The most beautiful day

My favorite homespun dog command, used especially for Brix, is CHILL! It usually catches his attention and he backs off whatever ruckus he's creating.

It's a great command for me too. I had a block of time today so I settled myself on the back deck and drew geraniums. The temperature was perfect, something in the 70s, there was a gentle breeze and the dogs were wandering in and out but quietly pursuing their little wants. More days like this, please!

We're taking Demi to the vet tomorrow morning and hope to come home with.... hope. I would like some sort of treatment plan that will offer her more good years, something to extend her days on earth. I've been living with a poor prognosis for over six years, it's that sort of thing I want for my dog. The poor prognosis is a given for us both, but can she, like me, be on the far right tail end of the bell-shaped curve? That's my goal for tomorrow.

Warmer day, cold night

I don't know whose cute puppy this is but she came in an advertisement in my mailbox this afternoon. I tried to copy her and named her Taffy, don't ask me why. Well, actually what happened was that my daughter, who is working her way through an italic penmanship workbook, asked for help and one of the words in the exercise was the name Taffy. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Today was pleasant, sweater weather at most, but it's quite chilly now. The next couple days are supposed to be warmer and warmest before the temperature drops again.
bunch who have worked themselves onto an honor unit. I brought in a gazillion National Geographics and invited them to make fantasy creatures and mythical animals. They jumped right into it and some turned out quite well. After I make a few more I'll post mine.

Try something new

One of my favorite technique books for learning how to travel with a sketchbook is given exactly that title: THE ART OF TRAVEL WITH A SKETCHBOOK: Six Tips to Get Started, by Mari Le Glatin Keis. I mentioned it once before on this blog and am now reading it again.

One of her techniques involves drawing over an article in a local newspaper. News junkie that I am, I do buy newspapers when I travel. I have never drawn over an article. In our own Sunday paper today there was a cute article on waitering when everything goes wrong, with an accompanying photograph. I decided to attempt this draw-over-it method.

I tore out the article because I liked the ragged edges and glued it in my Moleskine. Then I painted over part of it with white gouache to give myself some drawing space. Then I sketched from the photo -- if I were traveling I would draw my surroundings -- and used Prismacolor pencils to make the ink drawing more colorful.

I'm glad I practiced before using this idea on site because I learned that it is easy to apply pencil and black ink over gouache but the colored pencils weren't happy with that surface and balked a little. I also learned that when I tried to thin the gouache the paper began to wrinkle with the extra water. And I was reminded that I still don't know how to draw faces and it's beginning to cramp my style. Still and all, when I travel I would consider this technique for added interest in a sketchbook and fully intend to use it. Now.... where should I go?

Hot days of summer???

Yesterday and today have been our first tastes of summer. I was lucky, I had absolutely nothing on my calendar for today so took it as a real day off. For a couple hours I sat outside on the deck and used my watercolor pencils to sketch my immediate surroundings. What most pleased me about this was that, one year ago, I tried to do something similar and was unable to get past one unconvincing barrel. I've improved!! And next year, when I try again, I'll be able to do even better yet, I just know it...

Just start from the beginning

I found a bound book of toned paper that looked like it would accept black pen quite well. I decided to dedicate it to the Everyday Matters challenges that began to be posted once a week a few years ago. I've done a few of them but my drawing skills are still weak and it's only now that I feel comfortable committing to a true project of a couple hundred inky sketches. I want to start from the very beginning - EDM Challenge #1 Draw a shoe - and procede from there.

The temperature soared into the low 80s today, a precursor of the summer to come. It was a gorgeous day. Even I, who prefer the cool rainy season, had to acknowledge that it was a day to get outside and do .... anything. Yesterday I mowed the front yard (Steve was thrilled, he loathes every moment of yard work) and today I took Parisse for a walk.

That's actually a momentous statement - I took Parisse for a walk. She's our special education dog, the one who is afraid of everything and who probably has some kind of neurological damage and/or possible retardation. When she still belonged to Canine Companions for Independence I took her to five different veterinarians and got five different diagnoses. The canine ophthalmalogist couldn't find any kind of vision problem so it's something else.

Anyway, one of the way her "issues" manifest is her total unwillingness to walk outdoors. She can run in a pack on play days and looks normal then, but no one I know has ever seen a dog so incapable of walking. I could drag her for 50 miles, but that's just what would happen -- once she decided she was not going to walk she really would NOT walk. CCI evaluated her and released her from their program when she was ten months old -- definitely not service dog material! So we kept her.

