new sketchbook, random bits

Over the past week, I added a bit here and there to the first pages of my new sketchbook. Eclectic and unplanned. The paints I put together in this “landscape” palette include several colors I’ve never used before.

a little Jesus

I went to the dentist for a tooth cleaning and saw this teeny figurine next to the receptionist’s computer. She told me how Dr. Naeger happened to give it to her — so I sketched it in my teeny sketchbook. Life sized.

new sketchbooks, finished

These two sketchbooks were begun 21 November and I finally finished them today, after “life” caused them to be set aside several times. I took some photos as I went along.

I taught myself to sew the book block using a Coptic stitch from a Trumpetvine Travels blog post years ago, but I’m never quite sure about building the cover from scratch. I sort of make it up as I go along. At one point, I used not only the two antique irons for weight, but also a large book weighed down with a bowl of onions and potatoes! 

The small book is accordion-folded from 3” scraps of Fabriano Artistico paper from a previous sketchbook made years ago. The covers are plaid scrapbook paper and linen book cloth — I had both in my stash, though there wasn’t any paper for end papers so I just glued the outer book block pages to the inside of the covers.

I used a stretchy ponytail band to hold the accordion book together.

more Christmas cards

Over the past week, I painted a few more cards using the Christmas Demi palette that I recently put together. These started out as postcards but were later glued onto cardstock blanks. The wreath forms were made by applying watercolor to the rim of a juice glass and pressing it on the card 3 times each.

I can’t decide whether to add the greeting “Let Heaven and Nature Sing” to the fronts of these like I did the other cards or not.

a Christmas ornament

This simple sketch of one of our Christmas ornaments, using a Pentel Pocketbrush pen, is the final page in my current sketchbook. Time to finish that new sketchbook that I began a few weeks ago! It was set aside to deal with important family matters and a trip to Kansas.

I usually use the inside of the back cover to test pens or paints, and jot down the brand and type of the sketchbook itself. Labels are often lost and I may want this info later on.

testing page

more remembering

In the 1980s I designed and sold handmade teddy bears, under the label “Victoria’s Waifs”. (This was before companies like Boyd’s and Beanie Babies flooded the market.) This “Veiled Lady” was one of my first and she ended up with my mom, who later began to collect bears as a hobby. Several of her favorites now live on a shelf at my brother’s home. In the same location, this 3-headed turtle bowl can also be found — my brother made it in school and Mom always displayed it wherever she lived, alongside a giraffe sculpture he also made.

eggs have grown in size . . .

My brother and I were looking through some of our mom’s belongings yesterday, and among them was this very tiny egg cup. We don’t know if it once belonged to Mom’s mother or grandmother, but eggs were definitely smaller then!

I spread out my sketching tools in a Wichita hotel to sketch it this morning. And was obviously too quick at erasing the faint pencil lines where text was added. Ink smudges seem to be my trademark. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 🖋️ 

playing with my Christmas palette

We are currently in Kansas but just before leaving Texas I spent the day painting a few cards using the Christmas palette I put together, filling a red Trailbound Demi palette from Art Toolkit (found here) with Letter Sparrow paints I already owned, patterned after their recent Holiday Hues collaboration with Lisa Spangler, now apparently out of stock.

At first I used 8 mini pans and a small mixing pan, but later I switched out the mixing pan for standard pans of sparkly paints, taken from Art Toolkit’s limited edition Rainglow palette (paints from Case for Making). With a larger “gold”, I was also able to add Shire Blue, which looks similar to the “blue” mixed from the quinacridone magenta and peacock. The sky in the lower card was painted with the magenta-peacock mix! (with a touch of lunar black)

a little Thanksgiving sketching

We had a low-key, relaxing Thanksgiving day at our daughter’s . . . where I did a little surreptitious pencil sketching. Then added ink and watercolor later at home.

palette testing

Two years ago, Bill gave me the “Grow Untamed” palette because I love the red case. But the six original colors seemed lacking without a red and a stronger blue (sky gouache is rather weak) so I added quin. magenta, ultramarine blue, turquoise, and transparent red oxide. But other than a few sketches, I haven’t really used the palette much.

