- Published on
I've been putting the roof damage drama on facebook, and somebody at church noticed I was having a hard week. These flowers from Sunday's service appeared on my porch Monday afternoon, and they've been making my week brighter. Last night I decided to sketch them while watching a little British mystery drama (my favorite genre). I was really touched. I haven't had the extra bandwidth to get there much at all these last couple of years, and it felt lovely to still be included and cared for.
- Published on
It was a wild weekend. Memphis had a storm with 70 mph winds and a downpour, and an hour later (why?) one of my older trees just broke and dropped a large limb on the house. Fortunately the biggest part was on the ground, but it's bad enough to be a headache for sure.
Oddly, and gratefully, I kept power while a third of the city was out, so the upside is that my family who lost power came over for breakfast the next morning. I had holes in my roof but power, and we ended up with an unhurried, impromptu family breakfast, which was a delight.
-As well as power, I found out that I also had bees. While I was staring at the roof, my brother in law noticed a swarm around the branch on the ground. A friend of mine used to keep bees, so I got her to alert the local beekeeper grapevine, and it worked fast! I'm still trying to get the limb off the roof so it can be tarped, but by golly, Jalen Prater with the Works Urban Farm showed up and got to work. He donned a beekeeping suit, got his smoker going, and managed to find the queen in all that mess. He carted off the chunk of tree with the biggest section of hive and took it to the non-profit urban farm to re-home them and give them a safe place to stay.
All of this took place just outside my work table window, so I got lunch and watched the show. Halfway through I pulled myself together enough to realize it was a golden sketching opportunity and did a sketch before he was finished and pulling away. It was impressive, and I am so glad the bees are safe. With any luck my roof will also be safe before the next rain gets here.
- Published on
Dixon has been my refuge really always but especially since the start of the pandemic. I've been trying to get myself on a schedule to go once a week or so and just drink in a little art even if I don't stay that long. I'm not managing that, but I get there pretty often. Yesterday I went to see the stunning Vuillard that's on loan from Cleveland for just a couple of more weeks. I'm going to miss it when it's gone. And then I sat in the residence a good while. I love their chairs with a coffee table of rotating art books. It's such a peaceful place. I sat for ages looking at the Berthe Morisot across the way and the Courbet next to me. I noticed a statue that I didn't remember, which is apparently on loan for a bit. I decided to get my big sketchbook out again, after having fun with it the night before sketching Henry. Since Dixon only allows dry media, I'd actually had the foresight to grab another one of those graphite crayons for my going out sketching kit, and I used it with the neocolor watercolor crayons to do a big, fairly loose sketch. I put a little water on it when I got home, but only for the central figure.
Driving home Park I spotted Shreya's Wood Fired Pizza, which I had read about the Daily Memphian as having butter chicken pizza. They were just opening up, so I did a quick sketch of the wood fire oven while waiting on my pizza. It was delicious, especially the generous chewy crust. It's always fun to try a new place, and I was glad I did.
Driving home Park I spotted Shreya's Wood Fired Pizza, which I had read about the Daily Memphian as having butter chicken pizza. They were just opening up, so I did a quick sketch of the wood fire oven while waiting on my pizza. It was delicious, especially the generous chewy crust. It's always fun to try a new place, and I was glad I did.
- Published on
A sketcher I follow on IG, Mark Alan Anderson, inspired me to pull out my water soluble graphite crayon after seeing some of his vacation sketches where he got simple shapes and deep, rich darks. I had my biggest sketchbook within reach and one of these crayons in the drawer of my coffee table (and almost always a couple of small jars of watercolor water and some brushes on the table next to me), so I did a fast one of Henry as he kept moving (of course) in his favorite chair. It's always a happy thing to sketch a little. I turned in a Memphis Magazine illustrated page this week, and I'm slowing working on the memoir, but illustration often turns more careful and tight for me. I like the style, but it's also good for me to go fast and big sometimes to make sure I don't get too precious. This was fun. I need to keep my sketchbooks next to me and do more of these.
