Baking Powder

I am doing two types of food journals.  One of them is with basic food and this one will be going through Betty Crocker's cook book. Over twelve years ago, her cookbook was given to me from one employer as a going away present.  Intermittently or shall I say rarely I created the recipes inside this wonderful cookbook.  I would like to develop my culinary skills-twelve years later-and learn as much about food, preparing and of course cooking.  I picked baking/cooking ingredients to start off with simply because it was more interesting.  Who knows what will happen if I complete the entire cookbook.

Brenda Swenson -Day 1

A new paper and sketchbook have been released into the market-stone paper. This paper does not use paper, paper byproducts or bleach. I received a sample some time ago and did a sketch with walnut ink and liked the effect. I have dedicated this entire sketchbook to do pen and ink for Brenda Swenon's 75 day challenge. I used brown and black pens to sketch the wooden shoe.

Every Day Matters #2-draw and lamp

I scanned this image in and because of the size of the sketchbook, it barely fits the scanner. I am learning so much in the last few days of my sketching experiences and I can feel my skills becoming stronger every day. As my yoga instructor who tells our class every day: "Practice, Practice, Practice and all is coming." Although I just started yoga once again, which I have been doing steadily since June, my body is slowly getting the strength and flexibility to do the poses. My yoga experience and journey is just a reminder that over time, my drawing skills, and observational skills are improving.

Every Day Matters#1 Draw a Shoe Ink and watercolour

It has been awhile since I have used watercolour with my sketches. I feel as though I have lost my mojo. I also am not sure if it is the paper from the sketchbook that I am using. I generally use hot or cold pressed 140 pound and I have decided to try out the Ink and Wash (watercolour) in a Nature sketchbook. I find that every paper has a different personality and it takes some time to adjust. Well this is it for runners. Tomorrow I will start Brenda Swenson's 75 day challenge and if I have time, I will do another sketch with pen and ink for Every Day Matters.

Every Day Matters#1 Draw a Shoe

Here is my first project for Every Day Matters. I have decided to dedicate one sketchbook for pen and ink and another sketchbook for ink and wash. The purpose? The pen and ink will focus on values, hatching and cross hatching effects and the ink and wash will focus on colour. I was very nervous when drawing this one because it was the running shoe that counts. There was no going back and no more practicing. Tomorrow I will be doing the final running shoe with watercolour and then I will do the challenges weekly while drawing every day for seventy five days for Brenda Swenson's challenge. The only thing with her challenge is that I will be doing in conjunction with pen contour drawings, shading with walnut ink or india ink. I have tried a new sketchbook for this one which is on stone paper. I am excited to start on Monday.

Jane Lafazio-lesson 2

Well I am very behind in Jane's class so I sat down at a local coffee shop and sketched for three hours today. I choose the carrot cake because I really liked the carrot design on top-the cake though was dry. As I was sketching that one, the sun was coming through the window, however, towards the end when I was doing watercolour, the sun disappeared and had to do some from memory. The one with the toucan, was slightly unnerving for me as there was one woman who sat down and watched me for almost two hours. I do get kind of nervous when someone is watching me. Tomorrow, I will be doing lesson 4 instead of two because I will be sketching at a Green house-with a friend. It is way too cold to sketch outside and a greenhouse is a great alternative and I will be surrounded by plants. I can't wait. Hopefully by Monday evening or Tuesday morning I will post my progress

Jane Lafazio-lesson 1

As the course is now in the third week, I am slightly behind due to my cat having surgery and having to be a nurse this past week. Since I have been slightly housebound, I just did the first weeks assignments a couple of times on hotpressed paper. It is so different than the cold pressed paper that I am use to and I don't mind the staccato spots of colour. I think it is fun. This weekend, while catching up on Laure Ferlita's homework in the wonderful beach class, I will also be in the coffee shop too! I absolutely love doing art and I could do this all day!

sketchbook project

The second out of three onions that I sketched.

sketchbook project

Another position for the red pepper.

sketchbook project

A fast version of a red pepper.

sketchbook project -flowers

Sketchbook project -red onions

The first onion out of three.

sketchbook project

A final sketch done at the museum just before it closed.

sketchbook project

Colour versions of the birds at my local museum.

Sketchbook project

These were sepia sketches I did at my local museum.