So this week I’m really testing the paints, all but two of them from Letter Sparrow. After doing these sketchbook pages, I’ve decided that they act more like a creamy bright gouache than watercolors. If I approach sketches with this in mind, I might have better luck with them.

* As is my normal habit, as soon as this was posted I made a change: transparent red oxide was replaced for the less transparent burnt sienna to go along with the other near-gouache pigments.

another leaf

When I lived in Kansas, autumn was full of color. I filled sketchbook pages with leaves picked up while walking my dogs. Here, just west of the gulf, there isn’t much variation in leaf color and many trees hold on to their leaves until spring. So when I saw this colorful leaf, I just had to paint it.

currently inked pens

To check ink levels, I propped my currently filled pens in this old measuring glass. Then sketched it while waiting for gravity to work.

Going through some of our father’s things, my brother found a box of miscellaneous supplies from when he taught art or did photography. I’m not sure if this small glass held pencils or was used in the dark room. I cleaned it well and now use it in my kitchen — its bottom is surprisingly heavy.

I like to keep a pen filled for each of the colored inks I use: black, gray, brown, teal, dark green, and a “burnt sienna” (dark red) that I mixed.

a forgotten critter

I forgot to post this sketch of a cow skull seen on the wall of a Magnolia diner.

Sketched with a chunky fude-nib eyedropper fountain pen in my own mix of “burnt sienna” ink (De Atramentis Document red ink with a bit of black added) and painted with my “neutrals” palette. 

The plastic sheet clipped under the palette is from Traveler’s Notebook and protects the sketch beneath it as I work.

today’s project

My current sketch journal is almost filled — only 10 more pages after the sketch I’m working on today. I considered buying another one, but then remembered that a few months ago I found a long-forgotten stash of watercolor paper in my old steamer trunk.

Bill found this vintage trunk years ago and refurbished it for me, adding a new cedar tray inside. It’s where I store bookmaking supplies and other art stuff. Inside, I recently found some quarter sheets of Arches, Saunders Waterford, Hahnemuhle, plus a variety pack from Cheap Joe’s.

Today I folded and tore down the Arches rough WC paper to make a 5 1/2 x 7 1/2” landscape sketchbook. There were also 2 leftover 3” strips of Fabriano Artistico paper — these, I folded into a 3” square accordion book. Both are being pressed with antique irons. Now I need to dig deeper in the trunk to figure out what I can use for covers . . .

my palette collection

 

A follower on Instagram asked if I would do a post about my Art Toolkit palette collection, so I took photos of each of them this morning. Do I need more than one watercolor palette? Of course not!

When we downsized 10 years ago to an 800 square ft. living space, I gave away many things that I used to collect. Palettes are something I can collect and enjoy that take up very little space. Besides, it’s fun to put together various combinations (always subject to change 😂).

The 2 front pocket palettes in the first photo are the ones I’m currently using for autumn: one of neutrals/monochrome colors and one of granulating pigments. Behind those, there’s one I put together while reading John Harrison’s book, “Pen & Wash” — I like to try out other artists’ color choices as a learning tool. The red palette is the limited edition “Grow Untamed” set with 4 additional colors that I added to the original 6. I put together the turquoise “Texas gulf coast, prairies, & piney woods” after seeing Lisa Spangler set up something similar for a class she taught in Houston. This one gets used a lot!

Next are my Demi Palettes. I love this size especially for trying out limited palettes. From the upper left: the “Rainglow” fluorescent palette (not sure how to use these yet), the “Baby Cactus” set (2 pans have been temporarily moved to the Christmas palette), my “forest” set I like to take camping, the Christmas palette I just put together, and the limited edition CMYK palette.

Next are 2 Folio palettes: one for landscapes inspired by artist Sarah Burns and one of larger pans containing basic colors that lives on my art desk.

Lastly, 2 gouache palettes, which I’ve only played a bit with. The larger one with more colors stays on my art desk and the smaller one travels with me. Like my watercolor palettes, I place colors beginning in the front left in rainbow order, from cool reds to deep blue/purple followed by neutrals.

after playing fetch

Keeping it simple: I sketched this in blue (I keep blue lead in this mechanical pencil), then added a few ink lines. Our corgi, Butters, wears herself out fetching her favorite rubber ball . . . then is eager to play again after a short rest.

and the winner is . . .

