A Lifetime Passion

From a Guy Kawasaki tweet, I learned about this extraordinary gentleman who started drawing and painting little imaginary maps in 1963 and has never stopped, building entire worlds into three generations. The mind boggles. Read the short article here then enjoy the video. If you're not wowed, then my name isn't Jack Sprat.

Jerry's Map from Jerry Gretzinger on Vimeo.

Hey, I retweeted this, posted it on my Facebook page, and emailed to friends and colleagues. This is one of the most interesting things I've seen anyone do. It never ceases to amaze me what people are up to.

Grid Journaling London Rooftops Pt 2 -

An amazing sketcher in action. Enjoy.

Artist is Millande.

I visit Gasworks Park

for the first time.

I love these drawings meant to recreate the look of early 20th century cartoon sketches to show off new collection of scarves I will never be able to afford.

“I sent my mum an old 1940s Dick Whittington comic and said something like, ‘Think old cartoon sketches you would see in Punch Magazine,’” says the designer Louisa Parris about the instruction she gave her mother, Cherrill Parris-Fox, when the two decided to bring Parris’s debut collection of scarves and hats to life with a series of fashion illustrations. The result: witty and heartwarming pencil drawings portraying distinguished women draped and decorated in Pariss’s striped silk kerchiefs."  (From the NYTimes article.)

I Want This. The body or the dress; I'll take either.

Where was this dress when I had a body to wear it? (Even if I didn't have the pocketbook)

Always a new start.

 Photo from yo+ichiro at http://www.flickr.com/photos/miyano/3536439188/in/photostream

In another life, the one I just left, I would be spending this week in the classroom, juggling the emotions of hope and confidence with a nagging resentment that I was missing a warm sunny August day. My lifelong pal Claudia told me many years ago that, despite the strikes against choosing teaching as a profession, there was the new beginning every year. Even a bad year has an ending, and a teacher can annually start fresh. A luxury most other professions can't boast. I'm wishing all of my friends and teaching colleagues a good year as I move on to something else. I am thinking about you all in the classroom as I enjoy the warm summer days.

As a purse, it's a no-go.

I painted this tote that I got at Joanne's - it was a paisley print in a too-bold green - to use as an art bag at Create this past May. Then I decided with all of its great pockets, I should just carry it around as my GoTo purse. Well, the many inside pockets were way too deep and I could never find anything, even when I knew where they were....I just didn't reach deep enough. My purse life is very schizophrenic - small because I get tired of carrying around heavy, large because I don't have what I need with me. Anyway, decided this one was causing too much stress, and it has retured to its original use and I'll use it at a retreat or workshop when many supplies are needed. I'll try having a tote with all the don't-have-it-when-I-need-it-stuff in the car I can always get to if I need to, but am otherwise down to a purse with a wallet, phone, camera, and a few other small essentials. We'll see how long that lasts. Anybody out there solved the purse dilemma?

Go to Paris with this travel journal

I just pinned a travel journal accounting a trip to Paris from the artist at Art Expiration. Although the blog is in a different language, you will have no trouble appreciating the visual content of this blog, and I especially enjoyed this travel journal a la Mary Ann Moss's Remains of Day style.

Art Saves

I bought Art Saves by Jenny Doh a few weeks back. Didn't think I'd like it as much as I ended up doing so. Thought it would be a collection of sad stories but it was much more positive and uplifting and included some great ideas. Here's a video of Ricë Freeman-Zachary reviewing the book.

                           Click here for video.

Ho Hum

 

 Is there anything as wonderful as a warm nap on a summer's day?

Why I love Seattle

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
View from our deck this morning. Not touched up one little bit.

Oh the places to go

Recently discovered places that I've added to my ever-expanding blogroll. Oh, the talent that's there.

98 Pages - Flip through the pages of the sketchbook to enjoy sketcher Craig Frazier, funny guy that he is


Sketching the Itch - Angela Cartwright, who seems to have her hand in many pots. This one is her pen in hand.

Bearskin Rug - I'm going to check out the drawing games and collaborative sketches after I finish looking over that multi-multi-layered sandwich

ALL THE BUILDINGS IN NEW YORK

Michael Nobbs reminded me of this awesome project.

Slime! What's not to love?

Every year I made Super Balls with the kids, and sometimes I got around to making slime (using Oobleck as the running theme). Here's a video tutorial, and this blogger shared how to make it glow in the dark! Kids will love this at Halloween time.

Can I come? You guys must be a blast.

Source: lisaleonardonline.com via Meka on Pinterest

I pinned this and several other goodies discovered today.

The Art of Breakfast

Take a look at Danny Gregory's new video where he sketches and watercolors his bagel breakfast. Makes me need to go get a bagel and cream cheese. Danny uses ink and pen for his loose drawings - no sketching in pencil beforehand - and Dr. Martin's concentrated watercolors. There are all sorts of ways to get images from mind to paper.

Go here to see video.

Sketching at the zoo

Taught by Barbara Fugate. We spent yesterday at Woodland Zoo. Barbara teaches us to discover the forms and, especially with moving objects like animals, learn to combine our quick sketches. We use Conté crayons (a new medium for me and one that will take getting used to - jury is still out.) We look at the mass of the object - its basic shapes, then and in-and-out-and through contour drawing, then line contours. Just as I teach the kids, we're trying to be careful not to assume and draw what we think a turtle, for instance, looks like, but instead draw only what shapes and lines we see, our hands following our eyes. (One of the reasons I always liked having kids draw an upside down images, so that their brains could get out of their way!) I'm going back soon to do some more. It's fun and very challenging to do these animals.

Sketching at the zoo

I am in a summer sketching workshop, hitting various sites around town. The medium we are using is charcoal. Jury is out for me on charcoal. Don't think I like the messy fingers, which may be ironic since I have paint on my hands and fingers seemingly all the time. I most enjoyed a trip to Woodland Zoo. We sketched quickly, and the animals are hardly cooperative models! Loved the elephants, but the meer was my favorite. So in charge, is he!

 

On the zoo lawn before class. 

Spreading out

So hard to stay inside on a warm August day. Spreading out to the deck. The table gets filled in a hurry.

Workin' (playing, really) in the summer light

Since the studio is torn apart for a new wall, I'm taking advantage of our glorious day (77 perfect degrees) to tear apart my ridiculous pile of magazines to save and discard.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Tip Me Tuesday

has some good things to share and enjoy.



Like:
this Daily Do list

and this pattern for cute tote

Great idea run amok

Sitting on the deck we noted that the siding looked weary on that side. Hmmm ... Why? Called in a handyman when it was clear that something needed to be done. Never had heard of moisture ants ever before. Funny how little critters can ruin a budget -not to mention a studio room. So after spending July organizing the studio in preparation for the rest of my life ( or at least the next few months) and being very smug about it, the whole outside wall is being redone, windows and doors out and the room upended to move it all aside. After the initial shock, I've calmed down, thinking about all the people who have been suffering Real Angst. Nothing like perspective and sunlight to make one feel much better.

Oh, the pictures are blurry because they are seen through my weepy eyes :)