"Sketching for a Valentine"

"Wanna Play Some Hearts?"



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"Fishin' for a Heart"

"Mo' Sketchin'"

This group of ladies came in, sat down, got organized, got their coffee, pulled out their Kindles, or whatever, and started discussing the latest read.  I thought about eavesdropping on the conversation for no other reason that to catch the title of the book; but I was groovin' on my ear pods and decided it didn't really matter. 



Book Club/Koffee Klatchers



 Found this exquisite ballet dancer in "Art of the West" magazine, jan/feb 2011/2012, issue, page 54.  She was created by Andre Kohn and I couldn't resist transferring her over into my sketchbook.  Had quite a bit of trouble with that right foot, but I swear on a stack of art mags that's the way ol' Andre had it positioned.  I should of changed it. Next time.     




"la Petite Danseuse" oil 19"x9"

 

"I got sick of doing EDM sketches"

Ok, so I thought sketching those Everyday Matters challenges would be . . . challenging.  They were.  But only because because I began feeling restricted in what I wanted to sketch on any given day, or to put it another way: b o r i n g. 

I mean when it got to "draw a piece of clothing," all I could think of was a simple-lined t-shirt. And why, I mean really, would I want to draw a piece of clothing.  Though Danny Gregory was the inspiration for the list, I don't think he had anything to do with putting it together.  That was left to Karen, Patty, Helen, Susan, and other ... people.  

So I went back to my old ways.  Heading out to find a place, a thing, a person, or an event to sketch.  A place to get away in one's head to something a little more interesting than grocery store lists, shampooing carpets, shoveling snow, etc.

I like sketching.  I like it a lot.  It freshens my head from a good portion of the extraneous effluvia that floats about each day.

So here ya go:

Snowmover in Costco's parking lot. 

He sat down straight away in front of me a Barnes & Noble.  Never looked up while he read his book.

Reading last night's news. 

Lady on a mission to learn something new.

"Water Decanter at Kennewick Coffee Company"

As previously stated, today was the "34th World Wide Sketchcrawl," a day where artists from all over the world gather together to record the places, events, people and things of the world, then share them online. 

Because the weather was so miserable last night with freezing rain falling, we decided to cancel our scheduled outing.  Then, as Murphy's Law would predict, we had a warm wind that took most of the danger off that layer of ice by noon.  That's when LaPoynte called me and said he was at the Food Court in the mall: a destination we had originally outlined for 1-3 this afternoon.

I drove down to meet and after a nice Italian sandwich, created by the staff at Bruchi's, Dave and I decided to drive downtown Kennewick to look for greater levels of inspiration.

This water decanter sits just inside the window at the Kennewick Coffee Company where, along side a 16oz. vanilla latte, I decided it was going to be mine to capture.  We had a good time while there, talking to Ron Weed, a man who has been to Oaxaca, and back.

"EDM #21: Draw Something Old, Antique, or Vintage"

Since the challenge today was to draw something "old, antique, or vintage," I should have done a self-portrait as I was born on this day in 1946.  You do the math, I find it too depressing..:-)

I chose to sketch this doll that my wife has had for a long time.  It was her grandmother's cousin who stored it in a flour barrel when she moved west with her family in a covered wagon, we think sometime early 1900's. 

The doll is a pre-Civil War doll though, so it is definitely, "old."  Actually, a few years older than me.

Today was also the "34th World Wide Sketchcrawl Day" where drawers and sketchers all over the world sketched, in spirit, together.  Since the weather sort of messed up our outing, I'm going to count this as one my "WWSketchcrawl sketches." 

Speaking of Book Art

This is something I did some time back.  The book was an old text of some kind, unimportant, and the image on the left is of a guy named BB Burritt.  Can't remember what he was known for, something important and world changing I'm sure.  And if you recognize the guy on the right, well, that's good; and if you don't, well...it's the best I could do at the time.

"EDM #19: Draw Something You Made"

"EDM #16: Draw Your Favorite Tool"

Draw your favorite tool.  This one gave me some trouble, couldn't get motivated to do this one.  Too many tools to choose from: hammers, pliers, ladders, etc., etc. 

Got to thinking about perspectives and how I might be able to sketch one of my Pigma Micros pens in the upright position while it magically draws my hammer, all by itself. 

It came out ok.  Not sure the shadow does much, but hey, it's just a simple, and a rather fun sketch to do.

16 of 324 EDM Challenges completed.  Feels good to be coming into the "stretch."  lol

"EDM #12: Draw What You Had For Dinner"

This is a re-draw of not a dinner, but a lunch I had at Cheese Louise a couple of months ago. It is the Cheese Tray with four different cheeses: Barely Boozed from Utah, Lamb Chopper also from Utah, Gruyere from Switzerland, and Fiscalini Cheddar from California; a few grapes and strawberries, some nuts and crackers, and a glass of Fat Bastard white wine from France.

The tray was excellent and the wine was superb!  Highly recommend this if you haven't tried it. 

"EDM #11: Draw Your Sunglasses, or Glasses"

EDM Challenge #11 is to "draw your sunglasses, or glasses."  Since I figure that would be just a little bit uninteresting, I went online to find something else and found "steampunk goggles."  Don't ask how I discovered the term "steampunk" but somehow in my searching it popped up.

The one is very tame compared to many others which are adorned with watch-gears and springs, and jewelry and all sorts of interesting things.  Few of them are actually functional, I don't think anyway, and all are designed in the name of art.  So there you go, my "steampunks."

Someone locally must be making these because I've seen them displayed at "You & I Framing & Gallery."

"EDM #10: Draw Your Hand or Hands"

I messed this one up. 

