All but one...Done!

My part of the WetCanvas Postcard project is almost finished. I ran out of the postcard sized watercolor block I've been using, so I'll have to go make a Jerry's run before I can be completely done. I really like the format - 5x7 is a nice size to experiment with different things.

This card is based on a Moleskine sketch from a few days ago. Watercolor and Inktense pencils.

A lionfish from a photo I took at the Aquarium in Gatlinburg, TN. Watercolor.

Watercolor. Pig from a reference photo on this past weekend's WDE at WetCanvas. Poem is "The Pig" by Roald Dahl. What a twisted soul his was. But in a really good way, you understand...

Really strange cow. Not sure what all happened here. Watercolor and Inktense pencils, Ink, White Sharpie poster pen. What happens when good hatching goes bad. Really, really bad. But the nose is GREAT. (I say that with all awe and wonder - not pride...please don't get me wrong.)

A watercolor based on a photo I took of my niece, Anna Marie, at the beach. This looks nothing like her. It is BASED on a photo...

YAY!

My Moo cards have arrived - and they are way cool. They look great, they feel great...what a brilliant partnership Flickr has with them!

EDM #63 - Draw items from a nature walk.

I picked these up the other day while walking, and it occurred to me that they might be amongst the items in a challenge...and I was right! So - after many moons of missing out on challenges - here's one done...and in grid-fashion, to boot!

I also carved a new signature stamp out of speedball soft block and tried it out on this page. Whaddya think of it?

Happy Autumn, everyone!

Moleskine large sketchbook, Micron 01 black pen and Derwent Inktense (except on berries - W&N watercolors on that)

Moleskine Pachyderm

Another watercolor for the Weekend Drawing Event at WetCanvas! I'm off the hosting hook this week, but I still managed to squeeze one little painting in. This is in the large Moleskine watercolor sketchbook. Watercolors and micron pen.

I'm Hanging Out a Shingle

Finally, after years and years of expensive higher education, soul-searching, wandering on and off paths, and driving otherwise sane people completely bonkers with my angst and anxiety, I HAVE FINALLY FIGURED OUT WHAT I WANT TO BE WHEN I GROW UP!

Actually, what I have discovered is that it’s something I’ve been doing for a very long time, but I’ve never been paid for it, and now I’m going to have to develop a fee schedule. You see – most of my life, I’ve just thought I was a bossy, know-it-all, opinionated and rather dispassionate woman. What I’ve recently found out however, is that I am a natural-born LIFE-COACH!!

Have you been hearing this term more and more often, like I have? Every where I turn, I hear “life-coach,” “relationship-coach,” or “spirituality-coach.” First of all – there’s the “-coach” thing – but we’ll have to save that for another day. Right now, we need to cover the whole concept of a “life-coach.”

Apparently, our whole society has gotten so whacked out, that we need to pay people to be what our friends, family, and clergy used to be. Whatever happened to calling your parents when you had a major life decision to make? What about calling your life-long friend that has seen you through every heartbreak and triumph? Has anyone ever heard of calling your pastor (priest/rabbi) when you need some solid advice? No? Okay – well, it is time I stepped in.

As a public service, I’ll be stepping up and offering my services at a reduced rate for the month of October. For a very reasonable $400/hour, you can contact me and I’ll tell you what to do in any situation. Starting in November, the rate will be $650/hour, so act now! Just to gain some trust from the general public, here are a few freebies…

1. If your boyfriend treats you badly, cheats on you and lies around instead of working, DON’T MARRY HIM. You can’t change him, you’ll only make yourself miserable. There are plenty of nice men out there – raise your standards.
2. When your children won’t listen to you because they are too busy playing their video games or watching TV, take away the video games and the TV. You are the boss. They are not. You don’t have to be their best friend, just their parent. They don’t have to like you. Did you like your parents when you were their age? Were they right anyway? Use your head!
   
3. Give something to your community. There are a whole lot of people out there who have way less than you do. It doesn’t take much to make a whole lot of difference. Talk to people like they matter, regardless of their station in life. You’ll be amazed at how it changes your life.
   
