AMERICAN ROBIN: BRUSH PEN

CLICK ON PIC TO ENLARGE

I love how the robin can fluff itself up to keep warm in the snow.  I always thought that they migrated south in the winter, but when we lived in northern Utah, I saw these hardy birds throughout the winter, surviving on the leftover berries on trees and shrubs.  I used my Pitt Brush Pens in shades of grey, and one in iron oxide.  These pens are more expensive than I would like, but the quality makes them worth it.

BUTTERFLY DRAWN IN SEPIA PEN

I have rediscovered my sepia pens, and drew this lovely butterfly on a daisy.  If you look close, you can see the soft down of fur on it's body.  I am practicing up with the sepia, as I have a portrait I wish to do from an old photograph.  I want to give it that long ago, aged feeling that came from the early photography.

NUTHATCH: DOWN THE TREE! PEN SKETCH

We have a lot of nuthatches among our trees...I can only assume it is because we have a lot of nuts!  I am particularly fond of these fearless little birds who walk up and down the tree trunks like they have little magnetic boots on.  They have real attitude and grace!

DROOPY DOG: A HOUND DOG IN PEN

Hubby and I were talking about the need for a dog in our lives eventually.  Right now we own (or cohabitate with) 2 cats.  It has always been our intention to look for a puppy of our own, but the timing, or the place usually prohibited it.  Looks like we are going to have to wait another 10 years or so to be settled enough to  do a dog justice!  I know the right one is out there for us.

ADULT SAW WHET OWL: PEN

Another owl....I heard one last night, coming in late from a girl's day out.  There is so much expression in an owl's eyes! My favorite part of this drawing? The unfinished negative space and wind-blown feathers.  I like to add a bit of a ruffled look to most of my birds.  It makes them look a bit more realistic. 

ONE LEAF SAYS IT ALL!



PHOTO BY ROSE ALTOM

What else can I say?  A picture is worth....I LOVE AUTUMN!!!

FOLLOW YOUR ART!

(The following article was written and submitted to "Cloth Paper Scissors Magazine" for a challenge.  Having not heard back from them after the deadline, I am REALLY sure that it was not what they were looking for.  I am not discouraged, however.  I am pleased to have taken the risk, and tried something new.  Hope you enjoy!)

To say that art has a way of sneaking into every facet of my life is a bit of an understatement.  When someone says "Oh, what a pretty blue sky it is today!" I think, "No! It is Prussian Blue with just a hint of Yellow Ochre!"  When I am watching the news, I invariably obsess about the lack of good composition in the commentary photos.  Is it any wonder that when I went to counseling for grief management, art followed me in?  The psychologist asked me to write a brief note about my situation, and I wrote it in the form of a poem.  When she accused me of following Dr. Seuss' format, and not taking her seriously, I didn't understand her issues with it.  I had spilled out my heart to her!  The psychologist then asked me to do a collage detailing my life through words and phrases cut from various magazines.  I arranged them into patterns that completed a picture of Van Gogh with his ear cut off.  She was not impressed.  So when she asked me to do a self portrait, she shouldn't have been surprised that I chose to do something a bit out-of-the-box.  I picked up a cheap Bendy Doll at the craft store, and proceeded to paint 'me' on it.  I found some felt tip pens in a variety of colors and painted flames climbing up my feet, added designs on the body to signify my need for freedom and expression.  I sewed on colorful yarn hair to show my wild side...but I put mirrors on my mouth and stomach to show my need to reflect to people whatever they wanted to hear and see.  My face is scribbled red to show that I am holding in what I really want to say.  The flower at my side is a banner screaming, "I am here!  Listen to me! See me!!! "  The feather is my symbol for wanting to fly away from it all.

  Well, the psychologist was speechless.  She asked to keep the doll for a few weeks.  I heard later that she took it to a convention and discussed the application of art to psychology, and the volumes that it can tell you.  She wasn't much help in counseling my grief, but I discovered that following my art helped more than anything else could have.  Art followed me in, and I followed it out.

