Sketching and Watercolor: Journal Style - Lesson 5 - Shoes

One of my favorites. This was a difficult angle to render, but I wanted a challenge - and I certainly got it! I mixed the black - first time I've done that.

Imaginary Trip to Paris - Sacred Heart

"Located at the summit of the butte Monmartre, the highest point in the city. So a few of us climbed to the top of the narrow stairway of 234 steps to see a spectacular panorama of Paris. It was a clear day, so we could see almost 20 miles."

And no, I'm not really in Paris, even though I'd love to be. I'm on an imaginary trip with Laure Ferlita.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

This is the second time I've read this book.  The first time was almost 3 years ago.  But because it is my book club's current month's selection, and I really liked the book, I decided to read it again so that I could discuss it intelligently.

The story is set in Germany beginning in 1939 and is narrated by Death (sounds strange, but it works).  A 10-year old girl, Liesel Meminger, is put into foster care with Hans and Rosa Hubermann because her father is a communist and her mother can no longer care for her.  Liesel's younger brother dies on the way to the Hubermann's home.  Liesel picks up (steals) a book at her brother's funeral that was left behind by one of the grave diggers; the book is The Grave Digger's Handbook.  Even though Liesel is 10 years old, she doesn't know how to read.  When Hans discovers the book that Liesel has been hiding, he helps her learn to read.  Liesel's best friend is her next door neighbor, Rudy Steiner.  Liesel's life changes again when the Hubermann's hide Max, a Jewish man in his 20's, in their basement.  My favorite quote in the book is this (Alex Steiner is Rudy's father):

* * *  THE CONTRADICTORY POLITICS  * * *

OF ALEX STEINER

Point One:  He was a member of the Nazi party, but he did not

hate the Jews, or anyone else for that matter.

Point Two:  Secretly, though, he couldn't help feeling a

percentage of relief (or worse -- gladness!) when

Jewish shop owners were put out of business --

propaganda informed him that it was only a matter of

time before a plague of Jewish tailors showed up

and stole his customers.

Point Three:  But did that mean they should be driven

out completely?

Point Four:  His family.  Surely, he had to do whatever he

could to support them.  If that meant being in the party,

it meant being in the party.

Point Five:  Somewhere, far down, there was an itch in his

heart, but he made it a point not to scratch it.  He was afraid of

what might come leaking out.

I believe there were many people who felt similarly in Nazi Germany; not evil, but afraid to stand up for what was right.  I rate this book 5 out of 5.

Sketching and Watercolor: Journal Style - Lesson 5 - Shoes

My trusty Birkenstock. This was a lot harder to paint than I expected - it's pretty much all brown, so it was hard getting enough color variation.

Sketching and Watercolor: Journal Style - Tulip

Lesson 4 is painting flowers. I bought a couple of silk flowers last week to paint.

Sketching and Watercolor: Journal Style - Silk flower

Lesson 4 is painting flowers. I bought a couple of silk flowers last week to paint.

Buddy & Buster

Buddy (the dog) licks Buster (the cat) every chance he gets. Buster puts up with a lot of it, but sometimes he gets tired of it. I guess Buddy didn't want Buster to run away again!

Imaginary Trip to Paris - Moulin Rouge

"Originally little more than a high-class brothel, it became fashionable to see the spectacular cabarets, which have always included the can-can. The dance became less crude, but is still a little risque and somewhat provocative. The dancers have so much energy!"

And no, I'm not really in Paris, even though I'd love to be. I'm on an imaginary trip with Laure Ferlita.

Imaginary Trip to Paris - Art Everywhere

"It seems that everywhere we look. all over the city, we see artwork. On overpasses, manhole covers, details of buildings. And statues - not just in galleries, museums, and formal gardens, but tucked into every nook and cranny. This woman fascinated me with the caliper in her hand, and made me wonder why."

And no, I'm not really in Paris, even though I'd love to be. I'm on an imaginary trip with Laure Ferlita.

Imaginary Trip to Paris - Giverny

A visit to where Monet lived and painted. I didn't save any room on the page for writing.

