Time machine back to 1969 Shaw A.F.B. South Caroline? That’s me holding my little fuzzy radio dog.
Flash forward to October 2020. The city of angels is still in the dig days of summer with temps in the upper 90’s low 100’s. That’s all slated to end this week and our proper California fall may make an appearance. The air is mostly fresher, but we still get spot-burns in the forest that send smoke plumes down into the LA basin.
Recent walks:
Art Zoom with sister:
After a sketchbook hiatus, I’m back in action doing my favorite thing. Drawing with the paint brush.
One of my favorite sketchbooks is the Fabriano Eco Qua. A staple-bound booklet with flimsy, but fabulously thin & crinkly paper. I always like to have them on hand in a small (5 x 7) and large size (8.5 x 11)for splashing paint. I took the staples out of my latest one and sewed the pages back into a reinforced spine.
Then I had an uncharacteristic thought that maybe I would take on the Inktober challenge. It goes against my grain, but I thought what the heck. I’m not using prompts or even posting anywhere, except here, so it’s not a proper challenge but I’ll give it a go! So far I have 3 days worth of drawings. Today I’ll add a 4th. I’m using my pentel pocket brush pen, a black .8 pen, and eventually a brush and black ink plus black watercolor. I’m drawing everything from life. Those are my made-up rules. If you’re doing it or have done it in the past do include a link so I can see what you’re doing or just tell me about it.
It’s good to be back in my sketchbook.
Okay. I’m off to draw something below the October 4th date I already added. See you soon.
Keep my posted on your big and small adventures. Especially if they involve travel. I’m starting to realize it may be another full year or more until Europe opens up to Americans. The second it does, I’m making plans to return to Venice for Christmas. I read yesterday that the new floodgates worked to prevent tidal flooding on Saturday.
By the way, I no longer use my old dreamdeep email address (which I used from 1997-2020) so if you’ve reached out to me there I won’t have seen it.
on my bookshelf
The first 3 books were good. Even though Afterlife just sort of fizzled out after a promising beginning and middle. I still enjoyed it, but the end was unsatisfying. Overall I would say it was still worth it. All Things Cease To Appear became unputdownable and was my fav of the 3. The Family Upstairs was surprisingly good. I’ve just started Station Eleven and am enjoying v.v. much! Lately, I just check out whatever the library has available that I don’t have to wait for. If you’re reading something good let me know.
Mary Ann — This is no necessarily for “posting” but I have been receiving weird e-mails from your site since I posted my message above. I’m wondering is someone has hacked into your account because I cannot reply/respond because I’m “not allowed access”. I just thought that I would let you know that there may be a problem. I certainly do not want to stop receiving YOUR postings!
Mary Ann — For some reason, one of the fabric books/journals that I made several years ago (using your instructions) jumped into my head and commanded me to do a bit of a search for it. It was on my “special” bookshelf and I took it out to look through it. I remember loving the making of it. Well, as is the case in my life, I was stunned by how much I loved the work that I did! (Bad internal voices in my head makes me quite judgmental of my own work…) Thank you for all of the work and talent you put into this project and for making it available to your followers. Please know that, as much difference you make in the lives of your “kids”, you have made a very large difference in some of the coots who follow you!
Now, find some tea or coffee (or wine) and take a few minutes to hug yourself!
Karyl Howard in rainy St. Louis!
It’s so good to see your creativity sparkle again!! I missed that a lot!
Love your mom’s hair-do! And your photos of everything.
xo
I was so happy to see the MOSE gates work. It was apparently just a test because the next day Venice had acqua alta… I follow a number of Venetian accounts so it is a little like I never left, although more often it’s a what am I missing.
Christmas in 2-3 years? Let’s do it! Solo with meet-ups 🙂
I’m doing Inktober for the first time, having resisted, and took a goddess theme to the official prompts.
i think solo w/ meetups sounds good!
are you posting your inktobers anywhere?
Hi, Mary Ann – Always good to hear from you. I, like you, have never participated before in Inktober for numerous reasons, but this year seemed the year to delve in. I’m doing the They Draw and Cook series, which is also They Draw and Travel and They Draw and Garden. They’ve set it up so you can follow just one, or skip around between them, or do all 3. The last one will be beyond me, but I HAVE done the first 4 days of all 3…so proud of myself. It’s actually a distraction from my annual calendar I should be getting ready for print. I seem to be deadline-oriented. Anyway, my 12 Inktobers so far are on my IG site here: \https://www.instagram.com/lowriegirl/
The best book I’ve read this year is Rules for Visiting by Jessica Francis Kane. I noted a lot of wisdom in the margins (it is fiction, but seemed oh so true so much.)
Stay well.
ooooo i’m going to look up RFV right this instant! thanks for sharing you ig link…popping over there right now!
Ha, maybe you can explain to me why I liked Station Eleven so much, can’t figure out why but I rr. did, tho no one I’ve recommended it to could get thru it. Enjoyed Patchett’s State of Wonder and think you would, too. Currently reading The Paper Garden; An Artist Begins Her Life’s Work at 72 by Molly Peacock, about an 18th century woman who some say was the first collage artist. I am now itching to go to the Brit Museum to see her originals!
oh boy i can’t wait until virtual school is over for the day so i can dive into your book list! thanks for leaving it.
Hey, Marilyn! I also discovered Molly Peacock this year and highlighted her on a blog post here: https://www.dianemoline.com/blog/2020/5/18/two-things-for-tuesday?rq=Peacock. I’m doing a series this year called Difference-Makers about people (mostly women, and of diverse population) in the world who have made that difference but are relatively unknown to most of us. It’s pretty amazing. One of my big surprises: Julia Morgan…do you know what she did?! I didn’t!
thanks for sharing this, Diane. Just went to have a look. amazing!
