WDE Self Portrait

I AM STILL A YOUNG AND VIBRANT WOMAN.


It's not bragging - it's just affirming...

watercolor and white sharpie poster pen on multimedia artboard 8x10.

EDM #75 - Mama Dee Pound Cake

Response to EDM Challenge #75 - in my large Moleskine sketchbook.

This is my maternal grandmother's (Mama Dee) recipe for pound cake. She's been making it as long as I can remember, and when I go down to Alabama, she still makes it for me. I've loved it since I was a child. Mama Dee is one of those special people who have had a great deal of influence in my life - more, probably, than I even know.

She grew up during the Great Depression, and still saves her aluminum foil and washes out the ziploc bags after she uses them. She worked her way through nursing school and still refuses to go to the doctor when she's ill. She sent her husband off to World War II and had my mom while he was away. She's outlived both of her parents, two brothers, a grandson and countless cousins and friends. She's been married to my grandfather (Papa Dee, of course) for 65 years and they still share a DOUBLE bed.

I lived with my grandparents for the first year I was in college, and one of my fondest memories is that Mama Dee hummed all the time - mostly old hymns, and usually while she was working in the garden or doing housework. She doesn't remember things like she used to, and she doesn't get out and about as much as she once did, but at 86 years old, she is still making pound cakes, and she's still humming. I hope she always does.

Can I Get A Witness?

Okay, I'll just go ahead and confess to having an angst-ridden morning - likely heavily influence by a 6 am wake-up, but here goes. I'm a stay-at-home-mom and part-time homeschooler (my kids go to school 3 days a week, we hs the other two), a wife, an artist, a musician, friend, blogger, etc. So, like most people I know, I wear many hats in my day. One of my least favorite hats is housekeeper. It's not that my house is DIRTY, it's just, well, lived in. The clothes get washed and folded, but they may sit on the recliner in my bedroom for a week until it is time to wash them again; the papers pile up on the end of my counter, or on the kitchen table until we can't eat there, and then I try to figure out what to do with them, etc.

Anyhow - I started thinking this morning about why it is that I feel so guilty about painting or drawing when I could be putting away clothes or filing paperwork, and I've come to two conclusions:

1. I don't value my artwork very highly. Somewhere, back in my past, someone either said or implied (either to me, or regarding someone else - I don't know...I'm just speculating here) that it was a waste of time or that it always had to be secondary to my real "job". Well, what if art is my "real" job? I haven't ever really considered it that, mainly because I haven't sold anything or shown in any real shows. But maybe that's because I don't consider it my real "job" either. What if I were to really get out there and take some risks and try to sell? I've tried a couple of shows, been rejected, and stopped. What if I were to spend 8 hours a day in my studio working out concepts and ideas and try some new things? What if I really spent some time investigating the market that my art might be saleable in? What if my kids brought me lunch while I was working, rather than...okay...that may be pushing it.

2. As a society we've placed a higher value on the idea of home as a perfect, spotless ideal than as a place to play and enjoy life and teach our children about art and nature and messy stuff. Just take a look at some of the shows on daytime television (which I don't watch now, but have in the past). There's one in particular that I won't mention by name, but the woman goes through her day sharing tips on the use of capers and garlic presses and the delight of folding a fitted sheet just the right way so that it fits in the linen cupboard just like a flat sheet. Whew -now that's living. oops. I mean - that's a great way to live. How many people out there are watching that and thinking, "gosh, my fitted sheets are all fluffy and rounded and I have to kind of jam them in between the hand towels and the crock pot because I don't even have a linen closet. I'm such a loser." STOP THE MADNESS!! A home that doesn't border on antiseptic cleanliness, but is full of laughter and glee, of silliness and puppet shows, of music and art is probably more healthy anyway. We need some germs to keep our antibodies up.

So, the moral of this story is...Diahn...either start placing more value on artwork than housework, or put away the paint and call yourself Mar...uh...oh, right - like that's going to happen...

(in my large Moleskine sketchbook)

Four Completely Unrelated Sketches

I hate to do that, but I was feeling the need to catch up, and I didn't want to do 4 separate posts! I know you will all bear with me! This week, D is at camp, so J and I are going to be wandering around aimlessly, wondering what do do with each other. Today we hit our local Jerry's Artarama (we can't go with D - it bores him tremendously) and then went on what could be the equivalent of a sketchcrawl with an almost 5-year old. When I get his copyright permission, I'll post his, too. So - this is my sketch from our date. We went to Cherokee Park in the beautiful Sequoyah Hills area and sat on a bench by the river/lake/whatever it is here. This house has always kind of intrigued me. It is HUGE, perched atop a bluff overlooking the river, and is just such a contradiction in style. It has a very contemporary, straight-line feel, with those Italianate arches and the Chinese pagoda-style roof. It's a multi-cultural house, I suppose. Anyway - as you can see, Tennessee is very GREEN in July...