4. Pray. A lot.
   
5. Call your mom, if she’s living. She knows more than you do.
   
   No kidding…you can trust me…I’m a Professional.
   

watercolor in large Moleskine watercolor sketchbook

Postcards from the Precipice

Well, I couldn't say, from the "edge," now could I? I don't want Carrie Fisher coming to kick me tail. I was watching "Return of the Jedi" yesterday with my Star Wars obsessed children, and was she buff in that movie, or what? I know it's been over 20 years since it was released, but she still kind of scares me.

That has absolutely nothing to do with these images, by the way. Sorry if you were trying to work out the connection. I signed up for a postcard exchange back in January, and I've fallen a bit behind, so I spent the day playing catch-up. I finished 6 (yes, count 'em - 6) postcards today. Each of these is 5x7 inches, watercolor on 140 lb cold press watercolor paper.

Watercolor Moleskine

The Weekly Drawing Event is in full swing over at WetCanvas, so go check it out, if you haven't already. Here's my offering so far - all done in the large Moleskine watercolor sketchbook.

Hosting Once Again

It's my turn to host the Weekly Drawing Event over at WetCanvas! This was so much fun back in March, and I'm looking forward to it again. Come by and check it out - choose an image and create some art. It's fun, it's inspirational, and best of all...it's FREE!! Click here to see the images I've chosen from my personal collection!

And if you are interested, here's how the whole thing works. You'll have to sign up at WetCanvas if you don't have an account - but it's a great place to be, and registration is free!

Field Trips Galore

Well, our family outing was like a field trip, right? The folks over at the EDM Yahoo group have been talking about sketching in grids alot. I've done that off and on since I began keeping a regular sketchbook, and find that it helps take away the fear of the blank page quite a bit. I thought I'd summarize the family field trip to the aquarium and the school field trip to the zoo with a couple of grids.

I think the cuttlefish was flipping me the bird.

black Pitt pen in Moleskine sketchbook

Family Adventures

One of the joys of home-schooling cooperatives is that you have complete control, two days a week, of your family's schedule. Occasionally, on a DH Friday off-day, we manage to take off on an adventure, just to see what we can find to do. Last Friday was one of those days. We left with no real destination in mind, and realizing that the impending monsoon was upon us, but decided it was worth it anyway. Our first destination was the airport, where DH spotted a B17 bomber (the flying fortress from WWII) sitting at one of the smaller carrier's hangars. We found out it cost $10 per family to view and tour, so we headed off to find an ATM and grab lunch. Unfortunately, the rains began and we unable to tour the plane up close. We ended up at the aquarium in Gatlinburg instead, and had a great time touring the exhibits. It seems that no matter how often we go, we find new and wonderful things to see! We watched 2 dive shows - one in the tropical reef tank and one in the shark and ray tank. D got to pet ray for the first time. J wasn't really sure about it.

After the aquarium, we headed up into the park and toured the Elkmont campground, where we'll be heading in a few weeks. We stopped at a stream and did some sketching - or at least I did - the boys ran off to throw rocks in the river pretty quickly. I spotted this plant and sketched on a page that had some hand made paper pre-glued on it. I don't know what the plant is - could be a weed, but I liked the shape of the leaves.

One of my dreams is that adventures like this will instill a love of learning in my boys far greater than any seatwork will ever do. There is, of course, value in sitting at a desk and learning in a classroom, but I know that I have personally learned far more while exploring my world and becoming curious about what I've seen, than I've ever learned in a book.

Black Pitt pen, watercolor and handmade paper in large Moleskine sketchbook

Back in the Saddle Again

Thanks to everyone who has commented publicly and privately about my latest lack of productivity. I appreciate your encouragement more than you know! I've been slow to work out of this funk, especially in the day to day sketching that I like to do, but I'm getting there. Here's a few things to fill in the gaps.

