Happy Thanksgiving

I want to wish all my Artsy blogging friends a Happy Thanksgiving. I don't know what I would do without all your encouragement...nothing no doubt.
And for all of the Thursday doggie peoples... Luna would like to say Happy Thanksgiving too. After all a girl has to be happy when there are so many "drops" in the kitchen and her humans can't finish all the turkey on their plate. MMMmmmmm Makes me drool just thinking about it.
I can't help it if when Mom gets the camera out I start moving toward her. She says it is better than what I used to do when the camera came out... I would run and hide.
Most of my best pictures are when I am napping. I do that best anyway.

Animal Wednesday-Eight-Spotted Forester

My dear Animal Wedensday friends. You might be delighted to know that this is about the last of my bug sketches, that is unless I dig back into some old sketchbooks. I guess this means I will have to get my lazy self busy drawing some more animals. One of my favorite subjects yet I don't seem to draw them often.

This Eight-spotted Forester Moth was on our patio doors this past summer. I thougth it was so colorful. It would never open its wings for me to see but it sat there for quite some time folded like this. HAW to all.

Cactus Monday - Matucana haynei

Here it is another Monday and I got a cactus drawn this weekend. It is Matucana haynei done with Prismacolor pencils. I was trying to figure out how to make the green of the cactus with all those spines when I remembered Teri's black paper. I thought I would use green paper instead. It worked for me. I didn't have a very good grade of green paper this is construction paper. The waxy pencils didn't like to adhere to the paper very good but it was fun trying it. I started to put a bunch of the gravel around the cactus but whew, it is a lot of work to do that. I wore out after just a few rocks were done. I must purchase a better color paper. I would like lots of different colors. I might be inspired to various projects. Happy Cactus monday to all...

Animal Wednesday

This sketch covers Bloomin Tuesday and Animal Wednesday. Bee on a bloom done with colored pencils. I miss the bees already. Next spring they will return, hopefully. HAW to all.

Zentangle Debut

When I did my first zentangle I realized I liked fillingin some of the spaces.


So I did another and filled in lots of space. Then I kept looking at this thinking it didin't look quite right and went back to the web site that Teri told us about and read up a little on them.


I realized that they didn't go edge to edge on their paper. It was more of a free hand drawing.

Although they suggest that you use black ink and fine papers I have used what I have on hand. My sketchbook was here just waiting for some attention and since I like color I have done a few small ones with my colored Sharpies. The one below sort of looks like Broom Hilda came out of her dress as she flew by.

I also reverted back to the full square with the blue. I don't know why that happened.

All I know is that once I started I had a difficult time stopping. It may not be the true zentangle but it is something I enjoyed doing...obviously.

I just wish I had some different colors of markers to use. I also was reminded that I am not a perfectionist which I think would help if you were a true zentanglist. Is that a word or a being?

Cactus Monday - Barrel Cactus

Happy Cactus Monday to all of you Cactuteers out there. I was sitting around with my package of fine point Sharpies doing zentangles in various colors when I remembered it was soon to be Monday. I needed a cactus to display. So here is my rendition of a barrel cactus done in Sharpies. I thought it was interesting that I did a Cactus with Sharpies... giggle?? At least grin... :)

Animal Wedensday - Carrion Beetle

This is a sketch of a Carrion Beetle that landed on our truck while we were out and about this summer. It was the first time I had seen one of these beetles. It landed and when I put the camera up close to get its picture it reared up at me. Interesting creature. This is done with colored pencils. Happy Animal Wednesday...

Cactus Monday - Arrojadoa penicillata

This pretty looking cactus is Arrojadoa penicillata. I find it difficult to resist pink blooms. This is done with colored pencil about 5"x7".

Sweet Fawn

I found a photo of a fawn on Marianne's blog. Marianne does wonderful mandalas that have so much meaning in all that she depicts in her mandalas. This fawn was an inspiration to her and it also gave me the muse but in a totally different way obviously. If you go here to Mariannes blog you will be inspired too. I think I could have done a little better if I had done it in a larger format. It is such a sweet picture. In the actual picture I think there is another fawn in the lower right had corner but you could only see its ear. Wouldn't it be wonderful to stumble upon this setting while walking in the wood?? Have a great weekend.

Portrait of Poppi

I did a sketch of a little girl named Poppi. Her Grandmother has a blog that I read. When Poppi comes to visit Grandmother sometimes posts pictures of this sweet little face. I couldn't resist making an attempt at catching the joy that Grandmother catches in her face.

I was a little heavy handed with teh shadows. This I was disappointed in but overall it is ok. I tried a bit of color in her eyes and on her cheek. I have never put color to a portrait I have done. Her eyes was about the only color in the photo I used as reference.

Animal Wednesday - Tiger

One of my first attempts at painting animals. Happy Animal Wednesday. Sorry if I disappoint Mim. I was up too late last night watching election returns to paint/draw anything. I have a one track mind.

November 4 - Snow Bunting

When you come home from voting today I hope you enjoy having a look see at this sweet little Snow Bunting. I couldn't resist trying to paint it after seeing 9 of them Sunday. Our first for fall.

What a delightful surprise I received in the post today. All the way from South Africa...Sunshine to brighten my day and that it did. A post card from Marianne. This is something I will treasure for years to come for it isn't only a post card but painted by Marianne. Many many thanks to you Marianne. Not only is this my first 'personally made' post card but my first post card from South Africa. I have a nice collection of post cards from friends that have traveled to many places in the world. Hugs and Peace to you Marianne.

Cactus Monday - November 3

Pam over at Digging is a great photographer and gardener. I am always inspired by her blog. She was just talking about her 'Santa Rita' Prickly Pear cactus turning to its winter purplish color. Her photo gave me the inspiration for this Cactus Monday painting. Besides I have been busy at work decorating for Christmas os the Santa part of the name of the cactus also inspired me. Happy Cactus Monday to all the Cacuteers.

November 2, 2008

Here is a page out of my sketch book. I am going to try to do a page every day but I will obviously have to dip back into my book from time to time. This should be interesting. I don't sketch every day normally. I usually sketch in spurts. I might do two or three one day and none another day. I am always inspired by those people that sketch daily. If you are one of those people, do you have a sketchbook for daily sketching or do you have several sketchbooks going at one time. Or like this doing a sketch every day in november, do you have a sketchbook just for this?? What size do you use? This is one of those small moleskine watercolor books. Sometimes I need a larger book. This doesn't let me move the paint as well as say some arches wc paper.

Anyway, I hope your Sunday went as well as could be. It is a beautiful day here. We are savoring it as a cold front will move in shortly. Maybe this will spur me to paint more than being outside running around. Ha...

November 1

This little bird is the Robin ,Erithacus rubecula, that you would find in Britain. He is the reason our American Robin got its name. When the early settlers came from England they saw our AMerican Robin with its red breast it reminded them of their Robin back home.