I have long been fascinated with all things tiny. I used to collect 1/12th scale miniatures and built structures to house them. Painting in miniature was something I had long admired. It was another challenge I wanted to tackle "eventually". I thought I'd never have the patience. Well, yesterday I was itching to paint something and found a reference photo by madmum on WetCanvas. So I dove in.


You know what though? I had so much fun! I'm definitely going to try this again soon. Preferably on an easel next time so my neck doesn't ache from hanging my head down for so long. ;)

Also, a big thank you to Susan and to Rena for their recent comments. I truly appreciate such encouraging comments that readers leave behind. Now, back to that big project I'm working on.

I love all this warm weather. It makes me eager to be outside, dragging my paints around and capturing whatever is out there. Before all that though, I was contenting myself with painting from photos. This one was courtesy of looseart2011 on flickr who kindly allowed me to paint from her gorgeous photo.

Okay, so it's only one orange and one banana. But still, along with the apple I sketched a few weeks back, it feels like a fruitful bounty to me. My watercolors are definitely getting a workout!

First up, a bit of citrus:


Next we have a...um...hmmm. You know, I'm not sure what family a banana belongs to! Regardless, here's the banana:


And just for fun, some process photos for the orange sketch:

I've been a busy bee, despite this blog being silent. I took a trip to see my father for a few months at the end of last year and saw some fantastic islands while I was away. But, that post is for another day.

Lately, I've had the urge to play with watercolors and it's been entirely too much fun! I got myself one of those Moleskine planners at the beginning of the year. Despite its thin pages, it handles watercolor well enough, only ghosting slightly on the back of the page. It does wrinkle, but I've gotten used to it and consider it part of the charm of working in this book.

Some paintings in the planner:

There are more, but that means I have to haul the scanner out again. Which I will - after I get a few more paintings done. It's so much fun to be surrounded in paint again!

Though my best-laid plans and intentions didn't come to pass this week, at least I had some time to sketch in between running around like a confused and terrified chicken. But, a little bit of art is far better than no art at all. Besides, it keeps me occupied. Every new sketch is a learning experience on the regular moleskine paper. I do think that this paper is trying to keep me on my toes.


Also, despite the fact that most of the time the washes don't bleed through on regular Moleskine paper, I sometimes get carried away with my washes. See how it bled through to the other side? You can see it in the middle of the "paper" on the examination table sketch. I normally try to sketch things I can do quickly while waiting, but sometimes they shove you in a room and then leave you there for a while. I was waiting long enough to get most of the exam table down. Funky lines courtesy of a shaky hand. And I didn't even have caffeine that day!

After the week that I had, it was so nice to open my mailbox and find it filled with surprises. I have to admit, I was feeling a little less than cheery over the past few weeks. Imagine my utter surprise at finding all these goodies in my mailbox! Rena's note made me smile, she had such nice things to say. I've missed her. My dear Lillalotta knows that a bit of chocolate can go a long way when it comes to cheering me up. That, and look at the handmade ribbons she sent! Just beautiful. And my sister, who knows how much I love bags, sent me one that I've been wanting for some time now in my favorite "lotus lullaby" pattern. It's perfect. My watercolor palettes fit into the front pockets as though it were made for that sole purpose.

Snail mail is few and far in between nowadays, so when I see something in the mail besides bills and junk mail, I just can't help but smile from ear to ear. So, I resolve to get back into letter writing and reconnecting with people. I know email is easier and more convenient, but there's just something special about getting something you can actually hold in your hands. It just seems more special.

To further cheer me up, my husband took me out to eat. He knows that food is key in lifting my spirits. It's my reward for going through something a little scary for me. Again, when I go out to eat, I have every intention of sketching something interesting. However, I'm usually ravenously hungry by the time we sit down and can only do quick sketches while waiting for our entrees. Sadly, the sizing on the moleskine got in the way of some of the washes.


All week I've been trying to paint. I think I'm not exactly a hundred percent back to my old self yet. If you've read this far, then you'll now know that I'm recovering from a small procedure which is why I haven't been painting. I'm feeling better now that it's all over. All your lovely comments and my unexpected packages helped boost my spirits. Thank you so much for that!

I'm also so thankful that my husband is always there for me. He's so solid and dependable, and so cheerful that it makes things a lot less scary. Also, he wouldn't let me escape from the waiting room - which is probably why I ended up getting the procedure anyway. But, trips to the bookstore make up for those incidents. Particularly since he found me an Amy Butler book on clearance! (I love you despite not letting me run off!)


