The Virtual Paintout for December

This month the Virtual Paintout is in Ecuador.  I found 3 interesting photos and did two of them.  The first one is a building and done in Uniball pen.. It is about 5x7 inches on sketchbook paper.

The second one is two ladies standing with umbrellas chatting.  It is done in colored pencil,  about 5x7, and again on sketchbook paper.

I did one painting last month and just barely finished and emailed it before the end of the month.  It didn't get added as I forgot to send the picture file and by the time I realized it, the month was over.  

I'm allowed to do one more and may get another done in the next two days.

Update

My mom finally got to go home.  I will still need to help out but at least both my parents are in the same house now.  Mom is doing pretty good.  She is in a wheelchair but able to get into the kitchen and around in the living room.  

I got some more bad news though today.  I have Shingles in my eye.  Who knew you could get them there.  I will be taking meds and eye drops again.  I guess my antibodies just got way too depleted while I was caring and going back and forth between my parents.  Hopefully we caught it before anything major happens to my eye.

Update on Mom

My mom had to go back for surgery to have a wound vac put on her surgery area.  She will have that removed on the 24th.  Then I have no idea when she will get to go home.    May still have a long haul to get thru.  My nephew has a cold now (I had one for a week). and can't go around them so I have dad here with me tonight.  We are up right now and he's talking up a storm.  

We went to bed way too early and have been up twice tonight.  As it's only just after midnight, we may be up a few more times.  

I did finish my Christmas cards for the Christmas card exchange on Wetcanvas.    The cards are in the envelopes and addressed with stamps.  Ready to go. 

Mom and Dad

I have not posted much as I have been busy with my parents.  

My mom fell at home and had to have hip surgery.  She is now in rehab across town.  Dad has some dementia and is home across town in another direction.  So between sitting with dad and visiting mom, my days are pretty full and exhausting.

When Mom goes home, I will have to be with them both for quite a while until mom can manage by herself.  Looking forward to the time when I can be home with my Penny and Dizzy.  I'm sure they are ready for that too.  Locked in the house all day is pretty boring for them.

Scavenger Hunt #422

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 #1 shelf
#2 hat
#3 napkin holder
#4 napkin
#5 chain hanging on napkin holder
#6 knife and fork
#7 nail clippers
#8 something that finishes - glass nail file
#9 from hobby other than art - crochet hook
#10 miniature tin sauce pan
#11 from this season - pumpkin candle
#12 salt and pepper shakers
#13 patterned fabric on the teddy bear
#14 light fitting
#15 condiment - packet of soy sauce
#16 saw
I used the Steven Reddy technique. First a pencil drawing, then thick ink outline and erase pencil. watered down black ink for first of 3 part grisaille shading, Then second shading with watered ink. Final ink is still watered down but darker for just the darkest areas. Then watercolor that is not really bright but muted. Add hatching sparingly. Go back over the dark outlines, then use white gel pen to add some highlights and to outline some areas around items to make them come forward. I took his class on Craftsy and have watched it several times. Well worth the time and money. Ink, Watercolor, on watercolor paper. 9x12 inches.

My Dizzy

This is my miniature schnauzer Dizzy.  She is white but this piece makes her look salt and pepper.  The original photo is dark also.  This is done in graphite and colored pencils on 9x13 watercolor paper. 

I have done several line-type sketches of Dizzy but have never taken the time to do one that is detailed.  All that hair is scary. 

Trying a Different Style

I took some classes on Craftsy and have been trying some different styles.  These are all done on tan suede mat board with colored pencils.  The mat board came from a framer and they were leftover pieces.  I really like the way these turned out and I have really enjoyed trying what I learned on the classes.  It has also been fun to get back to using only colored pencils. 

Dove in the Dead Tree

I have an apricot tree that has died.  I decided to leave it in my yard so that the birds could use it.  And I could photograph them.  Well it fell over.  Now it is just a dead tree.

Before the tree fell, I was able to get a few photos of some Dove perched in the branches.  Here is one that I decided to draw in graphite.  It's in my Moleskine Watercolor Sketchbook.  5x8 inches or 10 by 16 inches for a double page.  This one took just over a page.

