Sammy cat, chickens, and friends

These four sketches are for the first set of notecards I sent to the printer's. The Turkish Van kitty is Sammy and yes, that _is_ his outside water dish, sitting on a picnic table! Brewster the rooster used to live at the Heritage Sunday House bed & breakfast --- he loved the innkeeper dearly but didn't like her guests so he's no longer there. The chickens and peacocks _are_ there for guests to enjoy.

2 more to become note cards

I think these two sketches, to be printed into note cards, complete my order for the printer. The sale event isn't until October 14, but I want to allow the printer plenty of time. I may do a few small additional watercolors to be sold as originals, but for now I can get back to normal journal sketching . . . I have neglected my journal these past few weeks.

a spool coat rack and boots

These are two of the designs I'm using for note cards, to sell at an upcoming event in Burton, TX. Both images greeted us last May as we entered the Heritage Sunday House bed & breakfast; I knew when I saw those colorful boots all lined up that I would someday sketch them!

I also sketched the inn's resident cat Sammie, his peacock pals, the chickens Diane keeps, and Brewster, her old rooster. Brewster no longer lives at the inn, because he loved Diane but disliked her guests, but she sent me a photo of him. All of these were sketched to be printed into note cards but I forgot to take a photo of them --- I left them with the printer.

We tried a printing company in Bryan, TX (on a friend's recommendation) but they didn't get back with me for an estimate. So I looked on line and found Kwik Kopy, a small family-run business in Brenham. They seem to want to work with me . . . and their little shop also sells homemade fudge! Can't go wrong with that, right?

chasing bubbles

Our pastor mentioned bubbles in a recent sermon . . . . so I thought I would try sketching some. Not as easy as I thought it would be.

happy in my pen addiction . . .

. . . wonky sketch and all!

I read the quote from Brenda Swenson and wished to jot it down in my journal. Then I grabbed a fountain pen and started to draw some of my pens in mostly continuous line. Very wonky and not as loosely exciting as Brenda's drawing of some of her pens that was posted with the quote on Facebook --- It always amuses me that even when in trying to follow another artist's style, our own personal style always wins through.

bluebonnet and rocking chairs

Two more sketches for the sale . . . . This being Texas, a bluebonnet is required, right? The inviting rocking chairs are located on the porch of Heritage Sunday House bed and breakfast in Burton, TX. The framed quote hanging behind the chairs sort of describes the innkeeper, Diane. Such an awesome, talented woman!

a few more random pages

While the east coast of Texas prepared for the onslaught of Hurricane Harvey, Bill and I went to get our hair cut. I sketched the above as Rosie cut Bill's hair. The shop we go to is named "The Best Lil Hair House in Texas".

Later that evening, we ate out with friends at a Chinese restaurant in College Station, where I tried sketching the orange 'bird of paradise' garnish on my plate. The 'wings' had drooped a little. Now, after the storm has passed, the 30-minute drive to College Station would probably take 1 1/2 hours due to flooded roads and bridges washed out.

In the aftermath of the storm, our yard is full of very rubbery-feeling mushrooms and bright rain lilies. We did end up with some damage: where the log ends butted together on the north wall there had been some separation due to an extended dry summer, leaving paper thin gaps in places. Storm winds at one point blew torrential rains sideways . . . right into our bedroom wall. After repeatedly using a wet-vac and fans, we have decided that the Berber carpet is a total loss (we didn't like it anyway) and we will need to pull it up, bleach the subfloor to stop mold, and put in a new floor. Pretty minor stuff in light of the millions of flood victims in Houston and the coastal towns south.

a few more for the sale

This sketch of the Burton Cotton Gin is a re-do of one I did in a sketchbook a couple of years ago. We had driven to Burton to check out the museum, which was closed, so I sketched the gin from the parking lot. I 'm working on a set of sketches to sell at a special event in Burton in October.

Another historic building in Burton is this train depot, though it is no longer located near the train tracks. All small town depots in our area are painted in this same deep warm yellow and orangey-brown color. This is from the end of the rectangular building.

These other items were from the bed & breakfast we stayed at in Burton, or the antique shop next door. I especially loved this metal cat on the front porch of the inn! One ear is folded; a few days after our stay here, we drove to McKinney, TX to pick up my new Scottish Fold kitten.

When I saw this doll, I had to sketch her --- she reminds me of one my grandmother once said I would someday inherit. When Grandma died, her older sister, not knowing she wished me to have it, took it home to Missouri. A few years later, Aunt Lucile developed dementia and we have no idea where the doll disappeared to.

random sketchbook pages

As I keep busy making sketches to print and sell in October, my artist journal has been a bit neglected. But every now and again, I just play a bit in it. Here, I threw some unused pans of paint together in a flat mint tin I had just emptied of mints . . . Very bright colors for me! Quinacridone red (these days, I prefer quin. rose), Hansa yellow (I had a half-pan each of light and medium), and cobalt blue dark (a color I once tried but never quite took to) --- plus 3 neutrals and a sponge to clean a waterbrush on.

Then the next day I drew our new bathroom door, an oak barn door Bill made. The room is so tiny anyway, plus our stacked washer / dryer is in there behind where the old door opened, that a sliding door made more sense. And it just looks good in our rustic log cabin.

a beginning

Well, I've made a beginning in sketches to sell . . . 

I have no idea why I started with flowers. I don't even like drawing flowers except for capturing the many wildflowers around us. I think I could happily sketch Texas wildflowers forever! 

But at least it's a start. I also have several sketches done of various subjects, some still in loose pencil, some already inked in, ready for watercolor. And I found these simple mats on Amazon that come with a backing board and plastic sleeve. Simple to slip prints in and seal, ready to sell in Diane's antique shop. I'm actually working on these for a special sale she is having in October. Still need to find somewhere to have prints made off these originals, but I want to have more art finished before taking them in.