This is a rather stylized sketch/illustration of Oscar, as he lounged on the floor next to the couch a couple of nights ago. I'm going to have to send him to the gym or something - he's developed a rather obvious paunch. I just loved the way he curled that one foot up and looked at me like "okay - explain to me again why that little dog can get on the couch and I can't???" It's a very touchy subject...

We went camping last weekend, to the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. Phew - long name - whatever happened to National PARK? Anyhow, these are some of the things we saw while we there. I was really fascinated by the bracing system for the low water bridge. I finally figured out that they used the railroad railing to prevent the boards from washing off when the water was up. And, did you know that Sassafrass tress have three different kinds of leaves? I didn't. Now I do. Isn't camping great??


Last but not least, before the camping trip, the boys and I met my mom in Fort Payne, Alabama and for a couple of days and hung out. We went over to Desoto State Park and Desoto Falls. The river was down, so the falls weren't as great as I have seen them, but it was still fun. I saw this little boathouse just above the falls and the water was so amazingly still that it was like a mirror underneath it - I had to try and capture it. I really struggle with perspective and so I am trying to work on it whenever I get a chance. The boathouse isn't terrible, but I still have alot of work to do. It was a beautiful and peaceful moment. I could have stayed all day.

(all sketches in the large Moleskine sketchbook)

D - Bedhead and All

We went camping over the weekend, to the Big South Fork River. We had a wonderful time in the woods, in spite of the ticks, and the fact that the fish weren't biting (that actually didn't bother me in the slightest). On Saturday, before we headed back to K-ville, we took a ride on the Big South Fork Scenic Railway. Everything was going fine and dandy, until we headed back up the canyon and the engine started overheating. We had to hang out in one of the mining ghost towns for a little over an hour while we waited on another engine to come and get us. So - there we sat, hot, sweaty - J took a snooze on me, so Dad and D got off the train and walked around a bit. In the end, the big engine that couldn't was replaced by the big engine that could and we made it back to the train depot. I snapped a picture of D relaxing in his seat, hair wild and mussed from the sleeping bag. I took one of J, too, but he was asleep and the view was straight up his nostrils, so I'll spare you all that one. I worked on this today while I should have been doing laundry. Sorry honey...

16x20, water soluble graphite on multi-media art board

EDM #72 and Inktense Palettes

Well, this place is definitely new to me. Here's the story...Monday evening a storm blew in. Just as I was putting the chicken under the broilder, the power went out. So - off we went in search of food. Now, we often pass the Golden Corral, but we've never eathen there. We had a bad experience in one of those buffet - steak places a few years back and honestly have joked about the GC. So, when Ron suggested it, I really thought he was joking. Then, when he turned into the parking lot, I realized he really intended to eat there! It was actually really good! Salad bar, fruit bar, entrees, desserts...I had the pot roast, which was tender and juicy and very tasty. Ron had a steak that was cooked exactly like he likes it, it was tender and flavorful and hot. The boys found plenty to eat - chicken, shrimp, brownies with fudge-y icing. What can I say? We'll definitely be going back. Oh - and Amee was a great server - our glasses were never empty and clean plates were always available.


Is it ever a bad thing when the delivery from Dick Blick comes? I don't think so! Well, thanks to Laura's inspiration, I just had to go and order some of those Inktense pencils (I went ahead and ordered the set of 24). I brought them upstairs and immediately tried them out in both the regular Moleskine sketchbook (top image) and the Moleskine watercolor book (bottom image). Wow. What great, intense colors! I love that they don't sink down into the sketchbook paper the way acrylic inks do, and because they activate with very little water usage, it doesn't appear that the paper repels them they way it does regular watercolors. Now to do something with them...

Red Lion

I took the reference picture for this drawing last fall at the Knoxville Zoo. The lioness was out sunning herself on a warm September day. I've loved the photo since I took it, and always wanted to do something with it, but until a few nights ago, never did. I can't tell you why I decided on stippling, except that I find it very restful and I love to watch form develop as more and more layers of dots are added. The red is, of course, because it is June and that's red month. Having scanned it, I see that the ear on the left doesn't look like it belongs on that cat, especially compared to the one on the right. So - I'll probably go fiddle with that...

5x8 pigma micron 01 and 05 in my Moleskine sketchbook.

Oh well - here's the rest...

I guess I just can put more that 4 images in a post in blogger... The two at the bottom are the images in the sketchbook, from left to right.

WDE 6.16.06 Moleskine WC sketches

Managed to set aside a couple of hours to play along with the All Media Art Event group over at Wet Canvas. I spent probably 2 hours total on these - just getting used to my new Moleskine watercolor journal. Each is about 2.5 x 3.5 inches, watercolor with colored pencil. There's actually one more, and a couple of images of how they look within the book - maybe I'll be able to get them posted in a minute...

Who's the Weenie, Now?

My neighbor's dog barks all day long. Sun-up to sun-down, intermittent barks emanate from under the deck of the house behind and to the left of us. I can't blame him. He's just probably saying "Hey - foolish humans - why would you pay good money for a pure-bred miniature dachshund puppy and then chain it up under the deck and never come out and play?" Oh...wait...maybe that's what I am trying to say. It really is a cute little pup and I don't understand the point of having it if you DON'T PLAN TO PLAY WITH IT!!!