This is page in remembrance of my brother, Brian, who has been gone 17 years, now. It's so hard to imagine that it has been so long. I was just thinking of all the things I miss about him, and none of them are huge things - do you know what I mean? Treasure the little things about your loved ones, my friends. Store them up in your memory so you can draw on them when they are no longer around. No one, when remembering a dear loved one, ever remembers the things we spend all our time striving for and making our lives stressful and busy and crazy for. Nope - we remember smiles and stupid jokes, curly hair and standing with hands on hips. Store them up - treasure them and SLOW DOWN!! Hang up the phone and shut off the computer. Okay. I'm done with my soapbox, now...

The next page is after OVER a month of NOT slowing down (maybe I should start reading my own blog). I finally took the time, while lying in bed, to record some thoughts and images. I'm very whiny lately. Sheesh. I've not been this angst ridden since graduate school. Getting kids back in Kindergarten and First Grade must bring back some memories of my own very protracted schooling. I miss those days sometimes - not the angst part - but the excitement of a new semester. This sketch has nothing to do with that.

Have you all heard of Zentangles? Linda sent me the link a while back, and it made me giggle, 'cause all my high school notebooks were filled with things like it instead of Algebra or Biology notes. I had no idea I was so meditative or artistic, then. I felt the need to play around with one over the last few days and remembered why I enjoyed what I called "doodling" so much - it's a very right-brained activity, very relaxing and I never once thought about Algebra while I was doing it.

Okay - last one. This is from last weekend's WDE over at WetCanvas. I haven't participated in ages, and I'm hosting the last weekend of the month, so I felt like I should participate at least a couple of times before then. I did this one very quickly, trying to emulate sketching from life, and very loosely. It was a good warm-up exercise for me. I'm ready to re-enter the everyday, now, I think. Wish me luck.

For larger versions of any of these, click over to my Flickr account.

Drifting

I've not been around the blogosphere in a while, for reasons still unclear to me. I'm stymied and stuck; shackled and squabashed. In any case - I've taken a vacation, down to the beach - and spent an entire week free of the things that I'm required to do, and from the responsibilities that I gladly undertake each day in the role of wife and mother. I hope that the break has loosened some creative force heretofore unheard of in this household. Or, that I at least stored up some rest for the everyday stuff so I can stay up all night on the things I am driven to create.

I spent a long time on the phone yesterday with my dear friend. We don't get to talk often, and she lives about 700 miles away, but it seems that anytime I pick up the phone, we pick up where we left off the last time, even if it was months ago. Does everyone have a friend like that? I can't imagine that they do, but at the same time I would wish it for them. I've known her since I was 12 - way more years than I want to count, now, and we've been through just about every emotion and situation together. She's seen me at my best and at my worst (and vice versa) and she loves me anyway. That's how friendship should be, don't you think? Not the constant struggle to stay in the good graces of someone, and always wondering if you've done something to tick them off. Nope - it's being able to pick up a phone, any time of the day or night, and call someone, knowing the first thing they'll ask is "how are you?"

I don't know why I'm waxing all sentimental today - but take it for what it is. I hope you all have a friend like that, and that you are a friend like that. Mo - girl - I love ya. Go buy that Julia Cameron book - commence to writing - you're gifted, my dear friend! Always - Dino

Sunny Side Up

My sunflowers have sprung up!! We planted these back in May in our "Pugsley Flower Bed". They are HUGE and plentiful...if they make it through this thunderstorm, that is...For more sunflower fun, click on the photo and visit my Flickr site!

Four Things

P7210077
Originally uploaded by diahn.

I've been tagged by Cyndi...so here goes



A. Four jobs I have had in life:

1. Drugstore Clerk
2. Department Store Clerk
3. Secretary (really bad)
4. Geologist

B. Four movies I would watch over and over:

1. Because of Winn Dixie
2. Bull Durham
3. Grease
4. The Princess Bride

C. Four places I have lived:

1. San Bernardino, California
2. Guam
3. Plattsburgh, New York
4. Bossier City, Louisiana

D. Four television shows I love to watch:

1. Monk
2. Law and Order: Criminal Intent
3. Divine Design
4. Whose Line is it Anyway?

E. Four places I have been on vacation:

1. Hatteras, North Carolina
2. Phoenix, Arizona
3. Venice, Italy
4. Taos, New Mexico

F. Four web sites I visit daily:

1. WetCanvas
2. Bloglines
3. Google
4. Flickr

G. Four of my favorite foods:

1. Anything Mexican
2. Chocolate
3. Diet Coke
4. Anything Mexican

H. Four places I would rather be right now:

1. Hatteras, North Carolina
2. Venice, Italy
3. Northern New Mexico/Southern Colorado
4. Alberta, Canada

Now - I'm done. I'm not tagging anyone in particular. If you want to do this - feel free...

