Mandala

Mandala
Originally uploaded by Cheryl Gebhart
For lesson 1 of Watercolor Pencil Workshop with Dion Dior at Joggles. In Strathmore Visual Journal - Mixed Media.

Fabric Inspiration

Fabric Inspiration
Originally uploaded by Cheryl Gebhart
For Watercolor Pencil Workshop with Dion Dior at Joggles. In Strathmore Visual Journal - Mixed Media.

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

Stevens, a very proper English butler, takes a holiday near the end of his career of working at Darlington Hall.  He spends much of his holiday looking back over his years of service, reassuring himself that he served a "great gentleman" with "dignity."  He reminded me of Mr. Carson from Downton Abbey, only even more so.  While I don't remember much about the movie version, I do remember that his part was played by Anthony Hopkins, who was the perfect actor for the part.  Now I want to see the movie again.  I really enjoyed the book and rated it 4 out of 5.

Hello sunshine

Hello sunshine
Originally uploaded by Cheryl Gebhart
The design on my new t-shirt, which also came with the large round sticker.  Also done for this month's Sketchbook Challenge theme - Close Up.

A New Tool

A New Tool
Originally uploaded by Cheryl Gebhart
Trying out my new Sketch and Wash Pencil.

Lord John and the Hand of Devils by Diana Gabaldon

This is not one novel, but a short story (Lord John and the Hellfire Club) and two novellas (Lord John and the Succubus and Lord John and the Haunted Soldier).  I really enjoy Diana Gabaldon's writing (the Outlander series) and Lord John Grey is an interesting minor character from that series.  This was an enjoyable read, but not as good as the Outlander series.  I rate it 3 out of 5.

The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje

I really don't know how to review this book.  I never could decide whether I liked it or not; I liked parts and disliked other parts.  So I'll quote the description of the book from Goodreads:

"With ravishing beauty and unsettling intelligence, Michael Ondaatje's Booker Prize-winning novel traces the intersection of four damaged lives in an Italian villa at the end of World War II. Hana, the exhausted nurse; the maimed thief, Caravaggio; the wary sapper, Kip: each is haunted by the riddle of the English patient, the nameless, burned man who lies in an upstairs room and whose memories of passion, betrayal,and rescue illuminates this book like flashes of heat lightening."

I even had trouble deciding on a rating and finally settled on 2 out of 5.

NOLA Collage Pages

Collage page 1
Originally uploaded by Cheryl Gebhart
Everywhere we went in NOLA, we collected business cards, tickets, brochures, and menus. I had intended to include more of them on my sketch pages, but often got so involved in the sketching that I forgot to leave space for them. Then I saw Leslie Fehling's Ireland Sketchbook on her blog, and her collage pages inspired me to do something similar with my ephemera.

Collage page 2

War Horse by Michael Morpurgo

Fifteen year old Alfred receives Joey, a beautiful horse, from his father.  Alfred loves Joey and trains him to work on the farm.  When the family runs short of money, Alfred's father sells Joey to the cavalry at the start of World War I.  Alfred is too young to join but promises Joey he'll find him.  Joey experiences many of the horrors of war.  Joey is the narrator of the book, and that works better than I thought it would.  The book is written for children aged 8 and up; I don't often read children's books, but I wanted to read this before seeing the movie.  It was a quick read; I'm a pretty slow reader and even I finished it in 2 days.  I thought it was well written and I rate it 3 out of 5.  It is my second book for the World War I reading challenge.

Doodles

Doodle 1
Originally uploaded by Cheryl Gebhart
I don't doodle a lot, but the Sketchbook Challenge theme for the month of January is Doodling, so I decided to give it a try. I started with the idea of trying to come up with some free motion quilting designs; the leaves are something I like to quilt in a border. But below the leaves are just some random doodles.



And here is a second page of doodles.

Grapefruit

Grapefruit
Originally uploaded by Cheryl Gebhart
I'm sewing again so I'm not sketching as much these days, but I did manage to sketch my lunchtime fruit before eating it. I used a gray Copic Multi-liner for the sketch and the journaling, which I like but it's pretty light - almost like graphite. And I used a Preppy fountain pen with Noodler's Lexington Gray for the title and border.