After watching Lisa Spangler @sideoats do a short video mixing quinacridone magenta and peacock to get a near-blue, I decided to stick with this Christmas palette being most close to the @lettersparrow Holiday Hues palette. I already owned most of the colors in the collaboration palette but for those who don’t, I highly recommend ordering from Letter Sparrow!

(That’s a Christmas colored lap quilt in the background, sewn by my mother❣️)

which combo?

Lisa Spangler has a new collaboration with Letter Sparrow for a “Holiday Hues” palette of Christmas colors; I already own most of the Letter Sparrow colors included — all but the ruby red and pearl shimmer.

And Art Toolkit just released a bright red Demi Palette which I added to my collection. Just the color for a Christmas palette! But which combination do I go with? My pyrrol scarlet is close to ruby red and my grey of grey is sort of silvery. Or I can mix a ruby red color with quin. magenta and sunflower yellow, making room for a blue, which I would miss. Or skip the silver-like grey for both reds and a blue?

heading home

We are now on our way home, but I thought I’d post a sketch of my art tool bag: a Delfonics bag insert, size M, that I added a carrying strap to (I chose black so it would look more purse-like and hide dirt, forgetting how red-gold corgi hair would adhere to it!). Having much more room than my Art Toolkit, it holds plenty of supplies as well as regular “purse” stuff for longer trips. The cross-body strap holds tools where they can be easily grabbed even if I am standing up.

more sketching from camp

These bits of nature were sketched in blue pencil two days ago but I took my time at finishing them. We are doing quite a lot of walking and reading . . . 

And had a lovely visit with family yesterday when our son Jason and his family brought pizza to camp! 🍕 

a snail on the trail

During one of our many walks, I found this shell in the middle of a road where it could be run over. Peeking inside, I could see that it was still occupied so I took a couple of photos before moving it to the side of the road.

Brazos Bend State Park

Bill hooking up our RV — Brazos Bend State Park is a gorgeous bit of wooded swampland with an old wooden viewing tower, astrological observatory, lots of wild birds, venomous snakes (or so the signs warn), and alligators!

The older Live Oaks are magnificent!

This seems to be a mixed-marriage of a tree! Below are leaves from the left trunk, followed by those of the right. I’m not sure what types of trees they are.

a rice elevator

On another camping adventure — as we drove south, we were temporarily stopped by a train in Brookshire where I was able to snap a couple of photos of this interesting structure. Then drew it after setting up camp at Brazos Bend State Park.

random sketches

There really wasn’t any plan to these journal pages; they just sort of happened. We have been hearing a lot of water oak acorns falling on our tin roof, and sometimes the recent winds have even blown down small branches. So I sketched them, adding only raw umber and perylene green. Later, I tried drawing our tea and coffee mugs from a slightly overhead perspective — but only managed to make them appear short. The photos below show the actual handmade mugs, found years ago at The Spice Merchant in Wichita, KS. 

Grandma’s doll china

While we were in Kansas this past September, Bill’s brother David gave me an old wooden cupboard that had belonged to their grandmother. He said he didn’t know what she had kept in it.

I knew. David was only 5 years old when I first met their grandmother, whose home was as full of collectibles as a proper Victorian lady. And years ago she had given me these mismatched bits of dolls china — that she used to keep in the old cupboard. Now they are reunited, after all these years.

I also have a child-sized cast iron skillet and iron with wooden handle, both childhood toys of Grandma’s.

home again

While camping along Lake Conroe this past week, I ended up reading more than sketching. When we weren’t walking with Butters, that is. She is a very social corgi and there were new people and animals to meet!

I only managed to draw this tiny building just off of an intersection in Montgomery (seen on our way) and a couple of berry varieties found in the forest. 

this year’s oak leaves

This spread of autumn leaves was begun on Saturday — but with early-week appointments and getting ready for our camping trip, I didn’t finish it until today. Each of these is from a variety of oak tree on our property.

exploring . . .

We just arrived at our campsite on Lake Conroe. As Bill took care of the RV hookups, Butters and I headed down to our own private lake view . . . then climbed back up the live tree root steps. (It’s steeper than these photos show!)

83° (feels like a muggy 86°) with thunder in the distance.