Bele Chere Festival, Asheville, North Carolina

Bele Chere Festival, Asheville, North Carolina
Originally uploaded by diahn.

Ron took me to the Bele Chere Festival last weekend. It was a surprise, and very welcomed! We spent most of the day Friday wandering around and looking at the booths, checking out the art both on the street and in the galleries, and people watching. People watching was probably the most fun part of it. We sat down at a local establishment next to one of the misting stations they had set up and really saw some interesting characters.

The beer vendor was one of my favorites - normal looking fellow - obviously a transplant from a northern US city - Gitcha Beah Heah was his cry - over and over and over again. If he had been from the southern US it would have sounded more like - Gitcher Bee-yer Hee-yer. Of course, at the prices (especially considering the brand), I can't imagine why anyone would have been buying from him.

We saw a lot of colorful hairstyles and clothing - and lack of clothing... The man we dubbed "Moss Man" was an enigma. If you click the photo, you can read all about him. Really not sure what that was all about.

The accordian player was precious - much more so than in my sketch. Click the pic and you can go over to my flickr site and see how cute she really was.

Saw a couple of notable artists - One was Larry Smith - had a real Van Gogh influence, Daniel Smith - check out Chickzilla, and then buy it for me for my birthday :-) and Jeremy Graves, to name a few. It was very inspiring.

I sketched the beer man and the Jackson building while I was there - the other two from my photos. I wanted to do everything from life, but dang, people move alot. Buidlings are much easier - even considering the perspective problems I have...

superfine Pitt pen and watercolor in Large Moleskine sketchbook

Good Times

P7210099
Originally uploaded by diahn.

I felt better on this day. J got water up his nose - he's not pickin'.

A Butterfly

P7210081
Originally uploaded by diahn.

I'm sick. I have strep throat. It hurts. I'm feeling very whiny. I have a canvas primed and ready for me and I can't get the energy to go do anything with it.

I took this picture a couple of weekends ago at the Tennessee Aquarium's Butterfly Garden. Hope it makes you feel better after all my whining...

Finally!!

After months of trying and failing, busy schedules and otherwise hectic lives, Linda and I managed another sketchcrawl of Knoxville. It was actually more photo-crawl than sketchcrawl, but that's good too! We found out one day when we were talking that both of us had been quite fascinated with a row of old warehouses downtown - most of which had broken windows and general shabby appearance - and so we decided to go and try to capture them on (digi) film Saturday. We might have sat and sketched them, but there were way too many warning signs about the fact that our presence was against company policy, etc., so we decided that it might be best to snap a few photos and move on.

Looking at the warehouses got us kind of stumped as to what kind of church was just behind them, so off we went to investigate. It was the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, and they were getting ready for a wedding. I managed to completely mangle the steeple of the church (what was I thinking - total perspective NIGHTMARE), while Linda sketched the other side of the warehouse row. It didn't look so bad from the other side.

While we were looking for a parking place, we ended up right in front of the Downtown Gallery, an extension of one of The University of Tennessee's Art Department galleries. They had an interesting exhibition called THRESHOLDS: Expressions of Art and Spiritual Life and so we spent a little time wandering through it. Some of the works, I just gotta say - I didn't get. Not a clue. A couple of them were magnificent, though, like the at least 6 foot long woodcut of Jonah and the Big Fish, and a huge acrylic and mixed media work called "Warring Unbelief" - I could have stood and looked at that one all day, just trying to sort out the symbolism. Cool. (If you go to the website link above, and roll your cursor over the images, it pops up in the central image - not that you can tell much, but...

