The Warmth before the Storm

We are hearing that there's a wild, cold, bitter storm acomin' after a week of temperatures in the high 60s and today, 74F. The men scheduled to paint our house decided to take advantage of the warm weather this week and get in as much painting as they could before this predicted drop in temperatures and uncertain precipitation. The bright, Carolina blue sky lured me outdoors as well, and I wound up discovering that the Prunus mume (apricot) tree we planted five years ago was old enough and happy enough to bloom! HORRAY! (and to think I might have missed that event!!!) We may have some apricots for jam!

I was torn between sketching and doing yard maintenance (aka weeding and cutting back fall's litter) -- so I crammed in both. I did a quick sketch of the apricot tree and birdhouse nearby, then hit the perennial beds with all the pent up, been-in-the-house-too-much-and-not-walking energy I could muster.

I got most of the beds tidied and then after dinner ran off a copy of the Prunus on pink paper and used my Prismacolor pencils to add a bit of color. It would help, I know, if I could stay in the lines when I color and I wouldn't muss up the lines of the branches -- SIGH .... oh well -- it was a delicious day.

They're predicting snow for tomorrow.

Indoor Herb Garden

One of the classes I gave for the general public was how to create a windowsill garden. The owner of the B&B I frequent came to that workshop and went home with a lovely small herb garden that she's kept going for almost two years. She keeps it in her kitchen window, and has used the chives, basil, mint and other herbs to spice our breakfast dishes. The only herb that remains in this small garden is a rose geranium that she's rooted and rerooted.

I had spent two days upgrading our files when our computer system was finally 'connected' with the main campus -- after almost a year! I was bleary-eyed from so much computer work and so very tired of sitting. After a most welcome and relaxing dinner and chat with a visiting friend, I returned to the B&B to STAND UP and sketch this small garden before heading to bed. I'll probably add a watercolor wash to it tomorrow ... but I was feeling so much better and I could see it in my sketching.

From the Kitchen Garden

The one completed garden at the small arboretum I'm helping build is the herb and kitchen garden. Each season my students design, plan, grow, install, maintain and harvest the plants in that particular garden.

With today's warm weather, I sat on one of the benches and sketched. I was still not completely over my 'spell' and just couldn't capture the heads of cabbage or the kale plants in their entirety. Rather than frustrate myself, I settled instead on drawing some of the leaves of these plants: cabbage, flowering kale and red oakleaf lettuce. Our winter has been so very mild that these greens are still vibrant and ready for picking!

Vase of Roses

This has been an especially stressful week at work--my secretary left to open her own bookstore (can't wait for that!) . Since it was only she and I handling a very heavy workload, she is missed for her delightful friendship and company as well as the aid she gave me and the program I run. I also had a few run-ins with folks who reneged on their promises, coupled with the general overly busy demands just seemed a bit overwhelming. But today, it was 70 degrees, sun shining, and I'm home -- horray!

This sketch is the first one this week I felt was decent enough to post. (The roses my secretary received for Valentine's Day.) I found that if I'm upset (which I was for the greater part of the week), I simply cannot sketch at all! I could not focus enough to concentrate! And my inability to focus frustrated me further. So while the composition of these roses isn't the best, I was pleased that I 'got over the hump' and could get back to my 'old' self a bit and put my pencil to paper.

Sketching What You Love

People, especially those I love like my husband, children and grandchildren, are the DICKENS for me to sketch. I put my pencil (NO PEN mind you -- no confidence there for this type of sketching!) to paper with such trepidation - not to fail at the sketch -- but the feeling that my poor renderings will INSULT those I wish to honor with a decent likeness.

So tonight, even though it's almost time for bed, I decided to sketch the fellow who's helped so much with the grands, with my son's move to his new home, my daughter's move, by grocery shopping and cooking dinner, and by ALWAYS smiling no matter what. Here he sits in his favorite recliner, teaching himself to play the mandolin and singing (he has a heavenly voice) "Remember When," which always makes me cry and reminds me of 'us.'

The sketch isn't the best in the world, but by TRYING to do it, I hope he knows that especially for Valentine's Day, he's my hero.

Thank you, Charles, for all you mean to me!

The Pie Safe

Today, sans grandchildren, was a day for catching up with photos and entries into the journals I keep for each of the grandchildren. I had pages to do for their move into their new home, Emily's 2nd birthday, their visit Friday and yesterday, and their exploration of their new dwelling. Cutting, pasting, printing photographs and captions kept me busy most of the day.

BUT, for my commitment to sketch daily, I grabbed a pen and sat in the kitchen to sketch another antique I dearly love. This pie safe was found in an antique shop here in town. It's not very old, but I fell in love with it's simple lines and punched pineapples. I keep a very ANCIENT philadendron on top of it, and though it's such a neglected plant, seems to thrive in my mindless houseplant care. I can honestly say I didn't give this sketch as much attention as I should have and it took me six times to get the vertical lines even partially straight-- I was just too focused on getting the journals done before I leave for work tomorrow. Still, I like the sketch and the bits of human error on see in it.

Remains of the Day

Last night we stopped by for a quick visit as my son and daughter-in-law were moving boxes into their new home. It was the first look at their new home and we were as excited as they with a home they can call 'their own.' We picked up their babes from the sitter and headed home for dinner, playtime, stories, baths. How two children under 2 feet tall can wear one out is simply AMAZING! When they finally fell asleep and the house was silent save for the Olympic ceremonies, I found their shoes in the kitchen and just HAD to sketch them! Such wee things!!