Scavenger Hunt Items

Some of my plants I painted for the Scavenger Hunt on Wetcanvas.  Two varieties of Prayer Plant, a piece of my Creeping Charley, and one of my African Violets.

Joan in California

My friend Joan Tavolott was in California for a family wedding.  I think she went out every day with her sisters to paint.  One of the posted a photo of Joan sitting on a curb painting.  After I saw it, I just had to paint it.  It is in my Moleskine Watercolor Sketchbook.  In Watercolors. 

The Virtual Paintout for July

Since the URLs aren't working for the paintings I am doing for the Virtual Paintout, I will be posting them here and my Facebook.  The rule for the Virtual Paintout says I have to include the URL.  I even tried to open the long URL and that didn't work either.  Drat.

So here are two more paintings for The Virtual Paintout for July which is in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA.  Watercolor, colored pencil, and pen in my Moleskine Watercolor Sketchbook.

Mailboxes in Santa Fe

For the Virtual Paintout.  I found these mailboxes in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA.  Something about a bunch of mailboxes all in a row just draws me in.  These are done in watercolor, colored pencils, and pen.  5x14 inches.  Full double page in my Moleskine Watercolor Sketchbook.

On the Water

Watercolors and pen.  In my Moleskine Watercolor Book.  Photo from Google Street View.

Blue Bird of Happiness

I did this little Bluebird this morning. Photo by Dave Slaughter of Wetcanvas. 4x8 inches in Moleskine Watercolor book. Watercolors, colored pencils, and pen.

BG

A friend's family dog passed a few weeks ago and today I painted a picture for them.  This is BG painted with watercolors and colored pencils.  On 9x13 inch watercolor paper.

Happy Blog Birthday

Today is the 9th birthday of my blog.  When I first started, I was really excited to share with others.  I still am excited to share but not sure how many are actually reading the posts.  

When I started blogging, Katherine Tyrrell told me that a lot of blogs never made it past the first year.  I used that incentive to keep myself blogging even when I didn't feel like it.  I only post about once a month now but I still love keeping it going.  

I do appreciate all the 100 people who have joined my blog.  I have gotten to know many really nice people and have made some really close friends.  In fact two are like sisters to me.  One is in North Carolina, USA (T) and the other is in Queensland, Australia (Sue).  I am tremendously thankful for both of these wonderful women.  I don't know what I ever did without them. 

 I had two brothers growing up and never really wanted a sister.  I think I was too selfish with my stuff and wouldn't have wanted to share like my brothers had to.  But I found two that are keepers.

Thanks to all for sharing my journey thru the blog world.  Thanks for sharing my journey thru art.  And thanks for reading my ramblings (at times) and for leaving comments.  I hope to keep up my blogging for many years to come.  

Estonia for The Virtual Paintout

This is my 3rd painting for The Virtual Paintout.  For a couple of months, I couldn't figure out how to get the URL for the photos.  They have changed the whole look and all the buttons, etc.  I do not like the look of the new Google Street View.  I found nothing wrong with the old one.  For awhile, you could choose to revert to the old look.  Now when I try that, it pops me to other screens.  You also can't get a complete full screen and get rid of several things that are on the screen in the way.

So I finally figured out where the URL was and will just have to ignore the other things I don't like.  Also hope that someone at Google doesn't have more time on their hands to figure out other ways to make cruising thru other countries more difficult.

Red Tops

In my new Moleskine watercolor book. This is a double page which would make it 6x12 inches. Pen and watercolor. It is pieces of two different photos from Google Street View Maps plus some imagination.  I called it "Red Tops".

Virtual Paintout for June - Estonia

Cups, Cups, & More Cups

 I have a collection of things (lots and lots of things) I have purchased from various places like Goodwill. I use these things to make still life compositions for drawing/painting. In this collection are about 10-12 cups. No rhyme or reason as to why I bought them. If they caught my eye, I bought them. A couple of years ago, I painted two of my cups for a group show for Bakersfield Art Association. It was to be hung in a coffee shop so cups of coffee were prevalent. I decided I want to hang this piece in my kitchen. I decided I want four small "cup" pieces to hang with the first one. Here is the original "Coffee With Cream" with the four new pieces. The original piece is probably 12x16 inches. The new ones are 5x7 inches. I'm not sure if they will be framed as 5x7 or 8x10.