Drawing Lab Activites

As you possibly know, over in the ART group, we are doing Carla Sonheim's Drawing Lab book study.  It is really a good book to get you back into some fun and no pressure drawing.  Carla says, as do many of the artists I  see on the net, to use what ever supplies and materials available to you to make art... don't let not having a so called popular media something keep you from playing and arting!  Well, too, you might  know, I am on an extended road trip.  I did pack a small amount of art supplies, with a small voice in the back of my head saying "you won't have time, you won't have time!"  And that same voice saying, you can't post, you can't post.  Actually, I do have time.  After a day of being locked inside the cab of a truck, or a day of riding and hiking around some strange new environment, it feels really good to sit at the table in our rv and do a bit of drawing.  And too, it finally hit me today that I have a mac and it has a photo booth and I can easily post photos, even if they are not the greatest. So, here are the photos of some of the labs from Carla's Drawing Lab book.  I am enjoying my trip and her book a great deal.  

Eye drawing practices.

 Drawing in public drawing practices.  The campers next over were having a fun card game!

A non-dominant hand drawing of HRH checking the maps... hope he is better at deciphering maps than I am at left handed drawings, lol!

And after drawing 20 dogs, I picked this cutie to doodle on.  Drawn on a blue index card with a purple chisel point marker.  Doodles added using brown, sienna, and black pitt artist pens.  

Today, I picked up a box of General's pastel chalk pencils at the YSM.  I have never seen these before.  I used them on the very last eye above, since I do not have colored pencils with me or they are buried beneath other things, and I just think I don't have them with me.  I rather like how they went on the drawing paper.  I did give them a spray of hair spray after applying them.  

So, between traveling and art, I am sooooooooooooo having fun!

Road Trip Fun

Over at this link if the link works
 http://wp.ne/p2Hli-lcp
 I think you might find a report on a muse swap.  Quinn thought this might be an easy but fun idea, and I agree!  Everyone who signed up was assigned to switch muse's s with some one else's muse.  Quinn switched my "lazy" muse with Carina's ADD muse as she thought they would both benefit from our mentoring, lol.  Then, today, everyone is to report on what happened.  Here is the report I sent:

Good morning Quinn! 

 I had to take Carina's ADD muse on a road trip.  The muse was able to relax a bit, and enjoy some new views!  We visited Yellowstone Park and got to photograph some awesome animals, C's muse may be able to use the photos we took to do some interesting wild life drawings.  After that, we stayed in Coeur d'Alene, where her muse got to see bald eagles, and lovely lake views.  Some fantastic old mansions on the lakeshore drive she will remember for a long time.  Her muse did get to participate in a small amount of art time, working on some of the labs from Carla Sonheim's Drawing Lab book in the form of drawing in public places (ie the rv campground of other campers) and making multiple drawings of one thing, a dog.  C's muse got to have naps!  What a priceless benefit that is. Also, C's muse got to purchase a set of Cafe colored Sharpie markers, a new set of colors, something every muse covets. C's muse too, did a bit of writing and drawing in a travel journal too.  All and all, C's muse and I got along just great and will continue on to the Olympic mountains and down the west coast together!   

Thanks Quinn for coming up with a fun and easy swap!

The muses are enjoying the road trip, but do miss having to leave Blueberry home alone.  This is a picture showing how close of a relationship we have... she helps me draw, paint, and sew!

Road Trip

We are on a road trip!  Therefore, my art making is very limited.  Mostly the typical tourist photos, lol so here is one for you.  Can you guess where we were?

Camping With Charcoal

You know, of the fun of camping is having a campfire.  A couple of weeks ago when I was camping with my three little car girl Grand girls, I showed them how to find a nice piece of charcoal to draw with.  They wanted me to draw them, so we used paper plates as a canvas.  They dearly love to "pose" for photos and was more than happy to pose for some campfire charcoal portraits.  They took the portraits and hung them in their little bunk cubbies.  So, we again went camping last week end and again, Grandma had to do another round of portraits.  The littlest car girl wanted one with her Papa.  And, I tried a gesture effort of one of the camp dogs.  Drawing with campfire charcoal is not too much different than using vine charcoal, except it is very soft and sometimes you do not have a clue as to what the line will look like... sometimes fat sometimes skinny.  And it smears really easily.  These were sprayed with hair spray but they still smear a bit.

