Wetcanvas ATC Trade Project Finished

I finished all my ATCs for the trade on Wetcanvas.  I'm all caught up with everything for the moment.  The next thing will be the monthly trade for May.  No one has signed up to host yet so we won't know what the theme will be until closer to the first of May. 

Weather here has been warm.  If it gets any hotter, I will have to get my swamp cooler going.  I'm trying to hold off as long as possible to save on my utility bill. 

I spent Easter with my nephew's family and inlaws.   We had a nice time.  Good food and 3 little kids 3-5 yrs old hunting eggs.    As nice as it is to be with family on holidays, it feels so good when I get home.  The older I get, the better I feel at home. 

More Trade ATCs

Artist's Choice

The first of my ATCs from the Wetcanvas trade project has arrived at it's destination.  The theme is Artist's Choice.  Any time you give me a choice of themes, I will usually choose animals.

This is Zeus a Yellow Lab who belongs to Virginia/vmrs from a photo on her Facebook page.  It is done with colored pencils and pens on a Designer Scrapbooking paper.  I love using this paper as it provides a background as well as texture to the animal fur.

Artist and Student ATC Trade

A teacher posted on Facebook that she would like artists to volunteer for a one-on-one trade of an atc with her students.  I agreed.  I did a picture of a dog from a photo by Andy Mathes, a photographer/veterinarian and used with his permission.  

The dog is Bruno.  I did a picture of him when he was just a puppy.  He was a cute little thing that looked so sad.  Her is looking more grown up now.  I love his face and enjoy doing his portrait even if it is so small.  And I so much appreciate Andy Mathes for taking such great photos of his clients.  It is so fun to see his clients from the time they are in for their first puppy shots, thru until they grow up.  And so many breeds of dogs and cats.

This is an ATC (2.5x3.5 inches) and done with colored pencil and ink.

Another ATC for the Trade

I bought this little guy yesterday at Dollartree.  He is a little bobble head.  I thought he was just so cute I had to put him on one of the trade cards I'm doing.  I also got a little angel.  These words are printed on her: " Make your actions inspire others."  I think she will be another trade card even though my plan was to do all animals.  

This is colored pencils and Micron pen on Designer Sketchbooking paper.

New Wetcanvas ATC Trade

 One of the ATC cards I have been doing for the new Wetcanvas Project.  The theme of this trade is "Artist's Choice".  When you give me a choice, expect to get animals.  May very favorite subject. 

 I will do something personal for the trader if possible.  I know a few of them from other trades.  This one will go to a person who loves cats.  I have 6 of the cards finished.  So far I need 14.  Still one more place to fill in the project tho.  The other 5 finished are, a dog, giraffe, cow, bunny, and flamingo.  Working on another dog now. 

 Having a ball and never tire of doing animals..

Last Day for Friday

This video was taken the day we took Friday in the have her put down.  She was having problems with her hips and had a hard time standing or sitting without pain.  This is the last picture of my husband taken before he passed away 3 months later.

Flamingo ATC

 I did this little atc for trading.  It is from a photo by Jean Ogden.  Staedtler pens, colored pencil, on Patterned Designer Scrapbooking paper.

Friends

"A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words."                                                                            Unknown

Seagull Posing

I did this for the Weekend Drawing Event on Wetcanvas. This is another done on designer scrapbooking paper. 6x6 inches. Micron pen, white gel pen, graphite, and colored pencil . Photo provided by Scattykat.

Something New

Lately I have been trying something new.  I have been drawing on Designer Scrapbooking Paper.  I love using this paper.  I can't use water on it so will be using graphite, Micron pen, and colored pencils.

I got the idea from my friend Teresa.  We were in an ATC trade and she made her cards using this paper.  She did little flowers, hearts, etc in Kuretake Sumi Ink 60 and adds a little shiny color with Gelly Roll Gel pens.  The followed that up with some sayings or quotes in fancy lettering.  