Today, on a whim, I put a leash on her flat collar and decided to see if she would walk a house or two away right here in our own neighborhood. She was quite curious, sniffing the grass on everyone's yard. Usually we don't allow that behavior but I was so thrilled to see her enjoying herself that it was way to early to train for that! So she walked, she sniffed, she forged occasionally but not badly and we passed the first house, the second, the third. When we reached the corner I had her cross over the street and walk down the length of a second block and circle around until we were back home.

It was a short walk -- ten minutes -- but Parisse walked! We met up with a neighbor who was walking his little Yorkie, there were a couple cats who caught Parisse's attention and there were all those smells on the grass. My hope is that we can develop this new ability. My plan is to take that same walk a couple times a day and gradually lengthen it into another block, new sights, new smells -- but Parisse can walk!

Hands up, hands up!!

Special Olympics is holding a basketball tournament here in northern California this weekend. I'm trying to make the shift from drawing from photographs to drawing from life and took this as an opportunity to sketch while my daughter played. Her team was on an outdoor court so I was drawing in public too. I've become quite shameless, not really caring who looks or says what since my own goal is to complete one page and get it posted on my blog by midnight!

TGIF on Sunday night

This was one of those days that was just hard. Period. We visited a new-to-us parish this morning, which was fun because we knew several others there. I couldn't sketch very well so my line drawings look particularly clumsy and flat -- especially Beulie who was sleeping in her usual tight circle at my feet. I love to draw her but today she came out looking more like a rubber stamp!

This evening our daughter celebrated her birthday again since her real birthday fell on Easter Day. She invited ten disabled adult friends from her day program and we all feasted on pizza and birthday cake at a nearby restaurant where we go every year for the same occasion. I find this event to be quite stressful. I want everyone to have a good time but I'm not familiar with each of their conditions and am not sure how to be helpful -- whether to jump in or stay out. I lack in patience. Still and all, there was much laughter and a general lightness to the event and everyone SAID they had a good time. I know they loved meeting Beulie.

Before we left for the restaurant I began the pencil foundation for the entire Van Gogh painting that I'm working on. Just for the practice I decided to grid my paper and the reproduction that I'm working from and draw the lines, square by square. I didn't get very far but it has already been helpful. The first thing I noticed is that I perceive lines as much longer than they are. Over and over again I had to erase because I came to the end of a square but the "real" painting showed that the line didn't extend nearly that far. I hope this improves my overall ability after I've learned to sight things better or find a way to adjust for my misperceptions.

The earliest Easter ever

I hope all of you who celebrated Easter today had a day as wonderful as mine. Our grandchildren were here with their mom - our daughter - and our son-in-law. Later our son and daughter-in-law telephoned from out of state. So everyone was accounted for and everyone seemed to be enjoying the day.

Although this Easter was unusually early, the weather was absolutely perfect -- not too cool, not hot, just outstandingly gorgeous here in northern California. The vineyards are just beginning to bud out a little, there's just about an inch of green on some of the vines and the mustard is starting to dwindle. How fortunate can we be!

Steve cooked a wonderful dinner, a traditional meal for our family -- ham from Burger's Smokehouse in the Missouri Ozarks (which he orders online a couple times a year), twice-baked potatoes, fresh green beans with almonds and a spinach and orange/apple salad. And, since we were also celebrating a birthday, our daughter brought in a wonderful three-layer coconut cake which she had baked.

To unwind a bit I drew the lily Steve brought home a couple days ago and collaged a couple sketches from church this morning.

Just one of those days

First my daughter woke up with a 102º temperature after a night of coughing. Then the ATM machine ate my card this afternoon. Things went downhill from there. Beulie did everything wrong in her training class. After we left she pooped in the parking lot and came home and peed on the living room rug. My perfect puppy, the one I'm counting on to excel in advanced training and get placed with someone who really, really needs her!

To console myself, although I didn't get home until almost 10:00 pm, totally fried, I painted this cheerful flower. I have no idea what it is, but it was the best thing that happened all day.

Step back once, go forward twice

I had to make a decision today -- not draw at all or drop back a few levels and at least do something. I chose the latter. I don't typically enjoy fast food restaurants but I was caught in between the two kids' groups I was facilitating and was twenty miles away from home. So Beulie and I stopped in and I drew for a few minutes and added the color after 10:00 when I was finally home. That's my last late Wednesday for six months, yeah! more time to draw!