Wanting to copy the original drawing below that I did a couple of years ago of this older man's hands with the bocci ball, I printed the original out and laid beside my sketchbook.  I didn't notice until I was completely finished that I had placed the original in a portrait position and then went ahead and drew it from that perspective.  Once I posted the ink and watercolor copy, I realized it was incorrectly positioned...so for this posting I corrected the lay-out by putting it on its side. . 

My original sketch is a graphite drawing, for this challenge I copied it here in ink and watercolor. 

"EDM #9: Organized Chaos"

I rent a small room in a large two-storied building as an art studio.  The work surface is an office door lying across these cupboards that I found in another room.  It is where I keep my paints, brushs, water bottles, paper towels, acrylic and watercolor pallettes, oils, a small radio with a set of speakers, etc.  It works well for my purposes.      

I have a bunch of my figure drawings and other drawings pinned to the walls along with a few paintings; I have a small refrigerator I picked up at a garage sale for $25; a work table where I can sit at my computer when I bring it in to work on, or play some music on it.  

My decades-long love affair with Paris is represented by the city map I have on the wall behind the table easel you see here.  

"EDM #8: Draw Your Watch"

I drew my watch, eventhough I don't wear a watch anymore.  I haven't worn a watch since I retired in 1999.  And this sucker still runs.  Amazing, "takes a licking and keeps on ticking."

"EDM #7: Draw a Jar, Bottle, or Tin From the Kitchen"

Now, what, I ask you, could be more jar, bottle, or tinny than three glass containers from the kitchen, well, two  anyway, filled with wine corks, lentils, and marbles? 

So far, I like this sketch best of this series.  There's just something about that brandy snifter with the wine corks. 

I was going to put a quote in here from Danny Gregory, author of among many books, "Everyday Matters," but after pillaging the entire house this morning - I can't find it.

So let's just say this:  Doing a bit of sketching on a regular basis is as good for you as eating your curds and whey, maybe better. 

Come over to the 509 Artspace this morning for a Figure Drawing Session with us.  The model, "Smash," a local roller-derby queen will be wearing her costume!!

EDM NOT: Just a sketch.

Took my son to the dentist yesterday and while waiting for him sketched the intersection of Edison and Clearwater in Kennewick from behind these sculpted seals.  They were busy sunning themselves in the early morning sun, waiting for a fish to drive by.   

"EDM #6: Draw Your Favorite Well-Loved Object, or a Childhood Toy"

This isn't actually my old baseball mitt.  Mine disappeared about as long ago as the moon landing: maybe even before that.

The one you see here is one of the three I purchased at a yard-sale so when my grandsons come to visit we can go outside and play catch.  Those boys are growing up fast, the youngest is 7 and the oldest will be 11 on Valentine's Day.

My old mitt was something I dearly loved.  It was a three-fingered affair, and with my little and ring finger snuggled into the third finger of the mitt, it was a perfect fit.  If I close my eyes I can still feel how it hung on my hand, almost falling off, but still secure; and how a ball blazing off the smack of a bat and into the meshing brought no pain. Odd isn't it, how one can gain life-long attachment to an old piece of leather, and a dog?  But that's another story - the dog.

I loved baseball; and I guess I was pretty good at it until I decided in high school to run hurdles instead: big mistake.

"EDM #5: Draw Your Bed"

Ok, this is the last of the first five I did two years ago.  Yes, it is my bed.  If you haven't figured it out yet, most of the people in the Everyday Matters Group are women....shoes, lamps, bags, beds. 

If us guys were doing this it would have been bolts, nuts, saws and jock straps...well, maybe not that last one. Anyway, there's plenty more to come where these come from and they're all just good practise anyway, so I'm not too worried about it.

I like to think that if I were to draw this again I wouldn't miss the perspective as badly on the bed as I did this on this one.

Hope you're enjoying these for a fraction as much as I am and remember, you can get the list of EDM Challenges at this link.

"EDM #4: Draw Your Favorite Mug, or Cup"

Today the challenge was to draw your favorite mug, or cup, so I chose my favorite mug that holds, or used to hold, my Pigma Micron pens.

Actually it was two years ago that I started this sketchbook to be filled with the Everyday Matters challenge list.  I had already completed over 50 of them, but I wanted to do them over, better, sequentially, and all in the same sketchbook, or series of sketchbooks.

I got through the first five and never touched the book again until this week.  So what you've been seeing here with the first four posts, and the fifth, tomorrow, were done two years ago.  However, so I am operating within the spirit of Art-A-Day, I have been adding new drawings (1 or 2 a day) that will I will begin posting on the 6th in this blog.

So far, I think the 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th are better than the first five.  We'll see. 
 

EDM #3: draw a purse, wallet, or bag..

For this 3rd challenge I just didn't quite see any interest in my wallet, but my wife's new bag, now there was a challnge. 

All those folds and stitches and pockets and keys and shadows...sheesh.  I didn't think I could pull it off.

Well, here it is, and I think it came out pretty good.  I like it. 

If you want to see the EDM challenge list, click here.  I'm on a quest to post one each day in January here in the Art A Day blog.

The first five were done two years ago, but I'm working ahead and have the next three completed and ready to go.  Would love to post them all today, but one-a-day, that's my goal.

EDM - Everyday Matters 

EDM #2: Draw a Lamp

Number 2 on "Everyday Matters" list of 324 is to "Draw a Lamp."

This lamp hangs in our kitchen nook over the table.

The real one is much more symmetrical and therefore not quite as interesting. And, as I studied it this morning I found one of those dreaded cobwebs.

It's gone now.

The cobweb.