H. P. LOVECRAFT INSPIRED SKETCH...IN TIME FOR HALLOWEEN!

O.K.  So don't laugh at me, but I was watching a documentary on H. P. Lovecraft this week.  He was a unique personality, and a 'Xenophobe'.  That means that he was afraid of EVERYTHING!  He was particularly grossed out by sea life, such as squid, and octopus.  His Cthulu (now I KNOW I am spelling this wrong!) had a rather tentacly and oozy sound to it.  Feeling in a particularly weird mood, I decided to try to invent my own oozy creature just for Halloween.  I know that it is really naive in style, but I am especially pleased with it's watery, evil eyes!  What do you think?

MALE HOUSE FINCH: PEN AND COLORED PENCIL

Drawing birds is such a pleasure for me!  It is my way of connecting with  nature and my own spirituality. I have spent a lot of years trying to find my artistic identity, and I believe that it is right here...

AUTUMN COMES TO TENNESSEE: PHOTOS

The lane up to the house

Back yard birdbath

Front yard

Fall is finally here!  I wanted to share with you the beautiful "changing of the leaves" in our yard.  What incredible things we can find under our own feet!  Autumn makes me look closer at the details in my life and around me.  We have lots of acorns and hickory nuts for the squirrels this year.  They have been busy, busy, busy collecting for the winter.  Hubby and I are also preparing for the winter.  I am making lots of soup to put into the freezer this week.  Chili, turkey dumpling, Zuppa Tuscana, and Lima Bean and Lime (my own creation, and So...ooooooo GOOD!)  We are winterizing by unhooking the hoses, cleaning up the flower garden, putting away the lawn mower. 

OFF TO THE CARIBBEAN!

Mahogany Bay, Rhoatan

Hubby surprised me with a few days in the Caribbean for my birthday (and Christmas, and Anniversary!)  What a glorious time we had!  It has been a long time since we just relaxed and didn't worry about ANYTHING AT ALL!  I did bring my sketchbook, of course, and especially enjoyed drawing sealife from our trip in Cozumel, where we got a chance to go down in a submarine to see the reefs...109 feet below the sea!

In Beliz, we were lucky enough to go on one of the Mayan Ruin tours, and see some of the jungle life.  The toucan is the national bird there.  We also caught glimpses of green parrots, jewel-colored hummingbirds, and some long-tailed black birds with bright yellow stripes!  The butterflies were incredible as well, and the guides warned us about going too far into the trees, as there were 3-step snakes....take 3 steps after being bitten, and you are dead!!!

We stayed for one day in Mohogany Bay, Rhoatan, definitely our favorite port.  It was amazing to see the colorful wild parrots in brilliant scarlet feathers, and the white-faced monkeys.  I learned never to lean on any tree in the jungle there.  They had huge thorns!  We saw army ants harvesting the leaves...how interesting to see lines of them each carrying a bit of a leaf back to their nest!

The experience definitely broadened our horizons a bit, and opened my eyes to all new artistic opportunities that is out there, just waiting to be savored!

BUTTERFLY SKETCH: PEN AND COLORED PENCIL

Butterflies have such beautiful patterns on their wings and bodies.  I know that it is for the practical reason of camoflage, but how inspiring is it that they drape themselves in color and stripes and polka dots, just like my great aunt 'Rene?!

WOODCOCK NEST AND EGGS: PEN AND COLORED PENCIL

This is one of my more graphic attempts at illustration.  Occassionally I remember that dream to illustrate an identification book to nature and various birds, eggs, leaves, and mushrooms.  Audubon was such an inspiration to me!

TUFTED TITMOUSE SKETCH: PEN AND COLORED PENCIL

We always have a lot of Tufted Titmice (mouse, meece?) at our feeders throughout the year.  The only sound I have ever heard from them is a loud one-note bell sound.  I am sure there are a lot more songs, but the bird that fussed at me all summer would sneak up behind me and let loose with that one LOUD chirp.  I have no doubt I was invading his territory!

