Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Penny Sleeping


I started this drawing of my dog Penny at work today. Finished it tonight. I like taking pictures of Penny when she is sleeping. She sleeps so soundly. Plays hard and sleeps hard.

Monday, February 26, 2007

Wow. Long time between posts.







I didn't realize how long since I posted. I had a long bout with the second cold. Still doing a good bit of coughing. But at least I feel better. Work is also getting in the way. I am not working very long hours now but three days this week and a 4-hour class has to be fitted in. Haven't figured out if I will go during the day when I am off or during the evening. Third choice is Sat. Not sure I am willing to do that one.
I have been doing quite a few art cards. I have even been doing the WDE and the weekly challenge on art cards. At least it doesn't take long to do them.
Today at work, a client brought a camellia bloom to her tax preparer. I borrowed it and did an art card from it.
Then decided to draw a scene I can see from the office where I work. There is a telephone pole across the street where pigeons roost. They always sit on the wires a wing-span distance apart. I find this curious especially in winter when I would think they would huddle for warmth. But they are always that distance apart. If one lands in between, they shift to alow the same distance between them.
Then you will see one off by himself. Did he have an argument with the others? Is he being shunned for some reason? Wouldn't it be nice to know the reasoning behind their activities?

Monday, February 19, 2007

Back to Work


Well back to work tomorrow. I have been off for several days with a cold. Still not 100% but have to go in. Still coughing and blowing and short of breath when I get to moving around too much.

I listed a few of my art cards on ebay tonight. I will see how it goes. Hard to figure how much to charge as everyone's cards are listed at different rates. It doesn't seem to matter what the charge is or how good the art is. Some that I wouldn't think would be popular are having many bids and some very good art have no bids. I just imagine it is finding the right person for the right subject. I couldn't even see a pattern that would lead me to figure out what is selling best. Just no rhyme or reason that I could figure out.

I am finding that I do more of the colorful floral pictures on the smaller scale. And I have been doing some that are not my normal.

The WC Weekly challenge was an English water scene. I did it as an art card. Finished really early this week. My turn to host the Scavenger Hunt starting Wed.

Saturday, February 17, 2007

Scavenger hunt still life


I was feeling a little behind in the current Scavenger Hunt. Can you believe it is #29? I am hosting the next one. I already have my list ready.
I decided to do like we did with Jamie's list. I put several items together and made a still life. I fit all that I hadn't completed in except things like a live animal, vacuum, hand, and lips/mouth. I will finish those off this weekend.
I really enjoy doing the still life works. One thing I think they are cute. And another, I have to draw and make sure I get them all in. When you draw one thing, it's just one size. When you draw many items together, size of each item in realation to the others becomes more important. Also it takes a little more time to make sure they are arranged in a manner that fits. That is especially important when you have things that don't really belong together.
Stayed home sick again yesterday. This cold is worse than the one I had a couple weeks ago. This one went straight to the chest and lungs. Miserable. Running nose and cough like a fog horn.
At least I am getting some art work done. Don't feel like doing much else. I picked up meds today and will get into my sweats, take the meds and stay in the rest of the weekend. Hubby is out of town overnight so except for the pestering dogs, I can vegetate. I plan to draw some more and do plenty of sleeping. I made potato/vegetable soup. Just had some with french bread and plenty more for tonight and tomorrow.
Everyone have a wonderful weekend. The weather here is nice, warm, and sunny. Too bad I can't enjoy it.

Friday, February 16, 2007

Catch Up


I stayed home sick again today. Went thru a half box of kleenex. I did some artwork tho. Did some catching up. I finished the weekly drawing of a bird stretching on a limb, an art card, and the colored pencil challenge of a chicken. I had been putting off the chicken. I did the line sketch last week at work. I decided today to finish it up. Not too many have posted theirs but they still have half a month left to go.

I received one of my art cards today. From Germany. It was an encaustic painting. Very beautiful. Something I had never seen before. I love getting samples of different mediums. All beautiful in different ways.

Under the weather




I have my second cold in a month. This one is more severe. Stayed home from work today and did some drawing. Here are a couple of the art cards I worked on today and yesterday.

Working small allows me to try new things in a smaller format. I don't have to fill so much paper. I have been experimenting with different florals. Different background colors. Nice to expand my color works.


Almost all my art cards that I traded have arrived at their destinations. I think only a couple more to go. I hope they have another of these trades as I missed the first and enjoy them tremendously.


