sketchbook :: Happy Christmas!

Few quiet moments these last days before Christmas. Yet I did steal two in order to spend a little time with my sketchbook. It's a new sketchbook for me, begun at the Solstice. A sketchbook made by Cachet, with multi-media paper and a spiral binding, one that I can enjoy yet not allow it to become too precious. My poinsettia above was sketched lightly in pencil, washed with watercolor, then purple ink lines added.

And Kiddo's Christmas cookies were sketched with watercolor pencils, then washed lightly with water. I do like the paper in this book. It's not slick, like some multi-media sketchbook papers, so it does behave a bit more like watercolor paper. It has a slight texture, not too much though, just about right for pencils and ink. Over the past few months I have tried and abandoned a few other purchased sketchbooks for one reason or another. This one though, looks like it may be a keeper. And now that the rush is over I am looking forward to a few more quiet moments, hopefully spent with my sketchbook!

I hope your holidays are happy and that you have a joyous, and art-filled, new year!

home again

Home Again

ink and watercolor wash on Arches cold pressed paper

5.5 x 7.5 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

 

A view from the Blue Ridge Parkway, sketched in ink and washed with watercolor. I am liking this method of ink and wash, for the time being anyway.

what I don't know

Morning Departure

ink and watercolor wash on Arches cold pressed paper

5.5 x 7.5 inches

©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

Most of the time I am perfectly content staying with a process or media that I know well.  But every once in a while, I like to mix things up a bit and try something beyond my comfort zone, just to see what will happen. This was one of those times. Experimenting with a quick ink sketch and filling in with watercolor wash. The image is inspired by the marshes of Edisto Island, SC, taken from a photo snapped as we were leaving the island this past spring.

Sketchbook Tuesday - summer color

You know I like to begin with a new sketchbook at the start of each season. I did put together a new sketchbook for summer, to begin at the solstice, but life got in the way and it was a few days before I could actually do a sketch. Although I did sit with Cathy Johnson's book, Watercolor Tricks & Techniques, late one evening, just for a bit of inspiration. So I added a quote from her writing to start my journal off on a good note. This first sketch was done with ink and wash. A new, or not often used, technique for me. Our hydrangea is gorgeous this year.

And a whole bag of peaches came home from the farmers' market last Saturday with Kiddo and The Professor. I see a peach pie in my future.

Sketchbook Tuesday - housekeeping

I realized that I had skipped posting this page earlier in the month and thought now would be as good a time as any to share. And naturally when I did the sketch I had put the wrong date down on the page. Oh well, January was newer then.

But yes, housekeeping. You may remember that I have occasionally mentioned various de-cluttering projects. Working with that in mind I have begun de-cluttering paper work and organizing my routine. All in an effort to simplify my days and create calm in our home life. I was inspired by this post to create my own 'life binder', so I have been organizing files and papers in an effort for it all to make more sense. In my younger days I never would have imagined myself as a woman who would be overly concerned with keeping house. I have actually had conversations recently about laundry detergent, of all things. From my own mother I learned that housekeeping created anger. But back then I never imagined that I would be a mom, homeschooling, and working from home either. Which brings me back to housekeeping. It's a job like any other, and when done with imagination and integrity it can bring comfort. And for that opportunity I am grateful. 

Sketchbook Tuesday - orange

So, I was shopping with Kiddo at the mall and we stopped in at her favorite doo-dads store because she wanted to spend some of her gift money on a hat she had spotted there. As we were leaving, there was a display of handbags near the entrance and I swear I heard this one call my name. Even though I have never owned an orange bag in my life. I have brown, black, blue, and in some of my wilder moments have purchased khaki colored bags, but never orange. But I do like the style with a cross body strap and plenty of pockets. And now, whenever I look at this orange bag, it makes me happy.

These days

I haven't been working as steadily on my art as I had hoped to be these past several weeks. It's been more hit and miss. Lots of other stuff going on I guess. And I have been doing some other projects that are keeping me busy. And finding things like closets that need cleaning out. And doing a lot of cooking. Well, I always do a lot of cooking but lately I have been experimenting more and baking more.

And reading. I have been absorbed in reading, especially since I got my Nook. Those things are just too cool. And did you know that Barnes & Noble has a free book every Friday for the Nook? Now I am never going to get through my reading list.

Sketchbook Tuesday - Oops it's Wednesday

But I may as well post a sketch anyway. We have had a busy couple of weeks here with Kiddo's dance performances and trying to keep up in spite of all three of us being sick. I did the sketches above after coming home from taking Kiddo to the doctor last week. The scene on the left is a view from our living room, the same view that I sketched last January when everything was under a blanket of snow.

Kiddo did wonderfully in her performances last weekend, in spite of feeling poorly. And now we are enjoying a period of rest and trying to get over this bug we keep passing around. I know I haven't been blogging or visiting your blogs and commenting very much but I feel like I need a little break from it all. I do have quite a backlog of paintings for my 100 painting project that are ready for scanning and posting which I intend to catch up with very soon. Right after I've regrouped and recharged. And spent some time just sitting in this glorious sunshine we're having these days. With my sketchbook, of course.

Sketchbook Tuesday - Spring still comes

My lilac bush will bloom this year. It doesn't always. Some springs we get a freeze or an ice storm after the blossoms have begun to form and then there are no blooms that year. But we have had enough of ice storms (in addition to all that snow) this past winter to last us a good while. Everywhere the trees are budding in spite of their damaged limbs. It is difficult to find a tree anywhere around here that doesn't show some sign of damage from our ice storms this past winter. Half broken limbs hang precariously suspended in the remaining branches of damaged trees. All along every roadway are piles of broken limbs waiting for crews to come gather them up with their mulching machine. Trees that are bent way over, trees that are nearly split in two, are still putting out buds right on time this spring. Entire hillsides of trees that look like they were attacked by some kind of giant weed whacker are showing a softening to their limbs with their tiny leaves just beginning to appear. It is a very welcome spring here in our mountains. It is an especially good spring when my lilac blooms.