Just for Fun

Take the Jane Austen Character Quiz here!

All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque

My first book for the WWI reading challenge hosted by War Through the Generations blog was this classic anti-war novel, which I'd never read.  It tells the story of a group of young men whose school master shames them into enlisting in the German Army.  It describes the fear and horror they experienced much of the time.

"We crouch behind every corner, behind every barrier of barbed wire, and hurl heaps of explosives at the feet of the advancing enemy before we run.  The blast of the hand-grenades impinges powerfully on our arms and legs; crouching like cats we run on, overwhelmed by this wave that bears us along, that fills us with ferocity, turns us into thugs, into murderers, into God only knows what devils; this wave that multiplies our strength with fear and madness and greed of life, seeking and fighting for nothing but our deliverance.  If your own father came over with them you would not hesitate to fling a bomb at him."  (pgs. 113-4)

And it discusses the futility of war to those who fight.

"A word of command has made these silent figures our enemies; a word of command might transform them into our friends.  At some table a document is signed by some persons whom none of us knows, and then for years together that very crime on which formerly the world's condemnation and severest penalty fall, becomes our highest aim.  But who can draw such a distinction when he looks at these quiet men with their childlike faces and apostles' beards.  Any non-commissioned officer is more of an enemy to a recruit, any schoolmaster to a pupil, than they are to us.  And yet we would shoot at them again and they at us if they were free."  (pgs. 193-4)

I rated this 3 out of 5.

Tangelo

Tangelo
Originally uploaded by Cheryl Gebhart
I'm sewing again so I'm not sketching as much these days, but I did manage to sketch my lunchtime fruit before peeling and eating it.

I also doodled in the title (the theme for the Sketchbook Challenge this month is doodling).

How to Make a Journal of Your Life by Dan Price

This is a very quirky little book hand drawn by hobo artist Dan Price.  It was a fun read because I like looking at other artist's journals.  If you're looking for instructions on making a journal, you won't find it here, but it's a worthwhile book anyway.  I rate it 3 out of 5.

Louie's

Louie's
Originally uploaded by Cheryl Gebhart
I intend to start taking my sketching supplies with me more often, so I started by taking it to the restaurant we went to for my birthday dinner (not where we had planned on going, but we forgot how crowded restaurants get on Friday nights).

My Birthday

My Birthday
Originally uploaded by Cheryl Gebhart
Roz Stendahl writes in her blog, Roz Wound Up, about doing a little bit of everything you love on New Year's Day to set your intentions for the year. I wasn't able to do that this year for whatever reasons, so I decided it would be a good thing to do on my birthday instead. I spent some time quilting, piecing, sketching, and photo-designing (I'm making a calendar for my husband using his photos). The one thing I didn't find time for was machine embroidery, but I did work on installing my embroidery software on my desktop computer, which is newer and faster than my laptop where the software has been. All in all, it was a good day.

2012 Challenges

My friend Kathy (Catching Happiness) asked me whether I was doing any new reading challenges this year and I realized that I hadn't posted about that yet.  I'm doing one reading challenge this year.  It's my 4th year to do the War Through the Generations Challenge, and this year the focus is on World War I.  The previous 3 years were US Civil War (2011), Vietnam (2010), and World War II (2009 and my first ever reading challenge).  Last year I did 5 challenges, but I selected challenges that I knew I could finish easily, which isn't really the point of a challenge, is it?  So I decided to do just one reading challenge, but to choose the Wade level (4-10 books) instead of Dip (1-3 books).  I've selected my first 3 books: All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque, A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway (which is the book for the 2012 read-along), and War Horse by Michael Morpurgo (I don't usually read children's books, but I wanted to read this before seeing the movie).

The only other challenge I've signed up for this year isn't a reading challenge; it's the Sketchbook Challenge.  I did this one last year too, and participated in 9 of the 12 monthly themes.

