IF: Disguise

Just having a little fun with ink and pencils before this week's Illustration Friday topic changes.

My family volunteers at a farm regularly and one of our favorite animals to see are the peacocks, with their hens and chicks.  

Bali House

This is probably my favorite way to work- a light pencil sketch, loose watercolor, followed by a little ink line.  I've been looking at a lot of "over water bungalow" pictures and watching Treehouse Masters and thought this place would make a great artist's studio.  Can you see yourself being creative in there?

  

IF: Beginning

I have newly acquired zebra and society finches and they are so much fun to watch.  What a bunch of clowns!  Splashing about in a bowl of water.  Jumping and vaulting off the little swings.  Hiding in the cups.  This sketch for Illustration Friday is my way of showing the beginning of their stay at my house.  Hopefully I won't be finding any surprise eggs.

3x4" watercolor

Journaling

As I am new at this, I have no standard artist's journal entry style.  I am still experimenting.  This particular page was a record of the day, but as it would look on a clock.  Also still experimenting with my new pencils, adding a rainbow of colors seemed natural.  I like the way it turned out and should do it more often.  Then, at the end of the day when I can't figure out why I am so tired, I will have it all right there on the page!

Up and Away

I doodled this little picture in church this week, of Abraham climbing the mountain with Isaac, and decided to use it on a journal page.  I've been wanting to do some collage and play with cut paper, so using the first week theme from Journal52 I placed my figure on a mountain.  Add watercolor pencil... Up and Away!  I didn't really feel adequate at this exercise, but it was a place to start and make the white paper be gone.  And my kids enjoyed seeing me work on it.

IF: Searching for a Creator

Hand of God

This year I am inspired by Cathy Johnson and will be creating an artist's journal.  After I flipped through just a few pages of her book I couldn't wait to get started, so I pulled out an old art show guest book and started painting over those wonderful people's names.  (I had long since digitized the list but couldn't bring myself to throw the book away).  I tested out my new Derwent Inktense pencils and they were so brilliant!  I also added a little acrylic to some spots where I didn't want to see as much of the writing showing through.  

Daily creativity is still my goal for the year, though I won't be posting something every day.  Getting out into nature with the dogs is another regular activity.  I'll be searching for the answers to life's questions out there.   

Walk With Me

2014 Hike

A five hour hike to start the year off.  We've been wanting to do this trek with the kids for years and they finally made it. They were amazing!  I snapped a quick picture of my daughter on one of our rests and sketched it with watercolor pencils once we got home.  Next time I should bring the pencils with me and have more excuses to stop and rest!