Don't look at me like that

I should have become a meteorologist when I grew up. I seem to spend an inordinate amount of time gazing at the weather, wondering when a shift will come, what will happen next. I especially dislike weather that just sits there, day after day, always bright and sunny, always the same. Today it was bright and sunny but now it's dark and cloudy with the promise of some slight drizzle, colder temperatures tomorrow and the generally unsettled weather pattern that happens in northern California at this time of year.

I've tried several times to draw this deer that my husband photographed in Yosemite. The deer is standing still but I'm not quite getting it. I have no excuse, it's not even moving!

Cheep, cheep, cheep, cheep, cheeeeeeep!

I finished my chicken panels this evening. The little chick looked like it was wearing a hair shirt at first but I added some gouache and that helped a little (until I learn how to show fluff).

Today was an outstanding day here in northern California. Temperatures are about ten degrees above normal, into the low 70s. The dogs have been sunbathing out on the deck -- the boards are warm and they lay there like basking turtles or teeny boppers in their new swim suits. In and out, in and out, they love their new freedom of being able to wonder outdoors as often as they like.

Chicken Little strikes again

I've been working a lot of hours and getting behind in my sketchbook. This evening I began a four panel project of watercolored chickens, something I know nothing about (but it struck me as a fun idea). I completed two and will tweak them and continue on tomorrow. At least that's the plan and the hope, to finish tomorrow. Chickens are full of attitude, struttin' around impressed with themselves. Or so it seems to me.

Yes I can!

Whenever I look through someone else's travel sketchbook there always seems to be a page of airport sketches. Bored passengers are shown reading their newspapers, checking the flight schedules, drinking soda, sleeping, working their crossword puzzles and trying to be patient.

I've never been able to draw these people, but I want to because it certainly is part of the whole travel experience. So this afternoon I took Beulie with me to Starbucks. She fell asleep under the table while I nursed my latté and drew a guy sitting across the room. Two-thirds through my very first attempt he suddenly folded up his newspaper, stood up and walked out. Well! What's a mother to do? I gathered up the stuff on my table, woke up my dog, stood up and walked out too! But I'll be back... and on nice days I'll go to a park and try again. I really want to learn how to draw people doing their peopley things so the next time I travel I can include that page too.

We woke up to sunshine today but it wasn't long before the clouds blew in. Rain is forecast for the next three days, at least. I worked several hours today and didn't get home until after 9:00 tonight but the rest of the week will be lighter. Good. I can watch the rain. I don't know how to draw rain either.

Last night I finished reading Julia Cameron's latest book, THE WRITING DIET. It's a self-help book on .... writing yourself thin. Will it work? I need to lose weight. I am one of Julia Cameron's most faithful followers. When THE ARTIST'S WAY came out in 1992 I was there, reading each week's portion and working the program. I repeated the 12-weeks. I started several Artist's Way groups and walked others through the chapters. We all succeeded. One woman opened a business, others turned to the arts. I enrolled in graduate school and began a new career. Julia Cameron was not the only influence in that time of my life but she was a major player.

So it feels as though she and I go back a long way. And therefore I am inclined to trust that if I continue writing my three pages every morning (I have stacks and stacks of old journals now) and follow her probing prompts and keep a food journal, it's likely I will lose weight. This from someone who ate pizza for supper and pumpkin pie for dessert (it's a veggie serving). Uh.... it will be a challenge.

Practice, practice, practice

It's lucky for me that Beulie sleeps so much and will usually hold a position long enough for me to practice drawing her. I love to draw my dogs! I like to make that large arc from the head around the body and take note of the tail tucked in to complete the circle. Dogs are naturally graceful that way.

I recall a friend telling me years ago that she never drew a face or object that she didn't then love. I can understand that now. The more time I take with one drawing, the more details I notice, - the more I see this animal or person or object as unique from every other one of its kind and therefore appreciate it so much more.

But that's not why I want to learn to draw. I want to learn to draw because I feel compelled to and the fringe benefit is that I observe so much more. I often feel as though I wander through the world without sight but when I draw I begin to see.

Also this evening I drew another favorite subject, the little bridge in a local park. It's a preliminary sketch for the homework I plan to complete tomorrow for Kate Johnson's online watercolor pencil class. I'll redraw it tomorrow and eventually add color and landscaping. There are tall weeds and flowering plants nearby that I hope I can work into the drawing tomorrow.

