Happy New Year!

Well this is the last day of 2006. Time for looking back. I have accomplished a lot this year. I have been sketching from life, which I had not done much before. I am using color in my sketches and drawings. I have purchased and used several new types of colored pencils. I have taken several classes at the WC forum. I have joined a couple more forums. I participate in the forums for drawing challenges, scavenger hunts, etc. I even play host on the scavenger hunts.

I have completed 23 scavenger hunt lists and hope to do many many more. I have learned how to blog, and I have become a fan of many bloggers and artists who have taught me many things.

My Goals for 2007:

I plan to continue to improve my drawing skills. I would like to market some of my work. I would like to learn more about watercolor. Continue to use watercolor pencil. Improve on portraits. As I told everyone in the WDE, I will learn to draw teeth. I will work on making my sketches more finished. Continue my blog. Begin writing my poetry again. Take as many classes and learn as many new things as possible. And get better and better with the things I already am comfortable with. Most of all practice, practice, practice.

I used Derwent Drawing Pencils to put some color to my self portrait.

Self Portrait

I worked on a self portrait tonight. I needed one for the scavenger hunt. It is not really detailed, more a line drawing. But it does look more like me than any others I have done. I am happy with it, except it looks too much like me...old. But without the wrinkles, etc, it wouldn't be me.

I have decided to do a self portait a month about the end of each month for 2007. We will see how much I age, and how much better or worse they get. Hopefully I will improve. And hopefully they will become more a drawing than a sketch.

Last few days of freedom

I start work on Tuesday. Just 4 hrs a day but time away from my drawing. I went to the office today for a couple hours to meet our new manager and work thru a couple sample cases to get used to the new screens in the software program. Looks like it will be a little easier this year. The changes seem for the better.I finished the Weekly drawing of a foggy tree/lake scene. Received the 16 new reference photos for the WDE. I have chosen some and now have to draw them. The ones I like best are all faces. Seems no onel else has chosen those so far. If I do them all, I will have my hands full. Two children, a husband, and a dog. That is a lot for a week. Then there were a couple sheep, a bench with a line of green apples. A lot of good photos provided.I have finished 15 items on the scavenger hunt this time. I provided the list. No one has signed up to host any future ones. I prepared two more lists tonight so that we won't have to stop the hunts. I may search online for other lists to help me out. But I want them to continue even if I have to do all the lists.

Countdown

Well now we start the countdown to the New Year. We don't do any celebrating that day or the night before. Just a quiet weekend at home. We are usually asleep before midnight gets here. But we usually are rudely awakened by the dogs when the firecrackers start going off.

This has not been a good week. Our dryer stopped working. Hubby installed a new timer which cost $120. That was sad. Then he had to put in two other things. Still didn't work. The appliance shop said it would probably be another $100 part. Well by then it will be cheaper to buy a new one. But you can't take back electrical parts so we are already out about $160. Now we have to buy another. Too bad dthat $160 didn't go towards the new one. Hopefully we can get one before the new weekend. Laundry is piling up.

Here is a drawing I did for the WDE. It is Coconut and Mango. They belong to the household of JamieG who posted the reference photos.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate it. May your day be filled with remembrance of what the day is all about. Have great fellowship with friends and family and enjoy the moment.

Jeanne

Mad Bird

I drew and used colored pencils for this drwing. Photo reference courtesy of photographer Andy Williams (www.moonriverphotography.com)

Photo used with his permission.

I found a website called smugmug.com. The site has beautiful photography for sale by many amazing photographers. I asked permission of two of the photographers to use their photos. Both responded with a yes.

I liked the photo of this bird because he looks mad. Like he has had just about enough and is ready to fight back.

Help. I can't stop.

When the new Scavenger Hunt on WC started, I decided to combine items into still life settings. The first one I did was something the color orange. I found as many items as I could colored orange. Made a still life arrangement and then sketched them. Used wc pencils and a waterbrush to color them. I liked the look. Another item on the list was my favorite color. Well that is purple. So, off I go on a real scavenger hunt looking for lots of items that were purple. I liked that one also. So I decided to do all of my items as still lifes and as many as possible as color themes.