Yesterday, I watched as the owner used her foot to shove him back down the stairs when he tried to follow her up on the deck.

I realize I'm a softie when it comes to dogs, but really - this dog is way too small to be a yard dog, and no dog deserves to be chained 24-7. Plus...the barking is really beginning to GET ON MY NERVES!

 

EDM #71 - Favorite Sport

Okay, I'm not sure baseball is my actual favorite sport, but it is in the top 5 and the one I've been most closely connected with for the last 2 years. This season was the first that both of my boys played Little League ball, and on the same team. (Derek played last year) They had a great set of coaches who really worked hard with them, encouraged them and challenged them to do their very best. They were the underdogs throughout the end of the year championship tournament - down 2 players who went on vacation - but they managed to make it all the way to the finals. They came in 2nd place, but I, for one am proud of every single one of them. They played their little hearts out.

I chose to draw Joshua's team trophy and tournament medal mainly because this was his first year to play, he was the youngest on the team, and he made a heap of progress during the season. During the final game, he was swinging with the determination and power of a seasoned pro! Derek had a fantastic game, as well - he tagged one of only 3 outs that our team was able to get during the game, and stopped a lot of balls from going into the grass. It is funny how it's always that last game that they show their potential...maybe we can keep up the enthusiasm during the summer so when fall ball starts, they won't have forgotten what they learned!

But, now it is on to another of our favorite sports - track. The rest of June will be taken up with Tuesday and Thursday night practices and Saturday track meets. We'll take July and part of August off and then back to the ballfield...and the boys say they want to play basketball in the winter...life with boys (and I don't even LIKE basketball!)

 

Mary's Sorrow

From Michelangelo's Pieta. Completely out of my league, but her face was so beautiful and sorrowful - how could anyone capture such emotion from such a hard, cold stone? He was a genius, obviously. Maybe someday I'll actually get to go to St. Peter's and view it in person.

Do you think anyone will care to see my work in 500 years? Jiminy Crickets - What a legacy...

acrylic on 18x24 archival watercolor board

 

Cutie Pie

This one comes from the weekend's drawing event over at WetCanvas! She's the granddaughter of the host, and what a cutie she was, too! I don't always know where I'm going when I start a drawing, and this one kind of took me by surprise! But, she had such a classic look, with that pouty, bow-shaped mouth, that she ended up in black and white. I colored her intensely blue eyes with indigo ink, but they turned out a bit dark for the scanner to handle.

This is 5x7 inches, Graphitint water soluble graphite and india ink on multimedia artboard.

 

Garden Sketching

The whole family worked all weekend to dig out some new flower beds in the front of the house. I sat down yesterday and sketched what we had planted.

The first image is in my 5x8 Moleskine sketchbook. I used a micron 05, water soluble crayons and water color.

The second image is also in my Moleskine sketchbook. micron 05 and colored pencils.

The third and fourth images are in my brand new Moleskine watercolor sketchbook. Pencil and watercolor.

Beach Blues

We spent a week down at the Gulf Coast in May. It was so relaxing, I couldn't draw. I did manage to sketch a few of the shells we picked up on the beach, and to do a impression of the view from the 19th floor (way, way too high...). And they are in blues, which qualifies for my May month catch-up!

 

Such a slacker...

After resolving to do a color per month - live and for everyone to read - I've not posted a color drawing in over a month (is it 2 months???) Let's backtrack...February was pink and went really well, March was orange and I LOVED it! April was green and a complete flop. I hated it. I don't have even one drawing to show from it - not that they were bad - I just couldn't even get one done. It did correspond with moving into our new house, and life got incredibly busy, but really, it was because I couldn't draw a thing in green.

So - on to May and blue - I actually did a few drawings, as you can see here, but I just never got around to posting them. They were all at the beginning of the month, though, pretty much - the end of the school year added in another set of time management problems for me and sent me into an artistic funk - I just couldn't get motivated to draw anything - even doubted that I could (as you can see in the middle image here - wow. an iron. woo hoo. At least I was doing something with it - all my clothes are wrinkled :).


So - now it is June and June is supposed to be red-hot red. Maybe I'll bounce back now - pink and orange are hot colors and I did pretty well with them. Red is the hottest of the hot - how can I go wrong?

 

In Memory of Pugs 4.1.86-5.28.06

After a long, long life, our dear Pugsley passed away on Sunday. Pugsley was a blue tabby that my husband got as a kitten, 20 long years ago. She never weighed more than 6 pounds, but never acted more than 6 years old, up until a couple of months or so ago.

She was buried in a brand new flower garden in the backyard, made especially for her, and surrounded by wildflower seeds and custom made stepping stones (by Derek and Joshua).

She will be especially missed as an always willing model and source of inspiration. Godspeed, Pugs - we'll miss you.