TAKE TWO

(Below is what it says in the small print)

We see our face, head on, each day
and others see us from all angles
we never can see--all so different
looking---photos show us these
differences so we know they exist
but we still view ourselves as
what we see in the mirror when
we brush our teeth etc.

**************

The penciled profile was done with

mirrors and a photo---time I think

was about 20 minutes

versus 7 minutes for

the penned front view.

Inked Self Portrait EDM #56

This was the most scary

EDM Challenge I've tried yet.

And lead free using Pitt M pen

---was that ever brave for me. I did it just

now to "get something" up in the Blog-

---I had an email saying someone was

worried about me as I hadn't posted

in a while--I felt honored to

be worried about for a few minutes

and then

got the mind set to do something

really fast for the blog while

I worked out my book pages

which are not so quickly done.

Naturally I have left out a few

73 year old wrinkles but I think

it resembles me somewhat--not sure.

Making Lemonade....

This sketch book spread reminds me of the

quote, "If life gives you lemons, make

lemonade.", because the marker

bleed through really was 'lemons'

at first glance.

*********************

See the top half and know it was made

from bleed through of black Magic Marker

from previous journal

spread of the glass of juice.

Total surprise to me---as it did

not bleed through

on the spread before it. Must

be because the page after was plain

and more absorbent. ? Live and learn

for sure. When I saw it,

I immediately thought of

Moroccan arches as I had just done the

Casablanca derived glass spread.

So I think an error became a

positive element here.

******************

.

EDM Challenge #203 Glass of Juice

This is my favorite glass for a highball.

I love the color, the size and the feel of it--and

to think I bought just one of them--I have

tried to keep it unbroken for years. Cranberry Juice

is a great mixer and Humphrey was "juiced"

at the time he said this famous movie

quote. I used to make believe I was

Ingrid Bergman when playing with my

sister and she would be Mona Freeman.

if anybody remembers her. We had

been told we resembled them and

enjoyed that thought..

How's It Look?

The first snow around here, really started

one night then through the next day making the

outside look like one huge Christmas Card

(this is what I see past the

fence, when I open the front

door) and seemingly halted shopping,

that needed doing, what with all the

things involved with get togeathers etc.

so, today when it calmed down, for

awhile anyway, it was run to the

store to get every possible

thing I could think I might need.

I'm all set now for the

festivities and now missing not getting

into a sketch---but did think alot

about the new Glass challenge...

I just opened the front door and saw the

ending of the days' final glow on the fence

and ran for my camera to catch this once in

a lifetime moment---it's like it is showing

me it's new dress and asking if I like it.

Matriarchal Cookie Monster Alert

Left click on the photo to read the words better.

********************

I sketched the Matriarchal Cookie Monster last night.

As I do not know what a person or monster looks like

with their mouth wide open, frustrated and hollering

I had to resort to a mirror and what a scary

experience! I suppose to someone watching,

it would have looked hysterical.

I told my niece I would 'do' a journal

page of her faithful treck from Maine each

year laden with cookies---so here it is

*********************

Do not allow this cookie monster in your

home if you care anthing about

your cookies, especially those

with peanut butter in them.

******************

New Book Dilemma

I'm sure many of you don't have any

problems seeing smaller print, but I do and

I just love this book so I will use all devices

locatable, to help me devour every word I can.

A Creative Herorine, Patience Brewster

Drawn for Love My Journal for the favorite

Christmas Ornament challenge. Probably

the quickest journal spread I have ever done

as the ornament is so graphically simple but

extremely witty

EDM CHALLENGE #202 COOKIE

I finished this last night after

I bought a small bag of

popcorn at Wal-Marts..There's

some shiny Gold Metallic

trim that does not photo well.

These small ginger boys are sooo

tasty.... and very good,

quickly dipped into

a cup of hot Wassail bowl cheer.

The Cookie Challenge prep stage

Here's the ingredients--now to NOT burn

them would be my goal at the moment.....!

Sign of Store Doom

Here's an unleaded Mall scene from Taco Bell's

lot---I always have my small Moley with me and

often do a pencil sketch I work up later---this is

one of a few raw ink sketches I've done which

I don't like to do--but I saw the store

going out of business sign and know

there are many stores in the same foxhole. The

pen seemed right tool to use at the time

as it does improve my

sketching eye---which is a good thing.