I have only done one other color theme arrangement. The item was for a decorative item that reflects the holiday we are celebrating (Christmas, Hanukkah, etc). I found as many red items as I could find.

I have already finished 16 or the 26 items and it is only the second day of this hunt. But I am having so much fun. I am having to hold myself back, or I would be doing another sketch tonight.

Thank God for his Son—a gift too wonderful for words! Corinthians 9:15, NLT

Weekly challenge

Today I finished the weekly challenge at WC. The ref pictures were 2 poinsettias. Two different pictures. I had trouble seeing the colored version and forgot that there was a black and white picture ref. I couldn't see the petals. So I found another reference picture and used both to draw my picture. Then used watercolor pencil and a waterbrush, outlining with a pen.

Sunday

Today we went to church, then to lunch, then back to church for a funeral. The funeral was for one of my husband's grade school teachers that he really liked.

Tonight is really cold. Not cold by Alaska cold, but cold for Bakersfield. I am drinking iced lemonade. Go figure. It seems funny but we seem to want ice cream in the winter more than the summer. Maybe that is so we can cuddle up with a warm blanket.

The dogs are fed and pottied. Now they will settle down for a bit. When their papa goes to bed, they will beat him to his spot in bed. They have to be nudged over. Then when I go to bed, the same game starts again. I have to roll two big dogs from my spot so that I can crawl into bed.

I did a couple scavenger hunt items last night but none yet tonight. I did finish and post my weekly drawing of a cat. I wasn't too pleased with my cat but posted any way. Have to show the bad as well as the good.

Merry Christmas

I made my Christmas Card today. Emailed all that I could and got a few ready to mail. I did it with watercolor pencils and waterbrush. Then a Pitt artist pen brush. I decided to make it in a little looser style.

I am working on my secret santa present. I had several false starts but finally got one to a point that I can live with it. Now to fine tune it. I have until Dec 24 but did not want to put it off until the last minute.

My nephew is moving out on his own for the first time. He will have a roommate. He got a house instead of an apartment. More room for his toys. A quad and a motorcycle. He is in a spending frenzy buying furniture and all the trimmings for the move. Grandma had saved dishes and a few other things, but he wants all new stuff. He is very particular and wants everything to match. He will probably even buy cloth napkins. He will be broke for awhile after this move. But he is really good at saving his money and will rebuild the savings in no time at all.

Mid Week

Here it is the middle of another week. They are sprinting by. Christmas is almost here and then there will be a new year starting. Where does the time go?

Another tax class today. One more to go on Friday. They said we were going to have fun. I will have to see it to believe it. Today we had a very nice speaker who gave us many tips on how to increase our client list.

I did some sketching today. A leg here, a cup, arm, back, a couple of faces, and my ever ready hand. I can't remember how many drawings I have done of my hand and fingers. In about every position. I guess it is because a hand is always with you, and "hand"y, and doesn't mind posing.

I had several entries for the scavenger hunt yesterday. I tried to do some in color. I also worked on my secret santa gift and made two starts but was not happy with either. I will back off of it and start another in a couple days after a rest from it.

Hubby out of town till Friday night so I don't have to cook. I made some bean and cheese burritos last night and will have one of those for dinner. Tonight is the show Top Chef. I enjoy watching it to see who will be sent home. I watch several of the reality shows and a lot of the police and law shows. Since my tv is behind me when I am in my office, I do more listening than watching, but the tv is always playing. Plus I have my bird in here and she keeps me entertained. Talks up a storm. Repeats things many times trying to get me to say them.

I still haven't done the weekly challenge. It is a choice between 4 cats. I did get the WDE done so I think I am good till Friday when another is posted.

It's time to get some drawing started. I was up all night doing a class for taxes on the computer. I may need to take a nap before my show comes on at 10 pm. My eyes are heavy now with a touch of a headache. I had better get some sketching done before I totally fade.

Lazy Sunday

I have finished a cup of hot chocolate and read thru several of the WC forums. Last night I was up late. Finished my drawing for the WDE this week. It is of Al Jones' granddaughter Kennedy. Such a cute bundle.

