Saturday Morning Painting

I wish it were warm enough to sit outside, but I'm doing okay in here. Hope I don't run out of chatchkies any time soon. Is that how to spell "chatchkies?" I guess do, since auto-correct didn't change it!

Am I cut out to be an urban sketcher?

Over the past few months I have begun to sketch in earnest. Sometimes I think I am really improving, while other times, not so much. You can judge for yourself.

Scott's garden:

The pool at Moon Palace in Cancun:

The garden pyramid:

A trip with urban sketchers:

And dinner afterward at Toro:

A "still life" of glass:

My current palette...at least on THAT day:

More stuff on the counter:

And the sugar bowls...

And that's all, folks, as of 9.25.15. Actually not too bad, since the start of the school year was rough, and I've been working very long days and even nights.

Too long and a lot to share

Honestly, I completely forgot my decision to post my artwork on a regular basis. So, here are a few of this year's creations. First, I never posted the rest of my sketches from February...

All of these are from Mal Pais, CR, while we stayed at Casa Chameleon. Beautiful, relaxing spot. In July, however, we returned to Casa Azul. Scott joined me there for the first time. It was a wonderful and relaxing trip. 

That's the group from July 2015 trip back to Casa Azul in Santa Teresa.

At home in Mal Pais, Costa Rica

I have decided to make a serious attempt to sketch my memories instead of photographing. I am still using some photos, mostly to be sure I can complete he sketches, and to show off to family and friends who are back home with 5+ feet of snow while,Scott and I enjoy our piece of paradise. 

We are back at Casa Chameleon, where we stayed two years ago in February. It is as beautiful as ever, and it's great to be back to show Scott some of the beach areas and restaurants I have found over the last two summers when I have traveled here alone. 

In addition to Valentines Day and tonight at the restaurant with chef Pabro, we dined at Red Snapper last night. It was phenomenal as it was in my past visits: pil pil shrimp, gazpacho (that Caesar says is even better than his mother's) and Paella Negra, with squid ink and an amazing aioli...plus passion fruit mojitos to top it off. We will go back!

At the hotel, VD dinner was a variety of sushi, sashimi, and fusion dishes. Tonight catch of the day was shrimp, and the meat was a pork t-bone with cumin and cloves. Amazing octopus appetizer, crusty with ginger and cinnamon on the outside and tender in the inside, and passion fruit pie for dessert. Lapostelle Chardonnay, 2011, from Chile with both meals was a perfect match. Nice oak and toast, with just enough fruit to balance it off. Very Montrachet style.

Back to the sketching: my sketches are pigment ink line drawings with watercolor. I have been doing some reading on urban sketching. One requirement is posting. I've been doing pretty well so far (while sick), but this is my first one recently:

Ingot myself a 5x8 moleskine watercolor journal, and I am very excited about filling it up. Also a little nervous. More at stake in a bound journal than on single sheets. I am quite pleased with this rendition of he view from the villa. There will definitely be a sunset sketch at some point during the week. And who knows what else?

January 15-17 Final Works from pneumonia 2015

Completed this one the same day as the one of Alison. Not a bad rendition, but still issues with the background areas, and not enough white space.

This was my piece de resistance while I was home sick. I was finally happy with my ability to restrain myself from colorizing every part of the piece. I like the balance, with a few colors/places popping off the page. By George, I think I've got it!

Still at home sick, but painting again

Been at home for quite a few days now, but haven't even felt up to painting until today. Guess that's a good sign. Alison helped me out, though I'm not sure that she was too happy about it when she found out I was sketching her.

After she saw the completed work, she was a little more receptive to the idea.

Maybe Scott will be next...

Sick and at home brings out the artist in me.

From bed to couch, and couch to bed since January 1, with a brief stint on an Amtrak train traveling home from NYC with Al on January 2. The losest I've gotten to "outside" is the garage, and I've only gone there because the fridge is in there (long story for a other times). 

Eventually, I reached my fill of Rom-Com movies, and dredged up enough energy to do some artwork. I've decided too do a piece every day, and have begun in a moleskine journal really intended more for drawing tha for watercolor. I intended to focus on continuing to build colored pencil skills, especially disappointed to miss the first class of the new semester course at Danforth Art due to this stupid virus. However, I've been eloping the concept of urban sketching, so I've added some pen and ink sketch with watercolor as well. Here are my finished products to date, in order of completion:

January 8th

January 9th

January 10th

And today, January 11th

Let's see if I can keep it up. One thing is for sure, I can't wait to complete this journal so I can move to heavier paper! Love the new Schmincke paint pans...amazing color, and should be great for travel.