Friday, January 23, 2015

How to relax in 15 minutes

Keep watercolor crayons, a brush, water and a sketchbook handy...
Don't expect a certain outcome...
Relax and start coloring from the middle of the page out...
Add water...
paint right from the crayon...
Splatter a little...
after 15 minutes stop!
It always makes me feel better...
Everytime!
then later, when i have another 15 minutes,
 I go back and add white acrylic ink doodles to this type of mandala in my sketchbook...
It'll make you smile...

















Friday, January 16, 2015

Stuff i am loving on etsy....

Cause though the truth may vary,

This ship will carry

Our bodies safe to shore...

-of monsters and men


Not sure why i love that song so much or what power a tiny paper boat has over me but there is just something so magical about a folded paper boat. They can sail through dreams, and across oceans of uncertainty. I am sure Max sailed in one when he sailed back over a year, in and out of weeks and through a day, and into the night of his very own room. Nothing is better for sailing the high seas except possibly wynken, blynken and nod's wooden shoe......


Blue ocean Siren with aqua h...
$50

Origami Jewelry Silver Boat ...
$32

Woman in a boat sculp, c...
$111.52

Origami Earrings Boats Japan...
$14

Driftwood Boat Driftwood Sai...
$36

Paper Boat Garland, Dictiona...
$27.5

Paper Boat necklace
$14

Origami boat necklace 35x16m...
$16

My Paper Boat - Photo prin...
$20

Glass paper boat. Stained gl...
$50

Paper Boat Stud Earrings - O...
$3.99

12 Paper Boat Name Place Car...
$18.75

Black and White Photography ...
$25

Turquoise Bracelet - Art Jew...
$23.5

Tale of the high seas, Fine ...
$30

Mini Origami White Boats x 1...
$12
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In my sketchbook

I have been playing a bit with a regular black marker.... Drawing with it then wetting it with a paintbrush to blend it. I love the shades of gray i get with it. It is fun but it's the kind of thing i do just cuz i feel like it not because i planned to, or had a goal in mind. Next week i plan to get back to the Bee Queen's message. It's so close to being done i need to JUST. DO. IT.








Monday, January 12, 2015

been carving a few more birds, all three almost ready to sand.....

First I roughly sketch a bird shape on the side and the top view... and if I have someone with the right tools i saw the extra pieces off. If not I just start carving....
at that point it is very simple... you just carve away the edges, and take away what is not bird. As you go it is very easy to know which way to carve with the grain: one way gouges out too big of chunks and the other way lets you take little bits at a time. After a few cuts I had the hang of it. The only tools I really use so far of the ones I bought are the knives and these gloves. I started out without them and sliced my hand pretty good so now I always wear them!















Friday, January 9, 2015

Still painting

I received a comment asking me if i still paint and i was surprised. I thought, well, i have painted a ton lately, then i realized i haven't. It's been months actually. I have painted a bit, and have done some work in my sketchbooks but haven't actually painted a painting in quite some time. I have been busy on my work breaks reading and writing and making things and carving, and i have painted my carvings.....but very little painting of pictures.

And so today i painted.... But still not on canvas or paper. I painted on these....





Aren't they cool!
My mother (and her friend) made them for me and they have been sitting there blankly waiting while i pondered how i wanted them to look. In the end i hadn't actually made a decision... I just started. But i am very happy with the first one so far...     Yes, I know her eyes are crooked, my face is crooked, why shouldn't hers be?



Please excuse I am posting her in her underwear, a skirt and hair to come...
I can't actually picture how the rest will look yet but i think they need to have a story... Maybe they will all go on an adventure together in the woods behind my house. I can see them playing on a quilt in the snow for a winter picnic.

And just in case you have been paying attention and remember that my word of the year is "complete" and are thinking.... "She's starting something new instead of finishing her other books..." Well you are not completely right. I have had these long enough and thought about them enough that these are one of the things i have been wanting to complete this year. And i have plans for so many little books this year that i think these need to be one of them. I saw a website that actually printed tiny playing card sized books from your photos and i think these would be great for that. But, of course, now i can't remember which site i was on when i saw that. If anyone knows of one, ease let me know.

Happy paint party friday! Hope everyone's new year is going as planned!

Saturday, January 3, 2015

Walking stick

One of our hobbies started last year, along with my carving birds was originally to make walking sticks. The first one my husband and i worked together on. It was for my Dad for Christmas. I can show the photos now that we have given it to him. I carved the rattle snake, then my husband deepened it with a dremel tool. We stained it 4 colors and then i woodburned the scales and painted the eyes. my husband carved out a spot for two arrowheads at the top and we added a purchased leather pouch.











Since one of our goals is to hike weekly when the weather gets better, we have a few more to make for ourselves and our kids.