My friend Mandy who works for Novel bookstore in town had a brain wave a few years ago and realized that the Scholastic book fair day was the absolute best day of school and that grown ups should get to have a little of that happiness too. So she invented the Skol-astic book fair at a local brewery. Various bookstores and comic book artists and other book nerds set up tables in the huge indoor space. Burke's Books invited me to join their table for an hour's worth of book signing, and since it was a dog friendly space they said please bring Henry too, since he's part of the family.

At the last minute, my dad asked if he could come too and be there for me, which was lovely of him. It was super low key, but it was sweet to have him there. I did a little sketching while I was sitting there so as not to follow potential buyers around with sad puppy dog eyes (which is why I usually knit through my own shows -- I'm available but not intrusive). I mostly sketched Henry, of course, who was hanging out happily. It was fun to watch people see him and then spot him on the cover of his own small book Portal. He made a couple of sales.

I also sketched Dad. People are hard, and it looks almost nothing like him (except for the bushy eyebrows), but I'll have the record in my sketchbook that he wanted to come down and support my art. That's priceless.

Christina and I went to Tonica for a second time. It's a tapas place right in the neighborhood with a small back patio that feels like a cafe alleyway from Europe and that also is dog friendly. I appreciate the places where I can walk Henry, get a lovely meal, and walk home again. I also appreciate the slightly fancy places that still welcome dogs, since Henry completely panics if he's left at home alone.

I was right at the end of a sketchbook, and I did the last two pages. I wasn't super inspired about anything except my truly lovely sangria. Always sketch the pink drink, to misquote another friend. I seem to get the base of every wine glass I draw way too big and only realize it after the fact, but I had a good time anyway. Christina was facing the other way, back towards a tiny, lush patio of the business next door, and she was still working after dinner. I decided to do an even faster one just for fun. Neither is really great, but I'm always happier when I sketch, and it's always good practice.

I'm working on a companion piece to my first snow tree, but it's really slow carving with all those tiny branches. I can work on it for a couple of hours in the morning when the light is best on my print table and I'm fresh. Then I do some other work later in the day. I won't be able to proof it for several more days yet, but I'm looking forward to seeing how it turns out. I'm drawing out a spring tree print with leaves on all those branches, which won't be fast (I mean, what carving is?), but which should move at a much better pace than this current one.

You can also see my muse watching me hopefully and waiting for a trip to the dog park.

I'm trying to figure out how to help my dad with taxes for the first time ever, and it's a LOT. So I'm also trying to sketch a little along the way for happiness. I did this one the other night, and it's my favorite sketch lately. I really piled on some layers to get the watercolor that dark, though I also used a black brush pen on Henry's darker parts. He's a good model and even better companion, and I'm grateful.

I've been trying to remember to stash my sketching bag in easy reach of the couch. Henry is expressive in sleep and fun to draw. I had a low energy day yesterday, but I've been missing drawing, so I did a quick one of Henry on the sofa with his paw across my leg. I had planned to try to get my favorite lamp in too, but I sketched Henry big and only managed the base of it. The top sketch is from a couple of weeks ago. His ears make me happy.

I've been really busy with family business lately and not getting much art time, but I am taking breaks to get out in the sunshine and enjoy spring. It refills the cup. Henry and I took a lovely afternoon hiding deep in the old forest so I could sketch and enjoy the wildflowers, and I decided to put him in the foreground of this first one. I did a number of sketches of Mr. Darcy leaning against my knees or sleeping on my feet, and the intimacy of those sketches makes me happy. Here I had looped Henry's leash over my boot while I made a mess of sketching some trillium. I did this second sketch after, which I was really pleased with. It much better captured the full joy of that afternoon.

The next day my sister Erin suggested an impromptu visit to the family farm to pick the daffodils that have naturalized over the 19th century home site out there (the house was gone before I was born). She and her boys met me out there. They all moved crazy fast, and I got Wesley (the smaller one bending over) too big, but it was fun to catch that moment on the fly. I stayed after and finished the background. Always draw the bits that are going to wander off first.

Yesterday I went back to the park after spending most of my day doing business-y things instead of making art. It felt lovely to walk and sketch. This tree has been calling my name for several weeks now, and I enjoyed settling in to sketch it.

I've been doing so much show stuff lately that it was lovely yesterday to take a whole day for sketching and friends and art. Memphis Urban Sketchers met at Dixon yesterday, one of my very favorite places. It's been crazy cold this past week, but it was warmer today and very sunny. I found if I sat in the sun, it felt great to sketch and drink in the outdoors a while. I did the top sketch, a little labored but fun, chatting with one friend. Then I went inside to warm up as the sun shifted and had a great conversation on illustration with another friend in the cafe. I drew two more friends, and the paradise blue ink ran unflatteringly into their faces (which I should have left white given the ink I was using), but I loved the half done bookshelves behind the scene.

I had about fifteen minutes left to draw in one of the galleries, so it's wonkier than I would like (and I can't get the lovely muted teal color in pencil), and I added the left bit outside after we were breaking up but still chatting.

After THAT a few of us went back to midtown and ate takeout Golden India outside on the patio in the sunshine (I'm still reveling in all that time outdoors after some indoor days), and finally I sketched Henry on his favorite chair just before bed. I was totally going yesterday, and it felt great to just flat out draw. None of them are fantastic, but it all felt so good just to do.

I've been chasing around after shows lately and not sketching as much as I like to. I'm trying to remember how happy I am when I take the time to sketch instead of watch tv or stare at my phone, so I've put my Inktense pencils by the sofa and have been doing some evening sketches of Henry (of course). The pencils take less set up and effort than paints, so they make it easy to sketch when he's snuggled in and being cute. The first two are the same evening, still in my boots from Thanksgiving dinner.

After years of using a square format sketchbook that opens up to a strong horizontal, I fell in love last year with a more upright version, slightly larger than my small square sketchbook but smaller than the larger watercolor version I had been using. It didn't feel as time consuming to open and just do something in, so it became my easy go-to for almost all situations. The smaller square book (5.5x5.5"), though, fits beautifully in my small purse, though, and I enjoy switching up formats sometimes. I'm trying to remember to reach for it and use it as well. Here are a few recent(ish) sketches in that book.

Memphis Urban Sketchers met at the neighborhood Art Walk on Saturday. There were crafts and art and dogs and food trucks, and a good time was had by all. I got to sketch this fantastic food truck first and then had kebabs and grilled veggies and rice from them after, hanging out  at the festivities. Henry made 25 new friends while I sketched. He's my super extrovert dog.

The food truck is my favorite sketch I've done in a while, and it was my second of the day. I did a starter sketch in walnut ink with a dip pen since I'm trying to pay attention to Inktober this year, and I've been remembering lately how much fun a dip pen is.

Henry is perfect for Inktober with my fountain pen with the fude nib that has a nice dark permanent black ink in it (also the base of the food truck sketch), and I've paired that with the warm grey Pentel brush pen for years. It's a satisfying combination, so I've been sketching Henry a lot at the start of the month. He is still periodically challenging on a leash (walking companion is his secondary job description), but he is absolutely holding up his end of the bargain on being my muse.