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Painting Crockery
sun 10 mar 2013 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2013/20130310.html |
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He drove me to Peace Love and Pottery, a place where you can paint your own pottery. They had many items to choose from: plates, bowls, mugs & cups, plus random bric-a-brac. SO got a large plate, for which he had a plan: He had a whole sheet of paper covered with ideas! I got a pasta bowl. And we sat together in the small party room, thoughtfully reserved by SO to keep me away from the children and other humans! The nice lady working there gave us a few tips, and then the painting began. Three coats later, about an hour and a half...
My bowl has blue-yellow-purple stripes on the outside, and trees on the inside. Yep, it says "Yay Vegan" in the bottom! :) SO's plate says he's the 2013 Northwest Oh-Pin (pinball) Champion. We left the bowl and plate there... the paint will dry for a bit, then they will glaze them and put them in the oven. We can pick them up on Wednesday. I might like to do that again... |
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paper journal
fri 5 july 2013 | ||
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2013/20130705.html | ||
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To the art end, I bought a couple books.
ha! I am going to doodle little animals and trees all over my journal pages. Well. I'd like to, at least. I'm also taking the time to bind up the last few months of my paper journals. I have been writing and using loose leaf paper for my journal. Sometimes I write on coloured paper. Sometimes I type stuff and print it. It's nice and easy to add photos that way, and I can print up my blog posts as well. But I'm not very good about setting aside time to bind the papers. So now I'm taking the time.
I'm using the Bind-It-All to make a double spiral binding. And I'm going to bind two months of journalling into one book, so I can use a bigger size o-wire. I'd like to print up a cover for my books... kind of a scrapbook page that's an over-view of the two months included. Unfortunately, my scrapbooking skills are non-existent. That's okay! It's my journal and it's all about me. including my ugly scrapbooking attempts! ;) |
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envelope and garden
sun 28 july 2013 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2013/20130728.html |
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I supported a successful Kickstarter campaign for Kreate-A-Lope, and last weekend I got my reward: some envelope templates! Of course, my original plan was to print some of my more abstract photos and turn them into envelopes. That plan being on hold, copic wide markers to the rescue!
(ha. the sky blue marker definitely needs to be re-inked!
and the violet one soon.)
Now... if only I could just print something to put in my envelopes!
Baby Sunflower!
I ate this sun gold cherry tomato right after I took this pic. It was the most tasty tomato that I've ever eaten in my life. Well, it was the first garden tomato I've eaten this year... but I think it was more than just that! |
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paper journal
sat 3 aug 2013 | ||
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2013/20130803.html | ||
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And I made a few sketches inspired by Sara Midda's South of France: A Sketchbook. She made tiny little squares of art... a good idea: I don't have to fill the entire page, just make a one inch square and fill that! And of course, my printer woes made for several pages of angst, plus a bunch of little squares...
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plans
fri 25 oct 2013 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2013/20131025.html |
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So, I'm just going to type about day-to-day stuff. Maybe eventually I'll get to the brilliant and spectacular stuff. But right now, I'm just going to update.
November is National Novel Writing Month. I don't have a novel in me, but in that spirit, I'm doing Art Every Day Month. My plan is to draw or colour a 4x6 index card every day. But I need to do some prep: gather some magazines with some good animal photos I can draw, print up some of my own pictures to draw, and make a list of stuff I can do when I am not feeling inspired, or when I don't have a lot of time! And before november rolls around, I have some other projects that I need to get back to. Will be typing about them soon... |
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start the art
fri 1 nov 2013 | |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2013/20131101.html | |
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My goal for November is to make art every day! It doesn't have to be good art. And if I don't want to show it, I don't have to! But I am going to work on a 4x6 index card or paper every day this month. I actually did a test run on tuesday...
I drew this picture from a Dover book in pencil. Inked it with a brush tip Multiliner SP, erased the pencil then coloured the background with copic wides and sketch markers. I am happy with my fish and it took about half an hour. Today is the first official day of the Art Month:
This is the back side of a California Poppy, inspired by a photo in the Fall edition of National Parks magazine. No pencil work on this one, I drew straight up with my copics. This drawing was less about the actual drawing and more about the blending of the colours. I feel like I need some practice! And practice is exactly the point of this month of art!! |
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sketches
sat 2 nov 2013 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2013/20131102.html |
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Unfortunately, the life was moving around too much. So I'm not very happy with my drawings. I should catch them while they are sleeping!
