Ol'Rusty Milk Can

Lots of good stuff around our neighborhood.

Purple Bells all in a Row

I've been on vacation this week, and spent most of my time in our "studio" attic trying to make up for a long long long break from painting (pastelling). The following several entries are from photos I took over the past few months.

Sunny flower

Capturing sunlight filtered through flower petals.

PW boats

Not my usual subject, I attempt to overcome my fear of creating reflections on water.

A Couple of Buds

Having some fun with my new Power Shot.

Woman at Bay

Pastel from photo I took of a woman wishing she had a boat like that.

Once upon a time

I was a mother of some awfully cute children.

Saturdays

Saturday is my cat chup day after the week-long rat race.

sketchin on the dock o the bay

The fella in the last post is none other than wallyboy.

?

These are desperate times.

Self P #13

Unless I get the urge to do one more, this is my final entry for the Self Portrait Marathon. It's been real. Kudos to Brother Wally for hosting with the mosting!

Island Beauty

I spent a few hours yesterday, walking around our neighborhood taking photos with my digital camera. Lots of beautiful gardens provide great reference shots for watercolor and pastel.

Self P#12 "Fireworks"

Explosive. I created this using a few drawings and my pastel eye from a past EDM challenge, layered over a photo and some abstract illustrator shapes.

Self P #11

I never look at people over the top of my glasses. Someone from my work past used to look at me that way, and I found it very intimidating. But then, again, I am often intimidated by someone looking at me...over specs or not. In fact, I am intimidated by this drawing.

Self Ptrait #10

Thought I try something different. It’s different, allright. I created this in Illustrator from a photo taken last year in a KY park.

Self Ptrait #9

I did this one looking down, slightly, into the mirror. Woodless graphite pencil on multi media vellum. Next I think I'll try one with expression in my face.

Self Ptrait #8

Pencil drawing filtered in Pshop. I looked particularly saggy tonight, so I cheated and filtered out some of the sagginess in my drawing. Just one of those weak moments, you know?

Self Portrait #7

I did this one using two mirrors to view my profile. The hardest part was keeping the smile while I sketched.

Self Portrait #5

(Really #6, but I accidentally named #5, #6. So this is my 6th sketch called "#5"). Well, this is fresh out of the shower. It looks like I scrubbed my face a little too hard.

Self Portrait #6

I sketched this while lying back on a couple of pillows with a mirror propped up on my knees. It's not the most flattering view...but I was going for a challenge this time.

Selfportraitmarathon #4

Happy me.

Town Dock Sketches

More sketches from Manhasset Bay on a very windy day. The sketchy guy is my husband. Check out some of his Port Washington sketches at http://www.cosmoscombover.blogspot.com/.

Selfportraitmarathon #3

I think I got it right this time!

Selfportraitmarathon #2

Actually, this was the first one I did. Why am I doing this at 3am? Am I crazy? Well, do I LOOK crazy?

Self Portrait Marathon

Man, I just can't get the eyes right or something. At least this time the right eye isn't crooked as it was in the last one.

Rainwreck

What's worse than racing to catch the train through a maze of people, briefcases, cell phones, newspapers and taxis coming at you from all directions? Racing to catch the train through a maze of people, briefcases, cell phones, newspapers, taxis and UMBRELLAS coming at you from all directions. By the time I got to Penn Station, I was a "rainwreck". As I tried to hide behind a soggy newspaper, wedged into one of a few seats left on the train, I noticed some red smeary dots on Page A1. Apparently, while wrestling with my umbrella in the wind & rain, I cut my thumb. Just a tiny cut, mind you, but hemorrhaging nonetheless. I did this sketch when I got home sweet home.

Frenzy

After my daily fastwalk to the station for the train home to Long Island, I settle into a seat and contemplate the frenzy I was just a part of. The first sketch is a drawing of that image as I remembered it. The second drawing is one of the gentleman sitting in front of me as viewed through the frame created by the seatback and handle.

Illustration Friday–Portrait

This is a drawing I did a few years ago, of our grandson, Ben, who lives in Houston with Mom, Dad and baby sister; Jenna, Kerry and Julia Chrapliwy. Ben is now 4.

LIRR Commute

I did these sketches on the train from Penn Station to Port Washington. It's amazing how so many people can be jammed into one place, and remain so distant from eachother.

Town Dock, Port Washington

This is a composite of several sketches done with a brush pen, with color washes added in Photoshop. Town Dock is just a few blocks from our house, so we spend much time here sketching people, boats, water and eachother. Today was a particularly beautiful day...and a great day to fish.

Homework

Charcoal pencil and pinky finger study of my daughter taking a study break. I remember taking many breaks like this when I was in school. Probably too many.

Illustration Friday–BeefCAKE

I love a little icing on my beefcake.

Duck

I could sit and draw ducks all day...but I have to go to work. That's life.

Self Portrait

Much more interesting to draw than when I was younger. Deepening folds and fine lines form a roadmap of my life...and I can still see the child's face underneath it all.

Easter

Well, here are some more papercut designs created while waiting for files to save on my computer at work...and a digital illustration of a lily I found in my digidoodles folder. I really must get back to drawing again. Happy Easter!

Illustration Friday "Speed"

I did this drawing really really fast.

Grape Hyacinth

This was going to be my Illustration Friday "Spring" entry, but I missed it. At my new job, I work on huge files on a wimpy computer...so during long "save" times, I papercut post-it notes, tracing paper & whatever other paper is within reach. I'm sure a couple of my co-workers think I have some sort of neurological disorder. Anyway...it makes the waiting more bearable, and adds a little something to my artwork. Happy Spring.

Blind Contour 1st Friday

Welll, it really looks a lot prettier out our bedroom window. But, it is very gray today...so I captured that well, even if it WAS after adding color in PS. I especially like how our li’l old brown Toyota turned out. Yep, that’s about how it looks. We have some really nice pine trees and a funky roof over the big front porch (that will come in handy if we have a fire in our upstairs apartment). I always plan for things like that. Thanks for stopping by.

IF Insekt

this one flew in under the wire.

Blind Contour Friday "HOT"

My lunch boiling over today. I could have stopped it earlier, but then the drawing wouldn't have been as interesting.

Tea for Mea

Well it's an appropriate topic alright since I've been drinking about ten gallons of tea a day to get rid of an upper respiratory apocalypse taking place even as I sit here typing.

Hot Flowers

I used one of my "song" papercut attempts in this composition, along with some flower illustrations I had done for a project last year.

Illustration Friday "Song"

After a few attempts, I finally managed to get something that actually looked like what I was trying to do. Maybe it's insane of me, but I don't draw (plan)anything out ahead of time (kind of like my life). Just fold and cut...and sometimes hum a song while I'm at it. Come to think of it, there's always a song going on in the background. I guess that's the plan.