A Sketch in Oil and Other Artful Things

oil in 8 1/2 x 11 " sketchbook

There are still pencil marks visible in this sketch which for some reason seem like they belong. And there's another bunny. Perhaps that's a sign we should get a pet bunny.

Hurley

But this beautiful creature might hunt it. He is a retriever and retrievers like to retrieve things, especially ones that are running (or hopping) away.

wildflowers on the Arkansas River

I hope your first day of Summer was a special one.  We spent it taking a lovely morning walk on the river...

backyard beauty

and lots of yard work was done...

graphite, tinted charcoal, pastel pencils
3 1/2 x 5 inch sketchbook

and the day was finished with some sketching.

What did you do for the first day of Summer?

Sketchbooks, Bunnies and What I'm Reading

8 1/2 x 11" sketchbook
acrylic, colored pencil and pitt pen

 It feels like vacation right now.  I am not painting anything intended for the gallery or my Etsy shop...I'm just working when I feel like it in my sketchbooks.  I never did finish the sketch in my last post.  The children looked sweet as they were so I left them alone.  Leaving things alone is good practice for me because I often keep painting to the point where I wish I would have left it alone. :)

sketchbook sweeties
tiny sketches in a tiny Moleskin
 graphite pencil 

Lately my practice is to stop in the middle of the day and do a quick tiny sketch like these sketches in my sweetie book (the tiny Moleskin).  It goes like this...start some laundry, do a sketch,  wash the dishes, do a sketch...and so on.  My favorite time to sketch these little ones is at night because that's when I'm too tired to do anything else.  It's like saying your prayers at night...only with pencil instead of words.

sketchbook sweeties
tinted charcoal left
graphite pencil right

In 2010 my husband and I went to the Kansas State Fair and I took a multitude of photographs of prize bunnies.  I had every intention to paint them, but never did.  Well, recently I've been thinking a lot about these bunnies and decided to sketch one.  That's him on the right and he turned out pretty cute.  Maybe I will paint bunnies some day.  But for now, I feel like sketching and experimenting in my sketchbooks...

What I'm reading

...and reading this book.  It was sent to me by a generous blog friend and it is a good read.  It has a lot of great insights for us blogging/tweeting/facebooking artists who share our stuff every day.  This is an easy read and I recommend it if you are interested in being more in-the-know about sharing your work in a way that is effective and interesting for others.  I wish this book had been around in 2011 when I started my blog.  I would have included fewer photos of my feet.

I hope you have a great weekend!  Thank you hugely and muchly for your visits and comments!

♥ Lisa

Millie's Midnight Sanctuary

Millie's Midnight Sanctuary
mixed media on 9 x 12 inch birch panel
available here

This makes number 90 out of the available paintings and drawings I have in my Etsy shop.  Ninety!   That's my cue.  My cue to take a break.  I am hitting the sketchbooks for a while.  I am going to create just for the sake of it and I know it's going to feel great!  

Millie was based on one of my sketchbook sweeties...tiny sketches in a tiny Moleskin. I really liked the long sort of messy hair in the sketch, but in the painting it just didn't work.  So I sanded it off and there was the happy accident of the headpiece.  It just seemed to go perfectly with her lacy gown.

For the detailing I used a white Gelly Roll  pen that you can buy just about anywhere.  I love these pens and use them a lot in my art.

Millie as a sketchbook sweetie

Wishing you all the happiest of weekends.  Maybe I'll be back Monday with some fun sketchbook work.  Thank you for your visits and comments...they mean so much. 

Casa

Casa
9 x 12 inch acrylic on paper
available here

I don't always sketch my paintings out prior to starting, but this one I did.  I used two different photos...one of a woman seated on a porch and the the other of a woman standing.  I combined them to make one composition, so it was important to get them sketched out beforehand.  

The kitties were added for interest. 

:)