Last of the Season

After we made our books (Bookbinding Class) We were encouraged to paint in them immediately. In this sketch/watercolor, we picked up some "spent" things in Cathy's garden and painted them. I tried to do a contour-type drawing, but I probably lifted the pen several times :-) We also learned how to paint ribbon for a border. One of my daughters really like this, so I decided to post it.

Contour Drawing and Plate

This is a contour drawing of some of the Peppers and Eggplant I purchased at the Northville Market last Thursday. I had them placed on my Mom's Depression glass (sandwich?) plate pictured above. I learned from a friend that it was made by Liberty Works Glass between 1931 and 1934. The pattern is American Pioneer. I do love having the plate, especially since my Mom probably purchased it from the "dime" store or earned it from gasoline purchases many years ago--it was during the Depression years and I'm sure she treasured it.

Colorful Harvest

This past Thursday was Market Day in Northville. The Fall Harvest is in!!! All the veggies are so colorful--and I couldn't resist buying these colorful peppers and an eggplant. I put them in a hand-made basket I purchased in Charleston, SC a few years back--and decided to paint them in my new (hand-bound by me) watercolor sketchbook. Also bought some Sweet Italian Peppers to eat--oooh oooh--are they ever tasty!

Contour Drawing Harbor Springs MI

Since I bound my new book, I've been trying to use it as an every-day record of my visits to wherever. While we were in Petoskey, MI--my husband and I took an extra day and visited Harbor Springs. I saw this house and thought it would make a good contour drawing--which Catherine is often encouraging us to do.
Here's my first try...It's a little crooked, but I think that's the idea! I lifted the pen only to do the windows. Fun!

Sunset on Little Traverse Bay/Petoskey, Michigan

We had several gorgeous sunsets in Petoskey (Michigan) while we were there. They are very hard (for me) to capture in watercolor. It's always fun to see what one can do!

Bookbinding a Personal W/C Journal

This week I attended a Bookbinding Class to make a personal watercolor journal. The nice thing about this is we put watercolor paper in the book and also a few pages of sketchpaper...thus we can use this book as a personal "diary" of sketches/watercolors of things we see or experience day to day. It took a whole day to "make and bind the book." (It has a clear cover on it for protection) That is why there are relections on it when I photographed. The next day, we painted in it--just to "dive in" immediately and take the jitters out of painting in a brand-new book (fearing that we would make a mistake and ruin it.) This book is bound like a regular book, so I can open it up flat and paint right across two pages.
So I printed my first entry...and the book so you could get an idea of what this is all about.
BTW, I used papers that my Granddaughter Laura designed--and it was hard to make a choice between which design to use. :-)

Drawing in Church/Clouds Petoskey MI

The Church Choir was back after Summer Vacation...They were fantastic! They sang a toe-tapping version of "When the Saints go Marchin' In." Then the Choir Director read the Psalm that I printed on the side of the sketch.
Then we left for Petoskey, MI where I will take a two-day Bookbinding (sketchbook) Class. We watched the Sunset down by the Petoskey lighthouse--so I tried to capture what I could see of it. I'm sure I didn't do it justice. About an hour later, it thundered, lighteninged, and poured rain.

Saturday Afternoon Football

Getting ready to relax (under my favorite afghan) to watch the football game this afternoon--Go Blue!

I was 20 minutes early for my hair appt. this afternoon, so I got out my (Altoid's) Tin of paints and my Purse-size (4 x 5-1/4) Sketchbook and painted my hairdresser shampooing the Client in front of me. Kept me busy until she was ready for me :-)

Clouds Again

Drawing clouds again...today it is Mostly Cloudy...and all I had with me was my "purse-size" sketchbook. It's a little messy, but there were a lot of clouds, and it's hard to sketch in a fast-moving car :-) There were small peeks of blue which I probably have too many of...also, it is very cold for this time of the year! I think it's 63' and it's 2 p.m.

2 pounds/used to be 3

We went to Tim Horton's to buy what we always referred to as "three pounds of coffee" and I decided to look at the amount of the contents, I discovered I was buying slightly more than 2 (two) pounds. Also, a one-pound bag is no longer ONE pound--it's LESS!
Oh well, we love the coffee and need our "fix" so we buy it anyway :-)

I tried to capture these pouffy clouds on the way Downtown (Detroit) last Friday--We were going to Sindbad's on the Detroit River for their "Clams & Chips." We rarely eat fried foods these days...but decided to have one last fling before the summer was over.:-) Sindbad's is a great Seafood place and attracts many people to the Marina (on the Detroit River) out front. Then they come in and eat. Anyway, CC is painting the Fall Cloud patterns, and I am making a "stab" at joining her.

LABOR DAY 2010

It's Labor Day--we're having a relaxing day after a big family BBQ, firepit time, and just enjoying each other! This is our entrance and the flag is up and I can't believe we are winding up the Summertime. It's been a lovely weekend.