I love your book recommendations , and that you are doing inktober and your paper recommendation ! Stay safe and well
I had a fuzzy dog radio too! I would fall asleep with it sitting on my ear so I could listen to it very quietly.
A few good books I’ve read lately are: The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd, The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan, A Catalog of Birds by Laura Harrington, The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan and The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate. Enjoy!
Thank you indeed, Jen for these book titles. I will look them up with my Libby library app. Forthwith!
Good to hear you are Inktobering in your own way! Me, too. This is my 6th year, but this time I am not using the hashtag (and I never use the prompts)… just doing the part that’s meaningful to me, which is drawing every day this month with ink. My only theme is my hand, which I’ve been drawing daily since March. Posting on Instagram (@miatagrrl) where I post everything.
going at once to look at your hands! now you’ve given me a prompt for the day and perhaps tomorrow or the entire month. who can say! i like the way you roll.
I joined Victober, reading challenges of Victorian era British authors during the month of October. My cousin told me about and since she has been pandemic depressed, I decided to join her so we could have our own discussions. I actually started 2 weeks ago. I finished Mrs. Zant and the Ghost and Cranford. It took a bit to start due to my years of reading nonfiction. I enjoyed them! Currently, I am reading/listening to Wuthering Heights, Shirley, Elizabeth Gaskell’s short stories along with The Brontes: A Life in Letters. On my TBR are The Law and the Lady along with Charles Dickens short stories. I don’t know why I have never read any of these before! Not sure I will be able to keep up when the Jane Eyre read along starts and then there is another one called stitching and read along of Two and a Tower. The best is The Fate of Jane Moore: Choose Your Own Adventure written by Kate Howe (one of the facilitators) and passages read by volunteers. At the end of each passage, there are two choices for which one selects to hear more of the story. Each choice can change the story and the adventure. LOVE your posts! So glad you are continuing! I agree that they are a breath of fresh air for me, too. Take care everyone!
hi teressa. what an interesting bunch of british lit you’re surrounded by. the fate of jane moore sounds clever and fun!
Greetings from Georgia. I am looking for a seat for my creative space and your desk photo caught my eye – is that a stool at your desk? I would like that very much, I believe. Might it be currently available in a shop?
Love seeing your sketchbooks…I have a set of watercolors on their way to me.
Station Eleven is on my list to read. I just keep getting distracted.
Molly,
the “stool” was once upon a time a chair. then i removed the back about 5 years ago..
I am thinking the same about visiting Europe (or anywhere) and I am sad. I am dreaming of traveling again. Enjoy your posts as usual. Take good care.
This my third year with Inktober. This year I’m following along with the prompts from Charlotte Hamilton (@blueshineart on IG). She’s a Canadian artist who has been doing a free art lesson every morning during the Pandemic. This morning was Day 200. We post all of the art from class in IG with #charsartclass. The class is at 8am (EST) everyday so if you happen to be up at 5am some morning and are looking for something to do, I highly recommend giving the class a go.
hey thanks janice. i will put her on my ipad sometime while i’m sketchbooking. looks like all of her episodes are available on IGtv. i enjoy doing that sometimes even if i’m doing something totally different. it’s fun to watch people work. what’s your IG handle? i’d love to see your old inktobers sometime.
Thanks for continuing to post. It’s like a breath of fresh air!!!… at the ocean!
I have been reading Laura Morelli books… historical fiction about Venice. She used to travel there frequently.
I loved The Painter’s Apprentice and The Gondola Maker and now reading The Night Portrait. They are usually
at the library and I check out with curbside service or get the ebook.
Happy Journaling! Happy Reading.
Lynda
-Am reading “Women, old west-time life” before giving it to my grand daughter. I know nothing about life in US for women as I am french.
Someone recommended I read “The seven sisters by Lucinda Riley, have you read the series ?
I recently read The Family Upstairs. It’s quite a trip! I’ve gotten Station 11 a couple times from the library but haven’t read it yet. First occasion I ran out of time as I was reading other things when my loan ended. Second time was a few weeks ago. But I just couldn’t get in the frame of mine to read about a pandemic. I’ve heard it’s great. I hope you enjoy it. I will look for the others you read. And I’m the same, getting the books that are available now from the library. Love your new sketches and photos. <3 Hope you are doing well.
dear kelly,
how good to hear from you xo
i’m good, just hot. ready for cooler weather and clear air.
My chickens are calling from the bottom of the garden,,pacing the pen ,waiting to get out and scratch.Their run is bone dry,and they will be expecting green stuff provided from the local super market today..all nice fresh caabbage leaves,and lettuce.I will go and sketch them today..I am pretty bad at sticing at online courses,but doing two at the moment..Milkwood permaculture and Drawing class with Mattias Adolfson through Domestika (a weak moment on Instagram)So far so good and I needed a kick up the proverbial to escape my trance of gloom.I also get on my ebike an pedal furiously when politics and the dry weather get on top of me..Think wicked witch of the west..only curvier and in hi vis vest.I recently read Where the crawdads sing .Haunting and unputdownable.Then I dived headfirst in to A Discovery of Witches, followed by the rest of the trilogy.Witches,fabulously wealthy vampires,time travel.Read the 3 of them,then went back to the beginning and read them all again.poor husband ..he must appreciate it when he gets a sensible reply .He has built a grape arbor,while I have been time traveling.,only emerging to make meals,become amazed at the squalor created by 3 people and a dogSmall bursts of panic now we can have visitors.Best wishesfrom Brisbane