What I've Been Up To...

A little sketching with the Sketchers...

At a most magical shop in town, Brambles...

The owner always welcomes us! 

(I have previous posts/sketches from Brambles...)

Quick sketches when I'm out. 

Still carrying the book everywhere.

This was lunch at the Coop, a great Sketch-Op.

Enjoying my Prismacolors. Here,

they were basking in winter sunlight that streamed in

through the back door blinds.

 Prismacolors on my new "mini memory" daily calendar, 

inspired by the great sketch blog of Lin, View From the Oak
& her "Smallies". Do visit her blog! 

A great form of journaling!

Card calendars for my bulletin board.

Been playing with collage a bit.

Ongoing Daily Journal ritual. Every morning with coffee.

I'm adding more color, drawings & paste-ins

than before.

 

This was the bottom corner of a page. 

That's Washi tape as the base.

Envelope-pocket-journal-folio books, 

taught by local paper craft artist & teacher, Robinsunne. 

Current one in progress.

Elements taped with temporary cellophane tape.

 I mostly didn't send out holiday cards.
I gave a few of these to folks in my Zumba class. 
I hope you all had a fun holiday season.

 My new cork board on the mantle. 
A reminder that I want to paint more without ink line...
A challenge, & outside my comfort zone!

Above, some are mine, some are inspirations by others.

Great time of year for making art!

Back to Sketching in my Small Town

I haven't been sketching much, 

but went out early in November.

How I still love the meditative quality,

the discoveries. We Sketchers met on Main St.

Even though there was a cold breeze, 

I was warmed by the sun on my bench 

outside of Fiddleheads, the Art Shop.

So interesting to see the parade of costumed passersby!

Traci's diner across the street. Traditional egg & pancake breakfasts. I used to love going there, 

but my diet has changed. 

Two of the Sketchers were there, observing out the windows.

A town planning board meeting at City Hall 

about new building construction. 

I had very little idea of what they were talking about, 

property taxes, Tiff's, zoning, 

but it's nice that it was open to the public. 

And I enjoyed some sketching.

This Slicci pen makes the skinniest line 

of any pen that I've ever used. 

I love it, except it 

doesn't reproduce well.

In the meantime, my show is over, 

but I donated two 5 X 7 pieces to the local church 

where it took place. For their Christmas sale.

I love this small town life.

Quebec City and Sketching People

No matter where I go to sketch, 

if there are people nearby, 

they will most likely enter my sketch.

In Québec Ctiy we had our annual library date 

at Bibliothèque Claire Martin 

housed in the former St. Matthew Church.

I have mentioned this church in previous posts about Québec.

The Franco American Museum includes a restored chapel.

It has lots of ornamentation, but I went right for a figure,

an elevated sculpture against a wall.

Here is the figure of me, at one of the altars.

 It's officially no longer sacred 

so tourists can wander all over the place. 

When we had our other library date 

at the large Bibliothèque Gabrielle-Roy

(see previous post)

I found a book I've always wanted to own:

Un peu de Paris by illustrator Jean-Jacques Sempé. 

He is a master of depicting human nature

through simple line drawings 

as well as nature-nature & architecture. 

He is my number one favorite illustrator

 dans le monde entier! 

I photographed a few pages.

 Oh the humor, the expressions, the brilliance!

 We used to watch a TV show when I was a kid,

"People Are Funny". I didn't really like the show,

but that title was a theme for my mom & me.

And People are Loveable too.
••••••••••••••••••••••

I've signed up for a figure drawing group

to hone my skills. Not a class,

just artists drawing from a model. 

I studied figure drawing in college classes 

a LONG time ago. I am anxious.

What if everyone else is a super talented,

experienced artist?? 

(I'm good about advising others

to not compare themselves,

but mon Dieu! 

I have to apply this attitude to myself!)

For my other Quebec City posts, put it in the search bar, 

or click on the labels, "Québec City" and "Québec" 

that are on the side. 

In and Out of Lines

My tiny holiday Zumba Girls have changed to Winter Girls.

When I'm watercoloring their fashions, I'm reminded of

my hours of coloring in childhood. 

Later coloring books were shunned by everyone I knew

as being detrimental to creativity. 

Now they are tremendously popular with adults,

& are sold as meditative activities. 

Are coloring books good or bad or neither?

My Prismacolors have replaced Crayolas.

Making this chart also felt like childhood coloring days.

I've been thinking about staying in lines, or not,

sharp edges verses soft, tight verses loose. 

Punching out colored penciled stars from my swatches creates sharp, 

manufactured edges and shapes.

Is this good for creativity, or bad, or neither?

What are your thoughts?

Common Ground Fair 2018

The Common Ground Fair: 

Delights every year as if for the 1st time!

Put on by Maine Organic Farmers & Growers Association.

Waiting to get in at the gate when you arrive early!

The Fiddler's Showcase, put on by Maine Fiddle Camp,

included various traditional instruments & even a clogger.

Different ages & levels perform. They must wait their turn.

Storytellers Showcase. And a tent across the way.

The Veggie Parade!

 You can bring your own, 

but there is a tent full of costumes made

by a woman who lives on the coast.

 The Farmer's Market, a variety of stands!

Lots of vegetables, dried flowers...

Natural soaps, tonics, honey... 

The scents, the sights!!

The tastes!

Unlike most places, 

here I have healthy, delicious choices!

 The handmade crafts to buy! Pottery, clothes, bags, 

caps, jewelry, wooden furniture...

Anne Brooks woven woolen scarves, my favorites!

Not your traditional horse show.

Riders were putting large workhorses 

through their paces.

Bareback!

The animals!

The Fair celebrates bicycle power, wind power,

& human hula power.

 One of the pleasures, walking over a half mile through 

cultivated woods to get to & from the Fair.

(Though hay wagons are there for those who need a ride.)

It's pretty & artistic, yes, but it is also a place 

where people of good health, good will, of cooperative spirit

and kindness come together to celebrate

traditional arts & local enterprises. 

The Volunteer Gardener

 One of the last small pieces I did, 

just before hanging the show.

She is a local volunteer from the Belfast Garden Club

who creates & tends town gardens.

On this hot morning when I was sketchbook wandering 

she was taking a break from

her flower beds around the police station,

on a bench in front of the post office.

We had a lovely conversation which is handwritten

by fountain pen below her image.

It's not here, as I would have to get her permission,

but I will tell you that this is one very positive lady

who loves what she is doing!

She enjoys, in Barbara Cooney's words,

 "making the world a more beautiful place."

Belfast has its very own Miss Rumphius! 

Black & White in the Have Sketchbook Will Travel

I've been carrying the 4 X 6 Have Sketchbook Will Travel

everywhere I go.

Enjoying very fast, good old fashioned 

black & white sketching.

The 3 below were made at The Farnsworth Art Museum.

Fast & unfinished, a sketch of a favorite painting

by NC Wyeth.

 

A visitor looking a a display of art books outside

the Museum Store.

 

 Two from the Grocery Store Line Series.

(see previous post.)

 Yesterday I was making some notes from 

books on cursive handwriting at my library.

I was glad that

my little book & pen were standing by.

A little still life at a friend's home where

we were listening to a violin concert.

I got myself a seat in the back row 

so that I could sketch without being noticed. 

Below: At the Friday Morning Farmer's Market. 

I go each week partly for the produce, yes.

But it is the music & the happy gathering of people 

that I absolutely love!

 This one should be in color as she was dressed all in 

red, white & blue plaids & had a bright

stars & stripes umbrella! 

 Très chic, leaning against the swingset 

while children were swinging.

 The Flower Guy sitting in the door of his truck

chatting with shoppers.

 One of the farm tents, Peacemeal Farm.

Love the outdoor music concerts

& love the Belfast Bay Fiddlers.

(there were actually 8 or 10 of them that day.)

Do you carry a little notebook or sketchbook with you?

Mine is the Pentallic with very white paper,

but there are so many mini's these days!

You never know when you might need it!