Saturday, July 28, 2012

A Kitten, A Horse and Two Hummingbird Drawings

Pencil Drawing - Opie Darling III 
I did this pencil drawing this morning from one of the shots of my new little ginger kitten. As my friend Nan says, I'm smitten with my kitten(s)! Several photos of Opie are now available for license on iStock here! Maybe he'll even be a calendar kitten someday.

"It is impossible to keep a straight face in the presence of one or more kittens."  ~ Cynthia E. Varnado

I drew this cute little horse knickknack on Friday.

2 minute gesture drawings
As usual, I put the figurine up high, close to eye level. I then gave it a quarter turn every two minutes. Isn't he cute? He reminds me of my pinto, Rudy.

A line drawing done in pencil

Pencil sketches of a couple of our many hummingbirds

A hummingbird line drawing done from my photo
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As always, I look forward to receiving your emails and comments!
Thanks for reading, keep creating and have a great weekend!

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Cats, Birds and a Landscape


Introducing our new little calico kitten, Princess Cutie Pye.


And our little boy, Opie Darling III.
 You can see the watercolor painting done from this sketch


You can read about it on my web-log.
There was not much time to draw,
so I did this little three minute gesture sketch.


Again, some quick gesture sketches from snapshots of my current obsession.


Ok, ok, here's some relief from the cats.
I might even try a painting of this one some day!


It's been wonderfully crazy here with all of the kitten excitement,
so I quickly sketched these bird carvings that we have. 


The wren carving and the swan above,
were moved one quarter turn every two minutes.

I hope you are all having as fabulous of a summer as I am!!

Don't forget to write me
and keep your creative juices flowing!

Hugs,


Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Howdy Hoo from Cat Mom Do

Cheshire Kitten
 #1 - 5.5 x 7.5", watercolor on 140 lb. Arches, matted to 8 x 10"

Anybody who doesn't care for cats (if that is possible) can probably skip reading the next few posts. I'm currently catatonic over my kittens. I can't seem to be interested in anything else. So you can expect LOTS more drawings and paintings of little kitties here this summer. You have to do what you love, right?

This is Opie. OMG, he is precious and so photogenic!

"God made the cat in order that man might have the pleasure
of caressing the lion."  ~ Fernand Mery 


Ginger Kitten
#2 - 5.5 x 7.5", watercolor on Yupo paper, matted to 8 x 10"
Most cats want to turn away when the flash goes off, but not this little fur ball! Wow, did I luck out or what, with this adorable new model in the house!

"If we treated everyone we meet
with the same affection we bestow upon our favorite cat,
they, too, would purr."  ~ Martin Buxbaum 


This was done in my sketchbook on Sunday.
I just love this pose. Can you tell?

I've got big news happening here
with the kittens this weekend!

I'll be
"letting the cat out of the bag"
 with new kitty photos and more art on

As always, I love hearing from you!

Hugs and Purrs,


P.S. Which  do you like the best, so far, #1 or #2?

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Drawing Plants and Animals


Today's watercolor sketch is done from life. It is of part of a coleus plant that hangs from my studio porch and is done on 140 lb. Arches cold press paper.


Yesterday, Jerry brought me home some Queen Anne's Lace, so I did this quick watercolor study.


I love the Acacia trees that grow in Africa.


Here's another coloring page to print out.


And another line drawing where you could add your own background.


You could color this contour drawing if you want to print it out too!

I did the Spirit Bear line drawing from last week on Yupo paper in watercolor.


And of course, I can't forget my little flying jewels!

Here's an elephant figurine I have.  This is a watercolor drawing of it in my Sensational Sketches in Six Steps Technique.

I hope you are all having a great summer and are finding some time to create!

Wishing You Happiness and Inspiration, 


"Drawing is one of the best ways to meditate,
while staying connected to the world around us."
~ Elsha Leventis

As always, your feedback is most appreciated, thank-you.

Friday, July 6, 2012

Hummingbirds and a Bear - Free Coloring Pages

Hummingbird - 4 Ways - #1

5.5 x 7.5" - Colored Pencil on Yupo paper, matted to 8 x 10"
 SOLD

This was done with Prismacolor pencils on Yupo paper. I have never used pencil on Yupo before, but I liked working on the the super smooth surface which I thought yielded an interesting effect.

Last month's personal challenge doing the sunflowers and hydrangeas four different ways was fun and inspiring, so I thought I'd do the same thing with my hummingbird sketch. I recently took an online photography course with a man who talked about "failing with a purpose". When I go into a project with this in mind, it frees me up to discover new possibilities. All our pieces do NOT have to be keepers! I find that I learn the most from my failures. We have to allow ourselves that freedom and we don't have to show people everything we do! Doing the same composition in various approaches helps me to to play, experiment and go a little crazy.

Hummingbird - 4 Ways - #2

5.5 x 7.5" - Colored Pencil on Yupo paper, matted to 8 x 10"
SOLD 

This is Bruynweel design black Aquarel (water soluble) pencil on Yupo paper with water applied. I had never used it wet before and was pleased with the soft effect.

Hummingbird - 4 Ways - line drawing

This is the line drawing I used for my hummingbird - four - ways - challenge. I know a lot of people, (myself included) like to color. It's a very relaxing and satisfying pastime.  


Please feel free to print these out for your personal, a friend's, your children's or grandchildren's pleasure. Each line drawing fits nicely on a standard 8.5 x 11" sheet.


If you do print and color any of these, I'd be pleased to hear about it and would love to see a photo of the end result!


I'm still being inspired by the "Spirit Bear".


This is my first rough drawing of a barn/yard commission that I have taken on. The client wants a lot of components in the final painting, including a pond, outhouse and horses. This first draft was just to determine a general composition, size, layout and the relationships of the elements. I think I want to simplify the pond a bit so it doesn't detract from the center of interest (the barn). Also I was thinking it would be nice having the silhouette of a horse's head looking out from the open doors of the barn. Once I get the owner's feedback,  I will proceed with a final drawing (which will also be framed and be part of the final package) before proceeding to the painting. Upon approval of the final drawing, I will give the client a price. I am thinking the size will be 18" x 24" framed.



I spent most of the past week experiencing waves of tears and sadness over the loss of my studio kitty, Princess. I drew this battered old bear on Saturday which in my somewhat depressed state, I could really relate to.

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Thanks for reading! As always, your reactions, opinions and comments on my posts are most appreciated!!