Shadow of a Quarter Moon by Eileen Clymer Schwab

1839 North Carolina - After her father dies, Jacy's unfeeling mother Claudia calls her a quadroon and reveals to her that her real mother is a slave who is still on the plantation.  Claudia tries to marry Jacy off to a man whom Jacy fears and hates.  Jacy runs away when Claudia threatens to sell her slave mother.  While I mostly enjoyed the story, the dialogue felt stilted to me.  I also thought that Jacy came to understand herself and her place in the world a bit too quickly.  But I did enjoy learning about the role that the Great Dismal Swamp played in the Underground Railroad.  While the book was set before the Civil War, it dealt with the issues of slavery and the Underground Railroad, so I included it as a book read for the Civil War Challenge 2011 (I finished it one day late - January 1st).  I rated it 3 out of 5.

The Traitor's Wife: A Novel by Kathleen Kent

This is a prequel to The Heretic's Daughter, which I read in 2010 and reviewed here.  Set in 1673 New England, Martha Allen works as a servant in her cousin's household.   Thomas Carrier is a laborer for the family with a mysterious past.  I enjoyed this book, but I thought The Heretic's Daughter was even better.  I might have liked it more if I had read it first, although it was interesting to learn the history of Martha and Thomas.  I rated it 4 out of 5.

A Day in Books (meme)

My friend Kathy Johnson posted about her day in books (here), and I thought it was so much fun that I had to try it for myself.  All books are ones I read this year.

I began the day with Abundance.

On my way to work I saw The Falls

and walked by A Room With A View

to avoid The Fiction Class.

But I made sure to stop at Coventry.

In the office, my boss said, “Let the Great World Spin,”

and sent me to research The Curious Incident of the Dog in theNight-Time.

At lunch with The Traitor's Wife,

I noticed Enemy Women

under The Black Flower,

then went back to my desk, Radioactive.

Later, on the journey home, I bought Dinner at Antoine's
 

because I was Lost in the City.

Then settling down for the evening, I picked up The Book of Ruth

and studied The Shipping News

before saying goodnight to Lolita.

Radioactive: Marie and Pierre Curie by Lauren Redniss

This was a very unusual book.  When I first heard a review of it, I thought it was a graphic novel but it wasn't; at least not like the few (ok, make that two) graphic novels I've read before.  It looked more like a children's picture book, but it wasn't that either.  It was an artful biography of Marie and Pierre Curie.  I enjoyed the book for the most part, but found the jumps forward and backward in time to be somewhat disorienting.  It was interesting learning about the Curies.  I rated it 3 out of 5.

Backpack

Backpack
Originally uploaded by Cheryl Gebhart
This worked really well to carry everything comfortably all over NOLA for a week. The only drawback to a backpack is it's harder to get stuff out of it when you want to, but IMO the added comfort makes up for that.

Comfort

Comfort
Originally uploaded by Cheryl Gebhart
All I ever wear anymore is comfortable shoes, so even though we walked all over NOLA, my feet never hurt.

Sweet & Juicy

Sweet & Juicy
Originally uploaded by Cheryl Gebhart
I don't buy oranges very often, even though I like them. I was out of orange peel in the freezer, so I bought a few oranges for the peels. But they've been very tasty too. And of course I had to sketch this one before I ate it.

Bagel

Bagel
Originally uploaded by Cheryl Gebhart
I did this for an exercise in Danny Gregory's book, The Creative License.

Special Purchases for NOLA

Special Purchases for NOLA
Originally uploaded by Cheryl Gebhart
I bought a couple of items specifically for my Imaginary Trip Made Real to New Orleans, although I'll use both of them again. Note - the items are NOT to scale - the stool should be larger or the neck pouch should be smaller! LOL!

My Palette

My Palette
Originally uploaded by Cheryl Gebhart
This is in my NOLA Live journal, as it's the palette I took there. I want to document some of the supplies I took with me. And yes, my palette is usually this messy (or even messier!). The list of colors is on the facing page, which I've posted here.

The Artist on the Road - Impressions of Greece by Richard Sheppard

This is the author's first book, and it is delightful - I hope it's not his last.  It is a travel journal of his two-and-a-half-week journey through Greece, with his thoughts and drawings.  Since I hope to go to Greece someday, it is especially meaningful to me.  Combining this book with a guidebook should help me plan my trip, whenever that may occur.  I rate it 5 out of 5.

