Getting There!

I'm catching up slowly but surely! I really struggled with the watercolor on this one. I was going for an Asian feel with the text running in vertical columns behind the image. Not quite there but a good idea. The text on the fortune paper makes the curve more believable. I like that.

I also like the fact that these, though still small, are larger than I usually work. One of my goals this year is to increase the size of my work.

I've got one more to do before tomorrow's assignment is posted-I don't think that's going to happen with three grandchildren visiting today!

Playing Catch Up-Again or Still?

I'm taking Laura Ferlita's online, Artful Journaling Foundations class. I'm running a little behind in my assignments (hmm, didn't my kids and later in life, editors make me crazy when they said this?)but I'm enjoying it. Here are the first three pages. Only two more and I'm caught up!

Small Big World

Last week we joined friends for a great evening under the stars at the Pritzker Pavilion to hear the Grant Park Orchestra. It was a beautiful evening. No need for the umbrellas we lugged along with our chairs and dinner! While I sketch often when I'm out by myself or with the Monday sketch group this is the first time I ventured to sketch while out with "people".

Little did I know that Drew Bryant was there too! I love what a small big world we live in and how Flickr shows it to us!

It's Not Easy Painting Green

Our sketch group went to the Caldwell Lily Pond yesterday. It was a beautiful location but I'm still struggling with the Khadi paper. The paper is so absorbent that the paint just doesn't flow no matter how much water I use. Green isn't one of my "easy" colors either. I seem to go from dull to neon. It definitely was a green spot and I definitely prefer neon!

There was a huge frog in the pond. He made the loudest, strangest sound, not anything like I expected. He sounded like an air conditioner turning on - hmm, maybe it was his way to beat the heat.

I discovered that a Sharpie makes some nice lines on the Khadi so I think I'm going to change my approach in this book, maybe just sketching and eventually adding spot color later.

All in all it was a good day. A beautiful day, a beautiful location, good friends, good talk and I learned something!

I'm Late, I'm Late

I'm finally getting around to posting this. Last week we went to see "Lookingglass Alice" at the Lookingglass Theatre in Chicago. The show was superb. The Lookingglass Theatre never disappoints. The best part, however, was watching the wonder and excitement in our granddaughters' eyes as they were engrossed in the chaotic wonderland.

LOL, I hope they don't try any of those stunts at home - worse yet, at my house!

Summer in the City

Every summer I'm delighted all over again by the incongruous palm trees on Oak Street Beach!
We had a wonderful Fourth of July, sitting under those palm trees with family in Chicago, enjoying the beach, a delicious picnic and fireworks.

I hope your day was as happy and safe.

Where's the Happy Medium?

These two sketches are from our Monday sketch group. The first one was done at the Chicago Cultural Center where we also viewed the Romare Bearden exhibit. The exhibit was extensive and covered his many ways of working. Needless to say it encouraged us to discuss and chat. I didn't get much sketching done.

The second sketch was done last Monday at the Lincoln Park Zoo's new Nature Boardwalk. There wasn't much chatting going on and I produced this overworked watercolor. It was still fun and it's always good to make time to sketch but somehow I must learn to strike a balance between socializing and sketching! LOL