Art Opening -

Tonight, I attended an opening for fellow POBL member, Michelle Waldele-Dick's first solo art show! (You can follow along on her painting ventures on her blog here).

A number of other POBL members were able to attend. Much lively art discussion abounded.

There were many lovely pieces, but this one is of the road in front of the cabin where we spend our annual fall retreats. Loved it, and have made it mine...

(Here's the POBLites who were able to attend this happy occasion).

Followed by a most delicious dinner at the Thai restaurant next door. What a terrific evening. Big congratulations Michelle.

Magical Moss -

On my drive home from the school yesterday, it was overcast, grey and drizzly. One stretch of the road is lined with bare, big-leaf maples.

This time of year, in this location, these trees are nearly completely covered in bright green moss. Moss and ferns growing from the trunks.

(These pictures can't begin to do them justice - taken with my tiny purse-camera, whilst driving, and through the windshield! :-)

The moss in the grey light nearly glowed green as the huge branches overhung the road.

I might have to go back with someone *else* driving, and my window down. :-)

School Visit -

Spent a lovely afternoon with Mrs. Olson's very enthusiastic 4th grade class at Stillwater Elementary today. They've been reading "Fablehaven" so besides the 'life of an illustrator' we talked about drawing fairies and fantastical nature-based creatures.

Started with a power-point presentation, and then looked at my website samples of such creatures.

Brought a stack of recent fairy books to show print samples (Oooos and Aaaahhhhs)

We talked about working methods and had a nice Q&A.

While they worked on their projects, I demonstrated painting in watercolor for those interested.

After signing many autographs for many appreciative students (who sent me home with a multi-signed thank you card, potted cyclamen and box of French truffles!), we called it a day.

What a nice group of kids.

Baba Yaga Sketch -

Here's my first stab at non-cutesy, non-sparkly, non-young-girl drawing in several years. Having fun with the individual elements - still nudging the composition before moving onto value and color.

Baba Yaga is an intriguing figure in Slavic mythology. One of my favorite versions of her is done by Ivan Bilibin. Mine differs significantly, but for some reason I have an unreasonable fondness for her.

February Blooming..

In the midst of February, I start *totally* craving flowers and growing things... It feels like ages since there has been any.

So imagine my delight when I noticed some tiny crocuses (croci?) peeking up out of the ground in the afternoon sunshine.

Now I know that some of you have hoards of snowdrops and oodles of crocuses yourselves, but this is the first this year in my yard. Made me wonder if anything else might be blooming.

I did discover some (hen-pecked) violas,

and some burgundy hellebores just on the brink of opening.
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Keep thinking springy thoughts! It may come yet.

Life Drawing -

Where has this week gone? Daughter on school break so there has been much eating out and seeing of movies (Push. Coraline - in 3D. Inkheart. All enjoyable distractions). It's also been sunny and warmish - so some yard work has happened.

I've also been trying to do some personal artwork (currently a fun-scary version of Baba Yaga. Will post sketches in a few days).

And I continue with the Life Drawing. Short poses this week. I'm pleased with how far I'm getting with the 20 minute poses. Many are still completely: Fail - but some are coming more easily... Hooray for small victories.

Happy Valentine's!

I know I'm late, but I am blogging from a hotel room in Spokane (daughter is playing in an All State concert early in the morning)-

This month has been an embarrassment of chocolate!

From my beautiful birthday cake a week or so ago -

AND - ADDED LATER - my sister sent me this yummy collection of 'dessert flavored' chocolates ("To share, or NOT to share") for my birthday also. (The picture was in a different folder and I forgot to add to my abundant chocolate list! So sorry Maren!)

-to my belated birthday/early Vday box of fancy-schmancy handmade chocolates from Sooz (aka The Laundry Faerie. Very wonderful. The caramels are the best! Thanks again Sooz.)

And my husband got me this huge box of gourmet lusciousness - handmade truffles from Posh Chocolat - which I discovered on a road trip to Missoula, Montana a few years ago. With insanely yummy flavors like 10-year old Balsamic Vinegar with Strawberries, Coconut Curry, and Garam Masala. Crazy sounding, I know, but I must tell you, I don't think I've ever tasted more delicious flavor combinations with chocolate.

And if tiny decorated cakes are more your cup of tea than truffles, you must be introduced to cupcake dog (this courtesy of Loldogs).
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But REALLY, you need to see this poor dog in context! You must go here. I insist.
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Have a great weekend.

Life Drawing

We've added a third week a month to the life drawing sessions I monitor. This additional week is for the Draped Figure (or costumed).

So today we did a series of short (20 minute) poses - focusing on drapery.

Our model was a hoot. Very lively. I think we all enjoyed her. (We have a nice group. We are averaging between 10-12 attendees per session. Lovely people).

Good session! Clothes were fun for a change.

Next week, however, back to the naked people. :-)

Comfort Food -

There is not much that I like better than chocolate chip cookies...

Well, unless it is homemade soup when it is chilly out - like it is in February. I love soup. I try to have some homemade soup on hand throughout the winter.