I noticed how nice the ink went onto the paper.  No blurred edges.  It just looked like it was part of the paper.  Teresa was kind enough to send some samples of the paper to me.  I haven't tried the Sumi ink yet but the Micron pens, colored pencils, and graphite work perfectly on the paper.

This cat is Tigger.  A client of a Facebook friend, Andy Mathis, veterinarian/photographer.  I used his photo with his permission.  He has a really nice opportunity for great photographs of his clients.  Some of them he has followed from their first shots thru adulthood.   And he has been so gracious letting me use his photos.  He has a FB account under his name, Andy Mathis.  

I bought a few groceries today and many of the vegetables I bought just to use as subjects for drawings.  I plan to try some Mexican onions, possibly broccoli, yellow onion, and some carrots on the scrapbooking paper.  I can't wait to see how those do on the paper.  And it's nice to have a ready-made background and not have to worry about doing one.  And I even like that the pattern on the paper shows a little thru the artwork.  

A Little Cottage in Ireland

I finished my cottage.  The photo was by Anne Kelly.  I met her thru Facebook and she has graciously allowed me to use any of her photos.  I loved this one.  It's about 9x12 inches on Strathmore 140lb watercolor paper from a Visual Journal book.  I used Micron pens, watercolors, and colored pencils.

I was really worried when I started the sketch.  So many little twigs in the trees and such gnarly trees.  The next day I did some refining of the sketch and started to put some watercolor down.  When I got to a certain point, I went to the colored pencils (Albrecht Durer brand watercolor pencils). I used the colored pencils both wet with a waterbrush and dry for texture.   And before, during, and after I added micron when I felt the need.

New Painting

I got permission from photographer Anne Kelly to use a photo of hers.  Here is my start.  It isn't too clear as I took it with my cell phone.

Here is my workspace at the moment. A card table with an  Ott Day Lite, Xacto sharpener, colored pencils, water brushes, etc, Watercolors in the little white box is a field kit I use at home or out plein air, the orange thing underneath is a note paper holder that I have paper towel pieces for use with the watercolors.  And other various things including the prerequisite animal underneath with the trash can. 

Laura Ferlita posted hers and suggested we post ours.  I couldn't figure out how to post it on her blog or where she posted on Facebook so posting mine here.

Bruno

I did a birthday card for a friend yesterday. I used a photo taken by Andy Mathis a veterinarian from Georgia. He is very gracious and let me use his photo of Bruno, one of his clients. I saw this photo quite a while ago when he posted it and loved this little guys face so much. Here is Bruno. Done in watercolors, colored pencils, and micron pen. Thank you Andy and thank you to Bruno's family.

Murray Farms & Stallion Springs

Another of my plein air samples.  The two on the left are from Murray Farms, the ones on the right are from Stallion Springs.

Scavener Hunt #348 Feb 11-19

Scavenger Hunt #348 Feb 11-19

salt
pepper
oil
vinegar
sugar

paper
paint
brush
sharpener
eraser

yellow
red
green
orange
blue

socks
jewelry
bows
sleeve
hem

glass
wood
metal
rock
dirt
fabric

Challenge: Make a still life of each of the different sections. Or one, or two, or.....

Boles Nursery & A Local Photographer's Home

Here are two more pages I have painted from photos I have taken at our plein air outings.  These are from a private home and a plant nursery.  The one of Boles Nursery is watercolors and pens.  The other is just watercolors.  It's nice to have little bits and pieces of the places our group has visited doing plein air.

Happy Birthday Bill

Today would have been my husband's 64th birthday.  Next month will be 4 years since he passed. 

Lion

I did another painting by putting the paint down, then sketched the lion, then added some wc pencil and water.  Then some white charcoal.  It's in the homemade, cover-less sketchbook I made with Arches paper.  The reference is by dominika from the Wetcanvas RIL.  Around 7.5 x 9.5 inches.