Oyster Shucking

Rough sketch of my son-in-law intently shucking some oysters last summer. I had planned on working this into a larger painting but not sure my photographic source is clear enough so we’ll see.

Silver Bullet

That’s what my brother calls his little speedster. I’d like to laugh at him for being a middle age guy driving a sports car but, whoops, I have one too! I bought his older model Mazda Miata a year ago so he could buy the Bullet. Unfortunately, a geezer driving a truck jumped out of a store driveway and t-boned me a couple of months ago, but I bought another to take its place right away. I won’t tell you what her name is.

In the Dark

As usual, time has gotten away from me and it is now Day 26 of the Inktober challenge, with today’s prompt being Dark. This was a super fun one, given the Halloween season.

Wild Abandon

#inktober, Day 9, “Swing,” Bombay ink in sketchbook. Really enjoying painting with ink. The title of this post refers to both the model’s pose and how I felt when I was painting.

Enchanted

#inktober2019, Day 7, Enchanted, ink with Bombay ink wash

Who’s a Good Boy

#inktober2019, Day 6, Husky, ink with watercolor wash

Bait

Inktober’s challenge for Day 3 was bait, a topic I’m well familiar with, being the daughter of a fisherman. When we were kids, my brothers and I spent a lot of time in central Oregon at Dad’s favorite fishing spots. A favorite sport was to gather periwinkles for bait. Periwinkles are the larvae stage of salmon flies, both of which trout love. Their cocoons are made of bits of sand and tiny stones, and even agates. We would peel their shell off and Dad would bait our hooks with the grub. Good times. #inktober2019

Lift Up

Participating in the always fun Inktober challenge (ink drawing daily, or as often as you want to, for the month of October). The source photo for this Day 2 challenge was entitled “Mindless,” but the more I worked with it the more it felt spiritual. #inktober2019

The Look

I just finished an online mini workshop with Margariet Aasman on Sktchy. I’ve wanted to learn her method for a long time, and it was so worth the wait.

Mixed media (ink, watercolor, pastel pencil) on blue toned mixed media paper

Hangin’ Out

I wasn’t happy with my drawing so I used it to experiment with ink, liquid charcoal, watercolor, and a permanent ink brush pen. I sprayed fixative between the ink drawing and charcoal layers first so it wouldn’t smear, and glazed over it with the watercolor, adding final detail with the brush pen.

Parrot

Ink and wash, 5x7

Gorilla, Munching

ink and wash in my sketchbook

Harpies

ok, maybe the paper is NOT magic. Paint wouldn’t stay in the intended areas, moving into already painted areas for no particular reason. Very puzzling.

Rooster

The late, great master watercolorist Irving Shapiro once said “there is no magic paintbrush,” but for me there may be a magic paper. I recently rediscovered watercolor board and am loving the way it responds to my brushes and paint. So happy to have rediscovered my old friend!

Totem

I have long felt a special affinity for herons. I had never seen one until about 20 years ago when my marriage was breaking up and they started showing up frequently, both in Hawaii where I lived and on the mainland when I would visit family. It was sort of uncanny, but in a good away. When I researched the species, I learned herons are determined, patient and independent. As an artist, I can identify with those qualities. When I see one, I feel a happy tug in my heart, like there you are.

Splash

A few years ago I spotted this swan being rehabbed in a tiny pool on Sauvie Island. I hope he or she has fully recovered and is splashing in much larger bodies of water now.

Spring!

It’s Draw a Bird Day! 

Gang-Gang Cockatoo

I didn’t realize until I finished this colorful cockatoo that I hardly ever paint anything red. It’s really zingy to see on the palette.

Catching the Lugworm

Yikes, it's been SO long since I've posted anything. Anyway, had fun painting this oystercatcher pulling up his breakfast.