DLP show and tell

I've noticed that this week there seems to be a flurry of folks sharing the Document Your Life Project journals/planners so, I decided......why not!

Actually, I took Joanne Sharpe's on-line class "Draw Your Awesome Year" in January, so my DLP has a decided Draw Your Awesome Year side to it........I'm sure you'll notice!  Since each set of pages represents one week, this is really about half of the pages I've done in my planner but, I'm sure you'll get the idea!

 

 

I, also, keep a sketchbook.....where I do what I call the "ridiculous to the sublime".

We had one more gathering of our journal class and they allowed me to show them some tricks and products that will help them make great backgrounds....as if they don't already and some certainly do!

Hope you have a great weekend and can make time for something you love to do.




 

Important Announcement........

SPRING IS HEADING EAST.........

 

 

As much as I'm sure, it must feel like it is never going to happen......spring will happen soon in the eastern half of the U.S. too!

The winds from the west just need to do battle, a while longer with the ones from the north, or something like that.  Truly, I cannot imagine how tired people are of the snow and the cold.

In Oregon, things are starting to poke out of the ground and beginning to show a little color.

Even, a bit of blue sky today!


Yesterday, I received a whole bunch of inspiration in my mailbox........

In the form of this book written by Oregon artist, Katerine Dunn.  I love her style but, most of all, I love the "feeling" in her art......the whimsy and the melancholy.  Touching and inspiring for me.

A peek inside, reveals......
 
 

I love the graphic "design-y ness" of her work.  It inspired me to get out my very, very old chalk pastels.  You doubt their age?  Look at this price tag......now that's funny!

 

I'm pretty sure I've had these since high school and I'm not telling when that was! Haha!

This is a Gelli print with collage and colored chalk.  I'm going to play around with adding more texture and detail.

I love when someone or something gets me to try something different. 

I'm off to explore some new/old things and enjoy the blue sky....while I have it!  Enjoy the weekend and stay warm and safe.



 

Sketchy..............

I've started a new sketchbook.  The day Granddaughter Ashley was here and I showed her how to make a sketchbook of her own, I made this one for myself.

I love working with recycled packaging.....the weight of the cardboard makes a good book cover and the graphics are often very cool.  Companies spend a fortune developing appealing packaging why not take advantage, at least, that's my theory!

I have a tendency to skip around in my books so I'll draw something in one book one day and pick up another on the next day and use it......with this book, I'm trying hard to use the discipline to finish this sketchbook from start to finish.  I think there is something Freudian about this, but I don't want to know!

On to page #1, I have a new girl "crush" and her name is Katherine Dunn.  She is an Oregon artist/writer who loves animals and has such a beautiful way of expressing that in her artwork.  This is drawn from one of her photos.  Check out her blog Apifera Farm!

My plan is to take the Grands and go visit her on Pino Pie Day in June.  I'm expecting her book from Amazon tomorrow or the next day.....can't wait!

Pages #2 and 3........

Gatherings from my dog walks in the park!

This is the view of our backyard from the living room window, or part of it, there are houses across the park that I didn't include.

This is Jack, our walking buddy.....trimmed his beard a bit too much and gave him the weak chin!!!
Next time, Jack, I'll better draw you hairy chiney, chin chin!

One thing about making your own sketchbooks....use a variety of papers.  I just grabbed some paper from the computer printer tray and used that.....a couple pieces of watercolor paper, in the mix, would have been a "good thing".

I'm about half way through this little book.......I must stay focused and keep on sketching!

 

Varied.........

Spotted at our backyard bird feeder.......

 .....this beautiful Varied Thrush.  Native to the Northwest this beautiful orange and dark grey bird was feeding in our backyard last week along with the Bushtits, Juncos, Scrub Jay, Doves and Robins.

The fog is slowly lifting from my head cold/virus thing, thankfully I think it is going to go somewhere else to live.  So, I've done a little sketching and watercolor play.

Butterflies and quotes, two of my favorite things.

May add some color to this later today.

Hope you are having a lovely Valentine's Day with those you love!

 

Snow........

It's been a great week........NOT! 

I've had the flu/cold whatever the heck it is that is going around and I'm DAMN tired of it!  Last time I was out of the house was last Thursday.  I think I'm on the upside of things but the worst symptom, of the week, has been......brain FOG!  Holy cow, is there a pill for that?  I have not been sick for a very long time....years, time.....so I guess I was due.  I'm, also, very ready to be done with it!

Needless to say, I've not been drawing faces.....I tried, they were pathetic but I've got a sketch I did in our journaling class that I haven't shared.

So, this is 29 Faces Challenge # 5 thru #11!

 

 

 

As if most of you haven't already seen enough snow.....here is Oregon's contribution.  Most of you would laugh at what this much snow does for this part of the country.....we are almost as bad as Atlanta.  For three of my sick days, I couldn't have gone anywhere if I wanted to.....the little town I live in doesn't own a snow plow!

 

 



 I'll end with a little show and tell......these are a few of the journal pages that were made by our brilliant students in our Creative Journaling class.

Thank you to our special ladies for making this a memorable class for the teachers!  It was such a wonderfully diverse group who shared with their hearts, minds and hands....'till we meet again.

 

29 Faces #5

Well, here's what happens when you don't wait for the ink to dry thoroughly........

but it was good practice and is in my journal.  Besides, it a human face for a change!

Sorry I almost forgot to credit my inspiration for this piece, which was the blog of Ernest Ward.
Ernest is preparing for his upcoming drawing class, that is offered free by Strathmore papers on their site.
 

29 Faces #4

More cats.....I don't like the ball of yarn in this one, it doesn't have enough mass.  I'm practicing drawing, not wanting to add color to anything I've done so far.  I can already tell that practice is a very good thing!

See you tomorrow!

29 Faces Feb. 3

Here we go....more animals for 29 Faces Challenge, click to see more.

 

29 Faces, post one and two

I noticed this morning that a couple of bloggers that I follow are participating in something called 29 Faces Challenge.  So, I visited http://29faces.blogspot.com/p/feb-2014.html to learn more!

I'm not quite set up, need to add the button, but I'm giving it a shot.  I can draw 29 Faces through the month of February......can I post 29 Faces, that's the question.  But, I will give it my best shot!

I am not an animal drawer (is that a word?) but I love animals and would like to do a better job of drawing them.....so I am starting to practice with some degree of seriousness.  This is a pup, who's photo I had, so, last night I drew him with ink and colored him with w/c pencils.

One eye is a little wonky other than that...O.K.

Since the rules say animal faces count, I'll make this my Feb. 1 drawing (drawn Jan. 31).  I really have never tried sheep before but you can bet I'm going to try again......I like sheep faces. 

Thanks for visiting, be sure to click on the 29 Faces link above and see what others are drawing!