Fowl Weather

I actually painted this fowl before adding the pen lines. I can't wait until our next class. I have a zillion questions. And now I also have equipment.

Pedaling

I have had enough of flowers. So no petals for me.

Red flower

This time I painted the flower and then tried to give it edges with my pen.

Yellow flower

This flower was created by first sketching the shape and then using watercolor paints to fill it in.

Waste Water

Trying to watercolor for the first time, I made a mistake. I tried to drink the water that I was using to swish my brushes. Ewwww.

My sketch for yesterday

I wanted to post my (pedal) sketch from yesterday in the garden. My artichokes have been producing like crazy and I decided to paint them as they are demanding such attention! We not only eat the pedals but then we go for the heart!

My flowers

No one has ever sent me roses so I don't really know what they look like. But the other flower bunch turned out quite good!!

First Day

This painting is my first attempt at watercoloring. I can't believe I did the whole thing!!!

Pedals & Petals

Here is my watercolor sketch for my Pedals & Petals.  I have a sewing machine foot pedal and flower pedals.

However, I wanted a softness to the flower, but my scanner didn't pick up the color and when I added more color, it came out darker than I wanted and I loss the effect I was trying to get.

Petals

First coloring

2nd shading

With the topic of petals, Desiree challenged us with, here is my rose.  When I went to post this, I saw the beautiful rose on the header and think maybe mine needs a little more shading.  This is a very light pink rose, with yellow at the base, from my garden, that has enormous buds and flowers.  When it dries, can I add more shading in the crevices, or should I just do another one and practice? If I go back in, I'm afraid of overdoing it., but I would even like to bring in a darker blue under the rose -the blue dried in a spot to the outside.

Don't know why my backgrounds are photographing so grey - took the photo outside in the shade and still grey.  Off for the week to Empty Spools - taking my sketch book!

P.S. - later when it was dry, I did add some shading, I think it is looking better in the 2nd photo - a learning experience. 

Copic Markers

Hi everyone,

I have been in my studio playing with copic markers. They are tricky but you can achieve some really beautiful results. I will be teaching a class in July on them but just playing now. Here is my sketch in the morning and my first project using copic and sharpies. How are those sketches coming? If you haven't posted I would still love to see you comment so we know you are there.

CREATE

Like Marilyn, I too discovered watercolor crayons.  I took a class on Thursday at CREATE in Costa Mesa, CA, and learned to used watercolor crayons on fabric.  This picture is a watercolor sketch of what I created at CREATE.  I also learned you can watercolor on Deli Paper.  That was kind of cool.

Discovery

I discovered Water Color Crayons - oh, so wonderful!  Getting ready to head out to Asilomar and needed some sketches for a quilt.  This is one I did quickly the other day using a combination of the paints and crayons.  This I will take to class - with some refining, it will work.

Salt Lake City- Temple Square

Hi everyone, I was hoping to see more sketching here! We just got home from quilt market for spring, such an exciting show. Hope all of you are well. I did another sketch in Temple Square, the whole area was filled with color from tulips,narcissus, and blooming allium. Although cold and windy I managed to sketch this one.

Challenge for all of you for the next week: Draw something with pedals or petals. Have fun!

Practice

 Ok, I have been practicing.  This is a Martha Washington flower that just bloomed. The Luna Moth was from a photo, I needed for a class project, and the Shoe is from a collection I have.  This is really fun and I learned a lot from our class with Desiree and look forward to more learning to do this journal sketching .   Marilyn

Why is it so quiet???? HELLO

Hi everyone, I know that you guys have been sketching and I know that some of you(Karen) already have some amazing sketches in their books from last time, please post and tell us about them!! Thanks Deb for jumping in. Marilyn, please post your sketches you sent me, they are wonderful!

Ok, enough whining, as you all know I am in Salt Lake City for the Spring Quilt Market. It has been an amazing show and my new patterns were  very well recieved. I wanted to show you the sketch I did this morning from my hotel window before going to the show. Quick sketch of the view. The state is beautiful, so much I want to sketch and not much time so far, hopefully more tomorrow. I am going to journal in the big buildings in each corner, just havent' had time. OK now you guys post something!

Found Objects

This is my first attempt at painting glass and although it's not perfect, I am very pleased with the results.  We were to bring a found object to sketch and paint.  Marianne brought lots of beautiful Sweet Peas, which smelled heavenly.  I brought in a seedpod which I picked up while on a retreat in Cambria, CA and Corni brought a beer bottle she got while on her trip to Roswell, NM.  This is the result of my journal page.

May 9, 2011 Journal Page

I water color this page this morning while having coffee.  I usually do my sketches horizontally, but decided this time around I would try it vertically.  I have not journal as of yet and may or may not.  This watercolor flower is one I learned from Desiree in our Watercolor Journal Sketch class, http://www.desireesdesigns.com/monthly.html I am taking once a month.  I love the class.  It is a way to get together with others of similar interests.  I have wanted to do this for a long time and now I have the opportunity.  It has been a long time coming and am truly enjoying the process.

Our blog, our first post and our second sketching class

    It is Saturday, the day before Mothers Day and seven women have come to spend the morning with me, learning to draw and keep a sketchbook journal. I am naming it "Sketchy 5150's" meaning we are all crazy sketchers! The group is small and intimate, changing monthly as schedules do, but a wonderful group so far. This blog is a new beginning, a place where we will gather to post our pages,artwork and talk about it during the month. After every class I will be posting a review of the class and will also post some challenges here during the month. I will ask each artist that they post a small introduction about themselves. Who they are, why they are taking the class, what they hope to learn, and maybe where they feel they are in their own art journey.

 

   In our class today I talked about learning to draw shapes verses objects and the different types of journals and watercolor papers. The group had each brought a found object and I did a demo by drawing the different objects as shapes instead of things. I drew first in pencil, some in pen some we painted first then drew the final lines while others we drew the lines first and painted. This was an excersize of options. The last hour of class I talked about painting techniques and the difference in wet on dry and wet on wet. I did a demo without any predrawing to demonstrate the difference. I painted some random flowers, wet on dry and then some roses using wet on wet. The goal for everyone was to try to allow the watercolor to do its  job and their job is to not overwork it. I also demonstrated how easily mistakes can be corrected and how watercolor is forgiving if you do it right away. We are working at learning watercolor techniques and drawing skills to apply them to our journals.

With lots of sharing and talking and then walking the garden I had a wonderful day painting with everyone. I am excited to see what pages other will post during the month. The first weeks challenge is to use this wet on wet technique and paint some loose roses as an underpainting on one of their journal pages then to journal over it. I thought this would make a wonderful journal page for mothers day!

My name is Desiree, the fearless leader of the Sketchy 5150's. I have been an artist all of my life, mostly self taught, I have had some wonderful opportunities to work in the interior design industry painting murals and faux finishes as well as painting fine artwork commissions. I then moved into fabric, designing quilt patterns, art quilts and fabric. I also teach classes both for art quilts and for fine art. It is wonderful working with creative people, I learn something from everyone I meet! Welcome to our blog!

Marianne showed up with her arms full of sweet pea flowers she grew in her gardens. The basket filled with wonderful colors and smells for all of us to enjoy.