EDiM #30: Draw the inside of your closet

When we were evaluating this house to buy back in 2001, one of the many things I was impressed with was the huge walk-in closet with built-in shoe shelves.  What luxury!

And yes, my husband does have a bright orange shirt in his wardrobe.

EDiM #29: Draw something from a pet's point of view

Though we are currently "without dog", which is sad but necessary, we have shared our home with Great Danes since we got our first in 1987.  Since they are so tall, and can consume a lot of food and water, they need big bowls elevated to their level.

For today's EDiM assignment, I dug out their bowls and the plant stands we put them on, and crouched my camera down to their eye level for my reference.

I was intimidated at painting the metal bowls, but it worked out pretty good!  I used mixes of Permanent Orange and Cobalt Blue for the various warm and cool gray tones.

It made me miss our dogs...

A break from EDiM...off into the neighborhood to sketch!

I was "free" from Every Day in May today because I did a "two-fer" yesterday, so I used my time to stroll to the entrance of our neighborhood and finally sketch one of the cute little decorative kiosks there.  I found a shady spot under the shade of a palo verde tree, set up my sketch stool, and enjoyed a nice hour of sketching.

While there, I witnessed a motorcycle officer from Pima County Sheriff pull over a speeder.  Too many cars do indeed go too fast on 35 mph Wade Road.

EDiM #26: Draw a screw

Not content to draw just one screw, I decided to look at multiple screw concepts...

Since these are essentially mechanical drawings that require a modicum of precision, I drew these in pencil first, then inked it in, then watercolor.

EDiM #25: Draw a tote bag

I don't have many tote bags, never really saw the utility of them because there was a huge gaping hole at the top where all my stuff could fall out of if I should drop it.  So this particular bag was my first, bought many years ago, and it actually used to have a functioning zipper at the top to prevent such mishaps.  I also loved this bag because I loved the colors--it looked to me like a watercolor painting (and this was before I even thought of trying to do watercolor painting!).

Green inktense pencil was used to outline the leave shapes in the interior, then wet with a small brush to "set" the lines so they wouldn't bleed when I added watercolor.

EDiM #23: Draw a summer joy

Of course I find great joy in the warm temperatures, road trips and camping that have been a feature of my summers.  But what I love most of all about summers in Arizona are the monsoons storms that happen during July and August here.  I find the buildup of beautiful cumulus clouds, the lightning and thunder, and the short-lived torrential rain exciting and a welcome break from the summer heat.

I love to try and photograph lightning, too, and this drawing is a result of a conglomerate of two photographs.

EDiM #19: Draw something that belongs to someone else

Rental DVDs, belonging to Netflix.  I was supposed to mail off the bottom one on Saturday but missed the mailman, and we finished the second one last night.  What are we going to watch tonight?

EDiM #18: Draw the palm of your left hand

Definitely a handy subject, don't have to go far to set it up!

Drawn with TWSBI mini with Platinum Carbon Black for the outline of the hand, Pilot Prera with Lexington Gray for the lines and wrinkles.

A few days in Northern Arizona

Mark and I spent a few days up in Flagstaff visiting Mark's mother and brother, and as a bonus we drove up to the Grand Canyon!  This was an opportunity to finally work in the 5x8 watercolor Moleskine I bought a year and a half ago, before I discovered the joys of Stillman & Birn sketchbooks.  I struggled with this book, not really wanting to commit to using it as my everyday Artist's Journal, because of its odd shape.  Then I had the brilliant idea to reserve it for times where can really shine:  the panoramic format.  I had a blast tackling a part of the Grand Canyon here while my husband and his brother and elderly mother enjoyed the sight.  The mid-day light was not optimal, but the shapes and colors are still fantastic.  I was told that many children were curious about what I was doing.

I also kept up with the Every Day in May assignments, and it was serendipity in many cases as my mother-in-law has lots of stuff, lots of potential sketch subjects that fit in with each day's topic.  I am also working in a new sketchbook, a Stillman & Birn Epsilon.  It is fun to use, though certainly quite different than regular watercolor paper!

EDiM #13:  Draw a Pillow

I chose the most colorful pillow to draw, and just propped it up against the arm of the loveseat in the morning light.

















EDiM #14:  Draw a figurine

Mark's mother is the queen of knick knacks, and must have over 100 figurines of varying sizes and subjects all over the house.  It could be the reason why we only have one in our house (my husband had overload growing up).  I found a fun one to draw.














EDiM #15:  Draw a pencil

I cheated a bit here and sketched the most interesting pens I found in Julie's house for this days assignment.  Her pencils were rather ordinary.












EDiM #16:  Draw something that scares you

I wanted to draw an illustration of an impending collision with an on-coming car, but didn't have any adequate reference material on hand (or life-study material, thank goodness!) for that.

