Compostion Journal: RED WHITE & BLUE

This is my second page in my composition journal. I did not have this planned out before hand (style or subject). It just evolved. Painted in acrylic. The paper flag and ribbon are glued on. It says: "RED WHITE & BLUE. Color of the Flag, Color of the Blood Shed, Bandages Applied, and Oceans crossed over of our American Veterans." It is a tribute to my husband who is one of those American Veterans.

Watercolor Journal Everyday Matters Challenge #242 Draw a figurine

I had wanted to draw this figurine before, but It took the EDM challenge to make me sit down and do it. I drew it in my watercolor journal (not in my composition journal). My watercolor journal is also something I had wanted to start for a while, and have finally done so now.

First Journal Page

I have wanted to have a journal for a while and just now have started it. The picture is of the moon and the stars. This is a memory that I recorded of when I was in Arizona in 2007. The inset says- "Moon & Stars. The Heavens Declare The Glory of God Psalm 19:1. The above quote came to me in 2007 after seeing the extreme number of stars in the Arizona night sky (which are not visible at home). I never knew there were so many. I was actually in shock for the first few minutes." This was done in acrylic paint on the paper in a composition notebook. Was fun to do.

Everyday Matters Challenge #21- Draw something old

I painted this in acrylic from a photo of an Arizona sunset that I cut out of a travel magazine. I loved the colors and subject matter. The Saguaro Cactus does not even begin to grow "arms" until it is about 70 years old. The ones seen here are over 100 years old and the Saguaro can live to be over 200 years old.

Everyday Matters Challenge #24 Draw a piece of fruit

The inspiration for this drawing came from a picture I have, artist unknown. I loved the interplay of colors on the grapes of the picture. It seemed to be the perfect picture to practice on with my color pencils.

Everyday Matters Challenge #178 Draw something red

This vase was done in color pencil. The original is from a book about learning color pencils at my local library. The book had this as part of a larger picture to draw.

Everday Matters Challenge #179 Draw an Onion

This picture evolved as I drew it. Things kept getting added to it. The above are some of the South's (USA) summer comfort foods- pork & beans, cucumbers, and Vidalia onions. The Vidalia (pronounced Vi-DELL-yah) onion , I learned, is the state vegetable of Georgia (my home). Vidalia onions were discovered in the 1930's growing near Vidalia, Georgia. The low sulfer content of the soil in the 20 counties around Vidalia, GA. produces an extremely sweet onion. The onion's name is now copyrighted and is Federally protected. Only onions grown in those twenty counties can be called Vidalia onions. So, if you have eaten a Vidalia onion, you have eaten a very southern specialty.

Everyday Matters Challenge #241 Draw what you see from your kitchen window

For a couple of days I had been looking out my kitchen window into my backyard at the above- planning the picture. When I finally had time to draw, I had to rely on my memory to draw the picture, since it was 10pm at night and very dark and rainy outside. However, I had to go online and find a picture of the bench to be able to draw it. I didn't memorize its shape when I was planning the picture. I also was going to use watercolor on it, but fell in love with how the black and white sketch looked by itself. It was fun to do.

Everyday Matters Challenge #100 Draw a Landscape

This mountain sunset landscape was painted from a photograph that I saved from an advertisement. The photograph with all its variations in color has always intrigued me. I have wanted to paint it for a long time, but was intimidated by its complexity. Since watercolor pencils make it easier for me to control the paint, I decided to use them for my first try at painting the photo.

EDM #219 Draw A Window

This window comes from a storage shed at Lazy Days Campground near St. Louis, Mo. This little storage shed (above) was decorated and landscaped so beautifully that I had to draw and paint it. The window is a stained glass window just mounted to the outside wall. The whole campground catches your attention when you drive in with all the landscaping around the buildings. Both pictures were done with pencil, fine point Sharpie, and watercolor pencil on heavy weight mead academe sketch paper. The storage shed was fun and exciting to do because it is the first picture I ever painted on site.

First People Sketch EDM #129 People Doing Something

This is my first try at sketching people in real time. I was just trying to get the essence of the people and the event- a chili dinner in our camper first night in Casper Wyoming. We were traveling with three other couples and their campers, but ours was always the place where everyone ate when we had a communal meal. There are also two unseen people sitting on the couch at the right-they were out of my line of sight as I sketched. I used a Bic ball point pen. During the trip out west I discovered that sketching with a ball point pen is actually easier and quicker than using a pencil. When I use a pencil, I want to go back to make it perfect, and it takes forever to draw anything. With the pen I just draw.

Everyday Matters Challenge #217 Draw an Umbrella

This was done on the road while I was traveling to see western U.S. and family. Just now have had time to sit down to scan and post to my blog. This umbrella is typical of most umbrellas after use- it's dripping all over the floor. This was done with watercolor pencil, regular pencil, and a fine point Sharpie marker on a Heavyweight Paper Mead Academie Sketch Book.