Interactive 10 Ways

Interactive 10 ways is a cool website. I especially like this part, sent to me by my niece.
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Keep clicking on the pictures. Hit "Refresh" on your browser to go back.

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It's not polite to stare.

The North County Society of Fine Arts Sketch and Paint Out
was held at the San Diego Wild Animal Park today.

We met at the Lowland Gorilla exhibit where the big giant gorillas kept moving because they consider staring a sign of aggression. They just didn't like us staring at them. When the big fella finally got used to it he stared back, growled and looked like he might be able to stare us down.


I remember the vultures looking like interesting characters the last time I was there so I left my partner, Edith to take a look at the . . . Vultures. It took forever to find them and they weren't quite what I expected.

The lagoon is where Edith settled down
and did a pretty nice finished piece on watercolor paper.

I just sketched people and the pelicans.

Whoa, the lagoon gets pretty crowded at feeding time.

Clementine was there too but we lost her.

Careful

Current Favorite Pen

The best part of this sketch was using my new
Pentel Pocket Brush Pen from
Wet Paint: Artists' Materials & Framing
http://www.wetpaintart.com/ecommercepentelbrushpen.asp

I have probably owned every brush pen on the market,
including a few real Japanese brush pens with real hair. . .
Thinking that sketching with a brush may help painting brush work.

This Pentel Brush Pen has a synthetic tip but it is not stiff like some others I have used.
The best surprise came when I put a watercolor wash on my sketch and it didn't feather out all over the place. Now if I can just keep from losing this one . . .

Critique

Stephanie Goldman gave the critique at the NCSFA meeting. She kept stressing drawing from life, "to expand your memory bank". She could tell which paintings were painted from life by the absence of camera colors. I have never attended a critique like that before, it was quite interesting AND educational.

When I draw from photos I feel I am "cheating" even though I only use my own photos. I agree with the memory bank thing. I have always tried to make compositions on my sketchbook pages but as always the subject moves, or something moves in front of it. Why not use my memory bank to finish the darn thing? Just make something up.

Progress

That's all I expect from myself.

Cloud Shadow (or EDM #44)

A trip to the mountains to visit the inlaws and the grandpets. This is "Shadow", the parakeet. I really think they should have named it "Cloud" because it's brother is named "Sky" and besides.... It is pure white except for a few little spots of blue . . . sky. Do you hear me?

This is also Every Day Matters Challenge #44 - Draw An Animal

Susan's back in town!

These were done a few weeks ago before I started feeling like poo poo. My friend Susan is back and ready to go out sketching again. This sketch was done at the Rancho Bernardo Winery. We don't drink the wine, we just sketch! We had lunch too. Man . . . It's good to have her back . . .

North County Society of Fine Arts Sketch and Paint Out

I haven't been feeling up to par. I think you can tell by the sketches and paintings I did at the NCSFA Sketch and Paint out Oct. 6th. I had to go because I am the chairperson. Luckily there were 4 people there. That would have been sad if I was the only one. I tried 2 little pieces on the same sheet of paper, Joan (center) worked with acrylics on canvas board, and Margaret worked in watercolor. Clementine took pictures of the scenery which was awesome! We met at the Orfila Winery in Escondido.

One of my ink and w/c pieces on watercolor paper.

Sketch book journal entry.

Japanese brush pen with watercolor.

The 2 sketches above are just HUGE sketchbook entries.
11 x 14 inches.