75 Day Sketch Challenge - Day 74

For Brenda Swenson's 75 Day Sketch Challenge - drawing in pen and ink only every day for 75 days. The challenge can be seen here. Just one more day!!

75 Day Sketch Challenge - Day 73

For Brenda Swenson's 75 Day Sketch Challenge - drawing in pen and ink only every day for 75 days. The challenge can be seen here.

75 Day Sketch Challenge - Day 72

For Brenda Swenson's 75 Day Sketch Challenge - drawing in pen and ink only every day for 75 days. The challenge can be seen here.

75 Day Sketch Challenge - Day 71

I sketched the gourd in pen and then added watercolor instead of shading with pen. I did use pencil for the title and writing, but I figure that doesn't matter, since the gourd was straight to pen. I'm almost through with the challenge - it's been really good for me. I hope to continue to draw almost every day even after the challenge is over.

75 Day Sketch Challenge - Day 70

For Brenda Swenson's 75 Day Sketch Challenge - drawing in pen and ink only every day for 75 days. The challenge can be seen here.

75 Day Sketch Challenge - Day 68

For Brenda Swenson's 75 Day Sketch Challenge - drawing in pen and ink only every day for 75 days. The challenge can be seen here.

75 Day Sketch Challenge - Day 67

I took the opportunity to draw an onion, since I rarely buy them - my DH is allergic to them. For Brenda Swenson's 75 Day Sketch Challenge - drawing in pen and ink only every day for 75 days. The challenge can be seen here.

75 Day Sketch Challenge - Day 65

For Brenda Swenson's 75 Day Sketch Challenge - drawing in pen and ink only every day for 75 days. The challenge can be seen here.

75 Day Sketch Challenge - Day 64

For Brenda Swenson's 75 Day Sketch Challenge - drawing in pen and ink only every day for 75 days. The challenge can be seen here.

75 Day Sketch Challenge - Day 63

This is the fireplace in our cabin at Devil's Den State Park, Arkansas. I actually drew this on day 62, but since I drew other things too, and I missed day 63 (the first day I've missed since I began the challenge), I'm counting it for day 63.

75 Day Sketch Challenge - Day 60

We spent a few days at Devil's Den State Park in Arkansas where we met some friends who moved to Little Rock last year. This is the fireplace in our friends' cabin. I did this for the Sketchbook Challenge's current month's theme of View. Also for Brenda Swenson's 75 Day Sketch Challenge - drawing in pen and ink only every day for 75 days. The challenge can be seen here.

Sketching & Watercolor in a Mixed Media Journal / 75 Day Sketch Challenge

Another online class with Jane LaFazio.

Class Lesson 1 and Challenge Day 56 & 57

Sewing room tools.  This is the first time I've sketched in a journal this large (9 X 12), allowing for the addition of several items to a page.  Also for Brenda Swenson's 75 Day Sketch Challenge - drawing in pen and ink only every day for 75 days.  The challenge can be seen here.

Class Lesson 2 and Challenge Day 61 & 62

Some of the acorns and colorful leaves I picked up around our cabin and on our hikes at Devil's Den State Park, Arkansas.  Also for Brenda Swenson's 75 Day Sketch Challenge - drawing in pen and ink only every day for 75 days.  The challenge can be seen here.

75 Day Sketch Challenge - Days 36 - 58

Catch-up post with most of my sketches for the challenge.

Day 36

Day 38 & 39

Day 40

Day 43 & 44

Day 46 & 47

Day 50

Day 51

Day 53

Day 58

Watercolor Fast and Loose by Ron Ranson

We stopped at a really great used book store in Fayetteville on our way home from Devil's Den State Park (Arkansas) where I bought 4 books; the one in the title, Sketching Your Favorite Subjects in Pen & Ink by Claudia Nice, and 2 calligraphy books.  I was disappointed with this one.  The artist/author has some lovely paintings in the book.  He has a rather unconventional method of painting, with just 3 brushes (a 2" Hake, a 1" flat, and a number 3 Rigger) and 7 colors (Raw Sienna, Ultramarine, Lemon Yellow, Payne Grey, Burnt Umber, Alizarin Crimson and Light Red).  The biggest problem is that he doesn't show how he uses the brushes to achieve his "fast and loose" results.  It's a classic example of telling rather than showing, but an art instruction book really needs to show.  Ranson has written several art books, but I won't be buying any of his others.  I rated it 2 out of 5.

