Can you tell spring has sprung?? This young magnolia tree is in the front of our office building and bursting with sweet color. I grabbed a sprig as I left work to sketch at home. These are 10 minute sketches with water color added. The color scanned a bit more magenta that it is but, I am happy with the contours I captured.
Pencil and pen in sketchbook and watercolor added
Obviously these are my chair of choice and quite comfortable, the backyard is not "open" as the pool area decking is being renovated and the pool is not open, but give it a month and this will be another oasis.
For several years now we have been graced with North Eastern Bluebirds nesting in our yard. There is something magical especially about the glistening blue backs of the male birds , while the somewhat drabber females busily build and sit on their nests. I look for them every year. As yet none has appeared. I hope they return and I can't help but expect another blessed year at the same time.
Green times three - My Green, Adirondack chair, the front lawn just awakening from winter, the blue spruce in the front yard. This is my favorite spot on my front porch, to sit and reflect, watch the snowfall, view a thunderstorm passing through, or just relax in the evening as the sun sets and I enjoy a hot cup of tea or something 'stronger'. Peace - Green peace?
This was a big leap for me, as a newbie I certainly have not sketched in public and the mere thought terrorized me - but - DH was in NYC and I headed in Friday to spend the weekend. I knew this was it - time to get out and sketch with abandon. Knowing my idol Laura (laurelines) was in Chinatown sketching I fancied myself on a sketch crawl. I packed my new sketchbook and pens/pencils/WC and took off. This is my first sketch, but taken from postcards as I practice and dream and created a first page for the trip journal. 
Off I go - Decided to sketch the train and Lord that is hard, the perspectives are complex and all that bumping and twisting, I got nauseous - thank God I was working in pencil ;-) My hat is off again to the subway sketchers. Trains are rather boring and I could not see any faces clearly.
Once I got home I could flesh out the sketch and add water color - not a bad depiction, at least I know it is a train seat. Now on to NYC.
The hotel had a lounge with this view of Broadway on the 8th floor - I cannot do it justice, there was so much going on inside and out - looking down from the window to the street revealed a million tourists and taxis darting about. Quite lively, the lounge filled with people and noise but I did a public sketch and added color later.
OK I had to do it - actually had a nice cup of coffee at Dean & Deluca as I watched the circus.
Tempted to do Top Of the Rock but at 8:30am it is a bit chilly and windy.
Decided to trek North to Central Park
Here people actually saw I was sketching and I just ignored them (tourists ;-D
Not sure of the name of this shell- perhaps a New Yorker can identify - I was in mid Central Park and really felt like an artist, sat on the bench and really studied and sketched, the light was from behind the shell so I had to work with that (9am). Groups came and went as I sketched, overall it was all mine. By now my legs were killing me and this was quiet and so lovely I had to sit and try to capture it.
The perspective is off but I learn so much by attempting these difficult subjects. What a glorious day to wander the park which is simply Fabulous. Wonder if there are any apartments near by for rent !
I visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art and got lost immediately, it is vast and over whelming. After a nice lunch in their balcony cafe I visited the Oriental exhibit and there were many student classes and such artists sketching away - I did the same, I felt so Artsy - I chose a relatively simple marble sculpture "Seated Jain Tirthankara" from the 11 century, Very ZEN!
Pencil, ink and watercolor wash in sketchbook
My husband has been sick and the first sign is He Cannot drink coffee. Horrors! He travels a lot and coffee certainly helps him stay awake and focused, and my son is the same. And not just any coffee, they are both partial to Duncan Donuts' coffee which in New England, is on every corner. At home we grind and make great coffee like this Allegro (wonderful) but there is something about that glorious styrofoam cup that he Has To Have regularly.
This is my ode to him. as I sit and look at his cup today - He feels better .
Ugly is in the eye of the beholder. I searched my home for "Ugly but Sentimental"to fit the EDM challenge this week. I could not pick anything that fit the description.
BUT - my husband 'unraked' this small toy tractor from our back yard in the vicinity of our old play scape. Certainly my son's and at least 20 years old now - Broken, very dirty and yet very sentimental to me.
It was fun to reflect and actually look at this small snippet of the male childhood world.
Pencil and Pen then watercolor in moleskine.
One can find such amazing things on a simple walk. A week or so ago I picked up one of these interesting pods under a tree near the Town Green - I have collected them before but this time as I drew I had to study it closely. I did not capture the complex depth of this pod but it was fun to do while remembering fall of 06 as I look forward to spring 07.
Here in New England there are all sorts of fences; stone, brick, split rail, picket, hedge fences and more. My town is full of old winding carriage trails (that have been paved over) which are lined with huge rock walls and giant maple or oak trees- all to separate pasture and farm land for our ancesters. I however choose an oceanfront burm protective fence, beaten back by stormy seas and snowy wind. Cloudy yet tranquil out here until the summer rush hits in a few months.
Pen and watercolor in moleskine journal
Ok, I was a bad girl last night, D was out of town and I was Hungry(supposed to be low carbing) - I love McDonald's, I admit it - AND the cheddar melt is for a limited time only - so what else could I do? Now I have to hide this sketch from D.
pen and watercolor in Moleskine journal
My Tub - a whirlpool oasis from the world and all it's aches and pains. I have thought about sketching it everytime I am enveloped in the warm water and bubbles but alas it is tricky to sketch in water ;-) Tonight I searched for a fun subject and ended up in here (hard on the bottom without water). My bathroom is all white with black accents but I needed color - so the walls are it.
Pen and watercolor in moleskine
This is my rendition of a recent catalog cover - Reminded me of our yearly 2 week camping trips to the Mains oceanside (Hermit Island, outside Bath Maine ) REAL camping: tents, hauling water to cook, clean, outhouses, campfire cooking, fishing - lots of fun and lots of Work, especially then with 3 small children - Tons of great memories though.
