This abstract drawing is inspired by the tufts of hair of my flokati rug. These days I like to make abstract, repetitive drawings while Cate takes mini naps during the day. This drawing was especially fun to make with my Noodler’s Flex Nib pen.
Congratulations to Endment who is the winner of my notecard giveaway. Please contact me with your information so I can mail off your prize. If I don’t hear from you by Friday, Jan 20, I will draw another name.
If you haven’t signed up for my free email newsletter Delicate Paperwork yet, it’s not too late. I’m sending off the first issue tomorrow. Click here to sign up.
I did some multitasking one evening, alternating between reading, listening to the TV and sketching Ruben (whenever he changed position). I felt so productive.
This is the first year that I can remember that I haven’t been stressed out over Christmas. I decided not to gift anyone artwork this year, and my family decided on a one present per person policy which really simplifies shopping. Now that my shopping is all done and I don’t feel “pressurized,” I actually haven’t minded the few times I’ve been out in the stores. I spent a couple of nice afternoons visiting Thornes Marketplace and Kringle Candle.
I’ve been posting to Pinterest for the past few months, whenever I find an interesting image that I want to save. Pinterest is a great site for finding online inspiration, and I love to browse through other people’s pins. If you use Pinterest, feel free to follow me, and leave a comment so I can follow you.
Above are some small sketches of Katie, and not very good ones at that, done over the course of a few days. Whenever I sketch Katie, or any animal, most of my sketches are no good and only a few really please me. It is such good practice and so much fun that I keep doing it though.
I seem to be having more and more ideas for new projects than ever, but less and less time to work on them. A few days ago I saw this article titled Balancing Parenthood and Your Art Career by Lori McNee, and I felt like “the universe” was reading my mind.
I’m trying to think of ways to do more work, or rather, to finish more work. I feel that I need to work faster, or at least in a less tedious manner. Interestingly, I’ve been feeling like this for a long time now, well before Cate came along.
I was always suspicious when I heard women say that childbirth was their most creative act. In my case, the only creativity involved was making some sketches from my hospital bed while waiting for the contractions to set in.
This is a quick sketch of Katie from a few weeks ago. Katie has become my best buddy these days. I’ve been trying to do as much sketching and painting as possible recently because my due date is fast approaching. I am getting nervous and really excited!
I’ve spent the last couple of days putting a lot of hours into the painting that I’m going to use as my Christmas card. I love sending out a Christmas card with my own artwork on it, but I’ve been procrastinating all year. When I found out about the sale that Moo is offering right now, I didn’t want to miss out. Through tomorrow, they are giving 15% off their holiday cards (with the code CARDSYAY), in addition to the 15% off sale that they are already running. I say this every year, but next year I am going to be more prepared for sure and get my artwork ready ahead of time! I’ll be posting my painting, along with some Work in Progress photos in an upcoming post.
Below is a really nice short film by and Danny Gregory and Tommy Kane that I enjoyed. I thought the music was especially fitting.
Sketching is such a nice “warm up” for the day. Whenever I sketch in the early mornings, I feel like the day is productive, no matter what I end up getting done. I sketched Katie the other day when she was still sleepy and feeling cuddly. In the mornings she loves to get pets and curl up on the couch like a fox.
Recent mental stress has left me in a creative rut, so I have nothing very interesting to post at the moment. What I have been doing is refilling my “creative reservoirs.” Here are some of the things that I have enjoyed recently.
Flipping through old sketchbooks:
Ernest Shepard’s original pen and ink drawings of Winnie-the-Pooh.
Browsing through the portfolio of illustrator Oliver Flores.
Some ten minute sketches of a belt that fell off a sweatshirt of mine. My Noodler’s pen and bulletproof black ink seem to work well in my Moleskine cahiers. The ink dries quickly without feathering or smudging and the pen slides over the surface of the paper.
I may actually find myself filling these books up with sketches! I am not a big fan of the paper in the Moleskine cahiers because it is so tissue thin that drawing on it is uncomfortable for me. It wrinkles easily and it is see through. It is only possible to draw on one side of the page because otherwise, the drawings on both sides will be spoiled.
I have been able to deal with this issue by cutting a piece of Bristol board to insert behind each page so that I can draw without ink bleeding through. I can also scan my drawings without seeing through the pages.
