november in LA is a good time for late morning walks.
yesterday i met helen who wanted to know why i was taking pictures of people’s houses. she was walking her elderly poodle on her neighborhood watch rounds. once she realized i was not casing houses, we had a lengthy chat about the difference between spanish & mediterranean homes, frank lloyd wright’s philandering ways, tyrus wong the 105 year old kite-making artist who inspired the original sets in bambi, conrad & mary buff children’s book illustrators, botanical illustration, craftsman houses, el nino, and quite a few other things that i can’t recall.
when i say “we chatted” what i mean is helen talked and i listened and took notes.
while i walk my eyes are scanning the ground looking for things to bring home and paint. my sun hat doubles as a collection pail.
i can see how this might arouse suspicion.
i had just bent down to pick up a pinecone on today’s walk, when an elderly gentlemen with a limp and a rumpled jacket tried to engage me in a conversation about the gamble house which i’d just walked past.
i just love that house!
is it open?
i was not engageable today though after my Very Lengthy conversation yesterday from which i could not extract myself.
i kept on truckin’
and hunting for treasure.
i’m taking great pleasure in painting my little collections.
while i paint, wyatt naps.
in addition to walking and talking to strangers i meet on the sidewalk, i’m also sorting through paper.
going to make myself a mixed paper sketchbook. because. you know… i can.
i have time. i am a woman of leisure. i am the boss of me.
I’m kicking myself for not making use of my free days by painting! Your paintings are beautiful, and I know… practice, practice, practice is in order if I’m ever to advance as you have! Beautiful work Ms Moss, beautiful!
I am in love with Wyatt. What a marvelous creature. You have me wanting (and I will) make another Remains of the Day journal.
I always enjoy each post (and the comments!). 🙂
Love your sketches, love the plants, love Wyatt, love Little Free Libraries (we’ve got quite a few nearby).
Gorgeous photos – looks like a lovely time of year. I’m on Vancouver Island at the moment experiencing intense culture shock .. lol. Your journal is going to be FABULOUS Dahling! Simply Fabulous! can’t wait to see. xoDonna
I am excited to see your newest mixed paper sketchbook Mary Ann, They are always dang amazing and unique and gotta love any journal that makes any paper feel damn lucky to be part of the action. I know if I was a piece of paper that I would want to be included and I would be truly proud to have one of your sketches grace my surface. Enjoyin your neighborhood stroll and treasure sketches. As always your tales of discovery and wanderings make me smile and grin. Keep on truckin’ Miss Moss. 🙂
I LOVE your resulting paintings from your walk! Delicious ! And also, scraps of paper make me soooo happy. Cannot wait to see what you create. I have been wondering if you have put up your curtain that you brought back the Guatamalan textile for? Helen sounds like a character. Probably just a lonely soul, and I bet you made her day just by listening. I am not much of a talker so I am often trying to extract myself from the verbose of nature, bless their hearts. It has been uber stormy here the past couple days, so I am spending time inside working on drawing and painting faces. I am DETERMINED to get good at them..
Can you believe it is almost Thanksgiving??! I am not cooking this year, for the first time ever, because, I’m just not:). I too, am the boss of me, for once. I told the kids…”you are on your own”. Such a big meanie.
Yowzer to the 10th power.. that burro tail succulent is a beaut and I am jealous as can be.
Love the pic of Wyatt sleeping. The smile on his face indicates that it’s a happy dream!
Love the picture of Wyatt napping. The smile on his face indicates he is dreaming happy dreams.
Mary Ann, if you are in Glendale, go to the corner of Mountain and Louise. My first husband grew up in that house, and it was once owned by the head of the CA Horticultural society. the parkway was gorgeous, and I saw it only in December, long ago. There were HEDGES of jade plant, trees of Poinsettia and a fruit tree in the back yard. It was truly memorable. It was on the corner away from the Mt. Verdugo and closer to the busy cross street. That’s all I can remember. It was Spanish style and had French doors in the front, steps up to a porch and stucco on the walls. Don’t know if it has been kept up, but it was really lovely. It makes me sad to think of it now. His mom died and then he died about 10 years later… goodness, that was almost 20 years ago. hmmmm… I enjoy your walks!
Love walking with you. Helen sounds like a treasure – you don’t want to run into someone like that every day, but when you do, your world grows a little bigger. Beautiful sketches, as always!
you go girl! be the boss of you!!
I MUST get a “real” camera! Your photos are so beautiful. Aren’t we fortunate to live in such a beautiful part of the world?
jan all those pics were taken with my iphone6. i have it in my back pocket to track my steps, but it also comes in very handy to take photos while on walks. it’s especially good with close-up shots!
Love the Gamble house. Too cold here in the Midwest to walk outside, so enjoy it for us, too!
I was tickled to see your photo of the LittleFreeLibrary! I’ve just discovered them here in Georgia. Such an amazing concept. Love your travels, your sketches, and your musings. And sister Carol’s, too. Thanks for sharing.
to keep on truckin” was a wise idea!
The color in your treasure sketch is amazing. I would love to know what paint and colors you are using. Outside in Maryland it is grey, but there are some nicely colored fall leaves on the ground. I like to bring them home to paint. I probably don’t actually need the pink color you used, but I want it!
joanne that pink shade is opera rose by winsor newton. get it! i use it a lot. very useful. it’s made in part with a it is considered a “fugitive” color which means it is not lightfast and will fade over time – thus not good for a piece to be displayed on a wall in the light of day, but i’m fine with it in my sketchbook or between covers.
Thanks for taking us along as you walk and sketch!
Love those dry/hot place plants, especially the hen & chicks! Wow!
LOVE your sketch! Love the way you’ve used multiple colors in flowers, berries (red & green) and those brown fuzzy/spiky things. Very very nice.
Eager to see the new multi-paper book.
Innit lovely to be the boss of yourownself? Such a gift. (Wishing being the boss of me did not entail dragging myself to the dentist for a filling this morning!)
You keep inspiring me!!!!! I have been quilting like crazy lately but it is TIME to take up my watercolor pencils and see what I can do……….. At the moment my walks find falling leaves here in my part of the world. And goodies at the flea markets we visit.
Sorry I hit send too soon. Are you using gouache for your collections or water color? the color is gooooooooooood. Love the photos too. Thanks.
lori,
those are my watercolors – mostly daniel smith, but also a few WN & holbein
I am going to work on the houses around here…didn’t even think about the neighbors thinking I might be casing the joints. Tuscany houses are beautiful.