random sketchbookery and scribbles. and blathering.
trish sweeney, who took one of my classes, sent me this handsome sketchbook all the way from australia along with a really dear card. on which she wrote "just a small gift of appreciation for introducing me to the world of making books". wow. i was bowled over by the kindness of her words and the craftsmanship of the book. truly a case of the student surpassing the teacher!
pinecones collected with my sister dottie on the sonoma coast. they were dense and heavy as rocks! now the biggest one has opened while inside my house. i think i'll draw it again now that it's "blossomed."
a favorite mug bought at a large craft fair in budapest featuring hungarian craftspeople from the carpathian basin. i cherish it.
i love the way the zig clean color red brush pen turns almost a neon pink when it's brushed over with water.
3 days left of winter break. i'm making the most of it.
thanks for the birthday wishes.
how are you?
ooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhh i never Knew they opened further. Thought however you found them is how they stayed.
OOOOOOHHHHH my next adventure is to find some to sketch and watch for their expansion.
The book gift is Awesome. What a beautiful!!!! gift……..
Hugs,
sass
PS. Love your birds…!!!
Love the lovely birds. Please continue to draw more birds. Do you get to see birds everyday in Moss Cottage? Carrie
Hi there.I’m feeling invisible in the foggy air here at home in So Oregon. It’s cool in a way but after several days it gets sort of depressing, so I just get to watching sketchbookery videos and let my self get into it. In reference to cuddling baby animals, my chickens aren’t very cuddly but they are funny cluckers. They are teenagers and very opinionated. Should be getting fresh brown and green eggs in the Spring. Lovin your birds. I have a fox sparrow in my yard of late. Such a little beauty. Have a happy day.
Re: The Whales of August; I have small yet treasured connection to this movie as the cottage where this was filmed belonged to my great aunt’s family (the Pitkins). Built about the the time she was born in 1905, it is still in her family as far as I know. I grew up listening to her stories about her magical summers there. If netflix does not have it, the full length movie is on youtube.
When was your birthday, Mary Ann? I just had one on Tuesday…the big 60!!! It is so strange. Love always looking at your art. Happy Birthday!!
Savor your last few days and may the celebration last the rest of the month. I like to spread mine out…it is the best way.
Sorry I missed your birthday. Hope it was a good one! Love the birds and other things you have been sketching.
Aloha, Kate
HaPpY BiRtHdAY!!
Happy sketches from a lady who, I think, is in a happy place. And that makes ME happy! I love it when you share your sketches. I live vicariously through them as I never seem to get to the sketching part of my day. I’m working on that this year. More time for me. (And I’ve earned it!)
XO
Happy, happy Birthday to you! Love these pages – that mug is delightful as are the piney cones ( or pine corns, as someone I know calls them – always make me laugh ). Not sure if my email ever made it to you re: a movie I thought you might like (The Whales of August); I emailed the link as I wasn’t sure how you felt about links being posted your comments. Happy to resend if you are interested (a sweetly poignant film, very much in keeping with Country of the Pointed Firs) and a nice little diversion as you wind down your holidays. May 2015 hold much happiness for you!
Your paintings are perfect and so is that beautiful book.
Happiest of birthday wishes! May yesterday be just the first day in a year filled with delight and abundance. I can’t wait to see what the year brings for you. I’m crazy about that coffee mug painting up there. and the pinecones.
I adore your birds!–their little feathers are just great!
Your description of the opening of the pine cone made me think how most grownups stop taking stuff like this home with them, and then miss out on all those little adventures and surprises…
Lovely lovely!
I’m going through my 2014 photographs right now. I have this wonderful system of categories, but alas I never keep up with it so once every…um…year or so I go through the whole lot and select what to keep and what not and put them in their appropriate folder so if say I need a picture of a bird I can find it quickly. I also use this time to make two big backups of all my pictures so if a computer gremlin decides to visit me I’m semi-prepared.
This is tedious work (even though it’s nice to see what pictures I took in the past year) so from time to time I take a break to have some tea and chocolate, do some grocery shopping, push a cat out of the way or as is the case right now check on people’s blogs. You know, so don’t drive myself insane. I will get this job done today, yes I will! Have a good weekend!
Oh yes…forget to mention…hope your had a happy birthday!
Wow- I want to teach out in LA and have such a long winter break! I am so jealous! On another random front, I think birds are your specialty. They are fantastic.