Monday, April 10, 2006

Drawing at a Museum

Well, I finally did the challenge to draw at a museum. Jennifer and I went to the McLean Co. Historical Musuem which is housed in the beautiful old courthouse. We drew a plane that was built in Bloomington in the 30's and was a forerunner to the modern high speed jets. I journaled on the page about the plane and how it reminds me of my grandfather. He was a machinist at Studebaker and he was also a pilot of his own plane. He built a flight simulator in his basement and he and his buddies built a race car for the Indy 500. It had problems in the trials and never made the actual race. I just think it is cool how ordinary (but brainy) guys were building cool stuff like that in their own garages back then. My granddaddy only went to school through 3rd grade before he quit to work....but he never stopped learning and he did some amazing things in his lifetime.
This one is my attempt to draw Jennifer....trying to draw more people Laura! As you can see she is almost faceless, as faces scare me to pieces. But look, I pretty much caught how she was sitting! That's cool!

Friday, April 07, 2006

List Friday....foods that freak me out

At Pomergranates and Paper they ask you to list a few things each week.

Here are foods that freak me out:
1 mushrooms--yucky texture
2 mussells, clams, oysters--yucky texture
3 olives--yucky texture
4 liver-yucky texture and taste
5 cooked cabbage-if you can't get it past your nose, you shouldn't eat it
6 brussel sprouts--same as above
7 raw tomatos-yucky texture, but great if cooked in something!
8 sushi-raw meat...eewww

Tuesday, April 04, 2006

Mammoth Cave



We had a great visit to Mammoth Cave over spring break. The cave is just pretty awesome...with wonderful formations. While we listened to the ranger speak I sketched in one chamber, then when we got home I drew from a couple of snapshots. I am going to have to buckle down and draw lots of people to get a handle on drawing the human figure.


Monday, March 27, 2006

My sister...and a new Moleskine!


Well, I'm trying to upload a sketch of my sister, but Blogger seems to have the hiccups. As usual this sketch does not look a whole lot like my sister...but it does look human and female...and that makes me happy!

This is the first sketch in my second Moleskine! Even though I have sketched off and on all my life, I have never filled a whole sketchbook before. It feels good.

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Swimming with the Manatees


I think this is the coolest thing I did on vacation. Swimming in the river and having these huge, shy mammals gliding up to you to get a scratch. They are so graceful in the water despite their size. There were many of them in the river and spring that day. The ropes in the sketch are the anchor ropes for the boat...one manatee kept going over there and playing with them.

I'm also calling this a self portrait for Everyday Matters challenge. I'll do another though...cause it's kind of a cheater...having that mask covering most of my face!

Monday, March 13, 2006

Titania-Queen of the Fairies


This afternoon my sister and I had a good time helping my daughter create a piece of art that depicts one of the fairies in A Midsummer Night's Dream. None of us has done alot of collage (and Colleen has never done one) so we worked together on this for her English class. We put it together on a little 8 x 10 canvas. It was so much fun I think I want to do more of this!

Monday, March 06, 2006

Clearwater Beach


This is the view from our hotel room...we could hear the water all night.

The white sand here is so fine and beautiful. The next morning I went for a long walk on the beach and picked up a lot of shells.


Actually drew this while sitting on the beach close to Frenchies. The rest of the pics I post from this trip will be drawn from photos. We were just moving too fast for this slow artist to draw on the spot.

Wednesday, March 01, 2006

Florida Trees


I just got back from a vacation in beautiful Florida. I went with my sweet sister-in-law who goes full speed ahead 24/7. I really think she is hyper (HI SUZ!). We stayed with her friend Janet (hey Janet!) and now we are friends too. Anyway, I saw more of Florida in 4.5 days than I thought would be possible. Since were moving so fast I took lots of pics that I want to draw from in the next couple of days. I did do a couple of drawings. I am posting this one tonight since I saw Laura is drawing trees this month, and I was facinated with the Florida trees.

Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Beautiful Valentine


Joe sent me some beautiful roses on Valentine's Day. I love flowers in the middle of winter...especially from my honey.

Tuesday, February 07, 2006

Draw a Fruit



I work at a local market part-time as a cashier. It isn't bad work, but my feet sure get tired!

This is one of the few times I have tried colored pencils and I have never really liked them...this is the first thing I have ever drawn with them that I liked. That wierd pattern is just the store name scrambled up a bit.

Friday, February 03, 2006

BCF: Praying Mantis



This is one of those bugs that is so facinating and strange, that I don't get creeped out by it! It was so interesting watching and learning about it's lifestyle.

Monday, January 30, 2006

High School Homework



I have been wanting to try to draw people, but find I am too chicken to do it when I think someone might see me. After all, usually the drawings are not the most flattering because I am just learning--so I am going to practice on my family. They are pretty understanding about my obsession.

It looks like I got her head kind of small in relation to the rest of her, but then again she is wearing a huge hooded sweatshirt so that could be part of the problem too. People shouldn't be any harder to draw than anything else, but they sure seem to be to me.

This could probably count as another interior too!

Friday, January 27, 2006

Ebony and Ivory



For Blind Contour Friday: our piano. Colleen doesn't play it much but hopefully someday she will for her own pleasure. She is pretty busy with other pursuits right now.

Wednesday, January 25, 2006

Challenge #51 Draw your TV and Favorite Show



I wish I had left some room on my page to journal, but I got carried away with this interior thing! This is another view of our family room/kitchen. We live in this room-fireplace, computer, TV, fridge, what more could you want? This TV slides out and angles so I can see it while I am cooking. When we aren't using it it hides behind a roll-down door. Tonite it is very cold and after Joe and I went for a walk I built a fire to draw by. That big pillow on the lower left is Louie's dog bed.

Playing on the TV is one of just about any show on HGTV. I love the shows like Design on a Dime and Decorating Cents that show great looking homes on a budget. And Divine Design...Candice can come decorate at my house anytime! For a long time we went down to basic cable and I did not miss much except HGTV. Thank goodness for football....that is the reason Joe wanted the extra cannels around New Years.

Monday, January 23, 2006

Ta-da!


I just finished visiting with my sister and her four year old. Little John asked her, "Mom, when God finished making the colors did he say "Ta-Da!" ?" I love that! And I wouldn't be a bit suprised if God said "Ta-Da!" After all, what a fabulous idea colors were!

Sunday, January 22, 2006

Art Supplies in My Bag


Members of the everyday matters list have been sharing what supplies they are using. Mine are housed in a ww2 map bag that my dad used while he was in the army in the 1960's.
Moleskine large sketchbook
Grumbacher Transparent Watercolors
Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pens, S, F, M
Various leads in leadholders
Lead
Stadler white eraser
Eberhard Faber Drawing Pencils HB, B, 2B, 4B, 6B

Lately, I haven't been using the pencils-only ink and watercolor.