Twelve Days of Boots

Ree Drummond,  the Pioneer Woman,  has a giveaway just before Christmas every year where she gives away a pair of boots every day for 12 days.  I love cowboy boots,  and I love to draw them even more.  During the past few years I have picked out a few boots to draw but this year I challenged myself to draw all 12.  We'll see how it goes. 

Giacomo Puccini

Years ago, I bought a CD titled, "Tuscany".  The CD was a collection of beautiful, peaceful music that I enjoyed very much.  I had almost forgotten about it until we started to plan our trip to Italy.  I began to play it over and over in my studio leading up to our trip.  When we got to Lucca, Italy, we were told we were going to tour Giacomo Puccini's birthplace.  I didn't realize until we got there, how much of the music I had grown to love was written by Puccini!  He wrote so many beautiful operas and arias.  He is very popular in Italy and street performers all over Florence and Lucca played his music. 

My journal wouldn't be complete without Giacomo Puccini, so I wanted to add my version of his stamp to my Italy sketchbook!

My granddaughter's Goose

We were heartbroken a few weeks ago when my granddaughter's goose died during a severe thunderstorm here in Texas.  I was doing some very quick sketches of him in my sketchbook....

His name was "Silly".

Sketchbook

Last week was busy.  I did however, manage to do a few sketches.  Monday, I had time for a cup of coffee and a sketch while waiting for Wayne to finish his workout.....

 This is the front desk and one of the comfy chairs in the lobby.

We're on TV!

Last month when our Urban Sketchers DFW group met at the Irving Convention Center to sketch, the Irving Community Television Network was there to do a video of our group. The link to view the video is here.

This was my drawing that day....

 I thought they did a wonderful job on the video! 

Hawk Selfie

A little fun in my sketchbook....

New Leather Journal

I love my sketchbooks and right now, I have at least 4 that I am working in at the same time. Each one has a different purpose.  My daily journal is the one I carry with me to sketch anything that strikes me as interesting at the moment.  It is really more of a diary and even though I don't write much in it, my sketches journal where I have been and what I have been doing.

One of my favorite journals was purchased from Iona Handcrafted Books at the Main Street Festival in Ft. Worth several years ago.  It is a very special, very beautiful journal that, although it is worth every penny, was more than I have ever spent on a sketchbook.  I looked at it for a year before I touched it with a pencil.  I was afraid that I would mess it up! I now use it to document the travels Wayne and I have made.  Since I started drawing in it, I am not as afraid of ruining it and have even added some ink and watercolor.  But when I sketch on a trip, graphite (my favorite medium) smears before I return home to spray it with fixative.

Another book artist that I follow is Mind's Eye Journals.  She makes gorgeous leather journals too.  I love the leather books, the smell, the feel, the cool factor!  And as I said before, although they are worth every penny, it is more than I can spend on a sketchbook. 

After watching Youtube videos, studying the Iona journal that I own, and finding inspiration from Minds Eye and Iona, I have decided to try to make my own journal.  I found a great deal on a very large piece of leather and I bought large sheets of Strathmore Mixed Media paper from Blick Art Supplies. By hand making my own leather journal, I am completely customizing it to my needs.  The Mixed Media paper is a 90lb paper that is nice to draw on and can take ink or light watercolor washes.  It is also cheaper than watercolor paper, a better choice for a first try at journal making.

To address the problem of my drawings smearing before I am able to spray them with fixative, I am putting tracing paper between each sheet of paper.  With it bound into the book, I won't have to try to hang onto loose sheets of tracing paper.  This is my work so far......

 The leather....

The papers.....

Folding and layering the paper and tracing paper......

The papers folded into signatures.....

A preview of what the journal will look like after the signatures are stitched.....

I am really excited to start stitching!  I haven't decided on a closure yet.  Stay tuned for updates!

Sermon Notes

Inspired by Vicky Williamson's Blog I have started carrying a sketchbook to church.  I have been sketching on church bulletins for years, but they get scattered or eventually thrown away. I always intend to go back and reread the scriptures and lessons but don't always do that.  I figured, with a designated sketchbook, I would have all my notes in one book and they wouldn't get lost.  I took my daily journal to church this weekend and it is a little too large for this purpose.  So I will look for a smaller one soon.  But I will share my little sketches with you today....

500 Prompts Continued....

My son bought a sketchbook for me, 500 Prompts, that I had been working in and then set aside when I got busy with other projects.  Last night, I picked it up again and this is the result.....

More drawings from this sketchbook here, here and here.

Perot Museum

My son, daughter-in-law and their 3 kids met me on the train and we rode to Dallas and toured the Perot Museum.  It is such a unique building, I had to draw it.  The escalator is on the outside of the building!  We saw many interesting exhibits and had a great time together!

Sketchbook

Several months ago, I drove to Oklahoma City to see my Dad.  Of course, I drew the room I was staying in! : ) The floor plan was different than anywhere I've stayed so it was fun to draw. 

Happy Groundhog Day!

Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow!!

Sketchbook

I have several sketches in my art journal I haven't posted yet.  Some date back several months.  I will be posting them in the next few days while we finish the studio.  We are so close to finishing!  I am so excited!


These are the toys Gus got for Christmas.....

The squirrels in the tree trunk are his favorite and have held up well.  I stuff the squirrels (or maybe chipmunks?) in the trunk and he pulls them out.  Occasionally,  I 'll stuff a treat or a tennis ball or bone in there too.  The other toys he got didn't do as well......

A Lazy Weekend

We spent the 4th of July weekend at Wayne's sister's home in Houston.  It was very muggy but surprisingly, we were able to spend plenty of time on their beautiful back patio in the shade, drinking lemonade and enjoying time together.  Ann has a hanging swing that is sooo comfortable.  While we sat and talked about everything from politics to gardening, I sketched in my new sketchbook. 

Oil Change

Today I carried my sketchbook with me to get the oil changed in our car.  There were quite a few people in the waiting room which meant two things.....1. I had alot of subjects and 2. I was going to be there for a long time.   I started out trying to sketch the lady sitting across from me.  But I think she figured out what I was up to because she began squirming.  So, instead, I decided to sketch feet.  

 

Blue Heron

We saw this Blue Heron in North Carolina while on a walking trail with our daughter and grandchildren.  He took off when we tried to take his photo.  I still got several slightly fuzzy photos as he flew away. 

Saturday

As I said in the comments section here, our visitor ended up in my sketchbook!

Goose

Geese around my daughter's home are as plentiful as doves at our home in Texas.

 

Goat

This is one of the goats my grandchildren enjoyed petting at the farm we visited in North Carolina....

Dogwood

I have started filling my sketchbook with drawings from the photos I took while on vacation in North Carolina.  We were on the go so much I didn't stop to sketch then, but I took lots of photos to work from at home.  I love Dogwood trees.  My parents planted one in our yard when I was a child.  They are beautiful when they bloom. We saw hundreds of them in North Carolina so I wanted to add one to my sketchbook as a reminder of our trip.