Drawing #66 - So Proud

Last week I took my 8x10 sketchbook to a genealogy conference with a page started to work on. It includes a bit from a children's reader where I saw the words "so proud." They seemed to fit the design very well. I like working this size while waiting for talks to start and the drawing was nearly done by the time I came home. It's done with inks, colored pencils and collage. I have larger ones in the works, but this is the first finished in 2016. "So Proud" is sure to spark your imagination!

Drawing #65 - Eye of the Princess

Started much earlier this year, brittle pages from an old copy of Tennyson's "The Princess" began the collage in a pale, delicate drawing unlike the nature of others done recently. I no longer knew how to proceed. When I received a watercolor set for Christmas, its transparent and pastel color possibilities seemed like the perfect match to the drawing, fortunately already on a watercolor block. The result was what I hoped, keeping the delicacy and paleness but enriching it all. Additional ink drawing seemed to flow then. The finished drawing somehow reminds me of the colorful fantasy in later movies of Federico Fellini. The title draws from the title on the collage page and the eye shape that developed early on making me wonder what the princess might see. Also added a stamp depicting Princess Elizabeth before she was Queen plus the usual hidden writing. The image is about 8 x 10 inches.

Wishing you Happy Holidays

Be it Christmas, solstice, full moon, etc. here's a greeting from me.

Designer Credits:
-background: Vintage Album Collection: Open Books Paper Pack by Joanne Brisebois
-paper edge: Edward by Vicki Stegall
-frame: Gratitude @ Infinity by ninigoesdigi
-gold, poinsettia, brush: ArtPlay Palette Christmas Magic by Anna Aspnes
-twig, button: Oh Joy by Paula Kesselring

Drawing #64 - Red-hot Iron

Mental landscapes are still evolving which is encouraging. The latest draws its title from text in the collage. I found other ideas came out as I worked. In the beginning the lines were inspired by shapes in the seed head of a teasel plant. Remember to click on the image for a larger view.

Drawing #63 - Wicked

Perhaps it's that Halloween is almost here, but it seems I chose a bit from an elementary reader with the words "wicked ogre" giving my drawing the title "Wicked." There is usually hidden writing in my designs and here they're all about the word wicked. The lines that began the drawing were inspired by a photo I took of some leaves in the neighborhood. I include them, but it isn't a very close relationship once I get going. Fun here was having new colored pencils (they were on sale!) and a new (to me) kind of marker on a 9" x 12" sketchbook I got in Oklahoma in May. So, happy spooking to you all with my latest,

and the leaf photo:

Still Scrapbooking Too

I see I've only posted drawings for some time but I've been doing the old digital scrapbook pages all along. I've put together a book of images from our May trip to Oklahoma. I've got a couple of other recent pages that I rather like.

The first is in response to a challenge to create an "art doll." It was a novel concept to me but I had a very immediate idea. It seems a little ominous looking back knowing that soon after I spent a week ill, for much of the time not knowing why. Everything turned out fine, but I wonder how it relates to the page.

Second is one with photos I took of Buff-breasted Sandpipers a very long time ago. It results in part from Dick having all our old slides scanned last year. Hope you enjoy them.

Designer Credits:
by Maya de Groot
-arm, stitched frame, paper piece, gesso: Art Doll It Yourself Freebie
-background, legs, circles, red arch, corners, rectangles, buttons, wings: Passion for Paper
-border: Zen & the Art of: Borders
-lace, leaf: Travelers Treasure Box
-crow: Miss Luna
-face (from angel), flower, tag: Christmoose
-alpha: Altered Cutouts Alpha
fonts: Courtney Dorkling, Problem Secretary

 Designer Credits:
by Blue Flower Art
-background, envelope, flower, tape: Letters From Far Away
-ribbon, string, paint: Across Time
-pale paper: Imari
fonts: Vtks Boutique, Ziggy Zoe, Minya Nouvelle

Drawing #62 - Osage

I began this piece in Oklahoma in May and named it for the county where we always like to go birding in the prairies. We found a mostly dry day to do that but I think the saturation of rain during our stay is somewhat reflected in the amount of color beyond my usual. I've worked in fits and starts and finally reached a conclusion today. I do have others in the works and the cooler weather may be conducive to getting at them. This is the usual collection of inks and pens, paint, pencil and collage.