May I read your journal?

Call me voyeuristic, but I love to read other people's journals. For me this week, it was so fun to nonstop read bits of 30+ journals, all illustrated and written in various styles. Jennifer New has put together a lovely compilation of part sketchbook/part diary from many walks of life, each example exquisite as it stands, however different from the ones that precede and follow it.

At Juvenile Hall this week I was asking the girls if they keep journals. Many said they used to but only a couple still do. We make art journals every week there, always adding pages that are somehow related to the day's topic. Since I hoped to add journaling as a tool they can use to reduce stress and encourage insight, I held up two of my own journals. One, I said, is all words. I have about 50 of those. The other one is a combination of words and drawings and I flipped through the pages to demonstrate.

The girls were attentive, a little surprised, perhaps, that an adult would trust them with something so personal, but they immediately became more talkative about their journaling experiences and got busy with the pages they wanted to add in the simple ones we work on each session.

This afternoon, I took a few minutes to sketch my sleeping dog, Beulie, in a journal of my own.

Good news so just keep drawing

Yesterday I had my semi-annual CT scan, chest x-ray and about a thousand blood tests. The cancer in my bones is still visible but there has been no progression there or in organs and soft tissue. The labs came back looking great too. All in all, after some breath-holding, it was the best possible result that I could hope for. So, while I can't claim NED status (no evidence of disease), I am still in remission. It felt like permission to go ahead and live for the next six months and hope there are no new symptoms in the meantime. Yay!

I'm continuing to pursue my interest in old stone and spooky doorways. This sketch, drawn with a felt-tip brush and pen, is of a 17th century columbarium in England.

Oh, the weather report, I almost forgot. It rained and rained and rained today, serious rain. I saw the boys at Juvenile Hall and, since they couldn't go outside, they were especially receptive to Arts and Crafts. It's exactly two weeks before Valentine's Day so we wove hearts, Scandinavian style. It was a challenge but they were proud as punch to have cards to mail to "their ladies."

Just mucking around

If you really are bored and have nothing to do, be sure to check out my new jigsaw puzzles on the right. They're fun!

I was working off and on today and grabbed my sketchbook in between. I didn't feel motivated or inspired -- I really need to collect ideas and photos that I can't wait to work with -- so just turned pages in a magazine and drew what caught my attention. I was going to make a page of eyes but the eyes connected to the nose and the nose connected to the mouth and all of it connected to the face. I wish I had just stuck with the eyes. Eyes are so fun to draw, so expressive, so unique one to the other -- even on the same face -- and I could have filled an entire page just with eyes. Maybe tomorrow!

It is so cold here today! The furnace has been grinding away all day, I threw a few logs on the fireplace to stomp down the chill and I never got warm. It was dreary and rainy, a real cozy-up day, the kind I love when I can feel cozy and warm. This is the forecast for the entire week -- rainy and dreary and unusually cold.

Trying to redeem myself

Yesterday, as I was saying, I spent my weekly Artist's Date in a bird journaling workshop where I was in far over my head because I didn't know a crow from a tangerine bearded whatchamacallit. But I found a photo to learn from and tried again. This, my friends, is a red-shouldered hawk, which I now know is common to the Eastern United States and to California. It has a raucous call, something I will listen for in the future because I seem to do better with listening than seeing. I used watercolor pencils here on the first page of the new Fabriano sketchbook I was given yesterday, the first page of a real nature journal!

It was quite cold here in Wine Country today (I'm glad the workshop was yesterday). Rain is forecast every day this week with snow falling in the hills and lower mountains. After a week of early spring we're suddenly back to winter.

Some days are like that

I was outside with friends this morning, talking and sketching, and everything I drew looked pretty awful. But okay, I said, at least I'm working on eye-hand coordination. Tonight, after a busy day, I tried again, adding to the page with magazine photo references. It wasn't any better. So.... I guess I just need to chalk it up to one of those days.

Beulie's training class was held at Chevy's this evening. It was mayhem in the restaurant but the puppies were well behaved. There were about ten of them, all under a long table. Beulie was lying next to Basha, her twin (they were a litter of only two). After some initial kisses and licks -- they wanted to play so badly! -- they settled down and fell asleep. Under this LOOOOOOOONG table, there were calm, quiet dogs, all just about a year old, wanting to play but knowing it was public and that they must behave wonderfully well. So they did.