playing with the negative

I drew some old jewelry and watches here, just to practice painting a smooth background negative space. But #1: the color I picked was not enough contrast from the ink lines, and #2: the color I chose is a granulating blend of blue and black (Daniel Smith’s Lunar Blue) which jumps from blue to black in unexpected ways. More practice needed . . .

The watches belonged to Bill’s and my mothers, the pearls and small child’s ring were his grandmother’s, the man’s ring we think was his great-grandfather’s, and the brooches and ruby ring were my grandmother’s.

a bag with a brooch

I sketched my purse three days ago but with all the activity of moving from our daughter’s farmhouse into our new barndominium (an old pole barn turned into a house + woodshop), it didn’t get painted until today. There are things to still things to complete, like threshold strips between the wood floor and stone floors, a wall of shelves in the office / art room / library, lots of boxes to unpack . . .

I bought this bag a few years ago because it was plaid. Autumn just seems like the perfect season to bring it out once more. Since I very seldom where jewelry except for the occasional pair of earrings, I pinned my favorite brooch to the front side of this bag.

When our son Matt was attending Kansas State University, he worked part-time in a small art museum that sold a few gift shop items — among them, this brooch designed by my favorite Arts & Crafts era designer, Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

It just as well could be a mushroom but I’ve always thought of it as a tree. Either way, I love it.

a slow beginning . . .

After filling my last sketchbook in a bit of a whirlwind of sketching, I’ve been a bit slow at starting the next one. This one is an accordion-fold style made from leftover bits of Fabriano Artistico soft press paper. Typically with these folded journals, I like each 2-page spread to have some element that leads to the next page. But I also prefer to not plan too much . . .

As per my normal habit, the first page has a palette and maybe other sketch tools. After jotting down the colors in this Pocket Palette on the page, I wonder if I could actually stick to using only this palette for the whole journal?

Then a favorite cross necklace leading to . . .

. . . what I ate for three days straight that helped me get over a recent bad cold. Bill made a large pot of what we call “kale soup”, similar to Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana but Bill’s version is so much better! The soup mug was a “white elephant” gift from a church Christmas party years ago — Bill has loved using it ever since!

The far right page isn’t done yet; for now I jotted down some verses from church yesterday. 

more from Field Notes

With a name like Field Notes notebook, one would think that I would fill this wee purse-or-pocket sized sketchbooks with sketches of the pastures and cotton fields around us. But I tend to just grab them to draw in wherever I happen to end up sitting, whether that be church, a doctor's office, or whatever.

The above is drawn from a recent photo I took. Amazingly, butterflies are still with us through the winter even though it's been colder than normal at times.

I chose to draw my cross necklace here to go with the Scripture verse at church. It's called a "grafted in" cross, representing believers in Messiah Jesus being grafted in to the vine of Israel. God is not finished with His ancient people and His promises hold!

And then there is always a random sketch of my bag or shoe during church . . .

salsa and a bit of Scotland

Bill is having an abundant year in his small salsa garden -- as the larger tomatoes ripen, he blanches, peels, and cuts them up to pop in the freezer. Then, when there is enough, he makes the most yummy salsa! This year our granddaughter Mikala donated limes from her baby lime tree to add. Much of the finished product is given away to family and friends --- Pastor Gary is notorious for downing half a jar at one sitting!

Three years ago, our daughter and her husband went to Scotland with two other couples, renting a private house along Loch Ness together. While there, she bought me this Celtic knot pin with a Heather gem in the center, to pin my tartan shawl. But it is usually a bit warm here in central Texas for the shawl, so I also wear it on a chain. Heather gems are compressed stems of heather dyed, cut and polished into gorgeous 'gems' for jewelry.

I recently wore it to church . . . then decided to sketch it on the page where I jotted down notes.

a turquoise day

Lately I seem to be drawn to all things turquoise. Wearing a favorite Mexican peasant skirt at church yesterday (it reached over 80 degrees -- sandal weather!), I then drew the necklace I was wearing . . . then a quick sketch of my new favorite purse that Bill gave me for Christmas . . . . I have even gone back to using an old hand-thrown turquoise tea mug!

I love the John Singer Sargent quote on the upper left page, found recently online: "You can't do sketches enough. Sketch everything and keep your curiosity fresh."

an early birthday gift and books

My birthday isn't until mid-July, but yesterday my gift from Bill arrived by post . . . all the way from Scotland! He gave me a sterling silver ring, an open-work design of Celtic knots with tiny wee thistles between them.

He had given me a choice of gifts: this ring I saw on-line or the upcoming semester of Danny Gregory's Sketchbook Skool. Very difficult decision, given the quality of teachers! But I think he secretly wanted me to choose the ring.