The Shipping News by Annie Proulx

This was my book club's selection for the month, and I didn't think I was going to like it at first.  But I stuck with it and I liked it pretty well by the end, and it made for a good discussion at our meeting.  It was a very quirky story about Quoyle, a man who flees to Newfoundland with his aunt and two daughters after his wife dies in an auto accident.  Quoyle has been badly treated most of his life and has no self confidence because of it.  But neighbors and friends in his new home help him to gain confidence and reclaim his life.  I enjoyed the story but struggled with the writing style; I rate it 3 out of 5.

Buffalo Land by William D. Berry

When we stopped at the Visitor Center of the National Bison Range after our 19 mile drive, I picked up this book mainly for the pictures.  It is beautifully illustrated with hand drawn pictures of  buffalo, antelope, wolves, and other animals.  I read it too, and there is interesting information about buffalo and the Great Plains, but the pictures are wonderful!  I rate it 4 out of 5.

Two Rivers by T. Greenwood

Harper Montgomery and his 12 year old daughter Shelly are barely surviving in Two Rivers, Vermont, after the loss of Harper's wife 12 years earlier.  When a train derails in Two Rivers, Harper takes in a survivor - a pregnant 15 year old girl named Maggie.  Shelly and Maggie hit it off immediately, but Harper begins to worry about why Maggie is really there.  It was a good story and I rate it 4 out of 5.

Letter to My Daughter by George Bishop

Almost 4 years ago,when I first started posting about the books I'd read, I stated, "I want to start keeping track of the books I read and whether I liked them or not. I won't be writing formal reviews or anything, because I'm not that good at reviews."  I still feel like I'm not that good at reviews, but my posts have somehow evolved into just that.  It's become one more obligation that I sometimes don't have time for.  And because I'm behind in posting reviews just like I'm behind in everything else right now, I'm going to do 3 quick catch up posts about 3 books I've finished recently.

A mother (Laura) writes a letter to her 15 year old daughter (Liz) after Liz runs away from home.  She describes her own adolescence in the hope that it will bring them closer together.  The book is the letter, and it definitely had the feel of a letter written by an anxious mother to a daughter who's just run away.  I enjoyed the book and rated it 4 out of 5.

75 Day Sketch Challenge Days 27-33

I haven't posted much lately for a couple of reasons.  First, we spent a week traveling.  We flew to Great Falls, Montana, on September 14th.  We rented a car and drove to Glacier National Park where we met my brother and sister-in-law.  We shared a (very small) 2 bedroom Guest House (aka cabin) at St. Mary Lodge on the east edge of the park for 3 days.  Then we headed west and they headed south.  We stayed at a really nice bed and breakfast in Whitefish called Good Medicine Lodge.  We drove into Idaho and saw beautiful Kootenai Falls along the way.  We drove through the National Bison Range and saw bison, mule deer, and pronghorn antelope.

We flew home on the 21st, and then started moving my mother from a 2 bedroom house to a one bedroom apartment in an assisted living center on the 22nd.  So, needless to say, I haven't had much time for ANYTHING else!  But my mom is pretty much moved in now, and I'm hoping to get back to doing a few other things.

The one thing I have managed to do for myself is to sketch something every day for my 75 day sketch challenge; so far, I haven't missed a day (today is day 44).  Rather than do 8 separate posts of my sketches from our trip, I'm going to post all of them in this post (all photos can be clicked on to see larger and to read the journaling).

Day 27

Day 28 - sketched from a photo

Day 29 - sketched from a photo

Day 30

Day 30

Day 31 - sketched from a photo

Day 32

Day 33 - sketched from a photo

All sketches except one were done with permanent pen first and then watercolor was added; the stove was done with water soluble pen and then water was added.  I will upload more sketches as I have time (and a few photos from our trip as well).