ink – Page 20 – Ink, Yarn & Beer

Inktober Has Begun – And I Am Late Already! (#1 Ring, #2 Mindless)

Inktober happens every year. A prompt, ink, and there you go. This year I am off to a late start, but did some quick sketches to catch up with myself.

I did this one as I drank coffee out on the patio, pondering what #1 Ring could be about. I thoughts of rings of friends and family, of those you love. I started out drawing hearts but just didn’t get anywhere with it. And, right in front of me, the rings of my tomato cages, piled up in a pot that has been harvested of its whatever. So, rings in the cages, and from there, the ring of life.

Yeah, this is a bit sick! But I have been watching “Grimm” on Amazon, and it is perfect for #2 Mindless. A mindless show, a mindless thing to do (binge-watching something so silly), and, I admit, a pleasant way to spend a bit of time when I don’t particularly feel motivated to be more than mindless.

See ya tomorrow! And hopefully, some progress with my “Abandoned” watercolor class, too.

Old Pine at Whalers’ Cove

Every now and again a place calls you, and you know that your life is changed by what you have seen and heard and smelled – a total sensory experience that nothing will ever equal. Returning to it may destroy the memory or add to it. Here, I think returning to the Point Lobos State Natural Reserve will only add to the experience.

We headed out to have a short 3-night vacation up in Monterey, California. We visited the Monterey Bay Aquarium, probably for our 4th time, as well as Point Lobos for the very first time. It is unparalleled. Tall pines, rugged coast, water, rocks and cliffs, pines and cypress, and history all combine to create a world into which it would be so easy to stay immersed in, never to return. The area of Monterey is stunning, with many beautiful and historical areas to be explored, such as Carmel, the city of Monterey itself, Pacific Grove. An abundance of parks and preserves are available to all.

I brought my art supplies with me, but couldn’t sit still. I had to keep exploring, along trails with rocks and roots and staircases, and easy paths lined with views of trees and meadows and plants not found in my neck of SoCal. In particular, the pines and cypress caught my attention, but so did the rocks and water and cliffs. I expect there will be a lot to draw from as I took a lot of pictures, most taken with care to composition and color.

Here is an old pine tree standing against the sky. It’s dying as it’s old, wooden branches attest, and yet it still bears needles and reaches to the sky. I fall in love with trees such as this – if they could just tell their tales! I used my home made iron gall ink with a very fine pen nib on Bee watercolor paper.

Garden Sketches

Mad Hatter chili and Young Lemon Grass Leaves on Rhodia Tablet

I’ve been rather busy of late – running here and there, sewing, hanging out with friends, and so on. As a result, I have not been able to sit down to paint for the past few days. Today I made the determined effort to do so, and am glad I did. Instead of working in the studio, I went outside onto my rather warm and sunny patio – 95F / 35C – and moved what I could into the shade of the canopy. A small table, a chair, some water and paints, my home made iron gall ink and my dip pen all accompanied me. Pandora and Donna Summer, too!

I pulled out a watercolor sketchbook, and immediately found that the paper has a sizing issue, as well as cannot handle water in any amount. Wah! However, for pen and a small amount of color, it will do. I also used a Rhodia tablet, very smooth and polished, and works very well with a sharp pen nib. The results are straight above – and captioned! It worked out quite nicely.

Watercolor sketchbook. Iron gall ink applied first, then watercolor paint. Milkweed in bloom.The watercolor sketchbook, as I said, was disappointing for wet work. However, for ink and color, it is not too bad. Here, I did the ink drawing first and then applied the color. The color rather overwhelmed the lines at time, so I went back and added more ink after the paint dried. In 95F weather, it dries pretty quickly.

A flowerpot with a dead sunflower (left), oregano in bloom (middle), and the stalk and leaves of milkweed plant. Color applied first, dried, and then iron gall ink drawing.This last picture was an afterthought. The first drawing found the color overwhelming the ink at times, so I decided to paint first, and then draw. Artistic experiment!

Anyway, the art bug has been temporarily allayed. More tomorrow I hope!

WWM #30: Wild Things

Today, when I was trying to figure out Wild Things for #WorldWatercolorMonth2019, I was really in a sourpuss mood. I had to cancel a photo shoot with a friend and was not happy about it. When you are tired and don’t feel well . . . you are absolutely crabby! Hermity. Crabby. Hermit crab. (How is that for subtle?)

I didn’t feel patient, and I didn’t feel capable of anything with a bit of subtlety. I needed containment. I wanted my shell. I wanted limits and boundaries. I wanted to feel safe. Lines are perfect for that! And as I have not done a line-and-wash watercolor for a month now, today I indulged.

And lets face it – hermit crabs are downright cute and fun with all their different colors and shells and homes. Seeing them always makes me laugh – don’t know why, but they are such a delight. And, as a result of this drawing, I, too, am in a much nicer mood!

World Watercolor Month 2019 – Days 7-12

World Watercolor Month 2019 continues, and amazingly, I have been able to keep up with the daily prompts, even with plumbers tearing out and fixing a leak, and just other life things that conspire to keep me from painting! Some paintings are quick and easy to do, but others may involve several hours, especially the ones in gouache. Some are easy to do in that ideas come to mind rather quickly, others more challenging. For instance, the 13th one is “Glassy” – glass? mirrors? reflections on glassy water? Those are the challenges – how to interpret the prompt. The interpretation can be literal or figurative.

Here are my interpretations for prompts 7 through 12.

WWM #7: Shiny Things – Reflections on the Ocean

WWM #8: Flying High – Migrating Monarchs

WWM #11: Simple Pleasure – The Natural World

WWM #12: Blossoming – Vine and Flower-Covered Buildings of Yore – All in Bloom!

Right now, most of my art supplies are hidden in shelves inside boxes! Funny how things just vanish. I am really frustrated in some ways, and rather amused in others. I still have to make a final choice in paint for the damaged wall, but that is easy enough. The real work is repairing the wall, putting in the drywall, mud, tape, sanding, taping, painting, painting, painting, moving back in . . . leaks are expensive, not just in money, but in time. Oh well!