So I did something simpler to draw, yet also scary for me.  As a child growing up in southern California and learning the scary power of waves to keep you underwater when you don't want to be, I still retain into middle age a fear of waves.




EDiM #17:  Draw something from your first aid kit

This for me was a no-brainer.  I had to have skin cancer scraped off my back a week ago and I am currently in the daily regimen of cleaning and re-bandaging the wound.  These are the supplies I took with me to Flagstaff to perform the wound care.

EDiM #12: Draw the oldest thing in your refrigerator

I am getting a jump on tomorrow's EDiM assignment since I'll be traveling and incommunicado for a few days.

The oldest thing in our refrigerator is a big bottle of mustard.  Ever since my husband started calculating his sodium intake, the mustard just sits in our refrigerator, getting unused.

This last drawing completes my batik cover self-bound sketchbook, which was filled with Strathmore Aquarius II paper.  Some things I like about this paper, some things I don't.  I like how thin and pliable it is.  Since plastic is used in part to allow this thin paper to take watercolor washes without warping and buckling, there isn't a bunch of sizing making the paper so stiff.  However, the paint does seem to get absorbed more than I'd like; it's hard to describe, but paints look a little to matte-like on this surface for my taste.

Next I will be working in a Stillman & Birn Epsilon book!  There's nothing "matte-like" about that smooth surface!  It will be my first time working on this paper and I look forward to giving it a good workout!

EDiM #11: Draw some gloves

I wear many types of gloves in the course of my daily life.  In the winter I put on hand-knit gloves or mitts to keep my hands warmer; when I chop up chili peppers I use nitrile gloves so I don't forever have capsaicin on my hands (or else I am in big trouble if I touch my eyes!); when I work outside I wear work gloves (particularly helpful when handling mesquite and cactus); and when I belay my husband during rock climbing I have some leather gloves I use.

But the gloves I've worn by far the most in my life are weightlifting gloves.  My husband and I have been weight training as a part of our exercise routines for what must have been 26 years.  I've always worn gloves, and it's been handy for keeping the callouses down.

I put on my left glove for this drawing, and rather than hold the weight up for the time to draw and paint it, I let it rest on the table.  My bicep thanks me.

EDiM #10: Draw something creepy

One day it was disconcerting to turn around and notice one of these on the kitchen floor!  Evidently, it had hitched a ride into the house on my husband's pant leg.

Not this one, though...I photographed it in our backyard June 2006.  It's always exciting to see a tarantula, but I wouldn't want one on me!

Paints used for background:  quinacridone gold, quinacridone burnt scarlet, winsor violet.

Paints used for tarantula:  quinacridone violet and phthalo green blue shade, with a bit of brown from q. gold + winsor violet thrown in.

EDiM #9: Draw a lock

I was considering a couple options for "draw a lock", among them the clusters of locks on fences that we saw while visiting Paris (why do people do that?), or the lock-bar we use on our car's steering wheel.

But I ran across this photo in MorgueFile from krosseel, and I really like the "story" this image shows.  Sometimes one lock is not enough.

I had a busy art day.  In addition to keeping up with my EDiM assignment, I also met with my fellow Tucson Sketchbook Brigade ladies, and we spent a couple hours sketching the Manning House in downtown Tucson.  I guess it's like 106 years old.  I was surprised to see a "For Sale" sign on it, I remember having Christmas lunch there for work.

Aside from the gardener nearby with his leaf-blower running, it was such a pleasant morning, with a great group of ladies to sketch with.

EDiM #8: Draw a coffeepot

For today's assignment we were to draw a coffeepot.  Well, my husband and I stopped drinking coffee many years ago, so I knew I would need to rely on a photo for this one.

I poured through the REI website, looking for photos of coffee makers for camping, and nothing really resonated.  I considered looking for photos of fancy espresso machines, or even those cute faceted little stove-top espresso makers.

But the idea struck me, since I live in Arizona and love the beautiful red rock of Sedona...Coffee Pot Rock!  Of course.

Paints used:  yellow ochre, quinacridone gold, quinacridone burnt orange, sap green, winsor violet, manganese blue nova, cerulean blue.

EDiM #7: Draw something you got for free

I'd say winning something qualifies as "something you got for free", even though it was my husband doing the winning.  But since we are a "unit" I feel like I won it too.

Anyway, rock climbing shoes are unique and interesting to draw.

I got to use some colors I don't often use:  pyrrol orange, cerulean blue, and indigo for the shoes; Monte Amiata natural sienna and burnt umber for the background.

I used my new TWSBI mini pen (I love this pen!) filled with Platinum Carbon ink to do the drawing, with the shoes hanging by a carabiner from my keyboard stand.