Despite the fact that she wants to kill my beta fish I love, love, love Zimmy.  She is young and still coming into herself but she is the most affectionate kitty I have ever known.  I am talking cuddles, purrs, leg rubs and under the blanket-kill the hand- fun kitty.  And I thought my first cat Echo (named for her voice) had a lot to say.  Zim is like a chatterbox on speed.

What this blog is really about. Artwork!

   
   "Feeling Blue"


I have never been very good at using watercolors when painting people.  Having never been taught to paint I had to teach myself and I almost gave up.  I could paint on canvas using acrylics if I did bold solid compositions but watercolors just frustrated me.  I'm not sure what changed in late 2009 but I started doing sunsets using watercolors and I found that I loved them!  Mistakes are a lot more forgiving than with color pencil or ink and with paints I find imperfections lend texture and makes the composition interesting.

This painting was started a few days before I was scheduled to receive my Wacom tablet.  I was torn as to whether I wanted to start an organic piece so close to when I should be getting my new toy.  I knew that there was a good chance that it could go unfinished but sometimes the itch to draw is too annoying to resist.  I am glad I didn't in this case because I think I spent a total of maybe five hours on this painting and I am pleased with the results.  Obviously there was a bit of an issue with the background originally or the right side would be more like the left.  I changed my mind after already starting a darker background but luckily with a small bit of cropping I was able to salvage the final result.

Cedric The Gnome

Cedric is a traveling gnome.  He came to visit with me sometime in January and will be returning home for a brief stay with his roomie Gina and her new husband John just as soon as I finish up their wedding gift.  Cedric insisted I save on shipping and send everything at once as he is a frugal gnome.

When he first arrived Cedric was a little nervous because of the company he would be keeping during his stay in Charlotte.  The others living here are of a more macabre variety than he is used to staying with.  It didn't take him long to fit in once he realized that friends come in all shapes and sizes.  The most troublesome was Dextrr the dog who thought that perhaps he might has a flavor.  Yikes!

 Here is Cedric with my friend the Purple Pimp and his Ladies of the Night. Only Cedric can tell their stories.  The other three don't talk much.  ;)

Sketching

Yesterday I received my Wacom Bamboo pen tablet.  I have read the tutorials and have started a few sketches that amounted to nothing.  There is a photograph that I have been wanting to use as a reference for a drawing for several years now.  I made one attempt using pencil and ink but my drawing ended up on too large of a scale and I was unable to fit both children into the shot.  I am fairly happy with the way the sketch is turning out, but the thing is... it is just that.  A sketch.  I tried to add color but it looked terrible.  I need to work on opacity and layering but I'm not sure this is the drawing for that kind of practice.  Right now I am just using the pencil setting and I have to say that it is 95% easier than attempting to sketch with a mouse.  I never would have been able to do this without the pen.
Now back to sketching!  Hopefully I will have something worth sharing by tomorrow afternoon.

Spring is in the Air!

The time has come time to cut the grass for the first time of the season so yesterday, despite the itching in my ears and the tightness in my throat I braved the lawn for a small bundle of the wild flowers that are growing there.  The fresh green of spring mixed with the vibrant purples, pinks and yellows make my eyes so happy.  This little bundle is currently sitting in a shot glass next to my never blooming orchid in the kitchen window.  Isn't it cute though? 

Home Sweet Home

This is my first house (notice the dreadful state of my bushes!).  I bought it about a year ago and though it is a lot of work, owning a house is great.  First, I never have to ask someone, is it ok if I paint a room this color?  My bedroom is the perfect soothing purple for a good nights sleep.  I desperately need a new bed and new linens and I hope to eventually have several shelves mounted once I find some that suit my taste. Also, more paintings and we also have to replace the outlets and outlet covers.  Currently I have no closet door but I am thinking that a curtain may work better for me considering it is a small space and even a folding door would require space to open.   I would also like to either paint or at the very least change the handles on the green chest of drawers.  You can't see in either of these pictures but the inside of the closet is a green similar but darker than the finish on that piece of furniture.

So far I have only painted one other room, the master bedroom.  Originally it was going to be the entertainment room/office but it kind of ended up being my house mate's room.  He has weights and other exercise equipment that I would prefer not be in the living room so until the building out back is finished the red room belongs to him.  He asked me several times before we painted if I would rather use the big room as my bedroom but there is just something about the room I chose that made me feel like it was where I belong.

Spring Cleaning

I finally hung (or rather I had Dean hang) the cork board that I painted for my necklaces.  Now I just need more necklaces!  I actually liked using cork as a medium and plan to do so again in the future.  Especially since a framed piece like this one goes for about $8 which is far less than any mounted canvas this size. There are endless possibilities.  It can be used as canvas or painted more simply to be used as it was intended.  I could cut out the center and mount a mirror or another canvas...oh so many ideas! 

Softlead Pencils

I have been working with paints and ink a lot in the last year and haven't used any softlead pencil in a long time other than for sketching outlines for ink drawings.  Last night I started a drawing in my art journal that was originally going to be an outline for another painting but somehow the more I drew the more I knew she needed to be done in pencil.  The piece is coming along well and is reminding me that I can eat up an 8B pencil with grace and speed.  I require a sharp tip so I sharpen a lot. A LOT.  I think I require a trip to the art store.  I wonder where I can buy loose canvas locally.  I don't fancy to pay for shipping for something that may be creased or unsatisfactory.  I also need to find some tutorials stretching your own canvas and making your own frames.  I have a pretty good idea from looking at the ones that I buy.