SQUIRREL SEASON: BRUSH PEN SKETCH

It is squirrel nut-gathering season here in Tennessee.  One of the ways I know that is because we went to change the oil in our truck, and the mechanic came in from the garage laughing.  It seems that one of the squirrels thought that the engine of the truck would be a good place to hide it's nuts for the winter.  We had to dig out over 100 acorns!

WOODPECKER SKETCH: PEN AND COLORED PENCIL

This is a Red-bellied Woodpecker.  We have a lot of them in our woods.  They make a LOT of noise in the mornings, tapping on trees to find their breakfast.  We have so many different kinds of woodpeckers here that I often get them mixed up....I was just SURE this was a Ladderback Woodpecker, but no....Why call it red-bellied when it is clearly a red-headed bird? Because there is already a Red-headed Woodpecker that is smaller with a completely red head, not just a cap!

ROOSTER SKETCH: PEN AND COLORED PENCIL

While at the Pink Palace Artisans Show, I was happy to get some sketching time at the Petting Zoo.  This guy was definitely strutting his stuff!  Last year, I was able to sketch a pregnant pink pig with a very bad sunburn.  She was a very good little model!

PLAINS SPADEFOOT TOAD: BRUSH PEN AND COLORED PENCIL SKETCH

This lovely little toad is a delicate jade green.  Hubby accused me of copying from some of the Jim Henson creations, but this toad really does have that stubby little nose and huge eyes.  Cute! I LOVE drawing amphibians and reptiles.  Such a challenge and wonderful textures to play with.

CANADIAN GOOSE: BRUSH PEN SKETCH

The Canadian Geese are flying in formation overhead this month, always a beautiful sight, and a wonderful sign of autumn's arrival.  I have been watching a set of  Canadian Geese raising 2 young ones at a nearby pond this summer.  They were so small and fluffy yellow in the beginning, and now they are fully fledged and ready to head further south with the adults.  This is one of the adults. (I am not sure how to tell the male from the female!)

LEAF IDENTIFICATION SKETCHES: BRUSH PENS



I find that the best way for me to learn about something is to draw it.  I have found out that we have 8 different types of Oak trees on our tiny 2 acres of land! We also have Blackjack Oaks, Scarlet Oaks, Pin Oaks, and several others.

WOOLY MAMMOTH ACRYLIC PAINTING: CREATIVE PROCESS

SIBERIAN SENTRY
36x48, ACRYLIC

MAMMOTH DETAIL

MAMMOTH
SIBERIAN TRIBAL DESIGNS

MAMMOTH TRIBAL DESIGNS

I don't know what it is about this particular painting that has been SO HARD!  I have used all manner of creative solutions, just to be able to see it objectively.

I used a mirror to look at it from a different perspective.

I took a photo of it and printed out a copy, so that I could redraw it in different poses.

I used my Nintendo DSI Art program to try different ways to paint him.

I over-researched, over-thought, and over-painted this piece.  My artistic license has been revoked....but I finished it, FINALLY!  And now I am over-reacting as to WHY it was so difficult to paint.  I was out of my comfort zone, certainly.  And with no mentor to really go to and ask some key questions, I felt really on my own with this one.  That does NOT mean that I am saying to stay in your comfort zone, and only do things that you know.  How can we grow as artists if we aren't constantly trying new things, learning new things?  What I am saying is that I took a rather large leap into the unknown with the expectations that it needed to be perfect.  I had never painted on a canvas this large.  I have never spent so MUCH on a canvas before. (What if I blow it and waste all that money?!!!)  I have never painted something without reference photos to check key anatomy problems.  I have never felt quite so out of my depth before!  I learned an incredible amount of things with this piece.  I will definitely be painting larger again.  I will NOT be painting any more extinct creatures without a lot more knowledge of the creature.  And boy!  Am I glad it's finished!!!!!

PINK PALACE SHOW EXPERIENCE

Pink Palace Artisans

We had perfect weather for the show.  We met old friends, made new ones, and LOVE all of the people involved with putting on this event.  The craftsmen and artists are all such a wonderful group, and we look forward each year to seeing them!  Here are a few pictures from the event, and some photos of hubby's booth.  Enjoy!