And no, I'm not really in Paris, even though I'd love to be. I'm on an imaginary trip with Laure Ferlita.

Imaginary Trip to Paris - Dogs Part 2

"This little guy was moving so fast, all I could do was a quick gesture sketch while he flopped in the grass to rest for 5 minutes. Then he was back up playing with the other dogs in the park."

This was a gesture sketch using only paint and paintbrush done in 5 minutes.

And no, I'm not really in Paris, even though I'd love to be. I'm on an imaginary trip with Laure Ferlita.

Imaginary Trip to Paris - Dogs Part 1

"Dogs are very popular in France, and their owners take them everywhere. We enjoyed an hour in the park on this beautiful fall afternoon. The sun was shining and there was just a slight breeze."

And no, I'm not really in Paris, even though I'd love to be. I'm on an imaginary trip with Laure Ferlita.

Buster & Buddy

A rare moment of peace between dog and cat. Sorry for the poor quality photo (and the flash in the dog's eye), but I didn't think the pose would last long, and it didn't. I'm just glad I got this one shot!

And yes, in case anyone was wondering, we're keeping them!

Imaginary Trip to Paris - Musee Rodin

"I didn't know much about Auguste Rodin prior to visiting the museum. While best known as a sculptor (The Thinker and The Kiss), he was a prolific artist. He painted in oils and watercolors. And the museum holds 7000 of his drawings and prints."

And no, I'm not really in Paris, even though I'd like to be. I'm on an Imaginary Trip with Laure Ferlita.

Buddy's First Duck Hunt

Buddy went on his first actual duck hunt today and retrieved each of these 5 ducks. Glen was very happy that he did not show any of the gun shyness that he had exhibited earlier.

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

I was a little disappointed with this book.  The story had so much promise; it starts in 1986 with Henry Lee standing outside the Panama Hotel, once the gateway to Seattle's Japantown.  The new owner of the hotel, which has been closed for years, has discovered property that once belonged to Japanese families who were sent to internment camps during World War II.  Henry, a Chinese American, thinks of his childhood friend, Keiko Okabe, and her family, and wonders whether any of their property is there.  It goes back and forth between the present and the past, telling how the two became friends in spite of the prejudice of Henry's father.   It could have been a really great book, but it was predictable and overly sentimental, and not that well written.  I rate it 3 out of 5, because in spite of my comments, I still enjoyed the story enough to finish the book.  It was my 19th book for the New Author Challenge 2010.

Sketching and Watercolor: Journal Style - Lesson 2 Greens

This page evolved over several days. I started with the tiny jade first - and only the part to the left of the word. Then I added what my husband called Woodpecker Alley Shrub (which no google search could find). Then I added the maple leaf. Finally I decided the jade was too small and added a few more leaves - probably not a good idea, since I couldn't really get the same angle or even the same greens, but it's done now. I'm fairly happy with the maple leaf and shrub, not so much with the jade - I don't work well that small. But I'm really enjoying the class and working in this style.

Buster on the Couch

We brought a young cat home on Wednesday (10/27/10). I don't know exactly how old he is, but I think he's about 10 months old or so (we'll get his exact birth date when we sign the adoption papers). We haven't settled on a definite name yet, but we're considering Buster.

It's sort of a trial to see if he and our dog (Buddy) can get along. Buddy is still a bit too enthusiastic, but we're working really hard to get them used to each other. Buster is just so sweet, I hope it can work.

This photo was taken with flash, so the eyes have that odd glow (like red-eye in humans), but at least it's not blurry.

Sketching and Watercolor: Journal Style - Lesson 1 Fruit

OK, so maybe squash isn't fruit, but I couldn't resist painting this guy!

Sketching and Watercolor: Journal Style - Lesson 2 Greens

I really enjoyed painting these leaves and seed pod for Lesson 2 of Jane LaFazio's class. It was a challenge finding leaves that are still green.

Devil's Den Trees

Later in the afternoon of our third day at Devil's Den State Park in northwest Arkansas, my DH and I took a little walk to the picnic area. I sketched while he read.