Sunday, February 11, 2007

My dog drawings

Edtree from WC said she would like to see all dog drawings all together so that she could see them. I thought about it and posted a new thread in the D&S forum titled Samples of my dog drawings here: http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=401240
It has a sample of drawings from several years ago when I worked full time and did drawings for the people at the office. I did their kids, grandkids, and pets, then started on their portraits. They all received them for free. It gave me wonderful practice.
Also are some newer drawings. A couple of the art cards that I traded, a couple from the WDE forum, many of my babies, a couple from some neighbor's dogs, and some from friends I have met at a yearly barbecue that we attend. Then there are a couple commission I did for my Bible study leader. She requested a picture of all her babies that are no longer with her. About 9 of them. Dogs and cats. A lot of boxers. The reference photos were not really good and not very big. But she loved it. Then I did one of her current babies. In the reference photos was a couple pictures I just couldn't resist. One a cat looking over a wooden fence and one with a dog piled on top of another.
After I left my job, I did drawings for friends and family for gifts. My hairdresser got one of her two young children...the boy kissing his baby sister. My dog groomer got one of her black lab Mona. And my friend CArl has gotten several of his two Shitsus Riley and Cassie including one of each for Christmas this year. My husband received one from me of the Golden Retriever KC who passed away about 4 years ago. He loved her dearly and I doubt he will ever get over her death. I still grieve for her too but they had a special bond that everyone could see. I have a special bond with our Yellow Lab but like all mother's, my favorite is the one I am holding at the time. We have never had children and they dogs are our kids and they live with us as part of the family.

Friday, February 09, 2007

Weekly Challenge


Slow at work today so I did the weekly challenge drawing. Some really nice versions on the forum. Some in color, but more in graphite. This one is mechanical pencil on card stock. About 5 or 6 inches square.


Wednesday, February 07, 2007

Hello


I haven't been feeling too well lately. I have been doing some more art cards. I will be trading cards with someone in England. I have three completed and will give her a choice of which she wants. Here are the three I finished.


Tax prep has been sporadic. One day really busy and the next not so busy. Today I didn't do any returns. The night crew may have been busier. I will find out tomorrow. Only two more days until the weekend. Can't wait.


I still haven't done much for my drawing for the Master's Project. I have picked the picture I will use, and I did a small bit of the face. That was a couple weeks ago or more. I need to get back to that.


About 10 of my art cards for the exchange have been received by their new owners. I still have to do the monthly colored pencil challenge and the weekly challenge of a tree from the RIL at Wetcanvas. Running a little behind on my participation. I said I wouldn't let work interfer but between that, a cold, and not feeling good, it has happened. I have kept up with the scavenger hunts. But have not been commenting about the other's work as much. I also did finish the WDE early this week but another will be posted Friday.


I have been notified that 3 more art cards are in the mail for me. I can't wait to see them. The 3 I have received have been beautiful. Such fun seeing the different mediums and learning about the different artists. Some really great artwork is being traded and uploaded.

Sunday, February 04, 2007

ATCs Update

I have 4 art cards drying at the moment that will go in the mail tomorrow. Now only 3 left to do. Some of the project members haven't started yet. Some are still fulfilling cards for the first project. I have had so much fun, just couldn't slow myself down. It is another addiction I could ill afford. All my addiction are at least not life threatening. All have to do with art.
I wanted to send my florals as well as graphite. I think I managed to intersperse quite a few of the florals in among the graphite. Maybe not 50-50 but at least a fair amount were the colored florals.
I started out with a lot of birds. Later I tried to do some landscapes and other animals. I was pretty happy with most of them. Some I was not at first happy with and put them aside. Later I took another loo, reworked them a little and finished them up for mail. Now for the last three. I believe they will all be graphite. But who knows. Whatever the mood that strikes me.

Friday, February 02, 2007

Another ATC


Here is another art card I sent for trade. I have received 3 so far and have just over half of my cards finished and mailed. Many of the cards I have sent are of birds. I seem stuck on birds right now. I am working on two more cards at the moment and neither is a bird. The last few I sent are the wc pencil florals. I have had trouble deciding what I would do next for graphite. I finished another floral tonight. The first I have done with a blue background. Until this one, all my backgrounds have been green.

I need to work on some scavenger hunt items tonight. The end is Feb 5th and I only have 13 things finished. I said I wouldn't allow work to interfer, but it seems to be happening any way. Doesn't help that I have had a cold for the last couple weeks and came home today with stomach problems and the last couple days at work have been like a tornado. One client after another. It feels like I hold my breath when dealing with them. I feel winded after.