CED- $1 Wallpaper and me

So I like to go to Renovation Station and buy cheap wallpaper. It is only $1. Renovation Station is run by Habitat for Humanity. Homeowners can donate unused and used items which they sell at a very low price to raise money. This is what I can do with it.

I covered my sketchbooks to make them look uniform and beautiful. I will add the year on the side. I just haven't created my stickers yet. Now when I sit them back on my self they will be pleasing to the eye.

I also use it to cover Christmas presents because I really hate cheap gift wrapping paper. Wallpaper is so durable that it doesn't rip around the corners.

I know there are so many more uses. What do you use it for?

IF: Dusty - Diva in Dust Gear

The word for Illustration Friday is dusty. Sometimes I find these words quite hard to suit my type of art since my genre is mostly faces of woman. So this is what I did. I've never been in or seen a dust or sand storm but I hear they are quite awful. My husband was in Saudi Arabia during Desert Storm so I've heard his stories of sand storms. So can a sand storm make you dusty or do you only get dusty from dirt?

Art Inspiration

I recieved my book of art by Elizabeth Peyton. I wanted to sit down and enjoy it, so I waited to open it after dinner when everyone went to do homework and my husband went to Bible College. It was very difficult but I waited until 7pm. The living room was quiet. I fixed a cup of coffee and dived in. It was worth the wait.

Also check this out - A stairwell of art. If you live in ATL you probably know where I'm at. It's the Ralph Lauren Store. The art is so inspiring who needs to look at the clothes.

CED - Just Draw

So when you don't have time or not feeling creative just draw! Time is limited so I sketched pictures from my iphone with a gel pen. I didn't worry about errors, which there are many. By not worrying about mistakes it helps me become free. The pictures are of my daughters and me.

IF: Chicken - Dinner is served

My submission for Illustration Friday's word of the week "chicken." I wanted to depict one of my favorite chicken stories about how my parents took us down south to visit our grandparents for the summer. We were northern city kids and not use to a farm and farm food. The first time we saw our grandmother ring the chickens neck we were horrified. The chicken was running around with no head. "Chicken comes from the grocery store was our reply when we saw fried chicken at the dinner table." My sisters and I refuse to eat. Well after a couple of weeks you really start to get hungry and knowing that your parents would not be back until summer break is over you decide to eat it.

Well that was a lot to depict so I decided to do this chicken serving dinner.

Asked to Danced

"Asked to Dance" is the name of this creation. I was attempting a different angle. I couldn't get the shoulders right. This young lady has finally be asked to dance. She is looking up at the young man who asked her. I know that this probably does not fit today's society, girls don't wait to be asked or don't need to be asked.

Watercolor Added

I haven't attempted a watercolor in awhile so I thought I'll pull them out and see what comes out. I really love this sketch of A Sad Girl. I think some of the emotion was lost when I added the color. More practice is needed, but there is never enough time for all that I want to do.

Work but no children - Just Sketch

Yesterday we had a snow day. Today all school employees and staff were required to come in at 10 am. When there are no children at school I get to just sit in my office. So what else is there to do besides sketch. I did however looked up immunization on 5 new students.

CED - Fairy Universe

When I think of cosmos it brings to mind other universes. I love fairies and elves. This is The Sleeping Fairy. My daughter said she looks dead. The pony tailed hair and red background idea is from one of my favorite Spiderwick Chronicles Cover. My original drawing is very different from this. As you can see from my sketchbook I drew her twice. I decided to use the first one. Also notice the hair is different the arm position is different. I guess everything is different.lol

Award

I received the stylish blogger award from Sandy Coleman Yeah! Thanks Sandy. Part of the acceptance includes telling seven things about myself that other bloggers don't know and passing it on to 15 other blogs that I admire.

1. When I step into a library or bookstore I wish I could read every book.

2. I am currently wearing braces. My teeth have always been a little crooked but after I turned 45 they became really crooked. I hated the way my smile look. I'm almost 50 with braces.

3. I love cheesecake.

4. I loved British authors.

5. I seldom watch TV and I hate for the TV to be on for background noise. My husband loves TV. It is a constant conflict.

6.I'm trying to become a minimalist. I used to collect antiques and other things but your house can become really clutter so I stopped collecting.

7. I'm a very slow typist. I pluck. My fingers never do what I want.

Some of my inspirations

Passion Fruit

A Face a Day

Karin Jurick

Tara Ross

Bobi

Carine B

Ces and her dishes

Johanna Wright

Joseph Art

Kelly Rae Roberts

Basma Jama

Deanna

Mystele

Lisa Golightly

Liza

IF: Deja-Vu:The Librarian

Have you ever met someone for the first time but had seen them in your dreams.

In another life I might have been a librarian, but then again the one's that I have met don't actually read a lot of books,go figure?

AEDM - Cosmos Woman

She is complex, orderly, harmonious.

Goal Accomplish - 60 Books Read in 2010

Another Year has past and I accomplished my reading goal. My husband found a quote that I really like:

"A man who won't read is no different from a man who can't."

Books I Read in 2010

60. Holy Bible

59. Giovanni's Light by Phyllis Theroux

58. The Christmas Letters by Lee Smith

57. Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris

56. Lift by Kelly Corrigan

55. The Mitford Snowman by Jan Karon

54. Blockade Billy by Stephen King

53. Overcoming Speechlessness by Alice Walker

52. The Night Bookmobile by Audrey Niffenegger

51. Unexpectedly Eighty by Judith Viorst

50. The Ladies of Grace Adieu by Susanna Clarke

49. La's Orchestra Saves the World by Alexander McCall Smith

48. Black Monday by R. Scott Reiss

47. The Rose Labyrinth by Titania Hardie

46. Enchantment by Orson Scott Card

45.River Whispers by Glynn Marsh Alam

44. Kiss by Ted Dekker

43. White by Ted Dekker

42. Red by Ted Dekker

41. Black by Ted Dekker

40. Green By Ted Dekker

39. The Tale of Halcyon Crane by Wendy Webb

38. One Second After by William R. Forstchen

37. Enchanted April by Elizabeth Von Arnim

36. Spells by Aprilynne Pike

35. Green with Envy by Shira Boss

34. Lucy's Eyes and Margaret's Dragon by Giselle Potter

33. The people of the Book by Geraldine Brooks

32. The Dead and Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer

31. Lord Sunday by Garth Nix

30. Wings by Aprilynne Pike

29. The Cross Gardener by Jason Wright

28.Pure Drivel by Steve Martin

27.This World We Live In by Susan Beth Pfeffer

26. The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry

25.The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson

24. The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson

23. Alex Katz Paints Aada by Robert Storr

blockquote>22. The Essential Edward Hopper by Justin Spring

21. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

20. The Picture Of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde

19. D is for Dahl by Wendy Cooling

18. The Emperor's Children by Claire Messud

17. Wake Up Our Souls: A Celebration of African American Artisit by Tonya Bolden

16. The Mercy of Thin Air by Ronlyn Domingue

15. Homer & Langley by E.L. Doctorow

14. Little Bee by Chris Cleave

13. The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

12. The Tale of the Unknown Island by Jose Saramango

11. Keys to the City by Joel Kostman

10. Beach Road by James Patterson

9. Coraline by Neil Gaiman

8. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

7. Books by Larry McMurtry

6. Last Light by Terri Blackstock

5. The City & The City by China Mieville

4. The Gold Bug by Edgar Allan Poe

3. The Legend of the Vila Della Luna by Jana Fayne Kolpen

2. The Goddess of Kitchen Avenue by Barbara Samuel

1. The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer