A New Sketch and Some Embroidery

This is supposed to be an onion. Not my favorite sketch...

but I like it like this as a spread.

Last year, I thought I would embroider two holiday hand towels for the bathroom. I only managed to finish one. So, I'm getting started a bit earlier this year in the hopes that the two can hang together :)

Last year's towel completed.

This needs a little ironing.

Work in progress. 

I  used an embroidery transfer pen (which is water erasable) and a stencil (you can also use cookie cutters) to trace the mittens.

When you don't know where to begin...

There are so many wonderful resources for creative inspiration today; youtube tutorials, blogs, online workshops, pinterest... But, before I became better aware of social media as a resource, my go-to were books (I still prefer them to nooks, tablets, etc.). There's nothing like the visual and tactile experience of flipping through the pages of a book.

And so I share a few books that have pushed me along when I didn't know how or where to begin (or how to continue). They have also inspired some classroom work with my students.

Drawing Lab: for Mixed Media Artists
Art Lab for Kids
Water Paper Paint

Then step away from it all and remember that the greatest source of inspiration is your own life; the people, places and things that surround you :)

Perseverance

per·se·ver·ance

ˌpərsəˈvirəns/

noun

1. steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.

My Drawing 

What I am striving for:

Pierre-Paul Prud'Hon
Standing female Nude Resting Her Arms On A Branch

Pierre-Paul Prud'Hon
Portrait of Constance Mayer

On the cover of my Strathmore drawing pad.

I'm forty now, and I'm hoping to have at least forty more years of drawing in my life... slow and steady.

Sketch Book Skool

Hello! It's been a bit full on around here with house guests, baby/bridal showers, birthdays, reunions... People I haven't seen in years and years keep coming out of the woodwork and the festivities don't look like they will end any time soon. I'm flying to Miami for a wedding this weekend and before I know it it will be Thanksgiving, then more house guests, a holiday party, and Christmas!

In the midst of all of this socializing, I have found time to continue some sketchbook pages inspired by Danny Gregory's lessons in Sketch Book Skool (you can see my first post about this online drawing class here). I decided to spend more time using Danny's method of art journaling before moving on to the other instructors. I am really loving the process of painting pages and drawing every day objects with flare pen/marker as a way of documenting my life.

Collage 101

Assignment #4: My Tribe
This collage is my last assignment before transitioning into mixed media (which I am really looking forward to). The theme I chose was "my tribe" and this collage was inspired by the textiles of Ecuador and some bright colors that I love.

This piece is the most abstract I have done.
I really enjoyed adding all of the different layers.