Nest DC

The bare and barely leafed deciduous trees of early spring here in Denver provided good views of the subject of this week's drawing challenge.

The days have been cool and changeable here, breezy and showery.  We have been hard at work getting my parents ready for a big move later this year.  It has been good weather for hauling boxes.

 

'Spring Nest' pigma pen and watercolor in 5x7 moleskine sketchbook

Many more wonderful artists are feathering nests over at the beautiful blog of Ariane.  Fly on over for a peek.  I am about to alight there myself!

DC: Vase

This drawing challenge called up a memory of the optical whimsy 'Faces and Vases' which I first learned of as a young child when my mother was taking some art classes.  Later, in my own art studies, I learned that the illusion illustrates the principal of figure-ground reversal.

'Faces and Vases' - pigma pen and prismacolor pencil in 5x7 moleskine

I was actually given a vase of flowers at a small and intimate birthday celebration with my friends Wednesday night.

The bright blossoms within the vase are a sweet harbinger of spring.

The days are growing longer.

Some winter-loving people say 'Spring schming.  Who needs it!?"

Thanks to our hostess Ariane who suggested this week's drawing challenge.  There are more vases on view over at her rose-colored place.

Autumn Drawing Challenge

It was too late, too cold; autumn here passed away at the time of the full moon last week, but I decided to play anyway.  

Then on Wednesday, an insane amount of snow began to fall.

a few of autumn's last hold-outs

 By Thursday morning, at least 14 inches of powdery snow covered our little Island.

I chose to wait at home for my excellent neighbor to plow out my driveway and didn't get into town until almost noon.

Snow covered Sing Lee Alley, on the way to my studio which is located in the large barn-shaped building with the red roof.

It was fun to have a 'snowcation'.

(Of course, Flossy LOVED it).

I think the winter weather has brushed off on my painting!

untitled as yet, 14"x10" acrylic on heavy, rough watercolor paper

'Autumn Spirit and the North Wind' prismacolor pencil and pigma pen in 8x6 sketchbook

Thanks to Ariane, our beautiful last rose of summer, for this drawing challenge.  Be sure you stop over to her ever so beautiful castle for links to other players in the Autumn challenge.  

Bed and Board - DC

Oh, Rose - what a challenge you gave us!  Bed and board!  I thought I had a concept when I signed up but then decided it didn't really grab me, so - back to the drawing book! 

Fortunately, when I sat down to draw last night there was a beginning already there from the night before:

This time of year, sleeping can be interrupted by night time insect visitors.  An Alaskan-sized mosquito can make the night very long with her annoying high-pitched buzzing and threat of attack.

'Bed and Board' - pigma pen and prismacolor pencil in 8x6 gamma sketchbook

 I hope you are not plagued with such pests when you lay down to rest!  Maybe you can find a bit more quiet night of bed and board over at Ariane's lovely blog.  Lots of other artists are linked there!

DC - Tiles

I was lucky enough to receive some very timely photos this week from the incomparable street photographer Denis Shelby:

images of some wonderful tiles which I am pleased to be able show you in response to this week's drawing challenge.

Locally, tiles are not so common, but I gathered what I could.

My friend and mentor Polly Lee made the tiles above as part of a series of work she did in the 1980's.  They grace a shelf in my studio. 

Up at the elementary school, there are mosaic tiles on the exterior wall of the front entrance which were created by the students one year during an Artist in the Schools project.

 The bright colors and sea-theme are perfect for our often rainy harbor town.

Alas, I cannot remember the name of the artist who orchestrated the project. 

I love mosaic work but haven't ever done it myself - well, only one time, thank you Kari, when I made a small paver for our garden.  (Maybe I will show you that some other time).

 I think this is a shrimp.

 The variety of sizes is very appealing in this student's mosaic.

You can find many more examples of tiles over at Ariane's ever so beautiful blog.  Thank you so much for stopping by!  Wishing you a restful Sunday.

Abbild - Portrayal - DC

This week's challenge from our hostess Ariane-the-Rose lead me to use tea and rust dyed fabric scraps left over from my recent accordion book project to create a likeness of a doll I might have loved to play with as a child.

'Harriette' - tea/rust dyed vintage linen, antique buttons, pigma pen; approximately 8" tall

detail of Harriette

Did you (do you) play with dolls?  Did you sew for them?  Please do visit over at Ariane's - many more abbilder for your amazement and amusement there.

Cards to Play House With - drawing challenge

Ariane named the game for this week’s drawing challenge: Playing Cards.

I recently received my new business cards from the wonderful MOO and was glad to put my old ones to good use for the challenge.  I sanded the gloss down…

 …and gessoed them on both sides.

 Spent most of the week thinking up what my cards would be about, and had fun inventing suits for imaginary games, settling at last on a set of more or less domestic playing cards.

Daily drawing - Study for cards; Pigma pen and gouache in 8"x6" gamma sketchbook

Daily drawing - Study for cards; Pigma pen in 8"x6" gamma sketchbook

studio working sketchbook

 My suits are Irons, Letters, Spoons and Rings.

Four cards: 3.5"x2"; acrylic and Pigma pen with gel transfer & paper collage on recycled business cards

The One of Irons

The Two of Letters

The Three of Spoons

The Four of Rings

 Do stop at Ariane's place to see more clever cards at play.