Engaging or Relaxing?

 

Sleep Therapy continues to inform my art, as I look for things to do at midnight that are relaxing rather than engaging.  I've played with coloring books (relaxing), drawing (engaging), and slopping watercolor paint around (the jury is still out on this one).

After a boring but relaxing session with a colouring page, I thought about creating my own colouring book filled with trucks.  So, I drew these trucks to paint later. 

All of these trucks were inspired by the wonderful photographs by @mozarts_ride on Instagram.

Peace on Earth

 

Kuretake Watercolor, Folded Pen

This is my homework for the Bensgothic program we enjoyed at the Westcoast Calligraphy Meeting last month.  Our assignment was to letter a Christmas saying.

Ominous

 

This Inktober prompt took an "ominous" turn for Hallowe'en.  I'll post some Inktober sketches in coming days, but I've been influenced by a Ben Shahn program this week at our monthly Westcoast Calligraphy Society meeting.

Happy Hallowe'en!

Thanksgiving

a spread from Tiny Sparks, a book made in Art Sparks, a class with Joanne Sharpe

Strong

a spread from Tiny Sparks, a book made in Art Sparks, a class with Joanne Sharpe

Blessed

a spread from Tiny Sparks, a book made in Art Sparks, a class with Joanne Sharpe

Tiny Sparks

I have finished filling one of the books that I made in Joanne Sharpe's class "Art Sparks".  It is called "Tiny Sparks" - it measures only 2 1/4" x 3".

Here is one of the inside pages.

I Had a Bath in a Castle

In 2005, on a trip through the Loire Valley, my husband and I stayed at a chateau that had been converted to an inn.  I used a photo of it to inspire this new handcarved stamp.  

Here, I stamped it on a gelli print and put it into my journal, but I'm sure it will make it onto artist trading cards at some point too!

Westcoast Calligraphy Society Lettering Lyrics Challenge

The Westcoast Calligraphy Society is having an Instagram Challenge.  Each day there is a different Christmas carol to letter.  Because it is such a busy time of year, gift tags were suggested - quick and easy!  I forgot how much I love making tags!

Stamp by Magenta with Brush Lettering

Stamp by Coronado Island with Akim Cursive

I made a little video so you could see the tree tops glistening:

Bay Leaves

My Kit

This is what is currently in my Urban Sketching Kit.  It also includes my sketchbook and a fountain pen that I drew this with.

Great Customer Service

A few weeks ago I was looking for a hard-to-find pencil sharpener and left an inquiry on the KUM website.  Kum is a German company, but some of their sharpeners are available for sale here in North America.  I just couldn't find the particular one that I wanted here in Vancouver, Canada.

A few days later my phone rang; it was Kum's North American office, in New York.  They apologized that there was no retailer here (including on-line) who could sell me what I wanted, but they offered to send me two samples.  Now THAT'S customer service!

Looking Up

I'm fascinated by looking up into the large trees that line the city streets of the rain forest here in Vancouver.

It's a Jungle Out There

I Eat My Peas With Honey

Lettering - Daniel Smith Luminescent Watercolors, Duochrome Arctic Fire and Pencil Crayon

I did this for the July Westcoast Calligraphy Society Love of Letters challenge.  The July  prompt is "food".

Old-Time Fruit Crate Label

Artist Loft paints

Down the Instagram Rabbit Hole

Do you ever go down that hole?

Retail Therapy

Watercolour, Parallel Pen

Watercolour, Gouache

The Title Page

I'm getting a little tired of sketching my watercolor palette on the first page of every new journal I start.  Sketching my palette was an idea that I got from Liz Steel, but I don't change colors in my palette very often, so I thought I might use the first page as a place to do a lettering exemplar.  Then, I can use it for reference throughout the journal.  (Whether this new idea will continue remains to be seen.)

I copied this from two pieces done by Ben Shahn using gouache with a paint brush.

Direct to Watercolor at the ATC Swap

We meet before our Artist Trading Card swap to work on portable projects.  It was another opportunity to continue my Direct to Watercolor practice.

Joanne Sharpe's WHIMS IN WATERCOLOR 2: "Loose and Fearless" starts today, so I'll have lots of inspiration from now until the end of the month!