If -- Resolution

Resolution -- making friends.

Happy New Year!

I'm finished...It's raining dogs and cats sketchbook project.

I'm happy to say I finished all my illustrations for the Sketchbook project!  YEAH!!!  Tomorrow I'll take the book to Kinko's and have the whole book copied in color.  Once that's done, it's off to the Sketchbook project in Brooklyn.  To say I'm relieved that it's done, is an understatement.  Now I just have to do my bio for the project online.  I'm glad I participated in the project.  Gave me a taste of working with a deadline.  Now I can get back to painting.

Here is the latest picture of Maddie.  Can't believe my baby is already 4 months old.

Would you believe rain drops of cats and dogs???

I wanted to have different texture pages in my sketchbook project, so this 2 page layout was done in colored pencil without using watercolor paper. 

My Mom's birthday

Today is my mother's birthday.  If she was still alive she'd be 85 years old.  A day doesn't go by that I don't think about her, but I know that she is in heaven and at peace...something that seemed to allude her on earth.  If I still lived in the SF bay area I would have gone to the cemetery to clean her head stone and bring her Xmas flowers.  When my sister comes on Saturday for Xmas, we'll have a celebration of my mom's memory.  "Happy Birthday Mom"

Raining ....dogs and cats

Dogs and cats watching it rain out side.

The sketchbook project

Today I got my new hand held scanner.  After being frustrated with the directions on how to use the scanner, I broke down and called customer service.  Within 5 minutes I had the thing working.  Now if the people who manufacture this scanner could write better instructions.  The scanner does pick up the true color on your paper, which is a plus.

More drawings for the Sketchbook project

The deadline is quickly approaching for the Sketchbook project.  I have 7 more drawings and I'm done.  I hope to be finished with all my drawings before Xmas.  Now all I have to do is scan my whole book.  Having to scan is a major production for me; my scanner is on the floor under my desk..it's so time consuming that I ordered today a hand held scanner that runs on batteries and doesn't need to be hooked up to a computer to scan.  The scanner that ordered is a VuPoint Magic Wand.  This will be an early Xmas present to me!  Once the documents have been scanned I just have to take out the memory stick and plug into my computer.

Coming up with ideas for "It's raining cats and dogs" was a challenge.   All of my drawings were completed with watercolors and markers in a whimsical "children's art" format.

IF -- Mail

Guess who's getting Mail...my little Maddie!!

Tags for xmas

Several weeks ago I went to a make-take demo on making holiday tags.  With this tag I used card board from a box, exposing the ridges inside the box layers.   Added  letters, embossed background paper, and ornaments to finish the tag.  I came home and have made a dozen or so tags.

Christmas 6 x 6 mini book

This past weekend I took a class at the local scrapbook store.  I made this really cute Christmas mini book that is packed with layers on layers of embellishments.  What made it so nice was all the planning was done by the teacher.  All I had to do was follow  her detailed photo instructions.  This mini book was very labor intensive.

Front Cover



Inside pages...layered with paper,tags, ribbon, buttons





Back Cover



Holiday cards

When I'm not busy painting, you can find me taking classes at a local scrapbook store.  These are the cards that I made from a recent class.  All the cards used sizzix embossing envelopes to add texture to the background.

Desktop Calendar for December

I've been seeing a lot on various blogs, artist making desktop calendar for anyone to download.  I think it's a great idea, so I made this calendar with a xmas picture of the original "Just Crazy About Dogs" photo.

So please feel free to download and use.  Just right click on the calendar to make it bigger and print.

It's already December????

I can't believe it's already December...Where has the time gone??  I thought I'd share a new picture of my puppy Maddie who is 14 weeks old.  She's decided that Pink is her color and has a wardrobe with many Pink dresses,sweaters, and even a Pink raincoat.  Maddie has discovered her squeaky voice and now barks whenever she wants attention.  My other dogs think she's a toy and tend to play rough with her, but you know what?...Maddie is really the trouble maker.  Out of all the puppies I've had, Maddie has been easy to potty train.  Maddie knows her name when called, understands words like outside,NO,cookie, and let's eat...all the essential words a dog needs to know.  I'm rather thankful and happy that she has come to live with us and enrich our lives with her cuteness.

Maddie Welcome my new addition to the family

Here is my new bundle of joy  "Maddie".  I finally got to bring her home last week.  She is a chocolate Shih Tzu puppy.  Maddie is a smart little dog.  The breeder I got her from had already taught her how to go outside to potty or use wee wee pads to use inside the house for when she can't make it outside quick enough.  You can't see in the photo, but Maddie has green eyes.  My other dogs are slowly adjusting to her.  My poor Sophie who has been my spoiled baby for the last 5 years is probably having the hardest time adjusting to a new dog in the house.  So I've been loving her up and getting her extra treats and lots of TLC.

