4/30/11

Dusty

I couldn't decide what to draw, and I don't want to repeat myself, but Dusty was right there, and oh well, it's not really repeating, because she's never in the same position!

4/29/11

This electric fan came home from Hal's office because he couldn't take it to their new location, so it's sitting in my kitchen until we find a place for it. It couldn't decided whether to be a contour drawing or a value study - it's a bit of both.

4/28/11

Malcolm and Dusty

Very busy day today, no time to do a one- or two-hour drawing. But time enough to do a 30-second drawing!

4/27/11

Oil and vinegar

I did a quick but careful sketch to get everything placed right, with a light pencil, but then I jumped in with a 9B and went right at the values very quickly. I didn't really erase or go back over anything. Having to get up very early is a good motivator for speed!

4/26/11

Cocktail onions

I liked the way the jar lid and shadow were so dark, and the onions were so pale. I drew it with a 9B woodless pencil.

4/25/11

Library kitchen windows

A very quick sketch during my break at the library today, with the afternoon sun streaming in the windows (blinds on the bottom, so people outside can't see us sitting around and eating.)

4/24/11

Tin cup, 8B woodless pencil

4/23/11

Tray of shot glasses, black Prismacolor pencil

Another little gem I got from an antique store and have been looking at for a few years - finally decided to tackle it. I think I spent almost two hours on it, which felt like an hour and a half too long. The pencil didn't exactly fly over the paper. But once I started it, I had to slog on through to the end.

4/22/11

Crumpled paper

I was going to set up a big still life and do a long drawing today, maybe in preparation for a large painting, but I got involved with reorganizing my studio... so I ran out of day, and had to do this tiny drawing.

4/21/11

Another amber glass thingy

This actually started out as a drawing of Malcolm, but he left as soon as I had drawn one ear. So I turned it into this amber glass mini-vase (?) with another fancy, lacy edge. I used a china marker, so there was no erasing, and I didn't plan this one out... just drew it fast, all in one go. It's pretty rough, but it's late...

4/20/11

Afternoon nap

I said that some days the drawing might be just a scribble, and that's what today's is. I think in order to fit him on the page, I drew Malcolm as an adolescent kitten, instead of the well-padded mature cat that he is. Everybody loves using Dusty's fluff as a pillow.

4/19/11

Amber glass candy dish

I bought this pretty little bowl years ago, intending to put it in a painting, but it has always intimidated me with its complicated pattern. I thought that drawing it would help me understand its structure and make it possible to paint. Its scalloped edge is divided into 12 sections. I'll have to paint it, because its beautiful amber color just can't be expressed in a graphite drawing.

4/18/11

Roasted lamb shank bone

Today was Passover, and I was so busy cooking and getting ready for the Seder, and then having the Seder, with company, that when everybody finally left I realized I hadn't done my drawing for the day. So I drew the roasted lamb shank bone from the seder plate, which I had burned to a crisp in the toaster oven. We didn't eat lamb, we just needed the bone for the seder plate. It's symbolic, y'know.

4/17/11

Geomags

My kids used to play with these a lot, but they've been neglected lately. They're very strong little magnetic rods with steel ball bearings, endlessly build-able.

4/16/11

I drew the little man cup's lady friend on the same piece of paper. She says "Benihana of Tokyo" on her back. I don't know where he's from. They seem very comfortable together.

4/15/11

I was still wiped out from our trip to Baltimore last night, so I was good for nothing today. Finally, around 4:30 in the afternoon, I went out for a walk and took my sketchbook. I was headed for Rita's for an ice, and stopped to do a drawing on the way, so I would feel like I had worked for my treat. Tonight I sketched a couple of kitties.

Cherry blossoms

Dusty

Malkie

4/14/11

We went to see The Mountain Goats again, this time in Baltimore, at a tiny hole-in-the-wall club called Ottobar. Alex was right at the front of the stage, but I got a seat on a bench up in the balcony, which was right next to the left side of the stage. I had a good, up-close view of the backs of the band. I could have reached down and patted the keyboardist on his head. The sound quality where I sat was terrible (I wonder how the band can gauge whether they're on key, because it all sounded off to me, since I was behind the speakers.) Anyway, here are my sketches:

Before the concert

The opening band - Megafaun

Still Megafaun

Bass player Peter Hughes and John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats

The Mountain Goats' drummer John Wurstler

4/13/11

People on the train

I took Metro today to get to the National Gallery for my copying day, and the train broke down. I sketched these people while we waited for the "rescue train" to push our train into the next station so we could get off.

Homer's "The Red School House", day 2

Here's my copy so far...

4/12/11

Japanese restaurant cup

I worked an inordinate amount of time on this guy, and was too tired to put the lady cup in. I'll put her in another day.

4/11/11

Alex watching the eagles

Alex and I have both been totally hooked on watching the eagle family! If you haven't seen them yet, here's the link again!

4/10/11

Lucky cat

I found this in a thrift store - it seems to be a cup for a fancy drink in an Asian restaurant - it's hollow, and has a hole for a straw in its upraised paw.

4/9/11

Antique amber sugar bowl

I went through a phase several years ago when I visited antique stores and bought lots of beautiful little objects.

4/8/11

For Phil

There was a guy in my sophomore painting class who would thumbtack a dollar bill to the wall and do a painting of it. This reminded me of him.

4/7/11

Tree outside the library break room window

A fifteen-minute break is not really enough time to do a drawing, so I did this over two days. I could have gone on, but I didn't have time to do another drawing today, so here it is.

4/6/11

Glass of water and brown egg

I should have worked more on the glass of water - it's a little lopsided - but it was late and I had to stop.

4/5/11

Mama Eagle

I did this sketch from the live feed on my computer from the "Eagle Cam", a web cam that has been placed beside an eagle nest in Decorah, Iowa. I heard about it on NPR today, and found the feed here. It is streaming live video of a mother eagle on her nest. It's night now, and I've watched her fall asleep. She has two babies that have hatched already, and one unhatched egg under her. That bunch of black scribbles in the lower left of the drawing is a dead crow in the nest. I sketched one of the babies just in front of her chest.

4/4/11

Jar of pencils

These are the woodless graphite pencils that I've been drawing with. I used the 8B for this drawing. They are absolutely the best thing since the pencil!

4/3/11

Sliced mushrooms

For tomorrow night's flat bread pizza!

4/2/11

My shoes

It was pretty late, and I still didn't know what I would draw - then I looked down and saw my shoes. I drew them until Malkie started playing with the laces, then I knew it was time to stop. Do you know the word for those little plastic tips on the ends of shoelaces? (Aglets.) I used a fine Sharpie to draw this - I didn't know they made such a beast. Nice pen.

4/1/11

It's the first of the month - Self-Portrait Day.