The striped pass case was also in the clearance bin. To my delight, it fits my handmade watercolor sketchbook perfectly! Now it should be protected from little spills since I'm so fond of sketching on tabletops next to my beverage. The blank journal is by Jill Bliss and I just couldn't pass it up. Not with that subtle grid pattern in the background. Love it!


Let's hope that next week is back to normal for me. I have beginnings of things for Illustration Friday, but nothing done. It's frustrating, but I suppose these things happen from time to time.

Really, this is about taking new art supplies out for a spin. The victim (subject) just happens to be a pickle. Or perhaps a pickumber? Ted's Montana Grill sets these out as an appetizer and they taste not quite pickle-y with lingering hints of cucumber. Still good though.


I was looking around the table for something to sketch. There's always the salt shaker, and the sugar bowl looked interesting, but then we were served these pickle chips and what better way to test out a new watercolor kit than to try my hand at mixing greens? Yes, that was a learning experience. I'm not familiar with any of these colors. Then again, that's half the fun, isn't it? Trying to see just how you can get it to work?


The best thing about it is that everything in this kit is so small and lightweight. Everything fits in a small pouch. Of course if I could resist color then I could follow Jane's lead and just carry a pencil. Maybe I'll try that when I get over my current crush on watercolors.

Here we are, better late than never!


I love kites. It's one of those incredibly strong memories from childhood that stays with me. Where I grew up, the wind gets really strong and very large kites take off so high into the sky. Of course there are also kite fights, and the look of loss on the faces of the kids whose kite strings snapped was just heartbreaking. Do they even have kite fights here? Looking back, it seems pretty mean. Some kids would glue sharp objects to their kite string close to the kite so that when it dives towards the other kites, it could cut through the string.


It's been one of those weeks, low energy and all that. That's why it took me a while to get this illustration up. I was a little worried during the beginning of the week that I wasn't going to be able to finish this, but I had a really good day yesterday, so here we are!


Now, I wonder where can I get a GOOD kite? I wish I had payed more attention to how they made kites back home. There were no purchased kites over there. Everyone had to make their own. Which means, someone had to make one for poor little old me.

It's always a good day when I get to paint, sketch and write. Alright, so the painting part is old. I already had it on the page as you can see in one of my older posts. To make up for that and get some drawing practice in, I sketched one of my new plants, an anonymous semi-succulent that looks similar to a jade plant and was unlabeled at Home Depot. I couldn't resist bringing it home. It was in a tiny little pot that was probably no more than an inch and a half in diameter. It won a place under my plant light next to my also new orchid. I have this crazy idea of having a miniature garden someday.


Here is a closer look at the plant sketch that I did with just three colored pencils. I really should have sharpened them more often, but I was impatient and hungry. Or maybe it was my hunger that led to my impatience. Either way, I knew I should have been sharpening a lot more, Maybe I'll remember that next time! At the very least I'll try not to draw when I'm hungry.

Speaking of hungry, how about I leave you with a closer look at the fruit? The paper is a little wrinkled from me already monkeying with the other side of the page. But then again, a few wrinkles never really bother me. I can't resist adding washes despite knowing that the paper in this journal is really made for writing. Bah. That won't stop me from splashing away at it!

This little beauty came in the mail today, courtesy of my friend Brad. I am thrilled! Not only do I love the compact size (approximately 4 5/8" x 3 1/2" x 7/8"), but look at how much it holds if I take the plastic tray insert out! Even though it was meant to hold twelve colors, the Sakura Koi Pocket Field Sketch Box can actually accommodate twenty half pans and four whole pans! Well, if you're a little obsessive compulsive, you may not like how it doesn't lie extremely flat in there with all the pans snuggled up tight, but it's still impressive that this little box can hold so much. This is perfect for those times when you just don't feel like paring down your palette.


Oh, and I got a new waterbrush too. I finally have a flat to go with all my other rounds. I've needed a flat for a while now. So once again, thank you Brad! Also, for those of you who happen to be reading this, please do share if you have a favorite art toy (or sewing toy, or photography toy or whatever you consider to be a neat gadget for your creative endeavors). Like most people in the arts, I love hearing about supplies.

How I wish I could have been faster at getting this week's Illustration Friday up. My initial goal was to get it up by Tuesday at the very latest. That plan didn't work out so well. I had several concepts in mind but none of them were working. I need to be having fun when I paint. I tried going down the route of spooky and menacing. Nope, that didn't work. In the end, this one just felt right and was a blast to paint.