However right now in December 2008 I do

not feel comfortable going unleaded. I've

many sketch books from the past and

have found the use of

the watercolor pencils

suits me to a T

Another chair photo for my collection

How I wished the white cat over to the

top right had been sittin on

the chair

--the photo would have

been more charming.

Something like this scene,

catches my eye as a moment

in time to be preserved for some future

sketch I may want to do. It does say

things if you look and listen--could this

be the tag end of a yard sale or aftermath

of a dispute---it does make me feel good

to be just driving by....and out of town

...this yellow VW I drive is soooo

spotable!

The Sill

Well, here is one of the corner kitchen sills

with the stapled greenery--plus,

old Mother Memory box and plump

pine cones showing. Under are

some of the pans I like to use for

popovers, corn sticks and muffins.

This was taken just now and boy,

is it ever blowing outside and not

all that cold, which is strange.

I didn't start out to make a card,

it just developed into one---

which surprised me.

STAPLER EDM CHALLENGE #201

Don't forget to left click on the photo

to see it larger, to read it better

This stapler had not been put back in

the old tool box under the kitchen window...

it sat, silently on the table waiting for it's

portrait to be done. It had been a big help

making the Christmas greens nestle

on the windowsills I look out each

morning with my coffee.

Pencil, Pitt Pen,

watercolor pencils and waterbrush--are

the tools, I'm most comfortable with.

Scuss's Riot

This is Missy who belongs to Scuss, who

is a regular commenter--I asked to use her

recent photo of the new kitten.

I enjoyed putting the characteristics

of this pet,

around the border as she

will be pleased, I'm sure.

I feared inking the initial pencil

sketch would take away the

softness of the kitten so kept

it light in color to help --

The Great Napkin Debate

I'm telling ya, a book can be done

on the lowly napkin---I did not

begin to scratch the surface of Napkinry

and my head was swimming with

sketches I'd not have the time to

do, without a signed meaty contract

for same. And this does not

even include the silverware---this spread got

started with a remembered heated debate

with my grandson (which at the time

got laughed about)on how he thought napkin was

pronounced . His mother's baby

talk had remained for continued

use, in his brain.....

as can happen. I know when

speaking to a cat, I still use my

mother's baby talk.....I can't be

alone in this......can I ?

SKETCH FROM THE PAST

While trying to clean out the room a bit I came

upon lots of old sketch books and slips of ideas.

Here's one from 1997 that was a design idea for the

back of a sweat shirt--I still think it's a good

idea and would buy one today. I know I

could have painted it on but never wanted to

spend the time involved. Today I would redesign and

have my moleskine journal and

sketching supplies be prominent.

I'm busy on several

pages at the moment so I haven't posted lately,

but have been enjoying what others have

been showing---I haven't got the new "book"

yet---and am still being calm about it---

but sort of chomping at the bit, a bit.

EDM Challenge # 200 My Talisman

Left click to see the words...this spread

had a true story to tell in 75 words or less.

I worked all day on it even if the basic sketch

seems simple it still took me quite awhile

to like it---I rearranged it several times.

I sure thought this challenge had so many

ways to go and am anxious to see what

comes in--they all have to be so interesting

Merry Christmas EDMers !

I worked from a photo by my brother,

Sumner W. Fowler in Novato Calif.

This lucky little guy was adopted the day this

photo was taken. I added some

Christmas decorations and am sending it out

Dec 1st---that'll be one thing I get done

on time in this busy season.

EASTPORT COUPLE CIRCA LATE 1800'S

Original pencil sketch which includes

The Happy Crab and The Blue Iris :

Sketch printed onto brown paper

using regular colored pencils and then

adhered in the Moleskine sketchbook :

Watercolor pencils:

I'm including the original pencil sketch where you can see the details
suggested of what it looks like on Water Street to day---to cover up and change quite a bit of the initial idea was on the daring side for me---as this was not intended to be this way at all...but, the experience was priceless I think-- I used to do this a lot---imagine the past in my work--

