yet another backside

Brown fountain pen (soluble) and w/c on thin lined journal paper. But it all worked well enough to document the view!

Colors completely random. He had on a brown/black plaid shirt, black jeans, and the cushion has tans and blues. But only I know that . . .

something of a campfire

To paint in slashes and swoops, then see what shapes emerge later is my joy in doing abstracts.

I did a little warping on this with Gimp and decided there's a campfire scene in there. Something to warm the white winter (after snow yesterday).

wicker chairback

Pencil on paper.

It's snowing again. Got to go splash bright colors to give me strength for this never-ending white.

creeping along

The snail is nothing special, but I liked how the blue flowed on the paper. It looks like a splashing wave.

I did the background by dribbling a bit of Liebfraumilch (random clear liquid sitting nearby) behind the snail, then swooshed on phthalo blue and some yellow ochre.

Tech pen and w/c and w/c pencil on 140# Canson.

something's working

Sometimes I can capture the whole cat before she moves even an ear. I was thinking she's moving less, but then I suddenly realized--I'm actually drawing her a lot more quickly.

Drawing the same cat 2000 (give or take a hundred) times, day after day, week after week, month after month, really does result in discernable progress. Doing the happy dance!

Staedtler liquid pen and w/c on Superdeluxe Aquabee.

glass snail

It wasn't until I drew this glass snail from all angles that I saw how his shell tilts off to the side one way, his neck leans the other. Asymmetry gives him a personality.

True of all of us?

Soluble pens and pencils of various kinds on 140# Canson

ugly influences

This is what came out of painting with the mud pools on my palette while listening to pundits argue and spin on CNN.

Yuck.

W/c on 140# paper.

opening, turn by turn

Our best and only can opener. We never went electric when others were buzzing 'round their cans. I guess this is now called the green method. But of course, I like pull-tab cans best!

Positive Thought: Every time we use muscle power instead of electrical, we step away from needing another drop of oil.

The top and bottom drawing were done with a water-soluble pen. I like the way the ink wash creates the feeling of light on steel, with absolutely no effort from me.

The one in the middle is watercolor pencil. Not successful at indicating a metallic surface.

All on Canson drawing paper.

another back side

I doodled my earring, another beside it, and the composition became a tiny rearview scene in a mirror. Reflected in a strange way, though.

Why are mirrors suddenly emerging in my drawings? Hmmm.

Sakura gelly roll glaze pen (it dries to a raised line) on Strathmore sketchpaper.

another rear view

Waiting in the car, I saw that house coming up behind me. Slow mover, though.

Tech pen on Strathmore drawing paper; painted later.

heat-powered fan

This fan sits on the woodstove and when the stove gets warm, it blows the rising warmed air out into the room. No electricity, no batteries! Off the grid!

A thermocouple converts the heat to blade-spin. If the fan slows down, I know the fire needs another log.

Tech pen and w/c on Strathmore recycled drawing paper (called Windpower paper--appropriate!)

still burning

March is the month I usually stop boosting the house temperature with the woodstove. But the snow is still deep outside, with melting only promised.

This woodrack has been filled hundreds of times this winter. Glad to have the renewable energy source!

Nexus pen on Aquabee superdeluxe.

electric elimination

I want to expand my thin range of drawing techniques, so tried this one: drawing on a midtoned paper. In this case, I created the midtone myself on white paper.

I covered the paper with pencil (HB), then erased out the light tones and added the darks. I found my ever-reclining model on the fleece catshelf and used that scene for my test.

Pencil and for the first time, an electric eraser--fun!--on Paperchase drawing paper.

the line-up

Vitamin bottles and the energy they radiate. Drawing an alternate view of reality.

The ability to imagine colorful possibilities is simultaneously a curse and a blessing.

Tech pen and w/c on Raffine paper.