Mola #3

I was on a roll last night. Acrylic on 9x12 inch cardboard off one of the pads of paper I actually finished last year.
Edit: picture update to make it look less like a yellow brick road.
Edit2: picture disappeared!

Happy New Year 2012

I had time! I used it to paint another mola attempt. Not yet true to the style but it's getting there. I do like how the panda turned out. 8x10 inch acrylic on watercolor paper mounted on--I think it was a book cover in a previous life.

Almost forgot, 2012new years resolution: Very simply, use up as much acrylic paint as possible. The goal post is actually to get to a point where I have only Golden Opens and Golden Fluid acrylics.

As for last year's goals, I only finished one sketchbook. I closed out several writing journals, but I only count one sketchbook. So if I use up as much acrylic paint as I can, the sketchbooks and paper accumulation will take care of themselves.

Smooshing paint

Except for my vacation time, I've been too busy this year to sketch or work on art.  The lack of creativity has been frustrating when I have had time.   Does anyone actually read these shareholder updates that the companies are required to send?  I found a new use for them!  I'm scribbling in them.  Since it's something I'd throw away anyway, they're less precious than sketchbooks or pads that I spent money on (even if I only paid $1 for the pad.)  I will throw them away when I'm done.

It's time again to make decisions on my 401k.  All these funds feels like throwing money into a black hole.   I'm really good at my job but these financial things might as well be printed in Greek for all I understand of it.  I have seen an advisor--then it's like Greek translated into Korean and when it gets back to English, the original meaning is lost so the information is still useless to me.

I have a pad at work next to my keyboard.  When I have trouble focusing, I doodle on the pad.  Sometimes it looks like zentangles, mostly it looks like a to-do list with little sketches inserted between the blocks I cross off.  I think I have panda on the brain.  Lately I've been drawing pandas. 

PS:  Jo, thanks for visiting.  Congrats on the new house.

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.