*****************
Once this pencil and a bit of ink sketch, was printed onto a dark paper bag type brown paper , I could not use the watercolor pencils---so I used regular colored pencils---which I did not know were so waxy to use---I found this out when I tried watercolor pencil work over the top---not gonna work...and also the biggest annoyance was I could not re-ink any of the linework with the Pitt pens---too waxy. This project turned out to be quite the experience and finally I got it to be pretty much the right color with the regular color pencils and using them to darken the lines---good thing I took a photo at this point as the next thing I did was spray the spread to see if I could get rid of some glare from pencil work---low and behold the spray (which I forgot to shake) covered the pages with a grey coat---which I tried to wipe off with paper towels before it dried.....so now it looked like it was a sketch from the graveyard---so I then used the reg colored pencils to try and bring it back and did to some degree. Whew!------I drew in some Vintage people that worked in the Sardine factory and today's Water St photo I took, which I revised to olden times in my imagination.

The last photo is the original sketch with inked lines and watercolor

colord pencils used--it has the morning sunrise suggested on

the lower left and is the lightest one.

Everybody Wave !

Here are two views of the same sketch. One was done in pencil then Pitt pen ink. The next was printed onto brown paper used in scrapbooking. It is not used with water color and stiffer than copy paper. On the brown one I used watercolor pencils (but did not use any water with them)to add color and sprayed with Matte Spray, as I did not have Workable Fixative, between added layers to build up the colors. Be sure to shake the can well and do this outside. I was going to use regular colored pencils and forgot. Right click to see better and read the words. It seemed awesome to me to be on a three masted ship in Maine on a whale watch and close enough to Campobello Island Canada to get some houses right near the water. A once in a lifetime trip for me---I have tried this with another spread and the regular colored pencils, too---the look is quite different from watercolor pencil when you use the darkish color paper...I did not like the bit of texture on the paper and prefer the Moleskine smooth coated paper.

...also I tried the colored paper to get white to show up better and it did.

This particular spread looks better in the sketchbook then in a photo..

I trimmed the sketch and adhered it into the small Moleskine

sketch journal with double sided tape--it gives the journal a

different look and lies nice and flat.

I need two pencils and have to order them--grrrrrrrrrr---no place close by

carries what I need---I better order more than 2.....

Influences

(You must left click on the photo to see

the detail and read this one)

This is a page from an interactive sketch

book I have a lot of work in with things

to push, pull or open up---thus the interactive tag.

This spread shows on the left the initial sketch

and on the right a photo of the large acrylic painting.

It's called "Influences" and has lots of

references to people or things that

have been strong mentors etc.

One of my favorite things in the

painting, is my mothers lace edged

handkerchief in the lower right.

Boss Turkey

I'll never forget the Turkey that jumped on my

car hood--making sure I'd stop before entering

my driveway for his mate to cross the street.

And here he is over on the roadside

starting to display himself as a thankyou

gesture---(oh right)

Nice feathers but.....

a face, only a mother could love...

Now and again, I bother to cook breakfast

Cooking Alone with Winna--(oxymoron?) I'm sure we've all read a delicious sounding recipe and had only some of the ingredients---this was the case here in the string shoot of Flaming Hot I Yi Yiiiii Corn Cheese Egg Somethingorother...which became "Jill's Cheese Egg Omelet"... using more butter than usual for me. I used Irish butter, two eggs, some Seriously Sharp Cheese and half an onion I had left over...I could make it again sometime and use the corn with some fiesta seasoning added--IF I get the urge. The onions cooked in butter

until very very brown made this extra good for me.

*************
The reason in the first place, to take the photos was for a sketch spread

****************

Below the basic ingredients laid out

"NO SPOONS"

First I bought the plate because it made

me feel good to use something cheerful

looking. Then, I liked all the fork challenge

drawings---I looked at, and in the back of my

mind was "Do It"---but I ignored this, until...

there appeared the fork with the shadow on the plate

and "Aha!" came to mind--this is IT---I strongly felt the

need to do the challenge

Mr Fix It

My brother, Sumner, posed for this

Mr Fix It photo. Makes me laugh!!!

Nifty Nest

I guess the people that live here like the nest

as much as I do--this is the 2nd year I

photo'd it and see some plastic wrap has been

stuffed inside to keep it waspfree--It's

not close to photo (on an upper Eastport floor)

and to get this much detail

was a thrill and a half.