The content of this week's concoction was decided by me being terribly lazy and scrounging from what was at hand. The first ingredient being dried 'gourmet mushrooms' (they come in large containers from Costco. About a half dozen of 'gourmet' varieties.) Here they are reconstituted, looking yummy and ready to chop.

Sauteed some crushed garlic and a shallot in butter, then added the mushrooms. Thickened with a bit of flour and then added the juice of a lemon.

I had a pot of very savory home-made chicken stock heating up at the same time.

When it was near boiling I added a couple of well-beaten eggs (generally one uses just the yolk, but I have *lots* of eggs. And don't mind the entire egg included if thoroughly beaten.)

Added the mushrooms and spiked with a bit of red pepper and parsley. SO good.

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The only thing that can make this better is to eat with crusty bread (in this case, a Artisan's Rosemary Round. MmmmMmmmm....)

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So many kinds of soups, so few cold, wintry months... Well, maybe I take that back. There are more than enough wintry months, but thank goodness for comfort foods.

Weather!

After a week of some sun and balmy, springish weather (near 60 degrees!), it is snowing. Again.

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I know, I know, I have no room to gripe and complain considering the *weather* in so many other parts of the country and world, but..... really! This time with thunder, lightening and hail.

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When is it April? Or better yet, May?

Life Drawing -

A sampling of this past Friday's life drawing sketches. It'd been about three weeks since I'd put drawing implement to paper. Felt rusty.

But at least some of the fateful workshop of last month seems to have made a bit of an impact - this quickie portrait took about 20 minutes (a thing which I could not have even imagined a month ago. Yay for new techniques!)

Sunday Sketching -

After a fun life drawing session on Friday, I couldn't bring myself to draw the back of heads today... Instead I was thinking of one of my fairy nieces, and it just kind of evolved from there...

(-All weirdly proportioned since I started with a larger head in the upper corner of my page and didn't decide to put on the rest of the body until after I got going - and rather than cut off her left side, she just got short-armed and small-torso-d...)

I can't tell you the last time I just drew. For fun. With nothing in mind when starting....
And then this strange little thing happened as I thought of the other fairy niece. Maybe I've been unduly influenced by the Manga graphic novel I just read. Or maybe it was inspired by the hilarious looking trailer for the upcoming movie Planet 51 (the "Alien" dog just cracked me up). This is going on the 'must see' list.

(you can see a better resolution version at the official site here).

I may be coming out of my burn-out funk. :-)

Field trip - Part 5

*Last* installment of the field trip outing. I promise!

After our full-day-of-art-fun most of us spent the night in downtown Port Townsend in a thematic Victorian hotel. A couple of POBLites left early the following morning to visit a local silk painting artist's studio while the rest of us enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and then hit the cute downtown by foot. The main street sports a number of historical Victorian buildings and shops and runs parallel to the Puget Sound shoreline a few yards away. Lots of fun details -

-Such as a number of the buildings also sport vintage looking advertising painted over their brick or concrete block sides -

-and signage full of character -

-even fun, neo-steampunk street musicians. :-)

-as well as dozens of delightful places to eat (this deli features Port Townsend Chocolates! Big yum - chili-cinnamon fudge. Delectable delight!)

After our fill of walking, shopping and eating, we met back up with our POBL cohorts and headed down to the ferry across the 'Sound to home.

Ah.... Wonderful field trip!

Field trip - Part 5

Just some additional miscellaneous Good Things

about our art field trip day:

Really, what is more fun than sitting around a cozy living room full of artists and looking at books and talking All-Art-All-the-Time!? The visiting and questions and comparing of notes was certainly a highlight.
As is seeing all the accoutrements that an artist living artfully surrounds himself with. Even Richard Jesse Watson's sketchbooks were a thing of coolness and creativity.

As were his 3-D creations. I *loved* this approach to picture books. RJW says that he tries to always do something to 'prime' the current creation - be it spending time at the zoo doing life drawings of chimpanzees (as for "The Boy Who Went Ape" book - sketchbook seen above) or building a model of the rocket-sleigh his Santa drives in his version of "The Night Before Christmas". I love making three dimensional objects but when I'm under contract don't feel like I can justify the time. This approach makes it *part* of the project and therefore a perfect excuse! (I am happier when I am working in a variety of media, so yet another good strategy for avoiding burnout or stagnation).

Another fun detail of note were all of the light fixtures - most of which had been made over out of various found materials - pipes, car parts, colanders, etc... Personal touches at every turn.

And to top off our visit, we all got signed and personalized versions of the books of his that we purchased. (I must practice more so that I don't freeze up at the thought of drawing Sharpie pictures on the title pages of my books that someone has just paid good money for. :-)

And we ended our arty day at RJW's suggestion by going to a local gallery to see the art and listen to his friends, the artists, Cory and Catska Ench talk about their life, painting and collaborating. They were a charming and crazy-talented couple - who work successfully in a wide variety of art genres (and are musicians to boot).

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A day well spent, I say!