i love to draw with a watercolor brush. i often wish i would THINK more and plan before jumping in with a sketch, but i just don’t have it in me.
take these 2 glass cups of tea below for example. the original pic is in my old istanbul travelogue. anyway the plates have 6 red segments not 8 as in the upper cup. just a tiny bit of thought before diving in could have come in handy. but what the hell, i could always consider this the warm-up study and do another sketch of the exact same thing. in fact now that i say that i realize i should do that more often.
after the glasses i wanted to draw a building with my paintbrush. i’m here to tell you that was extremely rewarding.
now i want to do another in bright blue.
i’m determined to paint one building a day this week. i detest one-a-day type challenges so this may not work for me. we’ll see.
where are you and what are you doing? someone in los angeles wants to know.
I am inspired every time I visit your blog. I’m trying to paint something every day. It doesn’t always happen but I’m trying.
I’m loving my new “sketchbookery” journal and am filling it with wonderful things that are happening to me. I hope to get to the ocean in the next 2 months.
I love all your wonderful plants you have in your gardens. Of course here in WA they would not do well,sooooooo I was in Trader Joes and they have cute potted succulents. Yup I am starting a garden in my garden window by my bath tub, complete with plants, candles and margaritas! I think you are a very good influence on me…………………painting on.
Fabulous building! I’m in Crofton, MD and I’m working on making a new art journal.
@jessicalloughrey on Instagram
I’m warming up to the Sketchbookery class. Have no experience sketching whatsoever, but have made the book and am on my fourth page. Haven’t posted pics yet, because not sure how to size them with my i-pad; but will revisit that part of it. Have joined the Facebook gang. Am so glad I’m trying this. I’ve surprised myself! You continue to amaze & inspire.
At home in bed with a cold; not very exciting I know. But I woke up at 4 am with a vision of a totebag design for the watercolor painting workshop in France in three more weeks that would not let go. Off to do some sewing as soon as I can get out of bed, and also not sew my thumb or something. Probably safest to just sketch my ‘visionary totebag’ for now, eh?
What am I doing? Found a picture in a magazine ad of a vet holding a small dog, wearing a stethoscope (the vet). Next, I cut off the vet’s head and replaced it with the big ole head of a wire-haired terrier. I’m pleased with it but it scared my son. I call it “The Empathetic Vet”. Maybe it will become a one-a-day thing. I don’t know.
I was in your neighborhood. There is a book describing secret stairs in LA. We parked at Figueroa and 53rd and walked east. Cool neighborhood and fun stairs. At one pont we were at Franklin HS. We ate a delicious lunch on the SE corner of Fig and 53rd…bea
I think it’s called ” artistic license”. No matter how you get it wrong….it’s right!
Your painting of the Hotel DeVille is wonderful and it made me want to visit there. I like the way you add your paint swatches there, too-I’m going to try that.
What I’m doing today is writing a memorial to Robin Williams for a monthly wzine that I put out. He is an agel to my husband for about 20 years now-it’s a special story. We are sad and miss him, but then he’s always here, too and gave his so much magnificent work.
All the best to all, Sandy in Dublin, CA.
You inspire me to draw and paint ever day. Thank You!
I love the freedom of the brush paintings and I’m inspired to give it a try. Thanks. The Q Scarlet is lovely.
So very glad I stopped by.
Back at work, daughter on her way back to college. Still managed to create a couple of cards this weekend, which was most exciting as I’ve had the stamped and copic colored images completed for a while. It was good to get back in the creative groove!
Sandra: Daniel Smith has both sizes of empty pans. Daniel Smith is in Seattle. You could have had them in 2-3 days.
MAM: I just read that one of the Impressionist masters painted a chapel in France 32 times!!! How many times do suppose Monet painted his famous Lily Pond? The number of repeats of any particular thing makes you do it better, so have a go as many times as you want to. Who cares if it’s # 1 or # 50? Fun is the name of the process.
well hi MaryAnn : ) neat post – it’s like you’re thinking out loud and we get to hear and enjoy the outcome – thank you : ) love-love-love your paints box – I’m just sooo surprised no one, and I mean no one, carries empty half pans (or full ones either) so I had to order them from Amazon and guess what ?? they are coming from – are you ready – ENGLAND !!!! and they will end up taking 3-4 weeks before they get here – can you believe that ?? no – I couldn’t either !!!!
I/we just returned from my Tucson-B’day week – YAY !!!! did some sketching, a little bit of painting, lots of pool-relax time, reading, some more sketching and and and – ohhhh, found a great cactus/succulent nursery and I am now the proud mama of 6 new little babies (hubby said I could do/get/have anything I wanted for my b’day and they were it : ) – don’t know where the whole week went but it’s GONE !!!! had a most wonderful Sunday – played in my art journal, where I get to acrylic paint, use lots of glue, spray-paint, stencil, doodle, etc. loads and loads of FUN : )
sooo, that is what I am doing/did : )
Blessings, Sandra in AZ : )
Hi Mary Ann, Long time, no comment. But I’ve been reading your blog posts and checking back every day to see if you have posted something new. It occurred to me that when you said you sort-a, kinda messed up on those cups and plates you painted that there is absolutely nothing wrong with taking another wag and sketching it again. Practice makes perfect — or so I’ve heard. 😉
When I visited Amsterdam in 2000, I went to the Van Gogh Museum. I found painting after painting of sunflowers and lots and lots of fields of wheat (or some other growing thing). The fact that he had already done one painting of sunflowers never held him back from painting another and another and another. So sketch to your heart’s content and don’t worry about how many you’ve done of the same subject. Each one will be a treasure and a reflection of where your head, heart and vision were at the time you did it.
Fantastic. I survived my 8 hr shift in the Dept on Aging booth at the IL State Fair. It is funny to see the people who are looking for freebies/giveaways at the fair. They are cleptomaniacs. They would take the table if it didn’t have a tablecloth.