Figure drawing

Figure drawing sessions have resumed after the Christmas break. The Sacramento Fine Arts Center has space for our weekly 3 hour gathering. Many of the artists are really good and I am always learning from them. Here are a few of my pieces from two different sessions.

Oh, here is zentangle that I did in my new Stillman & Birn sketchbook. I've heard so many nice comments about the product that I had to try it. It's relatively smooth even though it says that it has a rough finish. i.e. it nicely handles both watercolor and pen.

A Mixed Bag

Recently I took a painting on fabric workshop with Judy Coates Perez. Well, my world was enriched once again! She uses Tsukeniko Inks that are applied with a pencil shaped tool or with a paint brush. Her work is stunning. Here is a mushroom that I did in the afternoon part of the class. The background was hand dyed fabric. The outline and the painting were done with a brush. The mushroom is about 7" tall, so one can spend a long time perfecting each painting. So many choices!

OK, I did watch the 49er game, but one can get a lot done during the action. Here is my goat, a happy zentangle face.                                                                           Good day!

Time for Sketching

There have been moments during the last month when I did sit down to sketch. During one trip, I took a picture of this fallen tree trunk and I was determined to draw it. I finally did!

Pen and watercolor pencils were used.

During the 49ers win over the Panthers, I sketched from an instruction book and branched out to draw my own hand.

OK, I did enjoy the California weather today. Yes, we are facing a drought, but temperatures in the high 60's are to wonderful to ignore.

New Year Greetings!

Hope that the new year brings you joy and happiness!

We were traveling over the holidays and have happily returned home from Florida. Should you ever make a trip to Orlando, consider an extra hour to go to Lake Wales to visit the Bok Tower Gardens. Bok had this carillon bell tower built and you can hear the bells every day.

The gardens are vast and it is calming to wander around the site. One of my favorite spots is this viewing area that is enclosed and has benches. You look through the glass window and can see this pond and relax as you wait for the creatures to settle.

About an hour to the the east of Orlando is the Kennedy Space Center. This is a mural that really gives you the feeling of floating in space. It is amazing to see space craft that is 36 stories high that man was able to send off. 

Yes, I did a little bit of drawing, played golf and watched soccer. ESPN's Wild World of Sports sponsors a huge tournament for youth soccer. Our son is a soccer coach so we stayed for both the boy's and the girl's tournaments. Not a lot of sunshine, but very nice.

Now I'm happy to be home and get back to drawing, sewing and enjoying sunshine in California. Oh yes, we are definitely facing a drought, so we will be careful with water usage.

Moleskin

It has been a while since I was able to settle down and focus on my moleskin. I felt out of practice. To some it certainly seems like doodles, but to others it is meditative process that challenges one to remember to use the many rules about balance that they have learned (and continue to learn) over the years. 

 

Often I find a few days before Christmas where there is calm and there is the opportunity to center oneself. Hope that you can enjoy that time.

Home again

On my trip to Ohio I did more reading than drawing, but here is a zentangle that I drew 

while on the airplane. Oh there were some sketches of people, 

but none were interesting enough to share.

There are more family pictures, but this one of the 3 year old twins is just plain fun!

Zentangle mandala

A friend reminded me that I haven't posted in a while. I have excuses, such as spending six hours helping to set up the quilt show today or painting walls at the art center or working on our Christmas card.

 Oh wait, there is excitement over the birth of my latest grandwonderful-Miles Christopher yesterday. Mom and baby are fine. Erika Ray took photos of the happy event and there are a couple of very lovely pieces at her blog under 13-30. For a grandma who is 2,000 miles away this is a special way to connect.

But, I have managed to sit and enjoy drawing. Here is zentangle that is drawn with a Lamby-Safari pen and intense pencils.