Art Every Day Month Day is Underway!

Hello, November 2013, created in Sketches for iPad

November is finally here, which means Art Every Day Month is in full swing!  Yippeeee!

I am so excited to see what everyone is up to these days!  Last year I made so many new connections through AEDM and at the end of the month I was full to the brim with inspiration and encouragement.

Besides this cutie patootie little hello doodle, I thought I'd share a few images of my inspiration board as it currently looks.  The board hangs next to my worktable and is constantly evolving.

There are lots of flowers (fresh as well as photographed) in my studio these days.  You will, no doubt, see some watercolor sketches of these in the coming weeks.  Flowers are my favorite subjects lately.

I also have lots of little trinkets on my board...mostly gifts that remind me of the sweet friends who gave them to me.

And always, always, there are quotes here on this board of mine.  Here's one of my favorites:

Thanks so much for stopping by.  I'll be making the rounds later this evening and can't wait to see what you have to share!  Happy creating and happy AEDM!

Linking up today with:

Art Every Day Month

She Doth Have Wings

Today would have been my little sister's fourty-sixth birthday.  We always thought it was so much fun that her birthday was on Halloween.  It was like the whole neighborhood took to the streets to celebrate her special day!  

Since Jill has been on my mind this week I created a digital sketch in her honor.  I chose a photograph I took during our recent visit to Baltimore and imported it into Sketches for iPad so I could work on top of it.

I knew right away I wanted to exchange the wire for a cluster of daisies.  They were Jill's favorite and I could just see that little bird perched on top of one.

As I tried to decide how to pull it all together, the absolute perfect quote came to mind:

Be like a bird who, resting from her flight awhile on boughs too slight, 

feels them give way beneath her and yet sings, knowing she doth have wings.

Victor Hugo

I am so grateful that for the fourty-five years I had with my little sister.  We had our share of sibling rivalry and arguments but we also had an abundance of love in our relationship and I believe experiencing that degree of closeness early on has made all the difference in my life.  She broke through the barriers of my heart before they even had a chance to form and paved the way for me to allow other close relationships into my life.

So today I celebrate Jill's life...the joy she shared and the example she set in how to live courageously.  Won't you celebrate with me?  Celebrate by taking the time to give thanks for the people who love you and who you love.  Celebrate by taking time to notice and honor the beauty around you as Jill did daily.  Celebrate by moving forward in faith, just like the little bird who realizes that a shaky bough is no threat when you have wings to keep you aloft.

Thanks for stopping by and sharing this special day with me.  Bless you, my friends.

Bloomin' Mums

Sharing a doodle for Sunday Sketches today, created in Sketches by Tayasui.  We travel a lot to high school football games and marching band competitions this time of year so it's nice to have a little art studio contained in my iPad.

Bloomin' Mums, October 2013, Created in Sketches for iPad

These are chrysanthemums ("mums" for short) and are great fall flower in our area.  My doodles of them are a lot like little mandalas so it was fun and relaxing to create.  The Sketches app has some fun textures to play with, as you can see in the background.

Mums come in all sorts of lovely colors and they bloom prolifically.

Bees like them, too!

As I said, we've been busy with my son's marching season in band.  His band is huge and they perform mililtary style marching, which requires a lot of discipline and teamwork.  I am in awe of what band directors can get 200+ teenagers to do in unison!

I'm still trying to figure out how to post a short video, so in the meantime here's a photo of a portion of the band.  (This is about one quarter of the band.)

I've finally discovered Instagram and have a some fun the last few days playing with the filters they offer.  I'm really not looking for yet another thing to complicate my life, but Instagram is so simple it actually makes posting pictures easier.  The above image was put through the Amaro filter.  I like the effect.  

To add the writing I imported the photo into Sketches and used the pencil tool on a second layer.  Working on a separate layer allowed me to play with color/pencil thickness, erasing easily until I found something I liked.  Ahhh...so much fun to be had with these apps and so little time!

I hope you are enjoying a restful weekend.  We're done with the busy part here...today we play!

Linking today with:

Sunday Sketches

Rest + Connection

My Monday morning jewelry projects are lined up and ready to go in the studio but they'll have to keep.  Today is Sunday, time for rest..

Sunday = rest + connection to God and each other

My day started with an early morning walk with this big guy.

The air was was misty and the shadows were "long".  (They get that way in the fall.)

Even old fence posts are lovely in this light.

and weeds become magical.

It was a little cool out for this girl so photos I took of the fence line across the street served as reference for today's Sunday Sketch.  

First a little pen and ink,

then a splash of color just for fun.   Voila!

