Owl

In honor of the owls nesting up at the lake, here's a weekend watercolor. 

I'm not 100% happy with it, but then, that's usually the case. But I learn a little more with each one. 

This watercolor is 5"x5",  which might seem small. But I'm working on paintings for the miniature show at Parklane Gallery, the largest of which is 3"x5".  The smallest, if it turns out, will be 2"x2".

 If I'm going to keep painting miniatures, I need to buy a mat cutter.  The framing people look at you like you're missing a few marbles when you ask for a mat cut that small.  But I love the immediacy of it.  Even with my level of detail, I can finish a painting every day or two.

Toad-em Pole

Here's a copy of the latest pen and ink. My hands and eyes are both hurting after this one!

This is the black and white version - I'm not happy with the visibility of the top toads, with the busy-ness of the background. So this weekend, I'm going to add watercolor, and see if I can get the toads to pop more. (And since this is safely scanned, even if I screw it up it won't be a disaster.)

This afternoon, I'm going to start working on a piece w/bees and butterflies. It's going to be smaller. Part of a smaller series, actually. I like working small. (the toads are 9"x12", and took forever)

Pen and ink lends itself to smaller work, and I like the rush of finishing a piece. (As, I'm sure, all artists do.)

In other news, Danny is still under consideration for the job in Burlington, VT. It would be quite a change, but probably for the better. I'd certainly love to get back to Eastern forests!

Wish us luck!

Morning

8:10 AM.
Zoe is spinning and leaping through a sunbeam in the living room.

"What are you doing?"

"MO-OM! I'm chasing dust motes!"


Ah, to be that easily amused.

The Key

Busy day, but since Zoe had a playdate, I FINALLY finished this. It will be a bookplate, but I always do the "ex libris" as a separate piece, and combine them in PhotoShop. That way, this can be used for other things.... Such as coffee cups.

This design is available at Cafe Press. Click here.

As you can see, Zoe had a fabulous birthday. This is the party room at the WOW Children's museum. After cake and presents, they spent the rest of the time running around like loons hopped up on sugar. I still can't believe my baby is 4! Happy Birthday, Zoe!

Where The Time Goes...

As a parent, I sometimes wonder where the time goes. Today I figured it out.

I set out an hour to devote to work. I set Zoe up with a movie (yeah, I know... kids should never watch movies or TV.... blah, blah, blah....), some fruit, and some juice, and a firm explanation that I needed to draw, and set to work with an eye on the clock.

Here's the breakdown of that hour:

8 mins: Searching for my eraser and .35mm archival ink pen (somehow, they were in the dollhouse.)
11 mins: Getting more juice, more snacks, cleaning fruit off the floor.
7 mins: Letting cats and dog in and out and in and out.
4 mins: Showing Zoe, on the calendar, how long until her birthday party.
10 mins: Removing towel from the toilet and cleaning up afterwards.
3 mins: Providing tissues and helping with nose blowing.
17 minutes: Actual work.

I did get some sketching done, in preparation for a drawing tomorrow. I should have been doing some cut-paper illustration, but have a nagging knot in my shoulder due to the last 3 days of cutting. So, back to the pen and ink for a day or so.

Also, I just watched the Presidential address. And I think Obama did a fine job. Why do people think he should have fixed things already? Did they think this was fixable in a month? Afraid not. It's going to be harder than that. But I very much approve of his take on healthcare, education, and growing the economy through green energies.

Not a Good Start

Woke up this morning to Zoe complaining that the toilet wouldn't stop. She'd thrown half a roll of toilet paper in before flushing.

But of course she doesn't admit it - she tried to blame it on her "Anty Friend." When I explained that you can't blame things on imaginary friends, she relented- halfway.

"You're right. Ants don't have hands. But I didn't do it!"

So we hopped out of bed to find a flooding bathroom and realize that - somehow- our plunger didn't move with us. (Plungers are things that you don't notice until you need them - especially if they're not there.) So we turned off the water and sent Danny to the store for a plunger - at 7:30 AM.

Then plunging, mopping, and the washing (with bleach) of many, many towels.

At 9, I called a friend to see if her daughter would like to come over and play with Zoe this afternoon. Alas, her Grandma is in town, and she's not available. Zoe's reaction? She burst into tears, and threatened another flood.

Not a great start to a Friday.

Now I'll get some work done - check back tomorrow for a new paper cut.