The littlest car girl and her Papa/campfire charcoal on paper. 

The biggest car girl.

Dowg (it's a girl dawg)

Littlest car girl on a paper plate.

Middle car girl on a plate.

And, the camp coffee pot which holds an amazing 3 gallons!  Whew!

Charcoal Contours and Gestures

I know one must practice to get good at anything.  Why, then, do we procrastinate with this?  Carla's Drawing Lab book and the book study over in ART is getting me to practice a bit more.  She recommends you practice on card stock so you don't feel like you have to create a masterpiece.  I found these two packets of blue index cards at the YSM a couple of weeks ago and thought I might as well practice on them.  I am also using a charcoal pencil that is recommended by Katie Kendrick in her classes.  I had fun playing.  My next try (maybe) ...using the non-dominant hand and holding a drawing instrument at the end to try to draw.  Should get some rather interesting results from those don't you think?

Guess What I Will Be Journaling About Next

You got it.  Sir Paul was fabulous!  He puts on the best show ever!  I loved the outdoor stadium (my first concert in one), I loved the music.  We had such a great great time!

The weather was beautiful and perfect.  

And, since I was in the city I got to go shopping the next day (today really)  for some new art and journaling supplies... woo hoo that really pumps me up too!  Some new pitt pens, some new sharpie water based markers, some new water color brushes, and a few other things that do not exist where I live, he he.  

My next project=getting rv trailer ready for our extended road trip to Yellowstone, Montana, Idaho, Canada, Washington, Oregon, and from there who knows, in honor of HRH's retirement!  (thats the plan right now, which could change at any given time)

Heavenly Bodies

The last pages for the Marie A RR are on their way home to Lorena!  This swap has been heavenly in lots of ways.  Thanks to all who played!

And I am on Cloud 9 too, to be heading off tomorrow to this!

And Some Gesture Drawings

Eeeek!  I need more practice with this.  And, I need to find something alive and moving to try it on!  he he.

Giraffes Today

These contour drawings are fun!

Still Playing With Carla Inspired Cats

Here are the same cats from last post.  I picked out a few and played with watercolors and on the sewing machine free motion.  I could just keep right on playing with these for a few more rounds, lol.

Guess Who I Am Playing With!

 Last couple of days I have been drawing.  These are the results.  Can you guess why I am doing these cats

And I even managed to manipulate them on PS!  Now that is one giant step for a computer challenged person like me!   

Ok, If you did not know, I am doing a book study over in ART group.  The book is called Drawing-Lab by the awesome, generous, lovely teacher and mentor, Carla Sonheim.  This is unit 1 lab 1 assignment.  I have really had fun.  After the drawing, I scanned them to PS and played with them. Fun!  And I am starting some bunk covers for my car girls so I did a quilt block with free motion sewing of one of the cats.  And, I printed some out on card stock and played with water colors.  It has just been too much fun.  In a day or two I will post the water color and quilt block efforts too.  Thanks Carla for the inspiration!

Rock Creek

I did not totally ignore my muse while camping and playing with the car girls.  Here is a little pencil sketch of the creek from above on an embankment.  I wish I would do more sketching and drawing!

A Tiny Swap

Over in CCS Mary started a small 10 Items swap.  Everyone who signed on searched their environment for 10 items to send to one of the signees.  When the signees receive the 10 items, we are to make a collage from them, then send them back to the person who sent them.  This should be interesting, don't you think?  Here are the items I sent and the items I received.  I will post the collage I make when I get it finished and the collage I get back too.

This is the items I received from my good friend Susan in Austrailia.

These are the items I sent back East to Mary.

News tidbits:
I just got back today from a four day camp out.  I will post pics soon.
I am going to the Paul McCartney concert next Tuesday, woo hoo!
And after the concert we are off on a road trip and I should have more fun things to share.