But I am happy with the fact that it's november 2nd and I already have four drawings done! |
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update
fri 8 nov 2013 | |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2013/20131108.html | |
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This is Shirley who lives at The Elephant Sanctuary, a cool place that's important to me. Shirley turned 65 this year, and I drew her from the cover of the Summer newsletter. Her leg juts out like that because it was broken and never set. She came to the sanctuary in 1999 and she is living happily ever after. Be sure to check out the EleCam! More catching up tomorrow... |
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catching up
sat 9 nov 2013 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2013/20131109.html |
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I love how this one turned out! I drew it directly with copics, from a photo of the coreopsis flowers that I grew in our community garden plot this year. I did the black outline last, with a brush tip multiliner.
This drawing came from the same garden photo, an aster plant was growing behind the coreopsis. I experimented with my set of Inktense pencils. I think this is the first time I've used them in a drawing. Inktense is water activated... so you put your drawing down with the pencils and then you hit them with a water brush. Sounds simple enough, doesn't it? Except I suck pretty bad with paint brushes. But I tried it out! Only the flower has a very careful wash over it, although I did swipe the background with my water brush as well. If I try it again, I will definitely use some actual watercolour paper... my index card warped quite a bit and I could tell the colours were going to blob all over the place if I got carried away with the water. And it might be nice to get carried away with the water, you know?! :)
I had just finished reading Biophilia by E.O. Wilson and decided to draw a fire ant in his honor. ha. I grew up with fire ants when I lived in Louisiana... I ran around outside with bare feet, as all good children should, and stepped in my fair share of fire ant hills! I wanted to draw a rat today, in honour of the Mutts comic of friday:
"Rats need love too"! Yes! I searched for an ancient pic of my friend Freefall, who I cared for when I was a teenager. It's a tiny pic, but it's the only one I have and I wanted to draw her and not some stranger I found on the internet! But my drawing did not come out well. I tried again. and again. I erased a lot. And then I tried drawing with copics. And then I just traced my photo. And even that looked not-normal! humph. So, I'm going to show you my photo, instead of my pitiful drawings!
Isn't she precious?! If the opportunity presented itself, I would jump at the chance to adopt another rat! |
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weekend roundup
sun 10 nov 2013 | |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2013/20131110.html | |
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Good thing I still have 20 days to practice! I am also playing catch up with my postcard and mailing projects. I love sending mail! My ongoing goal is to send a monthly postcard to the two mailing groups I belong to, and a few friends and family. The mailing list is currently between 60 and 70 postcards. But then I pick up random Swap-Bot projects that look fun. And then I want to send something special to someone. And then there are a few replies to be made... yeah: there's a pile. This weekend, I cleared out the Swap-Bot projects. And I wrote a couple replies. And I really organized that pile, so that I can pick up the top project and get going with it quickly and easily!
Also worked on an Amnesty International case. When I read I Am Malala, I was reminded that my Amnesty International work was important. Having recently finished E.O. Wilson's Biophilia (the fire ant!), I was reminded again... He writes about the terrible changes that come to Surinam, in South America, after a dictator comes into power in 1980. Wilson was concerned about the human rights violations as well as the environmental destruction. He mentions Amnesty International's Urgent Action cases in the footnotes. As a member of the Urgent Action Network, I must continue my activism! It is so important! I've signed up for the USA Write for Rights, which happens in December. But the UK Write for Rights is already under way! |
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furry animals
sat 16 nov 2013 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2013/20131116.html |
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I drew Lucy and Ethel several days in a row... at first attempting some live sketches. Much frustration and crumpling ensued. Then I printed out their photo and drew from that. I think I might have to practice for years instead of just one month a year.
I need to remind myself that my drawing "goal" is not photo realism. I have a camera for photos!! My goal here is along the lines of my paper journal... to record the things important to me. To have fun. To remember. Drawing is a skill that, with practice, can be improved. And I am here to practice! |
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and feathery
sat 16 nov 2013 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2013/20131116b.html |
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I had taken a few photos of this scrub jay in september, and wished I could have turned one of them into a postcard. Unfortunately, they were all blurry... the day was cloudy and the jay only sat for mere seconds. arg. But even blurry photos are useful! I printed up the best of the blurry pics and got out my field guide and attempted a drawing.