Art Supplies The Soul

Here's one of the main things I love about sketch journaling--the supplies are
easy to carry around with low maintenance.
A big idea I had years ago was to do
a sweatshirt design that some art supply
business would clamour to buy the rights from me
with a sweet contract that would keep
checks flying to me. So I did such things
as you see here and several more around
the yoke of a bright red shirt and made up the slogan, Art
Supplies The Soul...then I wore it to the store I
thought would see how great it was and immediately
buy it right off my back. Well, I slunk back to my
car for the ride home, my dreams crushed with the
owner's dismissal remark of "That's nice..."
The woman on the lower right is from people shots
I take in many places to use later in some sketch. The colorful
pen with Egyptian type designs is old and does not
have any ink--but a beautiful ceramic point that works
best for any transfer of work I may do and that's very little
I mostly like how it looks--it even has Nefertiti on it!

*************

Of interest, may be the fake (bought for some

Halloween years ago) hand that I laid the supplies

on to draw them---it is so real looking I must be

careful not to startle myself when sliding a draw open

where it may be kept.
.

Ropes On Board

(Every Day Matters Challenge #196 Ropes)

On a whale watch in Eastport Maine

I spent time taking photos of the

different ropes and there were

plenty of them. Only when doing

this EDM challenge did I notice the color red

on the rope and think it must

be some sort of measuring mark.

Some ropes had black instead of red. A

sailor out there, might know the

reasons. As the Moleskine sketch

book gets fuller, it becomes harder to lay it flat

for a photo, so my hand will be in the

journal photos from now on, maybe.

Seacrets of Pisces

This is from a series of 12 Zodiac signs

I created on tin ceiling tiles. That

became a set of 2. I did

not get any enthusiastic reactions to them and

went on to other things, thinking they were darn

unappreciated for sure. I sold the Gemini this summer

to an intelligent, handsome and great buyer.

Now the Pisces one still hangs on the wall

amongst a few beeswax collages done

in a technique learned from Claudine Hellmouth,

a wonderful teacher of beeswax workshops

if you ever get

the chance to take one. The fish in the collage

is one of my imaginative ones and the word

is all about the Pisces trait of being able to

keep secrets and the sea influence.

It hangs by my own paintbrush with

my DNA all over it.

Influence Symbols

we might as well see the humor

in how mixed up most of us were,

as we started to become adults....

UConn Ages

I was driving around the UConn campus

which is not too far from home, and

had time to get a photo of a student at

at stop light--her pom poms dancing

on her boots were so darn lively.

I had already taken a shot of the

old barn which always looks new

as they maintain it so well, and

to combine the two made

the sketch interesting to me.

UConn started out as an agriculture

school back in 1881. This is where

my husband went after his

stint in the Army--which resulted in

a partnership with his brother in a dairy

farm which was a darn good place to

raise 5 children.

Now I am

such a fan of the girl's basktball team

I plan my life around their games!

The Talisman Watches

You'll have to left click to read this..

I sketched this two days ago while

sitting in the car waiting for the

PT session to be over--I had already been

up in Sean's room, (My grandson who suffered head

injuries in a car accident).

I coud not help but see Kimpossible hanging there

from the rear view mirror over the dashboard

---I do not know the

story of this character on TV , I think---all I

know is, it gives my Kim hope and so I

drew it to strengthen that which helps her.

I certainly became so absorbed in the

sketching and also the inking in my small

Moleskine (that I turned around to get

a vertical view ) that the time flew and

it seemed just as I added the last pen line the

car door opened and Kim and Siobhan

(Irish for Shavon) were climbing in for

the ride back home.

Saving a Page

This small Moleskine spread was

the result of sketching a page

in a light thin pen line that

bothered me to no end---I wanted to '

to tear it out of the book but

that was not an option I could

accept--so decided to show my

frustration with it and made the spread.

I guess that's me inner self and

her quirks. While I may like

something in another's work, it

does not feel right to me in mine.

I will lay it to blame on being the

second and middle child and needing

to "show up" more to not feel lost....

Sapphiresaki ?

this beautiful color caught my eye,

with the sun making it look like a

good sized jewel on some one's lawn.

Who do you think owns it?