Anyhow, we ended up at Starbuck's and finally got out the Moleskines. What is it about 'buck's that encourages such activity? I don't know - maybe they put something in the espresso...

A Day in Court

I spent the morning with some friends sitting in the General Sessions Division I court. Nope, I'm not in trouble, we were just there to support a young lady we know through a women's shelter here in K'ville. She's a 29-year old addict who has been on the streets for a while and is in the process of trying to turn her life around. She's been clean for about 2 months, and was in court today to face some possession charges and a failure to appear charge.

My friends and I know her through one of the outreach ministries of our church. We take dinner and activities to the shelter on the first and third Tuesdays of the month, so we can have a chance to talk with the ladies there, sit down and eat a meal together, play some games and have a little fun. It has really been a wonderful time - the ladies at the shelter have responded to us, we've made some friends, and unfortunately, we've seen a few leave and not make it through the program. Sometimes the call of the crack is a lot more appealing than the Hope of The Rock.

Anyhow - E had called to tell us she was going to court and to ask if someone could come and sit with her - I don't think she expected 7 of us to show up! We filled up an entire row. Mr. Steele, the court officer, shushed us pretty much immediately, and then, not being satisfied with our shushed-ness, reiterated his shush with a threat to remove us from the courtroom. We got the point. Kathleen, or as she is going to be known from now on -The Defiant One- received a phone call, and her phone was promptly confiscated. We were all a little fearful that she was going to resist and be arrested, but she finally complied. Maynelle was egging her on. Mr. Steele was pretty stern. He made a lady with a baby leave, because the baby kept cooing. I did manage to keep the Moleskine out without having it confiscated, but I guess that's 'cause it didn't make any noise.

The Honorable Judge Chuck Cerny was presiding. He was 45-ish, amiable but firm. Traffic violations were first on the docket, and it was interesting to see how adeptly he handled all the cases. He was very pleasant to all the defendants, heard their cases and promised to check up on all of them. He wasn't quite so kind in the arraignment docket, but he still seemed fairly congenial. That didn't stop him from sending E off to booking in handcuffs with the ever disagreeable Mr. Steele. That was mostly a formality, to make up for the earlier failure to appear. She was to be released on her own recognizance.

Just as a history and civics lesson, it was interesting. It was kind of like a microcosm of society in one large room. People from every walk of life were all on the same level playing field there. There was a guy facing possession charges who looked like he just parked his Beemer seated right next to a woman facing possession charges who looked like she hadn't eaten or bathed in a week. Hmmm...maybe WE aren't so different than THEM...no matter which side of it we are on.

Rufus Watercolor

Okay - I sprung for 4 tubes of Winsor and Newton Artists' Water Colour paint earlier this week - something I've been reluctant to do because I really don't know how to use them and the real stuff is kind of pricey. I've had some 140lb Arches cold press sitting around for a couple of months that I've put off using (Yes, Linda - the stuff I bought when we went to the Orangery and Jerry's). So - I finally decided to dive in and use it.

Meet Rufus. He lives on San Salvador, Bahamas, and was one of the subjects in this weekend's drawing event over at Wet Canvas. One look at his face and I knew he had to be painted! I mean - don't you just want to meet him?? Anyhow - when I left it last night (first picture) I was sure I had ruined him. Yikes. But this morning, I decided to see if I could salvage the painting. I was willing to break out the acrylics if nothing got any better.

Well - the second picture is my finish. You can see a full size one here - for some reason, blogger wasn't letting me add it! What do you think? I've got to say I'm pretty happy with it. There are some things I would do differently, now, but overall, I am satisfied that my first real watercolor portrait (I mean with multiple colors - not like the monochromatic last post) on real watercolor paper looks like a person, has semi-realistic flesh tones (that's rarely my goal) and the light you see in watercolor paintings is THERE!! Yippee!!

I wonder what would happen if I sprung for more colors?


8x11 watercolor on Arches 140lb coldpress

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