(Drawing my right hand when I AM right-handed isn't easy, but I didn't want to take it off.)

Bill has been reading an e-book on my Kindle but prefers holding a real book in his hands. So we went to our local book store, The Book Nook, where a sale is going on.

We took in 5 books for trade; we came back with 9 books and 2 freebie give-a-ways. Several items not sketched are for the "grandkid zone" in the loft. All our grandchildren are book lovers and I want to have some for when they visit.

recent sketches

I was a bit bored as I sat in our bedroom the other day, listening to an audio book. Not that the story is boring, but my hands had nothing to do.

So I sketched the doorway into our kitchen. The dark log beam ceiling is a bit hard to capture. Beyond the butcher-block counter-top is our cabin's front door.

And I sketched a necklace that just came in the mail. It has a bit of plaid --- my favorite "color" is plaid! --- and says "Sassenach" on it. A derogatory term for anyone living south of the highlands of Scotland. My ancestors came from England and the Scottish lowlands, so I guess I am a sassenach.

The term means "Outlander", also the name of the series of audio books I am currently listening to as I wait for the 8th book in the series to come out next month.

an early Christmas gift

Our son, Matt, and his family won't be coming home for Christmas --- they will be spending the holiday at Disneyworld. So when we saw them on Thanksgiving in Texas, we exchanged a few gifts early.

This is one of my gifts, a necklace made by daughter-in-law Misty. Under the key is a tiny reproduction of my own pen and ink sketch of our 1920 apartment building we just sold. What a thoughtful gift!

Another gift they found for me: a gorgeous leather-bound sketchbook of hand-made paper! Our grandson, Quen, watched me draw this necklace and wanted to know why I didn't draw it in my new sketchbook instead. I told him that I like to completely fill one book before  beginning a new one. (The new one is so beautiful, I might feel a bit intimidated to actually use it!)

the original sketch

a bit more from Texas

Mikala kept a busy schedule during my time with her in June. Junior golf, volleyball workshop, piano lessons & practice, Vacation Bible School . . . .

I did this quick sketch of the entrance to Jersey Meadows Golf Course while waiting to pick her up one morning. The white crepe myrtle were in bloom --- Amazing that what normally grows as shrubs in Kansas become huge trees in the Texas climate. I have seen some that reached 3 stories high.

 

Kristen and Michael made it home from Scotland, via a layover in Germany, bearing gifts. Among them were several rocks, coins, some blue shells, and a stuffed sheep for Mikala --- she shared some of the first two with me. This large striped rock is from the Black Isle, and the smaller blue-gray one is from Loch Ness. They stayed with friends in a house overlooking Loch Ness --- gorgeous views right from their own front door!

I was given this hand-loomed Harris Tweed bag and a silver brooch with a red heather-gem set in it. Heather gems are made from the stems of the heather plants --- quite a fascinating craft! For my birthday, Bill wants to buy me a tartan stole to wear that I can pin with the brooch. Still wondering what tartan to choose. The Williamson's were typically associated with the Gunn clan, but there are several other patterns we like as well.

beginning a new journal

As always, the first page of my new journal includes my current watercolor palette in some form. This time, I chose a medium-size Moleskine watercolor sketchbook that was purchased very cheap when Border's bookstore went out of business. It's a bit smaller than the Stillman & Birn sketchbooks I have waiting to use, or my own handbound journals. But I will be doing a bit of traveling and smaller fits better.

I often record quotes in my journals, to be able to remember them. This one from my sketch buddy, Kate, seems to fit the space and purpose.


We went shopping Saturday for a new grill, our old one being more rust than metal. The one on sale was a bit too small so we did not buy it, but I did find this tiny turquoise pendant with a clip to attach to any necklace. Now maybe I'll need to thread some turquoise chips to hang it from.






I have also been thinking I would sew something like this sketching kit I saw on Jessie C. Chapman's Flickr site about 10 months ago. Drawing it in my sketchbook helps me think the pattern out. Jessie's kit originally held make-up brushes but works perfectly for a portable kit holding just the essential tools. If I sew it out of an absorbent dishcloth, I can also clean my brushes on it.

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.

more of Bill's playtime

Having no large woodworking projects to "work" on after finishing the bed frame and night stands, Bill next took my old cedar jewelry box and built interior sections and a lift-out tray, using scraps of lining-cedar. Before, it was just a plain box with everything jumbled up within it.

Seemed a good time to "play" with some of my jewelry. I really don't wear jewelry very often . . . maybe one of the crosses in my collection (they hang on the wall). Mostly I save things for sentimental reasons. And to sketch, of course.