The Chosen by Chaim Potok

From Amazon reviews:

In 1940s Brooklyn, New York, an accident throws Reuven Malther and Danny Saunders together. Despite their differences (Reuven is a Modern Orthodox Jew with an intellectual, Zionist father; Danny is the brilliant son and rightful heir to a Hasidic rebbe), the young men form a deep, if unlikely, friendship. Together they negotiate adolescence, family conflicts, the crisis of faith engendered when Holocaust stories begin to emerge in the U.S., loss, love, and the journey to adulthood. The intellectual and spiritual clashes between fathers, between each son and his own father, and between the two young men, provide a unique backdrop for this exploration of fathers, sons, faith, loyalty, and, ultimately, the power of love.

I read this book for my book club.  I had actually read it many years ago (probably while I was in high school), and then my husband and I had listened to the audio version a couple of years ago while on a car trip.  I decided to read it again in order to be able to discuss it somewhat intelligently and I'm glad I did - I enjoyed it again and it was an interesting discussion.  I rate it 4 out of 5.

Germaine Cazenave Wells Mardi Gras Museum

Germaine Cazenave Wells Mardi Gras Museum
Originally uploaded by Cheryl Gebhart
I decided to focus in on the part of the costume that interested me the most - the wings or whatever they are on the shoulders. And that way I didn't have to draw the face (of the mannequin)! LOL!!

Beauregard Keyes House

Beauregard Keyes House
Originally uploaded by Cheryl Gebhart
This house was particularly interesting to me since I had read Dinner at Antoine's by Frances Parkinson Keyes shortly before going to New Orleans. And we really lucked out on the weather - the day started out looking like rain, but the sun came out just in time for us to sketch outside in the lovely garden.

Lunch at Commander's Palace

Lunch at Commander's Palace
Originally uploaded by Cheryl Gebhart
We had a fabulous lunch at Commander's Palace Restaurant - my favorite by far of all the great places we ate.

Breakfast Room

Breakfast Room
Originally uploaded by Cheryl Gebhart
We stayed at Place d'Armes, which had a beautiful courtyard. On my free afternoon, I sketched this view of the door to the breakfast room.

Raw Art Journaling by Quinn McDonald

I worked through this book with one of my Yahoo groups, Artists of the Round Table. We did a section each week for ten weeks. It is a different kind of journaling than I normally do, but I enjoyed the process and will probably incorporate a few of the ideas from the book into my journaling practice over time. The author joined the group and led the workshop and she was very generous with her time. I rated the book 4 out of 5.

Keeping a Watercolor Sketchbook by Brenda Swenson

After working on Brenda Swenson's 75 Day Sketch Challenge for a couple of months, I realized that I had this book of hers sitting on my shelf, so I pulled it out to read it.  I really enjoyed all of her artwork in the book.  It has fairly basic information, so I can't say that I learned a lot of new things, but it was still a worthwhile read.  I rated it 4 out of 5.

Lafayette Cemetery

Lafayette Cemetery
Originally uploaded by Cheryl Gebhart
It might sound morbid, but I actually found our cemetery tour to be very interesting. I sketched this with a water soluble pen.

Oak Alley Plantation

Oak Alley Plantation
Originally uploaded by Cheryl Gebhart
We spent the second day of our Imaginary Trips Made Real at Oak Alley Plantation.

Cafe Du Monde

Cafe Du Monde
Originally uploaded by Cheryl Gebhart
After our Mardi Gras World tour, we had lunch at Antoine's, a walking tour of the French Quarter in the afternoon, dinner at Mother's, and beignets at Cafe Du Monde.

Mardi Gras World Tour

Mardi Gras World Tour
Originally uploaded by Cheryl Gebhart
For the first full day of our Imaginary Trips Made Real, we toured Mardi Gras World in the morning.

Breakfast at The Decadence Shoppe

Breakfast at The Decadence Shoppe
Originally uploaded by Cheryl Gebhart
We had breakfast at The Decadence Shoppe the first 2 mornings I was in New Orleans (I went a couple of days early).

First Days in New Orleans

First Days in New Orleans
Originally uploaded by Cheryl Gebhart
I went to New Orleans with 8 other artists for Laure Ferlita's first Imaginary Trips Made Real and had a fabulous time! I started sketching on the plane on my way there and continued to sketch every day I was there. There was so much to see and do that we didn't always have enough time to sketch as much we wanted, but I don't know what I would eliminate in order to have more sketching time. Thanks Laure for a great trip!

