newest journal

This time, I chose one of the two sketchbooks covered with "peacock feather" paper. The landscape orientation is due to the inner paper's grain running the opposite direction as the usual paper I use -- When folding papers to sew into a book, the grain should run the same direction as the spine. I try to tear whole sheets down to journal size without wasting any. This is filled with Fabriano Artistico soft-press paper -- a wonderful watercolor paper that is somewhere between hot-press and cold-press in texture.

And the first page, as has long been my habit, shows my current favorite travel palettes.

My favorite pigments are in the upper right. The smaller palette in the lower left holds the original quarter-sized pans it came with. I am liking the richness of these paints from Daler-Rowney but I don't like some of the colors. When these are used up, I'll rethink how to fill it.

random quotes and sketches

I just finished filling another sketchbook --- the final two spreads contain mostly random quotes I wish to remember and random sketches. After spending time listening to Wayne Jacobsen speak in person a couple of weeks ago, I re-read The Shack . . . and found his "fingerprints" all over the writing! He is one of two un-credited authors who helped Wm. Young write the book and get it published.

Before passing the book on to a friend, I jotted down some quotes for my own remembrance.

We are heading to Texas later this week, for Bill's 60th birthday party. We will also finally meet Judah, who was born 12 Sept. Bill built this dresser for him (and no, the real dresser is NOT warped on top! I was drawing in ink without pencil -- a bit of wonky!)

As we pulled weeds from the mostly dead-looking perennial bed, Bill found one tiny echinacea bloom. A "happy thought" that flowers will return next year.

Autumn leaves

One of my favorite things about this time of year is painting the leaves. But the drought conditions make me search longer for leaves to sketch.

Not much color this year. Many are dried and crinkled before falling from the trees.Others fall while still green.

Some seem to fall as small branches instead of individually.

late night ink drawing

Due to lack of confidence, I regularly grab a pencil to lightly sketch things before ink . . . erasing the pencil before painting. While this is a valuable process when working out an illustration project, it just slows me down in daily sketching.

Doing Brenda Swenson's 75 day ink sketch challenge proved to me that I am able to work in ink without pencil --- the final little sketch at Saturday's sketchcrawl did also. While it is wonderful for those who like using pencil lines first, I would really like to be free from it.

So . . . back to Brenda's ink challenge. Maybe not daily this time; perhaps adding a wash of color. I'm determined to get past my lack of confidence.

I've been gluing some Daniel Smith color sample dots on watercolor paper in a small binder, where I can learn about each paint's properties. This sketch shows where I stopped for the night.

33rd Worldwide Sketchcrawl

Saturday was our regular planned sketchcrawl in Excelsior Springs, MO, and also the 33rd Worldwide Sketchcrawl day. I arrived too early again (just over a 3 hour drive)' while waiting, I sketched the front door of Saint Luke's, across from the parking lot.

We had planned on driving out to a small waterfall to sketch, but it's currently dry. So we headed downtown to sketch buildings. Kate wanted to sketch an old building she heard may be torn down, whose roof can be seen to the lower left. I liked how this old Victorian home peeked over the rooftops. Turns out it belongs to Kate's friend, Betty, who I once met at the Hall of Waters --- another Scottie lover!

We then headed to the Mercantile, where we met up with Joseph for a light meal and some great live music. As usual, my lack of confidence when sketching outside made me grab a pencil first to lightly sketch things before adding ink. But I drew this wee flower arrangement with ink first --- proving once again that I should save time and skip the pencil.

more from The Loft

On Friday I went once again to hear author Wayne Jacobsen talk in open conversation with a bunch of people, meeting in The Loft, an actual barn loft belonging to our missionary friend, Penny, of New Jerusalem Missions. This time I was listening and writing notes more, sketching less. Not really working at capturing anyone's true likeness.

I was blown away when a guy later peeked at this page (in pencil only at the time) and says "That's my wife, Shannon!" --- then I find out that he taught illustration at Wichita's WSU. How he could identify her from this sketch, I'll never know.

People came from all over --- this bald guy lives in the same small town as I do, though I'd never met him. (By the way, I found out that bald heads are not as easy to paint as I had imagined.) Another new friend, Faith, has a sister-in-law who teaches at the same high school in Sugarland, TX that my son teaches at!

at The Loft

Our friend and missionary Penny of New Jerusalem Missions has an old barn loft in Newton, KS converted for meetings. Wednesday through tonight, author Wayne Jacobsen has been there for informal conversation with whoever comes.

He is an un-credited co-author of one of my favorite books, The Shack by William P. Young.

I went Wednesday and plan to return tonight (drawing class kept me away last night). Great discussion among a widely diverse group of people, all believers in relationship with God.

UPDATE: Since attending Friday night's event, I've been listening to some of the free teachings that Wayne has available on his blog. Such rich truth about the Lord! I recommend others listen as soon as possible!

Bavarian nutmeg root beer!

I really DON"T like shopping. Of any kind. Bill needed new work boots, so he volunteered to go with me to buy groceries Saturday. One stop was a health food store in Wichita, where I planned to buy only two items. We came away with five.

I only picked up this bottle of root beer because I love the bottle and wished to sketch it. But later shared it for root beer floats --- YUM! This is one of the best tasting root beers I've ever had!