Chicken and Kielbasa Stew

With the grands coming this weekend while my son and his wife moved into their new house, I put on a crockpot of ingredients I had in the freezer -- Chidken and Kielbasa Stew. It was good last night in the bustle of a two and one year one old .. but even better today now that the flavors have set and it's raining like mad outdoors.

Daffodils on Mustard Paper

I really like the way the yellow of the Prismacolor pencils looks on this mustard paper. The scan is more yellow than the mustard paper in real life, and the vase is a bit kerwonky, but I like the looseness of this sketch on colored paper.

Vase on Olive paper

Though we've had an unusually cold week (we've been experiencing a very mild winter with temperatures usually in the 50F-60F range), most trees have already broken bud and wisps of color can be seen on the tree branches, especially that beautiful wine red of the red maples. In the garden of the B&B I frequent, flowering quince and daffodils have not only poked through the soil, they're in full bloom splendor. Rebecca, the owner, ALWAYS has flower bouquets in each room of the B&B, so one night after returning to my room following a long day and evening at work, I sketched this beautiful vase of flowers and greens. Though I still haven't quite mastered rendering the two sides of an ellipse equal, I like the way the yellow of the daffodils and the pink/peach of the quince are so subtle on the olive paper. The sketch was done with a Micron .05 pen and Prismacolor pencils.

White Pencil

The sketching lesson this week focused on using colored paper with examples from Kate Johnson to use a white pencil for highlights. I sketched this spillway scene on mustard paper from a photo I took on the Eno River a few weeks ago. I really liked the ink and white pencil effect and will try this again!

Peaches and My Berry Cup

This week's sketching lesson was to sketch on colored paper and use colored pencils. I bought myself some Prismacolor Pencils and brought some cardstock to work on while I was out of town.

The sketch of the peaches was done on peach cardstock from a photo in a seed catalogue and the blackberries, blueberries and raspberries was one of the fruit mixes I brought for my lunch from home. I couldn't adjust the scan enough to catch the vibrancy I achieved in real life. Each time I adjusted the contrast, the color of the paper changed -- this was the best I could do.

I really liked using the variously colored papers and would never have thought to use them before this lesson. I'm anxious to try a bit of watercolor on the color papers as well.

EDM # 53 Lips

Mercy, for two little lips, these were tough! I've sketched my lips - closed and then smiling and what I noticed about the closed lips was all the TENSION!! I wrote in my journal "SMILE" -- which I did and then sketched the smile! But I see all those lines around and across the lips and they so remind me of my mother's. And funny, too, how our lips thin as we age ... ever notice that?

For fun, I found a photo of my grandson Nick with his pouty little mouth. I sketched that too -- now to find a similar one of my granddaughter and sketch that too!

Italian Salt and Pepper Shakers

I fell in love with these salt and pepper shakers because they reminded me of Italy. I sketched them quickly tonight in ink to test my new Cotman watercolors. (and yes, I still have a problem getting two shakers to have the same shape! LOL) Already I can tell these pan watercolors are SO much brighter and richer than any I've owned before. Now to get used to mixing them!

Emily Turns Two

Emily turned two Friday, but we had her party today. Here she is on the Barbie Hot Wheels I sketched last week. It took having her cousin SIT on the bike first before Emily would have anything to do with it (yes, she's DEFINITELY TWO!) LOL And of course, Nick had to join in the fun.

The Ol' Red Cedar

In one sketch of some of my property trees, I caught a bit of the red cedar that sits near the wellhouse. Someone commented that they thought this tree might make a good study. I thought I'd give that a try yesterday while I had some time, but the rain was coming down so fast and furious, I couldn't leave the house. I had taken a photo of the tree a while ago and so worked from that.

I liked how the bark came out, but I had a difficult time deciding how to handle the leaves .... I added some watercolor - and then wound up watercoloring the bark as well. Though I'm very pleased with the result, I'd like to try this tree again and figure out a way to represent the leaves in pencil or pen.

YES WE HAVE SOME BANANAS

On this warm, very rainy day, I decided to work on some EDM challenges I missed last year. I sketched these bananas ... and then found I had sketched some apples for this challenge. Oh well, I really like the way these turned out ... challenge or not!

Oxford Pergola

Yesterday while my car was being inspected, I walked a few blocks to the Oxford Men's Garden and sat across from the pergola there. I like the way this came out even though my perspective from the roof upward isn't quite right since I failed to capture the underside of the roof. But considering my lines are 'almost' there for the rest of it -- I'm thrilled! And I can add this sketch to the EDM challenges since it's one of the landmarks of our small town!

Blushing Apricot

The Prunus Mume (Apricot) was in full bloom on campus this week. I sketched it in pencil and then added watercolor and ink to attempt the luscious 'pinkness' of that tree.

A Rocky Day

In my sketching class with Kate Johnson, I was lamenting how unhappy I was with some of the rocks in my Eno River sketch. She suggested I find a solitary rock and focus on sketching that. I found a rock with some good shadows, but since I was dashing around running errands and meeting my son and daughter-in-law, I couldn't sketch the rock on location. I snapped a reference photo, then printed it in black and white to better SEE the values. I sketched it first in pencil, then fountain pen, then added a wash to the pen. I like these results better -- now I can only hope I remember the lessons I learned: DO NOT sketch each and every LINE in the rock; focus on the direction of the lines and aim those toward the shape of the rock portion, focus on the shadings and not each and every fissure, bump and what not. We'll see! LOL