This is the antique mall I have started managing. We needed an image to use in print ads so this weekend I made this:
I hope it works out OK and reads well in print. Much of the time it will be really small in an ad...I'm not sure if it's too detailed. But I think it gets the idea across...we're in a neat historic building.
I didn't get much drawing done for some reason. Too much serious lounging on the porch I guess. But here's one on a toy from the toybox.
Then I tried to do a watercolor of a nearby island. I usually just color in my line drawings, so it's definitely trial and error trying to watercolor. I worked on parts of this too long and muddied it up...and then stopped before I probably should have on other parts. It could have used some darker darks.
Used my artistic license and got rid of all the houses and the choppy water. Pretty breezy that day.
I did the doodling in my Moleskine and then cut the pages apart and glued them onto playing cards.
They're colorful anyway!
with that page from this weekend. I tore some tidbits from the literature we picked up from the park and played wtih the watercolor pencils. Thanks for the nice comments yesterday....isn't the internet great?! I don't know very many people in my "real life" who are into journalling. There are a few who understand, but most people think it's kind of cool...yet seem to wonder why you'd spend time on drawings that aren't always all that good. In my "virtual life" I have all you folks who really get it!
Saturday we went to Morton Arboretum to wander around and enjoy the day. I was with Joe and he's not a sketcher, but I got in a fast one anyway. This is a sculpture by Patrick Dougherty. Very cool and very sturdy...though it makes me think of one of the 3 little pigs houses...built of sticks! 
The 17 year cicadas were everywhere...and the noise they make is other worldly. I still may add some color or something to these pages.
Looking up....like a rustic church.
Just trying a new profile pic.
Route 66 is quite the tourist attraction...which seems kind of amazing because you kind of have to hunt for the old time tourist attractions and restaurants that are left. It draws a lot of people from Europe who tour the road.
Sorry for the smudgieness...I really need to fix these pencil drawings. This is another attempt at drawing someone I know...this time my niece. I drew this one upside-down also. Definitely have a long way to go, but still I'm encouraged. I looked back at some old posts and this is a face I did a year ago...and really, I've never tried to draw faces so you could recognize them.
I tried drawing my daughter using the upside down technique. Once again I think I drew the head too skinny, but overall definitely an improvement. I used pencil for the first time in ages...and I mean probably a year and a half. I had forgotten how messy they are and my drawing is full of smudges. And I did find myself erasing again...but surely I could learn to control and use that eraser wisely. Ahhh the power of an eraser....to be used for good and not evil.
Ok, after looking at this, I took it back out of the scanner and reshaped her hair. I think that helped alot! Must remember to leave room in these heads for my poor victim's er...model's brain.
You know what's funny about these? Each time I forget to flip my book over before I start drawing. So now you have to flip it over to see it right side up! I drew this with the square at the bottom and was going to journal at the top. Duh.
After watching Danny Gregory draw a portrait I decided to try turning my reference upside down and give it a go. I'd done this before years ago and it did not turn out too well, but this time I think it really helped. My drawing doesn't look like Mike -I drew him awfully narrow! But it does look more like a person than my faces usually do. Somehow upside down, I did not get all weirded out drawing nostrils and eyes...upside down they are just a series of shapes and tones. I need to try this a lot more, but I'm encouraged by the result. Isn't that a neat word? en-couraged. Yup, I have a tiny bit more courage now.
#90 Draw something with wings. Can't wait for the robins to start coming back.
#93 Draw an egg carton. Somehow I could not work up enthusiasm for drawing this but it got me moving pen across paper anyway.
What a sweet present. I loved it when my kids would bring home things they made for us. Mike made this little clay bowl in grade school. Now they are young adults....time sure flies by!
I have a lot of old buttons to choose from for a drawing like this. I love to attend auctions and estate sales and buy vintage buttons and trims. I really did do this drawing today....despite the date. Sometimes I still find myself putting the wrong year on checks too.
I decided to go through the challenge list and label the next several pages....commit.
I need to cut out the procrastinating, and catch up on those challenges! If I just trim a few of these surfing minutes I'd be doing a lot more drawing. Then I would be getting more creative time and I would be a lot less snippy with everyone!
These sheep belong to Sandy Ryan. She bought something from me on Etsy and through email, I discovered her wonderful business Homestead Farm. She and her husband have lots animals including sheep....and they sell the most beautiful wool from their sheep. Many of their animals are rescued animals and they are lucky to live out their lives at Homestead Farm. If you knit or craft with wool you will want to check out their site.