Devil's Den Rocker

This rocker was in our cabin at Devil's Den State Park in northwest Arkansas, and I sketched it on our third day there.

Devil's Den Leaf

My DH and I just returned home from spending 3 nights at Devil's Den State Park in northwest Arkansas. It is a beautiful park with rustic but nice, well maintained cabins and several great hiking trails. I sketched this leaf on our second day there.

Imaginary Trip to Paris - Eiffel Tower

The only pencil I used on this entire page was a couple of guidelines for the title. All the rest was done with ink or paint, no pencil first.

Built as the entrance arch for the 1889 World's Fair, held to celebrate the centennial of the French Revolution. It was highly criticized when built, often called an eyesore, but it has become the symbol of the City of Light. It was the tallest structure in the world until 1930, when the Chrysler Building was built. It is about as tall as an 81 story building, so it can be seen from all over.

And no, I'm not really in Paris, much as I'd like to be. I'm on an Imaginary Trip with Laure Ferlita.

Imaginary Trip to Paris - Lunch at a Cafe

What says Paris better than lunch at a sidewalk cafe? Watching people, listening to conversations (although not understanding any of it, but enjoying the sound of it), being out in the glorious fall weather! Les Deux Magots was once a rendezvous of the literary and intellectual elite, and is now a popular tourist destination. It was very crowded. The name comes from the two wooden statues of Chinese commercial agents (magots) on one of the pillars.

And no, I'm not really in Paris, much as I'd like to be. I'm on an Imaginary Trip with Laure Ferlita.

Sketching and Watercolor: Journal Style - Lesson 1 Fruit

In addition to my Imaginary Trip to Paris, I am also taking an online class from Jane LaFazio called Sketching and Watercolor: Journal Style. Jane has a very loose painting style that I admire. This is my first painting for Lesson 1. It is a different style than I usually paint, but I like it. I am trying to loosen up!

Fall 2010

I used techniques I've learned from Laure Ferlita to complete this sketch, including laying down colors next to each other and letting them run together or not. This is a lead-free sketch.

"It's been so dry here that it isn't going to be one of our prettiest falls. But I saw this tree starting to turn colors yesterday in the downtown parking lot when I stopped at The Quilting Post, so I returned today to sketch it."

A Map of the World by Jane Hamilton

This is a new author to me, and I really like her writing style.  In the last book I reviewed, I stated "I don't know enough about writing to be able to put into words what I like and what I don't like, but some writing just seems to sing . . ."  That was true of this book.  I have ordered 3 of her other books from PaperBack Swap because I liked this one so much.

It is the story Alice and Howard Goodwin and their 2 daughters, Emma and Claire.  Howard's dream was to be a dairy farmer, and so they purchased a dairy farm in Wisconsin a few years before the beginning of the book.  Alice is a nurse at the elementary school.  They don't fit in with their neighbors.  In fact, only one other family is friends with them:  Theresa and Dan Collins and their daughters Lizzy and Audrey.  Theresa and Alice take turns caring for all 4 girls one day a week in the summers.  On one of those days, when Alice is in charge of the girls, she gets distracted for a few minutes and Lizzy drowns in the Goodwin's pond.  Alice feels responsible and becomes more and more depressed.  Then Alice is charged with sexual abuse of one of the students at the elementary school where she works.  The story is told first by Alice, then by Howard, and then again by Alice.  It is my 18th book for the New Author Challenge 2010 and I rate it 5 out of 5.

Imaginary Trip to Paris - Luxembourg Gardens

We spent the day at the Luxembourg Gardens, but didn't have much time for sketching. Children love to push their model sailboats into the breeze in the large basin of water, and so that was what several of us decided to sketch. It is the largest public park located in the 6th arrondissement of Paris. It is the garden of the French Senate, which is housed in the Luxembourg Palace.

And no, I'm not really in Paris, much as I'd like to be. I'm on an Imaginary Trip with Laure Ferlita.

Labor of Love

I painted this for a challenge issued by Margaret Bednar of In the Moment Challenge blog. The photo was taken by Patty Pitterle of A Moment In Time blog.