This and that....

I try to create art everyday.  Some days are better than others.  I know what I'm good at, which is watercolors, but I like to challenge myself and learn new techniques, which can cause me to get side-tracked for a  bit.  My latest interest has been doodling.  Who'd think that there is a whole new world out there of doodling called Zentangle. I recently started an online Zentangle class which is being taught on a yahoo group called Artist of the round table.   So I've been spending a lot of time doing Zentangles.  With Zentangles you can even take your drawing to the next level by adding color.  I've even come across quite a few utube videos on the subject.

The kat of hearts

  More for the sketchbook project...

The dog of hearts

 I've been down with walking pneumonia, so creating art at the moment has not been a priority.  I need to get back to doing my drawings for my sketchbook project  "It's raining dogs and cats."   This is my take on the subject.

Eye glass umbrella

It's always nice to see where you're going when it rains.

This is what rain looks like???

Rain drops can come in many different varieties!!!!!

Ducks even question things about the rain

It's been fun trying to think of illustrations for The sketchbook project...everything doesn't have to be just about cats and dogs!

Picasso Dogs

How about cats raining on dogs???

Picasso Cat

Have you ever heard of dogs actually raining on cats????

The sketchbook project --Even dogs can use a umbrella

Here is my first entry in my sketchbook.  Even dogs can use a umbrella when it rains!!

Bella

Last night I came home from a rather long weekend in Canada, attending the memorial for my father-in-law that died last year.   My beloved "Bella" had passed away in her sleep yesterday afternoon...Bella was 11 years old.  She wasn't my first Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, but she was my most faithful and obedient dog that I've ever had.  She would follow me all over the house and was my constant companion.  Bella had a stage 5.5 heart murmur and her death was not unexpected.  She had been living on borrowed time for the past year and a half, but this last week her symptoms seemed to increase.  My sister Linda was kind enough to come and dog/house sit while we were away. 

Bella is the reason that lead me back to drawing and painting.  It was because of her beauty, that I knew I wanted to capture her on canvas.  She will be missed, but she is now in heaven with her sisters Chloe and Maggie finally at peace.

Sketchbook Project......It's raining dogs and cats

I decided to join the Sketchbook Project -- 2011.  I received my sketchbook while I was on vacation, so I'm rather excited to start.  The theme I choose was, It's raining dogs and cats.   The sketchbook is a plain moleskin (5.5 x 8.5) with a red-wine cover.   The project is open to interpretation...meaning I can use any medium, change the paper inside the sketchbook, or add paper to the sketchbook as long as I leave the bar code on the back cover.  Since the paper is so thin and really doesn't take wet medium, I decided to pre-cut 140lb watercolor 4.75 x 8.25.

Front over

Welcome page

Back cover with bar code and my official library card.

Picasso Dogs

I've been playing catch up on my two online classes that I'm taking. Today I worked on Picasso Dogs from the Drawing Lab book by Carla Sonheim. I really got into doing theses dogs. Carla's book really speaks to me on so many levels. I've been trying new techniques that I would of never thought to do.

Basically you start with an eye, then you turn your paper 90 degrees and draw another eye, but bigger. Next turn the paper 90 degrees and draw a nose. Turn paper 90 degrees and draw a tail. Finally connect the elements together and you have yourself a funky dog!.

IF-- Double

Sometimes it's nice to see double....

Blue, Red, and Yellow

Another exercise from Drawing Lab. Basically painting random colors using blue, red, and yellow. After the watercolor paint has dried, studying the canvas to see if I could pick out an image. In this case I saw an elephant. I then went back in and attempted to add some values. Fun exercise.

IF -- Breakfast

Suzie starts off her mornings with a nice cup of coco and a stack of pancakes!

Cavalier in acrylic

I've been taking an online Drawing Lab class and this was a painting that I did using 5 x 7 canvas. I first applied Golden molding paste which I mixed up with blue acrylic paint allowing it to dry overnight. Then I did a line drawing of my Cavalier King Charles Spaniel face over the blue surface. Next I started with the eyes and just worked my way around the face. The nice thing about using acrylic paint is that it dries fast, so I didn't have a lot of down time.

Narcissus

This Narcissus was all white, with hints of yellow. Trying to save the white, but giving the buds depth was a little tricky. I used my Copic and Tombow markers.

Poppy -- Orientale

This drawing was done using my Copic and Tombow markers. I love the way I can blend with just a water brush, giving the effect of a watercolor painting.

Magnolia

I've really been enjoying playing with my Copic and Tombow markers. This is another example of what one can do with markers. I used paper designed for markers, but watercolor paper works too.