Artistic License

I got my 'Artistic License' from Brenda Swenson today! The deal is you sketch for 75 days with pen and ink only. I talked about it in earlier posts.
This is just a fun thing to get at the completion of your 75 days.  I don't believe it will have much clout with my other art endeavors!
I am hoping when I get back to painting something other than Christmas art, the drawing will come in handy! Maybe I can draw a little faster!

My Sketchbook Bag

 I have tried several things to carry my stuff in, and I was not really happy with any of it, so I dug through some quilt fabric and picked out 2 companion pieces, and made my own.  I used a huge button from my Mother's Button jar. On the inside.. I made a brush/pencil/pen holder. I have my short handled travel brushes inside. along with pencils & pens. It is big enough,
9.5 x10.5 with a long handle to hold my small palette, sketchbook, and whatever else I want in it.

 

 This is turned wrong side out for you to see the inside.

 Empty bag

Lobster Sketch

I am still sketching every day. This is a photo shared by Debi Watson from Lancaster,PA.
Is sort of awkward drawing in my lap and my windows and roofs are always crooked!

Happy New Year!

 I can't believe how fast this year has flown by!
These are the last sketches for 2012.  I have been so blessed this year to get  to share, paint, create, teach and mentor this past 12 months and I have loved every minute of it. Thank you to each person who has encouraged me, taken classes, bought my art work, or by being my friend.
We were blessed this year because all our family stayed well!  I was blessed to get in 5 books this year. One will be coming out in September 2013.
Hopefully we will all have a great 2013 with lots of good health for us and our families, love, laughter and more new friendships, and not to forget lots of new Paintings!
Thanks to each of you who follow my silly blog, and take the time to mention it to me! It has been a lot of fun for me.  I mainly do it for a record of what I have painted for the  year. It is an awesome record, because I have it printed into a book each year. Every year, they get thicker! So after today, I will be making another new blog book! for 2012! a year that went by way too fast!
Happy New Year to you all!

Thanks to Debi Watson for letting me use her photo to sketch.

Collages of Sketch Books

 This is not all of the sketches, but just wanted to show a small selection of them! Would be nearly impossible to put all of them on here.  Even to put 75 of regular size would be too much!
The first one has the last one in the middle, and the 2nd one is just some more.
If you are an artist and don't keep a sketchbook I recommend that you start! I have done them for a very long time, but never with just pen and ink.
I have always relied on my pencils and erasers.I would draw with pencil, and then go over it with ink.  I took a sketchbook workshop from Don Getz years ago, and he told me to throw my pencil away, but I just couldn't. I just didn't have the confidence to do that!  After seeing what Brenda Swenson and Cathy Johnson and many other artists were doing on face book, I decided I would try it. The first few were very hard for me...to start the ink, knowing it was THERE! But if the line was wrong, I just kept on anyway, and they didn't turn out so bad.The hardest part other than putting down the first mark, is finding something to sketch.  I sketched mainly in the house and all my photos were out in my art room.  So I had to hunt something. I took photos off TV, and went through photos from trips, etc.  I have several that I didn't even photograph. I counted 208, and that wasn't all of them.  75 days, and I missed 6 for some reason.  I recommend you not start with major holidays falling in those days! Jan.1 would be a great time!  I plan on keeping on in my sketchbooks! Let me know if you are starting one! I would love to know.  The bottom photo is the 4 books I used. The first one was about half full, and the 2nd and 3rd were new. The last one has about 20 or so in it. If you ever find one like the red one below with the textured beige paper, I recommend you get it! It is wonderful to draw on! and the paint looks pretty on that color. The one in the middle is one of those 'Visual Journals' with Bristol paper. Very slick and is easy to paint.The one on top is one of Judi Betts sketchbooks. I like them a lot too!

HAPPY SKETCHING!