church notes and sketches . . .

. . . and a visit from our missionary and good friend, Penny Dugan, founder of New Jerusalem Missions. She loves pink --- hence the pink drink container. Someone once told her that he saw an angel going with her as she worked in Africa . . . and that the angel was pink! BTW, scriptwriters in California are currently putting together plans for a movie about Penny.

Her bag confused me as it sat on the floor behind someone else's leg. Seemed to have too many handles --- afterwards, Penny showed me that there are actually 5 handles!, two of which she keeps tucked away in those large side pockets.

Jayna's birthday bear

In a hurry to sketch this before posting it to Texas, I grabbed a pen with red-black ink. I knew it would bleed some . . . but didn't think how it would turn a pale gold bear into a pinkish one. Oops!

Finished just in time to post it UPS to Jayna, along with a birthday gift for her brother Josiah. Their birthdays are this Monday and Tuesday. Hard to believe it's been 3 years since I spent a few months as "granny nanny" to both of them when Josiah was born! That's when I was sewing a bear for their cousin Mikala's 7th birthday. Jayna watched me, wanting one herself, so I promised her a bear when she turned 7.

These fully jointed bears are of imported mohair with antique shoe button eyes, like I used to make and sell in the 1980s. A sketch of this one in-process can be seen in my blog post of 16 January.

a weighty matter

I arrived for my physical therapy appointment earlier than Dane was ready for me, so I began sketching the weights hanging on the wall. Then finished them later at home.

This time, the therapy is to strengthen my back, not for leg pain. A second opinion found that a facet cyst in my spine was the cause of the leg pain. Injection treatments seem to have solved the problem, but my doctor wants me to have some therapy just to get stronger.

Following the appointment, I bought a box of "Cuties" oranges. When I took one to eat, there was a wee sticker on it . . . so I stuck it to the page.

distraction

I've neglected my sketchbook of late . . . . too many other things requiring attention.

The end of the year means closing out books for our church, where I am treasurer / secretary, and preparing tax forms and giving receipts. I've been keeping our records on a Quicken program that is long out-of-date --- time to update to a new version and set up the categories again, tweaking small changes here and there.

My printer has been troublesome as well, being at least 10 years old. I bought a new one, capable of wireless printing, but haven't had time to set it up yet.

Two grandchildren have birthdays at the end of January; one of them will turn 7 and I make a hand-made mohair teddy bear for each one of them upon turning 7 (I used to be a teddy bear artist), one with antique shoebutton eyes that is more of a collectable friend than a toy, though they are very sturdy for play also.

Other life-distractions: doctor's appointments, re-potting plants in dire need, knitting clothes for the above bear . . . . so why in the world did I start reading The Outlander book series?

one final bit of Christmas

Opening gifts and a new gift to myself --- I used a Christmas bonus check to buy an empty 16-half pan palette and altered it to hold full pans also. I could not afford Winsor & Newton's version, but found the same palette for sale empty at Kremer's (oddly, it's no longer on their web site).

Mikala and Jayna were laughing at Kristen not having any gifts in the above sketch --- but later, she received hers . . . in a box too big for Jayna to lift.

I still may make a few changes to the pans in this palette --- like a whole pan of perylene maroon and a half-pan of potter's pink. And maybe eliminate either cobalt blue dark or ultramarine, to make room for a whole pan of dark blue indigo.

Perylene maroon, dark blue indigo, and Monte Amiata natural sienna make the loveliest muted primary set!

Christmas with grandkids

I've been so distracted lately by non-sketching tasks . . . . just now getting around to adding a bit of color to some Christmas sketches.

This year, all of our kids were able to make the long drive from Texas, though we celebrated together 2 days after the official date. 4 kids, 3 in-law kids, 5 grandchildren, a Vizsla named Sam and my former Scottie, Maxwell.

Christmas sketches

I've been neglecting my sketchbook, playing with grandchildren instead while they were visiting.

After everyone left for the long drives home, I found myself reading instead of sketching. (I've been reading The Outlander series, recommended by our daughter who is preparing for a trip to Scotland) But eventually I will finish up some Christmas sketches to post . . .

Meanwhile, here is some testing I did early one morning while painting with our grandson Quen. Amazing how such a large brush can do fine details as well.