Still waiting for hubby to decided to cook breakfast. Just have to outwait him. He did take some bacon out of the freezer so must be planning to do the cooking. He is the one in our house who cooks bacon.

I am procrastinating. I need more certification hours in taxes, but I just keep putting it off. I only have a couple more weeks to get it done. It's too bad it isn't as much fun as art.

Christmas Wishes

Today I did a drawing of a Christmas Cactus. I posted it in the Colored Pencil Forum of WC without a background. I wasn't sure I could do a background and not mess up the picture. But I printed off a page with 9 copies and played with some color on the background. I was using Inktense Pencils for the cactus and wanted to finish with them but all the colors are pretty dark. All except yellow (looked gold on the pencil). I am not usually a yellow kind of person, but that is the color I ended up with as a background.

I did try some watercolor pencil colors as background too but still nothing worked but yellow. It is very, very bright now. But all other colors took the focus from the flower. So I went with the yellow.

Weekly challenge

The new weekly challenge was a tree with above-ground roots. Big roots. Ref by Bigs/Sue. I went a little bit looser with my style this time. I also used more than my regular mechanical pencil.

I joined the virtual Secret Santa gift exchange. Looking forward to it and the fun. Can't wait to see who I get to draw for. And in the end who will get me. The one big problem will be, I have to guess which artist was my giftor and have to PM artists until I find out who it is. Might be a problem for my drawing as I have had a couple people in the scavenger hunt thread say they are recognizing my style right away. I may have to go outta the box for the Christmas gift. But I want to do a good job so can't go too far. But I thought I knew some of the artists style and was fooled by the Halloween entries.

Beautiful day here

We have had freezing weather and last night a wind storm, but today the weather is beautiful. Calm after the storm. The yard is a mess with leaves. Even the front yard which has no trees, and I suspect the leaves came from the tree next door.

I worked on the WDE picture and had fun with it. I call it my Wonky Flying Truck. The photo ref was at an odd angle, and it was a little hard to sketch. My sketch looked a little cartoony. Several comments about it said I could use it as an illustration for a children's book.

Hubby and I will go to church shortly. I need my spiritual self replenished. It is hard to get up and around when the bed looks so inviting. But the rewards are well worth it. And today is communion which is so fulfilling. I have missed so many Sundays at church. Just from laziness. I hope to make that a priority especially in the new year.

A new scavenger hunt list was posted last night. By Arnica this time. Her first time. Good to have new submitters so the lists are varied. I will start some of the items later today. After (or probably before) paying bills, starting dinner, etc, etc, etc. Which do you think will be my priority? You guessed it...sketching.

Tomorrow starts another round of tax classes. About 7 days worth at 4 hours a day spread over about 2 1/2 weeks. Then after Jan 1st, back to the offices to work on practice case studies to get our blood flowing and our fingers warmed up for the peak season of income tax preparation. Not looking forward to the interuption in my sketching time, but the money is needed.

May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.Philippians 1:11

I will live among you, and I will not despise you. I will walk among you; I will be your God, and you will be my people.Leviticus 26:11-12

Munching Seeds

I sit here munching on sunflower seeds with my mouth getting puckered from the salt. Dinner is finished, the dogs fed and sacked out, hubby in his recliner, and me sitting here with my computer. Tis the season where there is nothing on tv but reruns or specials. I am not ready for Christmas specials yet. Some of the readio stations are playing Christmas songs already. I could probably handle two weeks of non stop Christmas songs but a whole month? A little much.

We aren't putting up decorations this year. With Penny the 1 yr old pup, that would be a disaster. I can see the floor now. Pieces of Christmas tree, ornaments and lights and wires stripped and all over the floor. No little kids around here so we will pass on the decorations this year. Next year we will see.

Last week a man was mailing all his Christmas cards. Wow what an early start. I haven't even thought about mine yet. Maybe I am just not in the spirit for celebrating this year.

I finished the scavenger hunt items today. And all the challenges. And two days early. Ready for the next one. We have lost a few who were doing them. Now seems there are less than 10 people participating. I don't know what happened to chouchou. But I miss her. Maybe after the holidays more people will join in again.