Mail Art

I've been experimenting with mail art lately. I had a small package that needed to be sent and that plain old manila envelope just seemed to be begging for decoration. I don't know why, but using these kinds of 'throw-away' surfaces is so appealing to me. Maybe it's because it's not in a sketchbook and needs to be of a certain quality? As I worked on the drawing I kept thinking about what the rooster might be thinking, or at least my experiences with my own roosters, who seem to ALWAYS have a mind of their own. It was fun to imagine this guy stepping into the mud and tracking it across the envelope on his way to other adventures.

Back of envelope

Front of envelope

This started out as a pen and ink drawing then I added gouache, Inktense pencils and graphite. Fun.

More RITR and Inktense

I'm having still having fun with the Rite in the Rain journal and the Inktense pencils. I got out my Lamy Joy pen with the non-waterproof Lamy ink and did a few sketches on binder paper while I was on the phone the other day. It seems like these always come out pretty good for some reason. I like the way the Lamy ink bleeds when you add water to it.

Fluid acrylic background with Inktense pencils and gouache on Rite in the Rain.

Lamy Joy Calligraphy pen with Lamy cartridge ink and watercolor on loose-leaf binder paper.

More 'Rite in the Rain'

Looks like this book is becoming a bird themed book, which is OK with me. I am really enjoying the Inktense pencils I got for Christmas. They work really well with watercolor and gouache and are especially fun on this super slick 'Rite in the Rain' waterproof paper. The quote is from the amazing artist Janice Mason Steeves. I read her blog regularly and this quote just struck a chord with me. So many times I start a work with an idea in mind, several hours go by and I then end up in a completely different place than I expected. It's really cool when that happens. : )

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When a Book is Not a Sketchbook

Recently I've been experimenting with different kinds of sketchbooks...some of them not really designed to be a sketchbook at all. One of these books is the 'Rite in the Rain' waterproof notebook. I was inspired by Roz Stendahl's 2009 fake journal in which she did some exquisite bird drawings in an Alvin Field Notebook, so I went to my local survey shop and picked up the closest thing I could find, the 'Rite in the Rain'. These pages are so waxy that my first attempts to paint on them were a disaster. The paint just beaded up on the surface and refused to dry. Once I added a drop of dish detergent to my water they did spread but the result was less than interesting. After talking to Roz she suggested I really layer on the paint in a thick, inky consistency and that seemed to work. The birds below were done as a test to see how different things would work in the book. The bird on the left was done with Derwent Inktense pencils which are really fun to work with on this super smooth paper. The washes were not quite as good as the bird on the right which was done with a Pitt Brush Pen, heavily loaded pigment of Daniel Smith Watercolor, some white gouache and random scratching with the tip of a bamboo dip pen. It's been a lot of fun working in this book and I plan to try to find one of the Alvin books to try out.

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Tonight's Sunset

Return...

Well, I've really neglected this blog for too long, so one of my recent goals was to get back posting regularly. I have been busy with lots of things, but I am still sketching pretty regularly with my sketch group, the Siskiyou Sketchers. One of the things I've been working on recently is drawing my meals out. I'm still using watercolor but mixing it up with base drawings with oil pastel and Inktense pencils. I'm trying to work with more intense color as I like the effect. I also just started a new sketchbook, a Stillman & Bern Alpha book - which has 100# paper and is sized at my usual 5.5" x 8.5". I'm enjoying the heavier paper, but still getting used to the way it accepts watercolor. Anyway here are a few sketches from recent meals out...

This is from a great restaurant I recently discovered in downtown Medford. It's called the Taste Kitchen at Downtown Market. Amazing food and considered design in every detail of the place. I love going there!

The AMAZING lemon meringue tart I had for dessert. Sitting at the bar is a great spot because you can watch the food being made.

Another lunch at the Taste Kitchen.

A not so great dinner out, but good practice working on ellipses.

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 As you can see, having a gutter in the middle of the page is somewhat problematic. I tried a spiral bound book, the AquaBee, I loved the paper but the ring bind was just too much of a barrier to large drawings. I guess I need to be thinking about a 8.5" x 11" book!

Trip to Butte Valley

Yesterday we managed to get away for the day for a photography and sketching trip to Butte Valley. Turns out it was too cold to sit outside and sketch, but I did get some interesting shots with my camera. One of the reasons I like to go to Butte Valley is the wide open spaces there, the birds at the wildlife sanctuary and the dilapidated old farmhouses which make neat subjects to photograph. The late afternoon light was perfect to catch these subjects...


View of Shasta from the Valley



Butte Valley Airport with Shasta in the Background



This old house is a personal favorite. I keep coming back to photograph it and see what happens over time. The last time I was here was 4 years ago. Since then the roof has collapsed on the back side of the house and the property has become a storage place for irrigation pipe. Another old house we went back to see had been recently bulldozed. Sad.



This male American Kestrel was very coy and kept flying to the next power pole down the road every time I would get too close.



We have a female Kestrel that has become a frequent visitor to our ranch. But this is the first male I've seen.



This ubiquitous Red Tail Hawk was very annoyed with my attention.



I finally figured out that sitting in the back of the truck and a 'stealth' approach was needed.


We also saw a large bald eagle, but I wasn't able to get close enough for a good picture. Maybe next trip...