. I think they could benefit from a few signs to lead you through the garden to the hamlet.

Here is the queen's boudoir. I sketched this little building from one of my photos after we got back to Ireland, because we were on a pretty tight schedule in Paris. This was in the hamlet, separate from la Petit Trianon. As I said, the buildings are STRAIGHT out a storybook. If you'd like to see some great pictures of a very charming place go to this site: The Queen's Hamlet.

Well, that's enough for today. More of this journal on another day!

Go Cubs Go

Had to add the Cubs hat to the lion...waited a looong time to see that!

Route 66 Travel Journal

Starting my Route 66 travel journaling in a Moleskine sketchbook:

Acrylics, washi tape, sharpie water based paint pens, Pitt pens

An every day page. Sometimes they are my favorites.

New Orleans Journal

Here is a map given to me by the St. Philip Hotel. She already had many great places marked on it. It was too early to check in, so I set out to explore the French Quarter. It's a place like no other...I loved it. I stopped in at many little galleries and shops, took lots of photos, and found out where to buy art supplies (Mary's Ace Hardware).

Postcards are free in most of the galleries. I also bought some cards, and enjoyed talking with artists I saw in galleries and over by the cathedral.

At the Antieau Art Gallery I saw the jaw dropping work of Chris Antieau. She makes folksy fiber art that is humorous and wise, and also incredibly detailed embroideries using a vintage sewing machine. They are truly paintings with thread as her medium. She had these encouraging cards out for people to take.

 An amazing embroidered dress at the Antieau Gallery. She does this work with a vintage sewing machine. The picture below is a detail from the dress.

I am looking forward to going back!