Corner at the Cottage

This weekend I was able to grab a few minutes to try and draw a corner at the cottage. It is incredible how wonky this drawing is, but I do feel like I can really remember how this corner looks now. That makes drawing a wonderful memory tool for me--I tend to have a terrible memory.

It was very shadowy in the room, so I could not see details of what I was drawing.

Exchange!

Just wanted to let you all know that I have not forgotten my blog! I have not done much drawing lately, because I have been very busy getting ready for an adventure. We are hosting an exchange student from Thailand this year and she is coming this weekend! We are very excited to finally meet her in person. The last couple of weeks have been busy -transforming our son's room to a room suitable for a girl. We have also been working on his studio apartment which he is renting from my parents. I have been doing lots of painting---but all with interior latex! I am going to take my sketchbook to the airport with me, to do some drawing while we wait.

On the Porch

We live in an old victorian, but I think of it as a victorian cottage....because it is not as big or fancy as the ones you think of with turrets and lots of curlie Q's. It does have some fish scale siding in the gable ends, but that is about it.

My favorite places in the summer are the porches. There is a tiny one on the front and that is where I was sitting to draw this. It has been so hot lately that only die hard porch sitters like me sit outside.

And yes, our house really is bright yellow. It has white trim and a pretty green on the porch floors and foundation. People looked shocked when we first started brushing the color on, but after it was all done we got lots of complements.

EMC #24 Blueberries!

I drew this at the lake...very quickly, because I was feeling guilty about not helping in the kitchen. I colored it after I got home. Those berries were good!!

When I returned home I read all the posts regarding challenges. Personally, I find them helpful. I am just drawing what is around me on a daily basis, and when I "draw" a blank on what to draw, I like having that list to spur me on. They are common everyday subjects and I enjoy seeing what various artists produce from the same simple suggestions.

Looking toward the lake...

This side of the cottage is a well used path because it is between the lake and the clothesline...I was sitting under the clothesline to make this drawing. We had beautiful days while I was there-blue skies and blue water. We have a very narrow yard on this side but a wall of greenery gives both houses some privacy. The neighbors have a trumpet vine growing way up in the tree. We can see the humming birds on it from the upstairs window-very pretty!

Back to the Real World

I am back from Michigan. I had a great time but did not have as much time to draw as I would like. I was entertaining my high energy sis-in-law: go, go, go. We had fun though. Since it is late tonite I will scan some stuff in tomorrow.

Check out these wonderful drawings done at Chalk the Walk on the bluff in St. Joe. I don't know the artist's names, but hopefully since they were drawing at a street festival, it will be ok to post some pics from our day.

Coloma on Dwellable

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.

Getting ready to relax

I do not have a new drawing to post today so I will just make do with an old one. This is my cousin's little girl. I drew it from a photo taken at a family party.

I am running around like a madwoman the last couple of days getting ready to go t0 the lake. My kids are on a church mission trip, and my hubby has to work so I am going by myself--but I will meet my sisters and mom and dad up there. Hopefully, I will be doing a lot of drawing while there and can share it with you when I return.

#9 A bit of organized chaos

Hmmm, well as you can see I have a bit of a problem with piling things up. I am one of those people who works twice as hard to be half as organized as most people. I think it runs in my family, I know my son has the same problem. We keep working on it. If you have this problem too you might want to try www.flylady.net to help you out. There are a ton of emails on the flylist but you just do the ones you can and delete the rest. I was on it for a year, and some of the habits I developed then I still do today... and my home is better for it. My house is one of those that is actually pretty clean, but it gets cluttered. We have lots of projects going on--right now my daughter is making beaded bracelets for her friends on the dining table. I'll take a little clutter and lots of creative action over an immaculate house any day.

#7 Draw a box, bottle or can from the kitchen

Here is my answer to the challenge to draw a box, bottle or can from the kitchen. I did this late, late, late last night so I soon could barely keep my eyes open to finish it. Instead I stopped where I was and added a little journaling. Love my kitchen. We remodeled a few years ago and tore out the wall between the kitchen and a tiny little study...so now I have a bigger kitchen with a fireplace (it was already in the study). We have a couch there that the kids flop on and a desk for our computer. We really live in this room, and I love having the family hanging out back here while I cook, instead of being back here all by my lonesome.

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.

EMC #23 Draw your foot

This is my try at drawing my foot for the latest Everyday Matters challenge. I would say it was not the easiest thing I have drawn....right up there with the hand. Plus I think the foreshortening that happens when you stick your feet out to draw is tricky too. I know I am just supposed to draw what is in front of me and one thing should not be harder than another....but I guess I am not there yet. I'm working on it though!

Everyday Matters Challenge #13

Girl Talk

This is another sketch I did a couple of years ago of my daughter and niece sitting on the pier at the lake. Sorry it is so light, the pencil does not scan as well as the ink.

Vacation at the Cottage

I just returned from a week at the cottage-I had a wonderful time! This cottage has been in our family for generations and is where I spent all my summers growing up (and as much time as I can now!). My dad and his brother inherited it when my granddad died, so now we share the time-half a summer for Dad's family and half a summer for uncle's family.





I painted this scene from the porch. I am not so skilled with perspective, but I am happy with it because it gives me the feel of the place.





My sister and I had a lot of time to ride our bikes and paint (she had a little vacation from her 4 year old). We rode by lakes, vineyards, orchards, fruit stands to get to this little church. Two of our childhood friends were married in this church-sisters who lived in the yellow cottage next to ours. After we painted we rode our bikes to a little hotdog stand on another lake and had supper on their deck by the water. To make this little sketch I watercolored first then did the ink work-it was harder I think. I used watercolor paper postcards to make some of my vacation sketches and pasted them into my Moleskine.





Another day we went to St. Joe to watch the sunset on Lake Michigan. We did little paintings while we were there. There were actually a lot of people on the beach, but I did not want to have to draw so many figures!





Now my uncle has the house for a couple of weeks, then we will be going back later in the month. I did not draw everyday, but Jennifer and I did another creative project while we were there and I will try to take pics of that tomorrow to show you.

Basketball Camp

Today I spent the day with a bunch of teen girls at basketball camp-watched them play 3 games. Tried to draw the players (fast movers) and the only one I really am pleased with is the sketch of my daughter reclining on the bench-I think I caught the way she was sitting with that one.

I also sketched a scene from the courtyard at the school where the games were held. The have a wonderful garden with copies of lots of famous sculptures and many inspiring quotes. In case you can't read the quote on this bench, it reads, "Use the talents you posess. For the woods would be a very silent place if no birds sang except the best." --Henry Van Dyke (Do I hear an Amen?)