Documented Life...Challenge 7..Bicycles and Hearts (smile)

This week's challenge in the Documented Life Project was to take a shape and repeat it, then add color. Of course with Valentine's Day creeping up on us, I thought I'd make Valentine's themed pages this week. I used a heart made of bike chain links that I drew in the past. I just printed it out smaller and cut it out. Then I got to work drawing a sweet little red bicycle. Then I added a few more hearts for a border and as balloons. 

Here is how I made the wheels. I overlapped some washi tape on a nonstick paper until I had a wide enough piece for a wheel (bottle cap). Then I traced and cut them out, peeled them off and put them on the page. I drew my bike from the wheels up.

Hacked Moleskine

Ok. So, I really liked my the vibe I had going with the cover until I started collaging the pieces together. At one point I used a spray ink (usually a step I love) and I don't like how it dulled everything down. I went back in and brightened up the yellow and orange and white and I like it a bit better now. I think I'll just live with it a while and see if I can embrace a kind of grunge look. :D  After all, it's a planner; I have a whole year to mess around with this!

The spiral stamp and the Route 66 stamp are my first attempts to carve stamps a year or so ago. I like doing it and using my very own stamps, so I'll be doing more of that in the future!

MOVE: This is my word for the year. It means many things to me, including reminding me to get out and move my body, and to travel and grab little adventures whenever I can.

Another Route 66 Building

I've been working on another building to make into a postcard. This one is a really charming old gas station in Odell, IL. It's been restored and if you're ever travelling the old highway you should stop and see it. Making these are not quite as fun as my usual wing it drawings in my journal...but they have to be a pretty good representation for a post card. I think I may just use them as a jumping off point and create a collage that includes the drawing as the final design. I've set up a drawing table in my office and if it's quiet I sit in there and work.
On other fronts, I've been getting to go bike riding lately, which is one of my favorite things to do. So much fun it hardly seems like it'd be good for you!

Fall Bike Ride

Today we took a bike ride along the I&M Canal. If you live near this path and have not tried it....do! It's a beautiful path. We rode from Ottawa to Utica, walked around the Burgoo Festival for a while and rode back. I did not have time to sketch, so I was trying really hard to remember what some of the path looked like...and then I came home and drew this from memory. This is the first time I've tried to memorize a scene to draw later.

If you knew me you would laugh. I am famous for my bad memory. Or infamous. For my friends and family it is a big joke and a pain in the butt. I take tons of pics to gaurd against losing wonderful memories. Drawing helps me to remember too... when I look at a drawing done earlier, it brings me right back to that place and time.

Painting and Biking

Here is a pic that my sis took of me when we went painting
at the lake last month. This was such a nice day...this time I won't have my bike with me, but I'm sure I'll still get some painting done.

What an idea!

Now this is a great idea and sounds like a fantasy way to make a living:
http://www.fromthebackofabike.com/
More power to Kit Miracle.