Hubby sets up the booth

Hubby's carved jewelry

Hubby carved an Ostrich egg,too!

2 MINUTE SKETCH: BARN OWLS

I spent a few minutes drawing these two Barn Owl siblings this morning.  I always have memory flashbacks of being divebombed by one of these several years ago...we were as a family out in the prairie BLM (Bureau of Land Management) of Wyoming, outside of Laramie.  It is free to be enjoyed by the public, and we were seeking adventure and hunting dinosaur fossils.  I got separated from the group, and discovered an old cottage, at least 100 years old and falling apart in the arid climate.  No windows or doors.  I approached it cautiously, keeping an eye out for rattlesnakes, even though it was late in the season.  I must have startled it's latest resident, however, because a HUGE Barn Owl came flying out of the window straight at me.  I hit the dirt, had a panic attack, and watched as the owl circled and flew off.  It had an amazing wing span, and was much larger than most of the owls I have come across.  It was also one of the prettiest owls, with it's white feathers and golden markings.  We found a few fossils that day, but the experience was much more long-lasting!

DRAGON SCULPTURE, WOOLY MAMMOTH NECKLACE, AND MORE.



'DRACON' CARVED INTO RED GRANITE



BEAR CLAW ON WOOLY MAMMOTH IVORY



DRAGON CARVED OSTRICH EGG



FOREST FLOOR ON CYPRESS

FOREST FLOOR IN BLACK WALNUT

My talented hubby and artist extraordinaire will be one of the featured artists at the Pink Palace Show in Memphis, TN October 6-9 at the Audubon Park.  This is a great show, and we have been doing it for 4 years now.  The artists are high caliber, professional, and anxious to sell.  Hubby makes the most wonderful jewelry, carving wooly mammoth ivory, turquoise, and wood.  He loves working with granite and marble, and recreating nature with wood is a passion of his.  Like most 'Alpha' males, he is easily bored and very active in his search for the 'next great piece of art'.  He will be selling his latest book at the show as well...a humorous book about a northerner come to the south called "Breakfast at the Dixie Cafe".  You can also find his book at the Barnes and Noble

e-book Nook site, and his Etsy site (EAGLE'S NEST STUDIO) listed to the right under MY FAVORITE ALL-TIME LINKS.  Hope to see you at the Palace! (There will be no new posts for Oct.6-9)

DRAWING WITH A PURPOSE: HALLOWEEN GREETING CARD

A lot of times I draw with a specific purpose for the piece in mind. This morning I wanted to get a few sketches in for a Halloween greeting card that I want to send out to friends and family.  I wanted cheerful, not scary, and a celebration of the seasonal pumpkin.  I plan on using watercolor pencils to wash in some color, after scanning the sketch in to my computer and printing it out on card stock.  I will probably do another half dozen drawings before I come up with the right one for the occasion.  This one looks a bit wobbly on it's base!

SEEDYBEADER'S BEAD MEDICINE BAG: CANADIAN GEESE

Canadian Geese Medicin Bag

 My wonderfully talented friend, Seedybeader, has created this medicine bag for me.  Incredibly intricate, detailed, and beautiful, don't you think?  It is 2" x 3" approximately, and can hold lovely tiny treasures, from a memory stick to love notes and photos.  She just amazes me with each new creation, and if you want to see her work in person, she will be at the Pink Palace Art Show October 6 through October 9, 9am-5pm.  The Pink Palace Show is in Audubon Park in Memphis, TN, and is one of the largest gatherings of fine artists and craftsmen in the area.  Hubby will be there with his sculptures. too. 

Front detail

Back detail

OWL SKETCH: SAW-WHET OWL

October is finally here!  While I don't observe Halloween anymore (kids grown and gone) that doesn't mean I don't love the excitement, the chills and thrills of a little scare, and the wonderful smells of fallen leaves and wood smoke.  Owls, being a year-long passion, really become an obsession in October.  This young Saw-whet owlet has such a sweet, innocent curiosity, and I couldn't resist drawing him.  Just a quick sketch (it took about 5 minutes) but it is these drawings that make it fun to be an artist!