Bradford Pear

Bradford Pear
Originally uploaded by Cheryl Gebhart
This is probably our most colorful tree and I always enjoy looking at it, so today I sketched it. It was a fairly warm afternoon sitting in the sun.

Very New Orleans by Diana Hollingsworth Gessler

This is an absolutely charming little book - part guide book, part sketchbook, filled with delightful illustrations on every page.  It was a great read in preparation for my trip to New Orleans.  I rate it 5 out of 5.

Dinner at Antoine's by Frances Parkinson Keyes

This is one of the books I read in preparation for my trip to New Orleans last week.  Antoine's is the oldest restaurant in New Orleans, and the opening scene of the novel is set there.  It was originally published in 1948, so the writing style is very different from today, and so are the customs that are described.  It is a murder mystery, and while I don't read many mysteries, I enjoyed this book for the glimpse into life in New Orleans.  I rate it 3 out of 5.

Imaginary Trip to New Orleans - Gichi Ziibi (Mississippi River)

Gichi Ziibi
Originally uploaded by Cheryl Gebhart
I'm taking another Imaginary Trip to New Orleans with Laure Ferlita. It's a great warm up for NOLA Live - Laure's first Imaginary Trip Made Real.

Imaginary Trip to New Orleans - Street Performer

Street Performer
Originally uploaded by Cheryl Gebhart
I'm taking another Imaginary Trip to New Orleans with Laure Ferlita. It's a great warm up for NOLA Live - Laure's first Imaginary Trip Made Real.

Imaginary Trip to New Orleans - Hidden Gems

Hidden Gems
Originally uploaded by Cheryl Gebhart
I'm taking another Imaginary Trip to New Orleans with Laure Ferlita. It's a great warm up for NOLA Live - Laure's first Imaginary Trip Made Real.

Imaginary Trip to New Orleans - Slave Exchange

Slave Exchange
Originally uploaded by Cheryl Gebhart
I'm taking another Imaginary Trip to New Orleans with Laure Ferlita. It's a great warm up for NOLA Live - Laure's first Imaginary Trip Made Real.

Imaginary Trip to New Orleans - St. Elizabeth's

St. Elizabeth's
Originally uploaded by Cheryl Gebhart
I'm taking another Imaginary Trip to New Orleans with Laure Ferlita. It's a great warm up for NOLA Live - Laure's first Imaginary Trip Made Real.

Imaginary Trip to New Orleans - Food

Food
Originally uploaded by Cheryl Gebhart
I'm taking another Imaginary Trip to New Orleans with Laure Ferlita. It's a great warm up for NOLA Live - Laure's first Imaginary Trip Made Real.

Imaginary Trip to New Orleans - Wrought Iron

Wrought Iron
Originally uploaded by Cheryl Gebhart
I'm taking another Imaginary Trip to New Orleans with Laure Ferlita. It's a great warm up for NOLA Live - Laure's first Imaginary Trip Made Real.

Imaginary Trip to New Orleans - Bourbon Street

Bourbon Street
Originally uploaded by Cheryl Gebhart
I'm taking another Imaginary Trip to New Orleans with Laure Ferlita. It's a great warm up for NOLA Live - Laure's first Imaginary Trip Made Real.

Imaginary Trip to New Orleans - Shutters

Shutters
Originally uploaded by Cheryl Gebhart
I'm taking another Imaginary Trip to New Orleans with Laure Ferlita. It's a great warm up for NOLA Live - Laure's first Imaginary Trip Made Real.

Imaginary Trip to New Orleans - St. Charles Trolley

Imaginary Trip to New Orleans - St. Charles Trolley
Originally uploaded by Cheryl Gebhart
I'm back - taking another imaginary trip with Laure Ferlita. It's a great warm up for NOLA Live - Laure's first Imaginary Trip Made Real.

I'm leaving in a little while for New Orleans on Laure Ferlita's first "Imaginary Trip Made Real" and I'm so excited I can hardly wait. I've always wanted to go to New Orleans, and ever since I took my first imaginary trip with Laure I've wanted to meet her in person. So I'm doing both, and I'll be spending a week with a few other artists I've met in Laure's classes - it should be a great week.