I'm back!

I've taken an extended break from the computer for the holidays. Phew!... We're almost there! Now that I'm a mom, I appreciate how much work it takes to make Christmas happen. But, I've also had more fun than since when I was a kid. My kids help me relive my childhood.

Today's sketch is a still life of some pizza ingredients for our party tomorrow night. Just add a nice Merlot to wash it down , something fizzy at midnight, and some friends to enjoy it with.

finished ornaments

Here they are finished!

My mom helped me make these today. I learned how to cut glass, grind the edges, foil, and solder. The paper is sandwiched between two foiled panes of glass, then wrapped with the foil tape to hold them together. Then, the foil is soldered and a ring is attached at the top.

I'm really happy with the way these turned out . (Sorry for the poor quality scan of these, it really doesn't do them justice! ) I like them so much, in fact, I plan to make a few more. :)

These are gifts for my son's grade 1 teacher and his bus driver (who is my uncle). On the flip side of the ornaments is a handwritten christmas greeting to each of them from my son.

No. 2 in ornament series: the church in the woods

Coloured pencil and gouache on gessoed 300 lb. W&N watercolour paper. ACEO size 3.5" x 2.5"

Peter's Island miniature

Today's piece is a small painting of Peter's Island lighthouse. It was done in watercolour and coloured pencil on gessoed 300 lb W&N watercolour paper. It is from a photo by Laura Titus, and you can see the original photo here (Thanks, Laura!). Check out her site for some great local photos. This painting is for a gift... I'm working on a series of these 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" paintings with my mom, who is a beginning stained glass artist. The plan is to sandwich the mini paintings between two panes of glass, and then foil and solder aroung the edges. Add a hook and a piece of ribbon et voila... ornament. (That's the plan, anyway... I'll post photos of the finished project.

Tonight is the school Christmas concert. My son is going to be Santa in an underwater Christmas story. I can't wait to watch all those freshly scrubbed faces so excited to be reciting their lines that they've been practicing. And fidgeting and pulling faces.

two more from my marathon

Ho Ho Ho.

sketch marathon

I participated in a sketchcrawl yesterday. Basically, I challenged myself to do as many sketches as I could squeeze in. The plein air sketches were done on a drizzly cold day from the comfort of my car. My daughter was with me for the drive, so each sketch took about 5 min (it's like a rule of physics: toddlers abhor a still car).

Of twelve total (some were just 1 or two minute studies), here are a few:

first snowman of the winter

We made him yesterday in a blinding, sideways-driven wet snowstorm. R. rolled the balls himself. He has rosehips for his mouth, a spruce cone for a nose, beach rocks for eyes, and alder twigs for his arms. It was blowing a gale, hence he is hatless & scarfless.

The new snow has inspired me to dig out the decorations, so we are decking the halls this evening, complete with freshly baked gingersnaps and hot chocolate. Ho Ho Ho.

another early morning

Lobster season has been on again for just over a week now, so that means ten days of 5:00 am mornings again. It wouldn't be so bad if I could get myself to bed at a decent hour. It's just too tempting to take advantage of a few uninterrupted, kid-free hours in the evening, and too hard to put the paints, or remote, or book away and call it a day.

Bob has a windy, rough day today to be on the water. So far, his catches are up a bit from last year, but they're still only giving $4.75 / lb. for the lobsters. Yes, folks, that's right: that lobster dinner from Red Lobster or wherever for $20 or so only got the person who caught it about $5. Another example of the unfairness towards food grower/catchers.

R. has the day off school today for a doctor's appointment, so it's off to the mainland for the kids and I. I think we'll try to get some Christmas shopping started. And I have to remember to get some cards mailed out.

Reading:
A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby (not too far into this, yet, so will reserve comments for later)
The Secret of Parenting: How to Be In Charge of Today's Kids - from Toddlers to Preteens- Without Threats or Punishment by Anthony E. Wolf (ha... as if... and that's quite a mouthful for a title, eh?)
R. & I are reading The Wizard of Oz, again, at bedtime. Last night, the Wizard sailed off in his hot air balloon without Dorothy.

today's sketches

today's sketches

A few sketches done for the WetCanvas weekly scavenger hunt:

something hanging from my ceiling, a newspaper, coloured glass (beach glass), a jar full of something not food (beach stones), and wood grain (driftwood plywood). All done in my moleskine.

As a way to practice, stretch, and grow as an artist, I'm making an effort to produce something every day, even if it is just a quickie 5 minute sketch. I've kept it up for about 3 months now. I notice that I am more confident now, my hand is quicker and more sure, and I use the eraser less, if at all. I even attempt sketching straightaway in ink (see my chandelier?!), which I never would have done three months ago.

Okay, I've jumped on the blog bandwagon!

My first blog posting and I'll begin with my latest painting, finished yesterday.

Sorting Apples , 9" x 12", watercolour and coloured pencil on watercolour board. From the WetCanvas.com 03 Dec. 06 Weekend Drawing Event. The reference photo is from India (thanks, Rohit!).

Available for sale, framed or unframed, just contact me!