and AJW # 31, just under the wire

Challenge # 31, the final one of this series, is "arches". I immediately thought of these old stone cottages scattered around the Brenham area. The stonemason who built them usually included two distinctive trademarks: one or more arches in the design and the use of petrified wood as part of the mixed stones. I especially love the wood-turned-to-stone --- the grain marks can still be seen clearly!

AJW challenge 29 & 30

Number 29 for the Artist's Journal Workshop January drawing prompts on Facebook is "transport". My husband suggested standing stones, being aquainted with the basic story of Outlander. In the book standing stones are a portal of sorts, transporting the main character Claire, back in time 200 years.

Number 30 is "something ancient " --- in keeping with the Scottishness of the page, an ancient Celtic bronze horse.

AJW # 26, 27, & 28

My take on the recent drawing challenges are an illustrated quote, a portrait of a favorite artist, and wind chimes.

Many of my favorite quotes are from J. R. Tolkien; in fact, my copy of "Lord of the Rings" has many underlined passages and marginal notes. Many of the words point me to the Bible's truths -- the above quote makes me think of Esther's part in delivering her people.

One of my favorite artists is Karl Bodmer, after seeing his work in "Karl Bodmer's America". He was hired by German explorer Prince Maxmilian to paint illustrations of the Missouri River wilderness in 1832 - 1834. Gorgeous watercolors worked small yet with such detail that they retain their beauty when enlarged. He also recorded much of nature and native peoples that Lewis & Clark found a few years previously.

Some of Bodmer's works can be seen here.

As for wind chimes, I had a musically-tuned one that I loved. But a clematis vine went wild, getting tangled in it and breaking the thread. Bill has declared our new home "wind chime free" --- Turns out he hates them!

AJW challenges # 23, 24, & 25

Friday's through today's drawing prompts for the Artist's Journal Workshop January challenge: 

23) a mechanical contraption -- my mechanical pencils suggested by a young friend, Kathleen, at church.

24) a barn or shed -- our shed that Josiah calls a barn, as seen from our bedroom window.

25) a busy pattern or design -- an eagle from the Book of Kells, symbol of St. John.

AJW 19, 20, & 21

The next sequence of prompts for Artist's Journal Workshop's January drawing challenge are a self-portrait, something made with chocolate, and a tool.

..i

I drew myself from a photo daughter-in-law Carrie took of me a few months ago, leaving off the glasses since I no longer need them. Doesn't look much like me, I don't think.

Bill was eager to suggest that I draw one of his tools -- an antique cast iron nail bar used to remove nails. It is HEAVY!

AJW challenge #18 - dusk or sunset

Although I have been keeping up with drawing something every day, I'm a bit behind in posting the results. 

Sunday's prompt in the January challenge on Facebook was to sketch dusk or a sunset. So Bill and I drove west on country roads, getting away from the trees to get a good view. 

Texas has gorgeous sunrises and sunsets; Sunday's was not very spectacular. I would love to learn how to do watercolor landscapes but as usual I niggled this one too much. But it is what it is so I'll post it and move on.

virtual sketchcrawl . . . and AJW # 22

Yesterday was set as "virtual sketchcrawl" day, with sketchers all over the globe participating by going on their own sketchcrawl and posting their work on the Facebook group. My friend, Suzanne Bearnth, joined me at the Old Baylor's college site in Independence, Texas -- We both drew these old columns, all that remains of the women's classroom building. A very peaceful day, though a bit nippy in the cool breezes. We expected sunshine but it was mostly cloudy.

Jumping ahead a bit in the order, I am also counting this as day #22 of the Artist Journal Workshop January challenge: draw a historic building. Or in this case, part of a building.

AJW # 16 & 17

Number 16 in the drawing challenge is "black and white". Having recently taken my wheaten Scottish terrier to the groomer, who had never seen one this color, I immediately thought of these old Scottie magnets from Bill's grandmother. Although black and white Scotties were at one time popular in toys, postcards, and whisky ads, there is actually no such thing as a white Scottie. Wheaten yes, white no. Maxwell, who lives with three of our grandchildren, is a lovely creamy gold color. True white terriers are west highland whites, a totally different breed with a different looking face.

Number 17 was to draw a recipe. I chose the recipe card that was used at Thanksgiving and Christmas --- we are trying to avoid most grains but this recipe is a much-loved family tradition from Bill's other grandma. We only get 24 rolls though, not 30. 

Nessie, a train depot, & a nature walk

The 13th through the 15th prompts for the Artist Journal Workshop's January drawing challenge on Facebook are: draw a mythological character, a station, and something found on a nature walk.

I'm not entirely sure the Loch Ness Monster qualifies as a myth . . . . I believe that there was some kind of creature in the loch at one time, though it's unknown if it remains today. The first recorded siting was by Saint Columba in the year 565. While seeking to bring Christ to the Picts of Scotland, he came upon some of them burying a man killed by a great water beast. Asking one of his men to swim across the loch to retrieve a small boat, the creature appeared, trying to attack the swimmer. Columba made the sign of the cross, invoked the name of God, and commanded the beast to come no further and not touch the man. The beast fled as if terrified.

This train depot is in Burton, just down the road from us. Many small-town train depots still exist in this area, in many sizes and shapes, yet all are painted with the same color scheme.

The sun finally returned and we took a walk . . . this time, finding what looks like wild grapes growing in a wooded area. I added a rock I picked up just for fun, I like purple and green together.

AJW challenge 7, 8, 9, & 10

Still trying to keep up with the January drawing prompts in Facebook's Artist Journal Workshop group . . . 

My favorite painting hangs in our home, a gift I gave Bill. Painted by Cathy Johnson (here), it's Vassmer dairy's farmhouse where she used to visit. I think this is the last painting she was able to do of the old home; vandals burned it to the ground soon after this was painted.

The original is watercolor; I did my copy in ink & wash. I tried to spatter bits of the ground but my brush would not work --- I see now that it did spatter the hen & chicks sketch!

Hen & chicks can be a medicinal plant: pluck a leaf and squeeze the sap on mosquito bites to reduce swelling and itch. It has to be applied soon after the bite to be effective.

something industrial

For day 3 of the AJW challenge __draw something industrial__ I immediately thought of this abandoned building on Market St. In Brenham. Set next to the railroad tracks, it may have been a forge or a foundry at one time.

AJW challenge

To "jumpstart" a new determination to sketch / paint on a more regular basis, I'm taking part in a drawing challenge on Facebook. Palma Rea, a fellow member of the Artists' Journal Workshop group, posted a list of 31 prompts for the month of January on her blog. 

Day # 1 is to draw an item I can't bear to throw away but should --- I drew my first Scottie's flannel coat. Fiona loved jumping into deep snow but didn't care for walking in the below-zero temperatures we often had in Kansas. My current Scottie, Ceilidh, doesn't need it here in central Texas.

Day # 2 is to draw my favorite book. After the Bible, it's a tie between Lord of the Rings and the Outlander series --- Yes, I love BIG, complicated epic tales!