And then I took some pics of my work area...
This is my usual set up. The end of my bed is where I do my computing (thus the keyboard and track ball!). I draw on my lap desk, my photo refs in front of me, and all my copic sketch markers. |
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Squirrel Week!
sat 23 nov 2013 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2013/20131123.html |
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Unfortunately, when doing my drawings in copics, I discovered I don't have the right colours. Orange is my least favorite colour, and also I don't have any pale colours... and I need a pale orange for this project! I tried twice, and then went for something completely different!!
haha! I was annoyed that I had so much trouble with his fingers. Hands are hard to draw! I also got to do some experiments with alcohol ink painting. Here's an example of some real art with a cute baby sea turtle: Painting with Copic Various Ink. And another one by Lin Frye, who contributes regularly to the exclusive Sketching in Nature blog.
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3 piles of projects
sat 30 nov 2013 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2013/20131130.html |
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The pile on the left is the art pile.
The pile on the right is the Amnesty International
letters. The pile includes all the letters, since I decided not to mail them until the Write for Rights campaign "officially" begins on 2 december. Also in the pile are my stamps: the round global forever stamps and the US stamps are the Modern Art forever stamps (I bought a bajillion sheets of these, because I love art, and now I so tired of them!) (ha). And my little set of Hallmark cards, there in the middle... I usually make my own notecards, but I am glad I decided to use up some of my "bought" stash. When you're writing so many letters in a single weekend, it's good to make things as easy as possible! Making my own: I have to choose a design, print it, cut and fold it, and then dig out an envelope for it. These bought notecards have a design of leaves on a teal background. They are beautiful, gender non-specific, and small so I don't feel like I have to write too much! Easy.
The pile at the top of the pic is my journal binding
project. Which is fine. It's nice to get a little perspective -- aka let months pass -- before looking through journal pages. |
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drawings
sun 1 dec 2013 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2013/20131201.html |
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Here is a drawing of Daphne, who is on the cover of the fall/winter Farm Sanctuary newsletter:
This is an unnamed turkey, who is on the cover of the nov/dec Audubon magazine:
And this is a drawing I did from one of my own photos I took at Peaceful Prairie Sanctuary, an awesome vegan sanctuary that I ♥love♥:
I love turkeys! They are such lovely creatures. Plus they have the most beautiful eyes. I wish I could look into their eyes for a long time. That sounds funny, doesn't it. But trust me... find a really good, close up photo of a turkey's face and you will see their eyes are amazing! (and please don't base your judgement on my crappy drawings!!) Also, I love birds in general because they are so accessible... and turkeys are the biggest bird I'm going to see in the urban wild. Yep, there's a small group of turkeys who live in a forest park a few miles from my home. They occasionally travel! I've seen them stopping traffic on my street and I've seen them wander thru the front yard. How cool is that?! |
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update
sat 7 dec 2013 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2013/20131207.html |
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Last weekend I was getting a head start on Amnesty International's Write for Rights. I wrote letters of protest and notecards of solidarity for 7½ of the ten cases! The letter writing campaign goes through to the 17th of December, and I think I'll have time to finish up the rest before then. I hope you'll join me in writing letters! Amnesty USA provides sample letters that you can just print up and sign, stick it in an envelope and send it on it's way... and you've made a difference in the world! Write for Rights, Scotland 2012: How Letters Change the World This week, I decided to keep going with my drawing project. I won't be able to continue the "daily" part for much longer, since I get distracted with family stuff at the end of december. But until that moment arrives, I am going to go where the inspiration takes me... I wanted to give the Peaceful Prairie turkey some colour...
And then I had to search for some pics that interested me. I found a spoonbill and a dolphin:
And then, moving some of my piles around, I rediscovered my Charley Harper book. He is one of my favorite artists. I thought copic markers would lend themselves wonderfully to the flat colours that Harper uses!
Yeah! Oh my gosh! I had so much fun doing these!! |
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