Some new challenges with this project - I was trying out new paper for this illustration. I sometimes work out my ideas on regular drawing paper, so going from that to good paper always takes a little getting used to. So far, I like this paper, though I shouldn't allow myself to get too attached. I don't think they make it anymore. Don't you hate that? Just when you find some art supply that you like, the company goes ahead and discontinues it? I'm still mourning the loss of Fabriano Ingres paper.


Today was so hot that I kept looking at my wash water, trying to resist the urge to pour it over my head to cool off. Also, I couldn't have my iced tea anywhere near where I was working. I'm almost out, and in this weather that tea is too precious to dunk my brush into accidentally. Thank goodness tomorrow should be cooler.

And here is what I was tempted to post while being lazy. An old painting with shadows already on it! It's been a long while since I've painted in oils.

I finally got back to my art journal this weekend and realized how much I've missed the dual act of making art and writing. Some of the paintings, like the one on the right page, have been there for a while. I work ahead at times and leave room for text. The cutout from a tea packet on the left-hand page was also there before I started all the other sketching and writing around it.

And since I've been enjoying small paintings so much, I found some time yesterday to hand bind a very small watercolor book to carry around with me. This is what happens when you happen to wake up at 5:30 in the morning and can't fall back asleep. Tiny books appear!

I had so many ideas for this week's Illustration Friday. But this one won out despite the new-to-me challenges of figuring out how to draw a raccoon (amongst other new-to-me things that I had to draw in this illustration). That's the point of all this though, isn't it? To challenge yourself. I think it's also because I've just been itching to go camping. There hasn't been a weekend lately that I haven't brought up this suggestion to my partner in crime. I'm fortunate that he's such an amiable guy. It allows him to tolerate my pestering ways.

My husband is about the best person you could go camping with. He's calm and capable. He has great paddling skills and the ability to make the best campfires out there. Not only that, but he's also good at cooking food over a fire. And unlike this illustration, he would never leave anything out for the raccoons to poke at overnight. Most of all, he knows how to cheer me up when my mood decides to go south.

Yes, actually I do realize how lucky I am to have him.

In trying to depict things that look realistic, I often forget the joy of just letting my imagination take over. Sometimes it's best to let the younger you back in to draw and paint patterns with abandon and plunk down outrageous colors. I wish I still had my first coloring book to look back upon. I had colored a huge elephant on a page with no regard for the implied boundaries of that black outline nor an apparent forethought for color. I chose whatever colorful crayon beckoned and laid down a few bold swatches of color. Sure, I had a patchwork elephant - but I was HAPPY. And really, the elephant looked happy too.

So yes, while I will always want to attempt the realism of miniature roses, there are also times when the little me just needs to come out and play. Not everything needs to be a masterpiece. The weirdly wild and wonderful can sometimes happen when you just let go of rules and preconceived notions. So there! I give myself permission to play. I have a whole school of fish that says I haven't forgotten how to.

I've always been intrigued by Illustration Friday. For a while now I'd browse the site having every intention of trying my hand at it. It took me until last Friday to finally just wrestle an idea out of my head and onto paper. I have to say it was fun and I'm actually pleased with my initial effort. This won't be the last you'll see of "Soaked." I think that poor little girl who forgot her poncho wormed her way into being in at least another painting.

This folding palette is currently my workhorse. It's been a busy bee lately! I'm working on a project that is new to me and will be done soon (hopefully by tomorrow). Along with all this colorful goodness, I've also had to replenish some of my favorite pens. I love them so much that several of them inconveniently ran out on me. Good thing someone had to return a pair of headphones to the store yesterday and that place wasn't all that far from the art store. Quite the coincidence, don't you think so? I came away with a few new ink pens and a couple of brush markers plus a nice big sheet of Fabriano Hot Press paper that I've been wanting to try out.

My husband claims that I always have some ulterior motive for wanting to go with him to do some errands. Well whatever does he mean by that? Just because we happened to eat at one of our favorite places and then pop on over to the art store doesn't mean it was all pre-planned. Right?

Everyone just nod your heads.

Thank you.

Her name is Opal. We got her nearly five years ago at a local shelter. My husband and I fell in love with her inquisitive nature and her blue-green eyes - hence her name. Gray all over, she gets a rusty "tan" all over her back starting in the spring when she endlessly hunts for the sunniest napping spots. If I'm painting or sketching, rest assured she will always appear. There is the curious inspection of my all my tools and the tentative sniffing of my sketchbooks before she settles down for a nap. Luckily, I either use a waterbrush or keep vigilant so that she doesn't end up lapping at my wash water. So far, so good.

It's nice having her around. Before her, I never imagined myself to be a cat lover. She's been such an amusing addition to our lives. So often she ends up being my model. Too bad it's always napping poses.