modified blind contour Scots

I have been following along with Gay Kraeger's watercolor sketching & journaling class for the Strathmore Online Workshops, though I am not posting things in class because I am not using Strathmore products. Since high school, I have enjoyed blind contour drawing. When you aren't even looking at the paper, how can it be expected to look "right"? It's a very freeing exercise.

These two cast iron Scotties live on my kitchen shelf, in front of a framed vintage postcard of wheaten and black Scotties. The glass spoon holder sits on the counter, usually holding my cell phone. We have seen the same Scottie glass in antique shops listed as a creamer. But this one is from Bill's grandmother and she insisted that it is a spoon holder, holding nesting spoons ready to use on the table with the handles positioned over the head.

trying pencil drawing on handmade paper

I enrolled in Strathmore's free online workshops for 2014 but have not yet participated in class. When the current class began, we had not yet found an internet provider at our new home. making videos hard to watch.

Now we have internet but I do not have the Strathmore products used in class --- there are no art or hobby stores near our home and I forgot to order some online. But I decided to do the assignments in my new sketchbook.

This "Back to Basics" drawing class is taught by Earnest Ward, who is a wonderful teacher! I've been drawing quite a while now, but have learned several new tricks watching the videos.

The first week covered line drawing and shape, leaning to sight the subject for an accurate representation on paper. I drew a couple of strawberries we picked from our new garden bed, resting on the arm of a porch swing. Not too happy with how it turned out . . .

The second week's class was on tone and form --- This time, I drew the birdbath next to a crepe myrtle in our yard. I used a water-soluble pencil, using a waterbrush very lightly just on the birdbath. This time, the handmade paper in this sketchbook behaved, with no bleed through. The trunks of the crepe myrtle are still bare and are very light-colored; I used a Q-tip to soften some graphite behind them.

I wish I had drawn an onion instead for the 1st week's class.

Strathmore Workshop, week 4

The final week was on collage techniques in watercolor sketching. I've never really enjoyed collage but wanted to do this anyway -- it's good for me to get out of my comfort zone!

I had no idea really where I was going with this when I began. In fact, there is a black & white photo of a stone cross I planned on putting in this and totally forgot until the moment I'm typing this!

book paper, tissue paper, ink, rubber stamps, and watercolor

more exercises from Strathmore class

I'm a week behind in doing the exercises from Cathy 'Kate' Johnson's free Strathmore class on watercolor sketching. These are exercises from week 3 on multi-media sketching. I painted the salt & pepper set first in watercolor alone, then added some ink for definition.

For the earthen pot of flowers, I pasted a piece of toned watercolor paper in my sketchbook. Sketching from a photo in a book, I first painted the pot and flowers, then after that dried, I added ink and a bit of white gouache.

Here, I sketched the same object in three different ways. First, using watercolor only. Then, pencil guidelines before watercolor. The last one was lightly sketched with pencil, details inked in, then watercolor. This is a knife our son brought back from Alaska. He takes a group of his students on missions trips every year the week before spring break. This year, they worked with the Boys and Girls club and helped set up for the Iditarod dog sled race.

There are still several more exercises from week 3 I'd like to try before moving on to week 4's lesson on collage. But the class site will be available until August so I'm in a hurry. Just trying to learn a few new tricks, or learn to be more confident in things I may have tried but not used enough.

abandoned water tower

This old water tower sits in an old farm yard a mile or so north of town, surrounded by dense undergrowth. At one time it supplied a private family with all their water needs.

I pass it on the way to the turnpike entrance (on the way to sketchcrawls in MO) and have often wanted to stop and sketch it. But there is no place to pull over on the busy highway, so this was painted from a photo.

for Kate's Strathmore class, week 2 lesson

sketching in the country

We drove north on Saturday, to Bill's brother and sister-in-law's farm south of Manhattan, KS. While Bill was installing new kitchen cabinets he built for them, I sketched a few things in the gorgeous farmyard. It was an overcast day with a fierce wind (which dries paint out quickly!) but still beautiful.

I took my Scottie, Ceilidh, with us. While taking a break from sketching, she and I walked about the place, exploring.  It's a lovely place that has been in our sister-in-law's family through 3 generations. She and Bill's brother live in Manhattan but are renovating the charming old farmhouse.

She was helping some family and friends who were working cattle in the corral. Ceilidh was fascinated by the new calves . . . until they wouldn't stop bellowing. They did not like getting inoculations and she did not like their noise! She quickly took off running away from the ruckus. One of the horses was very interested in her, but I kept her away from the animals, not wanting her to spook any of them as they worked.

These sketches are some of my "homework" for Cathy 'Kate' Johnson's current workshop given by Strathmore. The workshops are free and will still be available online until this summer. I think those interested can still sign up HERE and catch up on the posted lessons.

Strathmore workshop, wk. 1

Beware of Kansas wind in March -- you never know what might blow by. No houses falling on wicked witches (yet), but this wee pink bag blew into our yard yesterday.

The 40 to 50 MPH wind gusts also blew in a bouncy ball for Ceilidh, which she gladly accepted. It was a small consolation for the wind's blowing over two trash cans and scaring her.

What few crocuses we had in the yard were torn apart by the wind too.

Strathmore Workshop, wk. 1

I'm one of a HUGE number (class enrollment is 2,665!) taking Cathy 'Kate' Johnson's free watercolor sketching class on Strathmore's Online Workshop website.

One of the first week's projects: a sketch done with a water-soluble pen with a variegated wash background. I had to take my car in to check out a windshield leak --- Not knowing how long it might take, I took my sketchbook along and drew the plant in the waiting room. Color was added later at home, letting the colors mingle together freely.