Catching Up!

Here's a collection of journal pages I haven't shared.

28 May 2019 -- Chubby napping on the porch. We've been inundated by the periodical cicadas this summer.  17-year cicadas sound louder today -- a steady droning presence in the woods.

29 May 2019, 6:30 pm -- Trader Joe's Parking Lot after work. "Pouring rain, crashing thunder, people running to & from their cars or walking with hunched shoulders under umbrellas.  The 2nd day of heavy rain in a row.  I forgot my umbrella, but I don't mind an enforced break to sketch inside my dry car.  Traffic is heavy right now anyway."

9 pm At home, after the rain, fog forms in the valleys.

Portraits of fellow commuters on the bus.

31 May 2019 Back at home at the end of the day watching Chubby in the evening light.

4 June 2019 Breakfasting on a kale and pepper omelet.

10 June 2019

Drawing of a Barn Swallow from my friend Brad's photo.

Summer Trees

A lovely day at the park with my waterbrush and Koi watercolors.

Election Day Sketches from the Firehouse

I spent today as an election worker, writing voter names into a little book.  Because today was a primary election, not many voters turned out to my little country polling place in the township firehouse.  During lulls, I read Hannah Hinchman's A Trail Through the Leaves, chatted with the three other women working the polls, and made sketches of the state park woods across the road.  I struggled to capture the varying leaf textures of each tree species -- big and glossy like the cucumber trees, fine and light like the cherry trees, and dense and robust like the sugar maples.  Even on non-artistic days, I'm trying to squeeze sketching into my life to keep my hand limber.

Create Your Own Journal

I recently created this blank journal out of mat board scraps, an old atlas chock full of maps, and several different types of blank paper I found at yard sales.  I wanted to use up materials I've had in my studio gathering dust, and prepare for an upcoming class I'm teaching for the Continuing Education Department of the Community College of Beaver County. 

Join me for Create Your Own Journal on Thursday, July 25, 2019 from 6-9 pm.  Check out this link to the online course catalog, and flip to page 2 for details of the class. To register, go to:  https://my.ccbc.edu/ICS/Continuing_Education/

I incorporated an old library card pocket I had from a second hand book.

When you sew your own journal, you can include different types of paper.  Here, I used white computer paper and an eco-green recycled paper.

Open Studio Session with Andi

Model Andi gave us some great poses Saturday afternoon.  Here are some pencil drawings from the session.

Spring Progress on Hawk's Hill

Pastel on mat board.

The landscape changes seemingly minute-to-minute.  Softness covers the land -- new growth in the woods canopy paints the hills & vistas with splashes of golden-green, lime, emerald, pale cream, peach & crimson.  White clouds of blossoms begin to fill the orchards. The tenderness of new verdure takes the twigginess out of the landscape.  Happy Earth Day!

A Beautiful Spring Day

Pastel on mat board. (6" x 10.5")

A beautiful morning dawned today.  Creation is filled with growth and bird song and beauty.