Plus a little buddy I found on my walk the other day. I tend to go for a big double spread of watercolor, but I’m hoping to also exercise some restraint, so some smaller spreads, maybe not cover everything with paint every single time. We’ll see how that goes...

I absolutely loved staying with Judi Munn and John Perry of Perry Munn Pottery this past week. It's great to have creative friends with interesting homes (their handmade dining room chairs are gorgeous) who can talk art and shows and living a self-directed, creative life.

It was great going out and sketching with Judi after the show. Here are a couple more sketches from that, to right and below. On top I drew Judi sketching at the Ozark Folk Center toward the end of our workshop. I'm trying to get myself out of my reflexive use of watercolor and mix up my sketchbook with different inks a little more.

Judi and I were racing a storm while we sketched, which you can see a bit from the clouds below. I'd been eyeing this tree and got a very quick sketch in my journal before we had to bail. Sometimes, especially with good days and special places, I want something in my small art journal instead of just larger watercolors in a random sketchbook. It's nice to have that record of a well spent day.

Memphis Urban Sketchers met at Dixon today, since our show is still up there. It was a perfect morning for painting outside, and I'd been meaning to get back out with my gouache and see how I could do outside, after those magnolia studies went well a few days ago. I'm working much smaller in gouache than I did a couple of years ago when I tried it the first time. I need some smaller brushes for it -- my regular watercolor brushes are too soft for the stiffer paint. But I had fun playing and feel like I'm on the track to somewhere.

I couldn't resist Ceres (at right). I always seem to paint her when I go there, but it's a much different image than my usual, more clear, watercolors.

I’m back to fast moving work again. I’ve had several paintings going lately, including the one above. It’s a little smaller than most of mine plus quite simple, so it was really a two session affair. Again, after struggling with a print that won’t get there, it felt good to dive into something where I could see immediate results.

Pen and ink has also been a lot of fun lately. I started my food journal this week (for three days before the holiday, anyway, and then we’ll see), and that’s got me doing some fast sketching with a fat, felt tipped pen plus a little tone with a brush pen. I’ve carried that over into a new series of self portraits, just for fun. I joined a facebook group called Self Portrait Sundays, so that’s inspired me to do another batch.

I spent the evening at my work table last night with baseball on the radio and a commission to finish. When I was done I did another quick self portrait and also a sketch of my studio helper Mr. Darcy. I haven’t been drawing him much lately and have been missing that. Plus at the bottom is yesterday’s food journal page.

My minister Steve Montgomery retired yesterday after 19 years of leading Idlewild Presbyterian Church. I don't often sketch during worship, but I felt like I needed to mark the occasion, and drawing it for me is a way of memorializing it. I did one sketch during the prelude and one during the children's sermon, and then I paid attention the rest of the time. Sketching is a deep way of paying attention, but it also distracts me from other elements of what's going on.

I was honored that they used my artwork on the bulletin for the last Sunday. Steve Berger had written a song for Steve M. that went well with it, so we used my print to illustrate the song, and it ended up on the front of the bulletin. I love this photo by Frank Kelly of Steve holding my bulletin and listening to a hymn that was commissioned for him. It's powerful for me to belong to a church that understands the importance of the arts in marking these moments and that encourages the artists and musicians who belong to the congregation.