Fence Line, October 2013

I'm a little late posting for Sunday Sketches, but better late than never!  Now I'm off to spend a little quality time with the huz.    

I've fallen a bit behind in visiting my blogging friends.  This week promises to be more manageable so hopefully I'll get caught up in the next few days.  I can't wait to see what you've all been up to.  Have a great week, my friends! 

Linking up today with:

Sunday Sketches

And Then Some

Our days in Baltimore last week were amazing, to say the least.  When I posted last Saturday I was just about to meet up with my dear friend, Anne, who I had not seen in over twenty years.  You can imagine how excited I was and, weirdly, I was even a little nervous.  Nervous?  How crazy is that?

I don't know what I would have done without this girl in high school.  Doesn't she have the prettiest smile in the whole world?

Here we are thirty years ago (that's a number I simply cannot wrap my mind around).

 

What a sweet, sweet reunion we had!  We reminisced and laughed and shared about our lives now and our dreams for the future.  I would have been happy just to sit and talk with her for days.  Our lives are worlds apart now, but the bond of friendship that was formed so long ago is strong.  Our visit was rich and satisfying...such a treat!

Icing on the Cupcake, October 2013 

Last weekend was proof to me that friendship is worth the investment.  A true friend is always a friend, no matter how much time passes or how many different directions life takes the two of you.  If the connection is real, it's forever (and then some).  My heart smiles at the thought of it.

Have a happy Sunday.  I hope you get to connect with a friend or two today!

Linking up today with:

Sunday Sketches

Baltimore Getaway

We head home tomorrow after a much-appreciated 4-day working getaway to Baltimore, Maryland.  (Work for the huz, getaway for me...sad, I know.)  Here's the obligatory selfie.

This is my first visit to Baltimore and I've really had fun exploring, photographing, and sketching the inner harber area of town.   

For the trip I splurged on a new travel set of Koi watercolors.  It contains 24 half-pans, so the whole set measures only 4 X 6".  I bought a little booklet of Fluid 140 lb. Cold Press paper to go with it so the whole set-up slips intp a purse or jacket pocket and I'm good to go!

 

The historic boats docked in the harbor are great fun to explore.  My favorite, the USS Constellation, was the last sail-only service ship designed and built by the US Navy.  Isn't it just gorgeous?  I wish I had remembered to take a few photos while I was actually on the ship!

I sketched a few smaller sailboats yeserday and it was even more of a challenge than I anticipated.  The constant motion of the boats meant I had to draw quickly...no time for too many details. 

The sketching part is coming easier these days but it's still a bit of work for me.  When it's time to add color, though, I am one happy girl.  That's when I really let go and get lost in the process.  I love the subtle nuances of color...the way different colors of light bouce around and affect the appearance of everything around them. 

 

The sailboat above was painted very early in the morning when the sky was still pink and it's reflection made the water appear pink as well.  A little later in the day I drew this small grouping in an area where shade produced lots of cool greys hues and little contrast, a very different feel.

 

Painting a scene is such a personal way to enjoy the beauty around you.

Today I'm meeting up with a dear friend that I hadn't seen in over 20 years.  She and her hubby have traveled here from Connecticut for the weekend and I am beside myself with excitement about getting to see them!  Can't wait to tell you about it in my next post!

Enjoy your weekend !

Linking up today with:

Sunday Sketches

A New Rhythm

Sadly I didn't get to post for Sunday Sketches yesterday but I still hope to visit the participants sometime in the next few days.  I am excited to link-up to Creative Every Day today, though.  It's been a while since I last participated there and I've really missed it.  So if you're here from CED, welcome!

For the past several weeks much of my creative energy has been directed toward a large wholesale jewelry order.  It is good to have work but, as the following images prove, silversmithing is hard on my fingers and nails.

In the fall I often turn toward the ease of pattern and the comfort of fiber, usually in the form of a knitting or crochet project.  But this year my unfinished knitting projects remain neglected as I file, hammer, and polish my way through this jewelry order.

As we head into shorter, cooler days, instead of finding my rhythm in repeated stitches I find it in the repeated motion of stamping lovely words

fabricating beautiful forms

and bending graceful curves

and I have to admit, there is a huge sense of satisfaction as I step back and consider the fruits of my labor.*

Do you feel the rhythm of your life change as the seasons do?  As the weather cools (or warms) do you feel drawn to certain types of projects?  I'd love to hear about it!

Linking today with:

Creative Everyday

*The pieces featured in today's post were created for Mercy Ships International and I'm excited to announce that more of my designs will be offered through their website and gift catalog beginning next month!  (Visit their online store to see these and other current offerings.)