Mola #1

My first Panama inspired art, in the style of the Kuna natives of Panama.  There's lots wrong with it that someone familiar with it would see it's not done by someone who knows anything about their style, but it's just the first of my series.  This is acrylic in my (#10) 12x12 mom-made sketchbook of old, non-archival paper that's already going brown and crispy.

Sketchcrawl day on the Panama Canal

Hehe, not much to sketch on the Panama Canal. Most of the time you're just surrounded by walls. I transited through all the chambers, all the way from the Atlantic side to the Pacific Ocean. The cruise ship only went through the Gatun Locks, I hopped (literally) onto a smaller boat to complete the transit all the way through the Pedro Miguel locks and Mira Flores locks. We went back to the ship on a bus.

I sprained my knee on the Panama Canal, thus the hopping. I was passing though the seats and someone didn't pull their legs in and I tripped over their shoes. I didn't fall, I caught myself but twisted my knee. I hopped straight to the drink cooler and grabbed a chunk of ice. Mom brought an elastic bandage I could use for compression, and I kept it elevated whenever possible. The only thing I didn't do was stay off of it because we got back to to boat late, then had an early excursion the next day. I happened to have an accupuncture appointment for that (Panama) evening (for my back) and she did sort of an accupuncture first aid on the knee. Don't know if it works but between that and the herbal oil/gel she sold me, it's healing pretty fast after the knee popped back into place two days later. Anyway, it kind of killed my mobility for moving into places where I could sketch my trip, so I'll be sketching from my photos.

Lizard Lips

Same reference as last post. ATC size in my (home made) fanfold canson paper sketchbook. My gooseneck lamp finally died, I declared it dangerous after it blew up two lightbulbs: Here is my last drawing of it, I've done it many times for scavenger hunt. It has served me well. I had to pull out the electrical parts so that Mom (who can't throw anything away, I did try) won't blow up any lightbulbs or blow the house fuses.

First 2011 goal

Yay, finished one of the sketchbooks on my list, the 4x6 inch aquabee. Actually I've also put away two others, but they were writing journals that are more private and I don't usually put up on the web. I think this is Sketchbook #12 in my list of completed sketchbooks. I did actually do several more sketches. I tried to collage them in photoshop but that ended in frustration for lack of time. Mom came in and started demanding more of my time while I was working on it.

Dizzy Lizzy

I was supposed to be working on a lesson plan. I'd rather paint. 24 hours later, I'd still rather do art, no progress on that lesson plan. Acrylic paint on 11x14 hardboard. This is only as much as fit in the scanner. Reference from gourdburner on wetcanvas.

WDE pelican

Something from this week's WDE references. I haven't done WDE for over a year. Acrylic in the 4x6 inch Aquabee. I'm really happy with it considering I don't have black paint with me. I probably won't be uploading this to Wetcanvas, no time to comment on the other WDE work. I think that means I'm relaxed if I can crank out art as easily as I'm doing this weekend.

Edit: Improved some things, better scan.

vacation sketches

View of the living room (also floor lamp & table lamp for scavenger hunt) acrylics in a 6x8 inch watercolor pad. Started as a pen & wash. Then I added watersoluble graphite to darken some areas. It just got all muddied up so I covered it all with acrylic paint.

Mandalay Beach looking toward Ventura. Watersoluble graphite on ATC size watercolor paper. Sketched during my walk on the beach. Resisting the urge to add color, but even though the sun came out, the dominating color was gray. Can't see all the way to Ventura today, can't see the Channel Islands.

How I spent my summer vacation (day)

Driving mom, sitting in parking lots, sketching! This is watercolor & ink in the 4x6 Aquabee.

ATC oil pastels

I was away from home last weekend and found myself wanting to sketch but I hadn't brought my sketch kit. (It's been misplaced.) I came home and had an idea to make really small sketchbooks, ATC sized pages, fanfold style. That idea has worked out great because I used Canson Mi-Tientes paper. Not all mediums work well on this paper but it's thin and folds well for fanfold. I found references on Wetcanvas.

Yea, I know I broke composition rules (especially touching the sides), but this is TINY and oil pastel sticks are FAT. I never participated in ATC trades because I'm just not that prolific. It really makes you think about composition. It didn't take long to do these, but now I'm stuck for ideas. I only need 6 more to fill this little book.

I don't have a message

In my recent "busy-ness" with work, I couldn't relax enough in the down time to draw or create. But with the surplus income, some discounted scrapbooking materials have been finding their way into my art supplies. Cheap stuff, but now I don't know what to do with it. I do take photographs and sometimes I print them, not usually for my self. I don't have a passion to focus on beyond art. Tonight I started cutting out letters for the message I don't have. I don't have patience for cutting, either. That was abandoned after the first letter. I drew some great letters though. This is collage in the 9x12 brown paper sketchbook.

Ruptured

This is more what I had in mind when I thought of "raptor." Prismacolor Art Stix in the 9x12 brown paper sketchbook. Green is the color I had in mind over the brown of the actual model.

Just Playing

A bit of imagination. Couple pages from cleaning my palette. OP over acrylic. My imaginary raptor (bird of prey) still looks too much like my ol' parrot. Couple of pages in the brown paper sketchbook, one of the ones on my 2011 art goals list. On 5/21/11 when that old dude predicted the end of the world "rapture", my crazy brain came up with a picture of flock of big old pre-historic birds of prey coming down to snatch up the 200,000 people (or whatever that number was.) Guess the big birds got lost in modern air traffic control.