Day 3: Richland Yacht Club

Big splashes of sunlight this morning pushed me out into the the streets and boulevards looking for something to draw. I sketched the intersection at Gage and Leslie, then looking for something better, found myself in downtown Kennewick. Nothing there jumped out at me, and there was a cloud cover moving in. Crossed the river into Pasco and drove over to CBC where I purchased two Super Aquabee Sketchbooks for the price of one at Craft Warehouse; then decided to drive home for lunch. On the Pasco-Richland bridge I spotted the Richland Yacht Club. 
 

The sketch came out horribly, so I just photoshopped the gee whiz out of it and it came like this.

 

1-1-13

Celebration

Mixed media on paper -- an old watercolor painting reworked.

Again, I’m not taking any side in this. These are doodles on what I’ve seen in politics over the last forty years.

Well glad to be back for Art-A-Day. And have seen all your stuff and it's all great. Well as usual I have simple stuff that is under the "Watch this Space' category. First of which is just a field of blue with a white stripe. Boring but I do have an idea. The other is a bit more colorful, most of which I did just before Christmas Eve. Tho did work on it a bit yesterday it too is going to evolve. :)

Greg Ashby

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Cell Phone at McDonalds

Out with the Urban Sketchers today and I sketched this guy at the McD's on road 68.

sketch attempt-1

Movie marathon day -Lincoln then Les Mis. followed by dinner.  Knowing I wouldn't see the studio, I faced my fears this morning and tried sketching.  A bit tragic and lost the scale, but even in this short practice I learned to go let go and not be so literal.  Perhaps I will try a sketch a day.. Now THAT would certainly stretch my comfort zone.

Perhaps I can now go release all those gasping sobs I had to stifle in the theater today. 

Day 2: First Wednesday Morning Sketchabout

Our first Wednesday Morning Sketchabout of 2013 was held this morning at the McDonald's on Road 68 in Pasco, WA. It was nice getting back together with Jean, Nancy, and Dave for this session. The holidays are nice, but once one is addicted to sketching with friends, it's nice to return to the fray. We had a great time visiting and sharing art and life together and I can't wait until next Weds until we do do something similar again.

I was surprised to find as many folks in McD this early in the morning (we started at 9am). At first it was mainly older, retired folks enjoying a morning coffee; then as time went by, a younger crowd started coming in. My vantage point was a good one, as I was able to sit back in my chair, look down the line of people waiting, and in a somewhat unhindered manner sketch without detection. This might be a place to go back to sometime.

We have decided to schedule our sketchabouts for every Weds morning of each month into the far and distant future, unless something else comes up, of course. We will also continue with our Third Saturday Sketchabouts for anyone who can't make the Weds sessions.

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Remember, anyone with something to draw with and on is welcome to join us. There are no fees and we love doing this.

Politics

No sides taken here but I’ve done a short series based on the politics I’ve seen over the last forty years.

No sides taken here but I’ve done a short series based on the politics I’ve seen over the last forty years.

Digital Plein Air: 
"Along the Dike"
About 2 hours
You can't win them all. I need to mind my values better.

Day 2

The Tri-Cities Urban Sketchers met this morning at the Road 68 McDonald's to draw.  The first drawing is Jim, our fearless leader and the second drawing is a customer trying to eat and not notice me...

Cheeks again

I finished re-painting this one today which is very similar to another one I did recently. My excuse was the torso in the first one was too long.  Actual reason is I gave the other one away for Christmas and I really liked it.  Does anyone else replace paintings with very similar ones because they miss them? - Ed

Hello. This is Unknown again. I took down a display at Sandstone today. Will be at AAA later, am on the hanging committee. It would be great if this time the hanging committe-which I am on-would actually hang the piece I take in. That doesn't always happen and might explain why we have other start up organizations locally. Patricia and I will be hanging stuff at K&S Boutique tomorrow and then it is back to work. In this weather it is really difficult to dry pots out enough to fire. Maybe I should heat the studio but that doesn't seem vary Modigliani-ish. But he starved to death so maybe his way is not a worthwhile goal. Have you noticed how Americans pronounce the G in his name? It really strikes me as odd. Maybe we should pronounce right as rigget and light as ligget too. Unknown, AUA (Also Unknown As) Pat

I made the 7 upper right hearts 5 years ago during the first Art-a-Day. Always thought I'd make an advent calendar-type box with different heart brooches for each day of February.  Maybe by posting this I'll actually do it this year, fill them with enamels, epoxies and generally experiment.   The 5 to the left and the filigree-ish one are just messing around trying to get in the groove of something different. 

Nonfiction Writing Project

I will be engaging in different forms of art this month, one being writing. The picture is of a nonfiction book in the making. Many only think of fiction writing as creative, but I am having to use all of my creative skills on this particular project so I can reach a wide audience.

This doesn't look like much yet; writing is a process! Right now it is a shoe box full of note cards plus a notebook of ideas and outlines. I keep a note card spiral with me to fill it with ideas as they present themselves on my topic. Once I fill a booklet, it goes in the box, and I grab another. My step now is to rip the cards out of the spirals, go to my living room floor, and start laying them out to sort them. I can then organize them in a recipe box with tabs to see what sections are full and which might need additional details. From there I shape up the guiding outline (chapters and topics), which can be changed as needed... and then jump in where it feels right.

Been drawing so much, I've decided to pick up the paint brush again.   This is my daughter, Carly, and it's pretty small (5"x5") and unfinished.  Thinking I can find 31 great family faces from my holiday photos and do one each day in January!

Island

January 1, 2013: 
Digital Plein Air, 2 hours
An island near Bateman's Island, a very grey day. Nice of the pair of coots to come by and help me finish the composition.

"Book Art"

B.B.Burritt (1879 - 1960), the father of the family health movement popped up on my computer screen while searching for faces to draw.  I put him in an old psychology book and call it "Book Art." 

 

 

 

black pigma micron pen on book paper

Stormy

A new desire for me is to paint people. It's a rough start but here is stormy. - Ed

A little card I made of Alexandria Nicole Winery in Prosser WA. They have a back room for wine club members only. I've never been in there but I hear it's a separate universe!