Zoo Sketches

Elephant Odessy, water soluble graphite & micron pen in the 6x8 inch sketchbook.

Condor in the 4x6 inch Aquabee, watersoluble graphite. Only 10 more pages to go in this sketchbook.

8 hours at the San Diego Zoo, I only got 4 sketches. I took a ton of pictures until my battery ran down almost an hour to closing. Lots of walking and I still didn't see it all. Too much walking for Mom. I did get to see polar bears and pandas. Missed out on the big cats and monkeys.

On Vacation

The portable scanner lost some data at the page transition of the double page spread. I was relaxing in the room and I felt like sketching it with a Bic pen in my Pentalic Journal.

Worldwide Sketchcrawl

I knew I'd have a busy day, so I intended to do Worldwide Sketchcrawl #30 "in spirit." Had a good start 8am at the Navy Base but was too busy to sketch the rest of the day. Drove out to Auntie's house (100 miles) where she immediately put me to work. I've also had her computer for 2 months while she was on vacation because her dial up wasn't working. I had updated windows, virus scanner, etc. from my wifi but never had a chance to work on her dial up because I don't have a phone line. Threw up my hands after 2 hours and went to the local McDonalds to download some drivers. Got it working on my netbook, then got it working on her computer. Got home at 10pm.

I've been wanting to sketch these...

2 of 3 pen drawings I did in the Strathmore #2 sketchbook. I had looked forward to seeing the boat (1st picture) in Hong Kong but I never did.

1/1/11 I like that date, gotta use it

I scored a pen set in the after-Christmas sales. It included a fountain pen, which is what I bought it for, and the rest is poor quality crap. I loaded it in the car, put it away to do more shopping, then pulled it out while I waited. It leaked blue ink all over me. Stained my jeans, stained my t-shirt, permanently. So I've been using it as a dip pen and it's working great that way. No fear of leaks, either. It's re-ignited my interest in fountain pens and dip pens so I've pulled out my old nibs, nib holder, and inks to draw and write with. Now there's a black feather topped dip pen calling me from Barnes & Noble. Don't have any room for it at the moment but I'll get one of the cute little bottles of ink next time I'm there.

32 more pages in this sketchbook (Strathmore #2). I started the 12 days of Christmas challenge and gave up after day 4. Never intended to post it unless I actually finished the challenge, oh well.

2011 Art goals

I know it's early, but I just decided what I want to do. 2010 is almost finished and I didn't have much drive or strive this year, so I'm going to kick it into gear for 2011. My goal: to finish up the following sketchbooks...

1. Aquabee 4x6 inch, only 13 pages left. I started it on 6/15/2007.
2. Homemade sketchbook, 6x8.5 inch. About a dozen pages left of pastel paper. Started 8/11/2009.
3. Canson watercolor, 6x8 inch. 12 pages left. First sketch was 9/4/2009.
4. Strathmore WetMedia, 9x12 inch. 20 of 30 pages left (actually 10 pages, front & back.) First sketch is dated 8/23/2009.
5. Moleskine Cahier, 5x8 inch. I am exactly at the half-way fold. Started as my notebook for an art class 1/7/2008.
6. Strathmore Drawing #1, 6x8 inch, 41 pages left (that's 20, front & back.) First sketch is dated 3/26/09. I used to keep this one in my desk at work. Then when I got laid off, it just sat in the box of personal stuff that I took home on my last day. I couldn't bear to go through it until I started needing stuff again when I found a job.
7. Strathmore Drawing #2, 6.8 inch. Also about 40 pages left. First sketch was 4/9/10. I knew where the other was but one day I found myself in an art shop to cheer up and I found a deal on Prisma Art Stix. I bought the sketchpad have something to scribble in with the new art stix.
8. Pentalic 6x8 leather journal. Started 2/3/08 with sketches from Hong Kong. I'm almost exactly half-way through the 1/2 inch thick journal. I found it too big & heavy to carry around every day. Doubtful I'll finish it in 2011 but it's on my list anyway.
9. Earthbound Cachet, 9x12 inch. Started 6/30/2008. I'd guess I've used about 1/3 of the sketchbook. That's alot of sketches to fill this one up.
10. Homemade by Mom, 12x12 inch. Old, decaying, crispy crunchy, very acidic, and getting browner every day. It's over an inch thick and I've used maybe 6 pages so far, only using one side because it won't lay flat. Started in October 2010 for Artsomofo. It's on my list so that I'd have an even 10 items on my list, but it should have priority over the Pentalic and the Earthbound (#8 & 9) journals.
    

Why? OMG, I bought another sketchbook! I couldn't resist the paper, it's hemp and so soft. I'm determined not to start another sketchbook until I make a big dent in the list, above. Waiting in the wings:

1. 6x11 inch Lama Li hemp sketchbook. I have yet to see what it's good for, but the pages and the cover were irristable.
2. About 6x11 inch, Pentalic Water Color Journal. Beautiful leather cover, but I really bought it for the paper which feels incredible and stiff so it won't buckle. I rebound it, awefully, trying to get it to lay flat so that I could do a double spread like the Moleskines. Might have to try binding it again.
3. I started a 4x6 leather covered journal 3/9/2009, exactly at the half-way fold. I think it's listed at Barnes & Nobel with "prayer string." Awesome feel inside and out. I have another one waiting in the wings but it doesn't have the decorative stitching on the cover. This isn't in the first list because it'll return to it when I finish up my current "carry around" notebook in a few months.
4. & 5. I have A3 & A4 size Moleskine Folios that I only ever intended to use for plein air, hopefully acrylic sketching. It's still meant for plein air, if I ever get a chance again. I have other little Moleskine sketchbooks that aren't listed above. They're designated for trips until I get close to the end. Woudn't want to run out away from home.

Desktop doodling

I didn't realize it's been over a month since I posted art. I doodled a bunch of stuff on my desk in my 4x6 inch journal that I always carry with a black gel pen. I think it'll fit a couple scavenger hunt items too.

Artsomofo #4

Acrylic in the 12x12 sketchbook. Started out playing with color, then used it as a background for scavenger hunt 197. The "bear hug" picture was from my birthday. Color's off but I just don't have daylight time to take a proper photo, so it's an indoor photo.

Sketchcrawl #29

It was rainy Saturday. If I hadn't stuff to do, I probably wouldn't have gone out at all. First stop of the day was to Midas to get my truck measured for a head gasket. Then I got a set of fat sharpies and a new box for it. For some reason I've been wanting to draw with fat lines lately.
I drew it over lunch with Mom at a Chinese/fusion restaurant...with the new sharpies.After a few a couple shops, we settled in the a bookstore cafe for my last sketch.

Oh, we did go one more place...Sam's Club to develop some pictures. I didn't sketch there, though. Went home and spent the rest of the day wrestling with wi-fi/computer issues.

Artsomofo #2

Started out with a rainbow, it turned into sunflowers. I electronically cropped the 12x12 inch original. Acrylics. The picture's not fuzzy, I used a fat brush to paint it.

Chayote Squash

Like the last post, this is acrylic paints in a 12x12 inch handmade sketchbook Mom made years years ago. It's not great paper, not acid free and it's already yellowed and brittle. I also used it as an item in this week's scavenger hunt.

Scavenger Hunt 194

An unfinished page with items from Scavenger Hunt 194 at Wetcanvas, hosted by Jeanne. I've been inspired this week. Took a couple days to prepare the squares before I could paint the items in.