Tuesday, January 25, 2011

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?

Saturday, January 22, 2011

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?

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

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.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

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.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

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.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

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.

Monday, January 10, 2011

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

Friday, January 7, 2011

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?

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

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