Two Coastal Sketches: Early & Late Autumn

I spent a day on Mount Desert Island. 

Because it was full tourist season, 

I went to "the quiet side" of the island. 

That day was one of the most magnificent full color, 

ever changing weather, early autumn days I've ever experienced. 

This sketch was made sitting in my car, & it is from observation.

This late autumn sketch is more from memory.

On top of Mount Battie, looking out to Mount Desert Island.  

I had drawn a scant, scribbly sketch while there.

At home I started to add watercolor 

& because the ink lines were with non-waterproof ink 

they puddled & smeared 

& the image got lost. 

I was going to throw it away 

but decided to see it through. 

The final layer is colored pencil, 

bringing back some form & color.

The curious thing is that this imperfect sketch 

captured for me vividly what I experienced.

  

I am practicing more memory sketching these days.

It is challenging, but I'm enjoying it.

Two Summer Sketches, June & August 2024

I will post some more current sketches soon.

Hope everyone had a nice summer.

The landscape is changing rapidly,

September brings a feast of color.

Best end-of-summer wishes to all!

I would love to receive a comment from you!

Fountain Pens, Cursive Writing & Penmanship

 If you put "fountain pens" into my Search Bar, 

you'll find previous posts about them.

I've been taking notes about the history of pens, writing tools 

& penmanship from a book, 

Script & Scribble, The Rise & Fall of Handwriting. 

Using fountain pens

is "Slow Writing"  compared to computer tapping in the way that

eating whole foods is "Slow Food" compared to eating fast food.

I so enjoy the tactile feel of ink flowing through a fountain pen nib

on quality paper.

The variety of pens & inks these days is amazing. 

I mostly write with a range of blue to green inks, 

though I still enjoy good old black, 

especially waterproof, so that I can add watercolors.

They are simply one of my very very favorite tools.

They have been since I wrote with 

my 1st Schaeffer cartridge pen at age 11.

Visit Goulet Pens if you want to know more about fountain pens!

Quick Sketching After All these Years

 I haven't posted here consistently over the last few years.

But I have consistently sketched.

For years, especially QUICK sketches of people...while waiting in lines in stores or cafés... 

People  reading, or chatting make great subjects.

Simple, FAST line drawings, sometimes with added color from my notes & memory once I'm home. 

Why do I like to do it? 

Sketching is the vehicle that allows me to observe more carefully things of interest. 

( often for me that means sketching people.)  

Sketching focuses my energy, calms my hyperactivity. (Meditation!)

The tactile sensation of movement on paper while I'm

tuning into my surroundings.

All the senses working in harmony.

And as with these 2 recent, quick sketches, done in an

out of town café, 

it gifts me with a souvenir. 

From Idea to Completion: A New Phase

 I recently resumed work on a long standing project. I'm looking back on some work that has led me to this place. Rough drafts, & continual art explorations, sure, but also work on my organizational skills, on staying focused, & on learning to de-clutter my space & my brain. Looking forward, moving out of an idea phase to an action phase. I'm beginning to bring individual segments to completion. This (cropped) sketch went into my daily journal today. (Credit: Even though I love this bridge & have been there many times, I used a photo by Anne McKinnell, a beautiful outdoor nature photographer, as a reference.)

Holiday Greeting Cards 2023

I had different Christmas-y sketch ideas for a holiday card. 

But this image was the most "autobiographical", if not 

Christmas-y. It's from a series I had printed from the original.

Before the color prints, I had copied small black & white line drawings 

from my original & handpainted each one, adding colored pencil & pearlescent paints. 

Less vibrant & smooth than the printed version, but to me 

they're sweet in their roughness.  

Happy Holiday Season to all, & Happy Winter Walking. Rita.

"Welcome Back, Sleepy Sun". Solstice ATC's.

A sampling of my last 20 cards for my ATC group. This is my last batch for awhile as I'm beginning a new, focused, extended, illustration project. In the meantime these cards have been so much fun. For these suns I intended to hand draw each one to be more or less the same. But they emerged with personalities of their own! Thinking of you, my blogger friends.

Paper Dolls: Artist Trading Cards

Before there were Barbies, there were paper dolls. 

They paved the way for Barbie, that fashion icon.

Our Artist Trading Card theme this month is "Apparel".

Many years ago, this pre-teen Sketchbook Wanderer

thought she might want to become a fashion designer.

That wasn't meant to be, but how I loved

outfits& accessories 

I spent one whole summer designing & sewing clothes

by hand for my Barbie.

I continue to love dolls & miniatures.

20 cards, 2.5 X 3.5", to trade, with outfits

that I myself wouldn't mind wearing.

Art Journaling During Covid

Covid Times: I enjoyed some online Art Journaling groups that presented prompts.

The idea was to keep a daily practice going, a flow, a momentum, without inner critics

who cause hesitation & blockage.

Sketching on the Coast of Maine

 Still enjoying pen & ink with watercolor.

When it's cold out, sketch from the car!

My fantastic new tool: The Artist's Toolkit. 

The paint box is super thin with magnetic paint pans

& mixing trays!! Changed my life! Visit their website!

Still Sketching...

 

Still sketching, especially when on vacation or when taking a pause or in line at the grocery store or in a cafe...Still journaling, daily, my pages have become more illustrated in the last year... I hope my blog friends are doing well. Do write me a few words in a comment, if you come across this post!

Artist Trading Cards & Shimmery Paints

Every year at this time I create a little drawing for Christmas cards. I'm in the process, but got sidetracked with an Artist Trading Card swap for my library art group. Fun with shimmery, pearlescent highlights, watercolors, & accents of colored pencil. I haven't been by to visit your blogs, but am getting closer...Happy creative season to you!

Art, A Daily Practice. My Show: Locally Grown

I still practice my art, daily. That's me at an impromptu workshop

that an artist gave at a natural food store in a small

town where I was vacationing! Serendipity!

In September I had my 3rd art show at my library 

called Locally Grown, 

featuring local farmers & gardeners & their gardens.

It was a long term project as the planning had begun 

more than 6 months previously.

 I also presented a slide show with stories that I collected

from local gardeners.  

This collection had more written text than my other shows, 

& I loved the integration

of words & drawings in my typical journaling style.

I'm developing Christmas/winter imagery

that will end up as a greeting card. 

This has been my tradition since childhood.

Happy creating, you all! Thank you, Rita

Dancing Drawings

How I love to draw. 

How I love to dance.

How I love to draw & dance.

 

Farmer's Market

One of my favorite places to sketch: The Farmer's Market.

In May I took a intense course that gave me tools 

for developing a practice of daily sketching & art making.  

Lots going on for me now that the covid restrictions are off.

I appreciate being out & about more than ever before. 

Thank you for stopping by. It's been awhile.