I love plaid! It must be my Celtic roots. I don't think I've ever met a plaid I didn't like (unless it was shiny, cheap fabric). I'm a big fan of the show
Outlander on Starz - men in kilts, lots of plaid and also some nice knitted things.
This little drawing is an artistic interpretation of the Chisholm clan tartan. Doing a pattern like this is kind of like meditation. Once I get the color pattern worked out, I can kind of zone out and think about other things while I do the coloring. Its a good way to keep my mind what I call "passively active" - I think its sort of like when you're in the shower, and some idea comes to you, or when you're driving, or knitting . . . your brain is working on the task at hand, but also open to receive thoughts or creative ideas or whatever. I'm not explaining it well, but you know what I'm talking about.
I also love chocolate! This is a Milky Way Dark Mini candy. Its wee tiny - a little more than an inch square. But its packed with lots of chocolate and caramel goodness! These are pretty addictive, because they're so small.
This is 5" x 7", and a little larger than life. I used all Prismacolors, on Fabriano Artistico paper.
I have prints in the
shop. I may list the original too at some point.
And then . . . drumroll . . . my little Molasses Cookie drawing has won an award! It won 3rd Place - Best of Show in the
UArt Open 2014 competition! This is a regional show, sponsored by University Art. They have art stores in Sacramento, Palo Alto and Redwood City, CA. All the accepted entries will be on display in their Redwood City store - 2550 El Camino Real - from October 25th through November 8th. If you're in the area, please go have a look!
I was especially proud of this little drawing because its so small and kind of quiet. Its only 8" x 10", and not showy or colorful. My Berry Tart drawing was also accepted into the show, and to be honest, I figured if either drawing had a chance at winning something, it would be that one - its bigger, and 'prettier'. Just goes to show, you never know with these things.
It doesn't feel very much like Fall here yet, with 90 degree temperatures still keeping things too warm for my taste. But its getting dark earlier, and I love quiet evenings, working on my art or knitting, while the kitties come and go, stopping in for a snack, then going back outside to lounge on the porch or explore. Soon it will be time to buy the Halloween candy - more chocolate to draw!
I was tempted by some more herbs - Bay Leaves and Oregano. So I did drawings of both. I am really enjoying doing these. I like the size (5" x 7"), and the soothing quality of the subject matter. And they smell nice!
Fresh Bay Leaves
Fresh Oregano
I used Polychromo colored pencils on Fabriano Artistico paper for the whole series. I thought it was important to have them all look and feel the same.
Prints, and some of the originals, are available in my
shop.
I'll be doing notecards too, but have hit a minor snag. The nice card stock I ordered won't go through my Epson printer - boo. I can't figure out why, since I have other card stock that's, to my eye and hand, the exact same weight, which goes through fine. It must be something in the finish. Whatever it is, the printer either refuses to take the paper and flashes lights and has a fit, or just spits it through un-printed, then prints the image on the sheet of cheap bond that's queued up behind it. Baah! So I will now have to make lemonade somehow out of this batch of lemons (250 sheets of it!), which I think may end up being hand made knitted cards or something. I'm sure I'll figure something out. Meanwhile, I have to find more of the paper I already have that the printer
does like, which will go with the envelopes . . . oh, the trials and tribulations of being a 'do-it-yourself' art maker and etsy shop owner!
In happier news, I just found out that two of my pieces have been accepted into the UArt Open 2014 art show! Berry Tart, and Molasses Cookie will be going in to be framed tomorrow, so I can meet the final 'deliver the art' deadline. I'm pretty happy. This is a nice regional art show sponsored by
University Art. The art will all be on display in their Redwood City store. Both of these pieces were done with colored pencils on paper.
Berry Tart
Molasses Cookie
And then, you know (or do you?) that I also do a bit of knitting, and have a little shop on etsy
here.
I was excited to learn that someone who bought several pieces last week will be using them in a production of "Annie" in New York! (no, not on Broadway, but still)
These are some of the pieces that will be in the show:
There was a little bit of drama with the post office not getting them there when they were supposed to - I paid extra to get them there overnight, but they didn't, and whoever was in charge of the package didn't think it was important to scan in any tracking info for a whole day, so we were dying a little, wondering where everything went! But then they got there the next day, in time for the show, so phew.
I'm doing some more knitting, trying to get a few more things in the shop for the holidays. Now its actually starting to be real knitting weather (well, actually it was 103 here again this past weekend, but its September at least, and the cool crisp weather will be starting soon - I hope!)
I also have a 'Fall' illustration piece on the board that started out being done with watercolors, which may now be started over with colored pencils. Its funny - I've been doing so much colored pencil work that going back to painting feels awkward to me. I will of course share when its finished, whatever medium it ends up being done with.
I saw this giant molasses cookie in the store the other day and let out a little gasp.
When I was a kid, we'd walk over to Heintz Bakery in
Country Club Center * to get treats. They had these gigantic cookies (to a kid's eyes, anyway), and it was always exciting to get to choose one from the display case, then the have the nice bakery lady in her bakery lady uniform reach over the counter to hand it to me, wrapped in its little piece of tissue. They had sugar cookies with scalloped edges, peanut butter, chocolate chip, and molasses.
I just had to draw this. And I decided to make it one of my 'architectural food' pieces since I haven't done one for a while. Its a sort of odd thing to do a side and section view of, but then I thought, why not? The inside has a wonderful rich, dense section where all the molasses kind of gels together. These are sprinkled all over the top with white sugar. They are just sugar bombs, pretty much. But they smell heavenly, and are delicious.
I also scanned it as I went, so you can see how it developed.
The drawing is 8' x 10", on Fabriano Artistico paper. I used almost all Caran d'ache Pablo colored pencils on it, with one layer of Polychromos, and wee bit of white gouache for the sugar at the end.
I like to establish the pattern on something like this, then work into it with more details.
At this stage it looked like one of those chocolate cookies with the powdered sugar on top.
Here it looks like a toll house, without the chocolate chips.
Here it looks like peanut butter.
Crumbs! There are always crumbs.
This is the layer where I added some Polychromo Bistre.
And here I dabbed some white gouache on for the sugar. All done!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The yard is in full swing now. I noticed today that all my white flowers are in bloom. Not sure if that means anything, but thought I'd take a few (blurry) pics for posterity.
The magnolia has some new flowers, but they're all so high up, I can't get a good photo. You'll just have to take my word for it that that white bit in there is a lovely magnolia flower.
My little miniature rose struggles valiantly in this heat. It lived in a nice foggy yard in San Francisco for many years, so now I have it nestled in with some other green things to help keep it sheltered, and try to remember to mist it often.
And gardenias! They smell so wonderful. I don't think this little guy bloomed last year, so I was so happy to see flowers on it today.
Phyllo, looking three sheets to the wind, helping me examine a magnolia cone.
These things are so cool, but not so cool to step on on the lawn. Its a wonder I haven't broken an ankle stumbling over these.
I'm itching to get out my watercolors. I think some picture book art is on the horizon next . . .
