Pen and Ink Problem Solving

Here is my drawing that I've been working on in Pen & Ink class, and after almost finishing it, I see that I do like the left side of the drawing better than the right side.  Although in my photograph it was all very dark behind the branch, I like the airy feel of the part that I didn't darken behind the leaves.

So I made a copy of my drawing and cut out that dark part and yes!  Do like that better.  So thanks to the bravery of changing things that I have developed from doing collage, I will cut that part out of my original drawing and then mount it on the same kind of paper. 

Getting ready for class tomorrow!

I worked on collage all day today.  Worked on darkening my "forest" a little in the foreground and putting on a transfer of those handwritten music notes to the "interlude" of the sunny background.  Much to do yet on this piece.

Then finished this little landscape, just because I love doing them.  They are so much fun!  I did put a teeny weeny copy of some cows that I did in a watercolor in there (to the right of the water in the center) but because they are supposed to be in the distance you can hardly see them.  I may make them a teeny weeny bit bigger. 

This is the photograph that inspired me.  My hubby pulled off the road one time in Door County, so I could get some pictures of the cows.  I love cows.

Busy busy

Working on stuff for all my classes this week and will show you later.  Made a big bowl of popcorn to feed my creativity.

Henri' says YUM!  It smells good!

Quilting Challenge

Finished sewing my black block together this morning for the month of September.  Having so much fun with this, thanks to the Rainbow Challenge. 

Added it onto my other monthly blocks.  Only three more to go to complete this year! 

Below is Denise's September piece.

Denise doesn't have a blog, so I am putting hers on here with mine.  I love the Log Cabin design!

And here is her yellow piece for June.

And her white piece for August.  I will have to catch up with getting a picture of her July piece!  Must have missed that one.

Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree. 
Emily Bronte

the Bookmark factory

Tonight is my club gathering.  My club friends of 55 years.  We used to have club at each other's houses and the last few years we have been going out to dinner.  Sometimes we have a little treat for each; maybe something seasonal or such.  I decided to make these little bookmarks for them; the ones that have an envelope made from a empty toilet paper roll.  Then I collaged on them.  I copied my watercolor of leaves on my printer and used that for the background.  Very Fall -ish. 

This is the back of the "envelope".  The bird on the front is from a napkin and the bird's feet are a favorite rubber stamp of mine.

And here is the bookmark that goes inside the envelope.    Front...

and Back.  The music is some that my grandmother had that was handwritten.

And here is how it fits inside.  A little gift of Autumn.  I hope they like them.  It took me all day.

Another week

A new week again and yesterday was Calligraphy class and practicing Italic.  I'm determined to do it!

This morning, Poetry class.  We are all remembering our friend and fellow poet, Marjorie.  Some of us attended her memorial on Sunday and read from her book of poems.  She was a wonderful and inspiring poet.  It was a rainy day and I love this one of her's that I read as I could imagine her walking in the rain above and watching us...

Rainwalking

I like to walk out in the rain.
Some folks think
That's quite insane.
"Not enough sense," they complain;
"She's out there
Getting soaked again."

The rain mingles with my tears,
Washes away my foolish fears.
I sing alone
And the rain hears
I smile alone
And the rain cheers.

My friends, the tumbling clouds above
Keep pace with me
And slowly move
Above the waiting, thirsty land,
And God and I walk hand in hand.

Marjorie Storer

collage

Yesterday, I spent most of the day working on my collage for my class. 

It is hard for me not to have put in some green, but I decided to go with the colors of the sky and sunshine.

The word that I chose is "interlude". 

Not sure where I am going with this, but want to have things in between and coming in and out.  I am also visualizing music when i think of that word.

We'll see...

Back to pen&ink!

Yesterday was the beginning of this session of pen and ink class.  Good to be back at it!  I didn't have an idea of what I was going to do, but brought along some photographs that Julie took a while back.  Thinking about Door County, I focused on these cherries.

I love this new little sketchbook I got.  The pages are 6 inches x 12 inches, so I will continue adding more leaves on the sides to fill the page a little more.  Always love that long shape. 

Yesterday's class

Choosing a word from the dictionary is what I thought would be a fun thing to collage about.  Even if you just opened the book to a page and whatever hit you, is what you chose.  A good way to conquer "the blank canvas".  We began yesterday, after making papers last week, collecting more during the week, and starting yesterday.  Here is Maryann's beginning of "Lotus". 

I love how everyone's own style shows in their work every time!  Barb has a great start!  The word here is "Word".

Marge's "Tapestry" weaving along.

Sandy chose "Bicycling".  I can feel the movement already.

Beautiful soft colors in Bernie's, "Yes".

the morning glories

I love these morning glories.  They're not blue like Sue's, but they are bright and pretty...and they're taking over the house.  They're growing up the purple plum tree.

Trumpeting out loud!

Growing over the bushes.

Up the deck rails.

All over and around.

Up the deck sides.

"What's happening?"

Stretching out into the sky.

Oh!  Oops.

Full moon last night

Oh, Shine on, shine on, harvest moon

                     Up in the sky...

Looking back...

I can't remember the last time I looked at these journal pages from September 2001.  It had been a busy week.  Brent's first dance.  There was a very ill friend in our lives.  We went to the Sandwich Fair.  Julie and Rob's anniversary was coming up.  A neighbor's dog died.  My cousin came in town from Indiana.  And then it was Monday, September 10, 2001.  And look what I wrote - "Heard someone walking upstairs.  What upstairs?"  It was 2:30 in the morning and I was in bed and there is no upstairs.  Hmmm.

The day went on and a dear friend had baked an apple pie and invited us over.  Just "life" going on...

Tuesday morning, September 11, 2001.  We were watching "Good Morning America" and couldn't believe what we were seeing.  I must have just been writing down what I saw and who I heard on television.  I know I still met dear dear friends that day for lunch, just to be together and pray.  And in another part of town, a most wonderfully dear friend died that day. 

"...thou I walk through the valley of death"...I came home, still in disbelief at what had happened, and just kept writing and writing what I heard. 

At Laura's

So Marge and I were off to Laura's art exhibit today and here she is among her beautiful artwork.

And here's "Hank"...

I couldn't wait to meet him, and he is a big sweetheart!

"Carl" is behind the other brown dog (grandma's dog and I forgot his name...tsk-tsk).

"Hank" wants to be in charge and so there goes "Carl" scooting off to the side again.  Hank just wants to be the one nearest to "mommy"...and who's going to argue with him?  Really - he's wonderful!