- Published on
I've been walking more inside than outside this summer with the bad air quality from all the fires. Fortunately we have a huge, converted old Sears distribution center in my neighborhood that has plenty of scope for a walk (even if I'd rather be in the forest). One of the many cool tenants is the Memphis Listening Lab which has a host of records, and you can go in, choose one, and just sit and listen. It's a magic corner of Memphis in line with our heritage as a music town. I sat outside their hallway and did this tiny sketch with one fountain pen and my gamboge watercolor marker (that always looks a little more orange on the scanner) at the end of my walk. I'm doing so much illustration work right now that I can't really show, so I'm trying to remember to at least occasionally take the time to sketch for my own pleasure.
Memphis Urban Sketchers met at Crosstown a few months ago, and here's a bigger, longer sketch I did inside the listening lab then with the same marker for one pop of color and a fountain pen/brush pen combo.
Memphis Urban Sketchers met at Crosstown a few months ago, and here's a bigger, longer sketch I did inside the listening lab then with the same marker for one pop of color and a fountain pen/brush pen combo.
- Published on
I got invited to dinner by a pair of lovely friends on Saturday night. I haven't had dinner out at someone's house (that's not our family get-togethers) in way too long. I bought some flowers at the farmers market to take as a hostess present, but I decided it would be a win win if I sketched them first. I got out my biggest sketchbook and did a loose sketch in green ink with my fat dip pen. Then I used my biggest brush but still fell back into the more careful illustration style I've been using lately instead of staying as loose as the original drawing, but I both enjoyed the process and am happy with how the page turned out. Henry nicely posed for me for a minute down in the floor, lifting up his head as he heard some other dogs bark. It's always fun to include him.
While I had the sketchbook out I leafed back through it. I've been using a big one more than ever before this year, lately with the dip pen. I came on this sketch of poppies using Neo-color watercolor crayons plus some paint (more farmers market flowers from back in the spring). It has felt too careful and anemic every time I flip through this book, so while I was sitting there with the dip pen and case of colored inks, I pulled out the Diamine Ancient copper that I love but that can sometimes be too much. It was perfect for this job, since I already had the paint down, and it wouldn't be washing everywhere while I painted.
While I had the sketchbook out I leafed back through it. I've been using a big one more than ever before this year, lately with the dip pen. I came on this sketch of poppies using Neo-color watercolor crayons plus some paint (more farmers market flowers from back in the spring). It has felt too careful and anemic every time I flip through this book, so while I was sitting there with the dip pen and case of colored inks, I pulled out the Diamine Ancient copper that I love but that can sometimes be too much. It was perfect for this job, since I already had the paint down, and it wouldn't be washing everywhere while I painted.
So here is the updated version, bolder and looser. It's not my best sketch, but I'm much happier flipping through the book now. This one doesn't jump out at me as super disappointing anymore at least.
- Published on
The Canadian smoke cleared (we've had terrible air for several days now), so Henry and I headed to the forest. My reward for getting out early was an up close and personal conversation with a barred owl. It had been a while since I'd seen one, between my fatigue and the bad air keeping me out of the forest. It always feels like a blessing, a visitation. She swooped in front of me to land quite close and unusually low on a nearby branch and sat there and let me sketch her until Henry got too close. Then she moved further off and higher, and I drew her again from the back.
It was a perfect start to the day. I followed up with second tea on the back porch reading the paper and then getting back into the graphic memoir, which I'd stalled out on for a few days. I'm at almost 50 pages, and I'm still so much enjoying that project. I've been doing much more of that than sketching from life lately, so it's nice to have something exciting to share here. I have some hope of getting the memoir published, so I haven't wanted to pt much
It was a perfect start to the day. I followed up with second tea on the back porch reading the paper and then getting back into the graphic memoir, which I'd stalled out on for a few days. I'm at almost 50 pages, and I'm still so much enjoying that project. I've been doing much more of that than sketching from life lately, so it's nice to have something exciting to share here. I have some hope of getting the memoir published, so I haven't wanted to pt much
I was glad I had taken a couple of photos before I started sketching since she got startled halfway through. Usually my owl pics with my lame, old iphone are super grainy, but she was close enough I actually got a good one. What a treat.
- Published on
There's a 1900 Parisian cafe show at my local museum just now (Dixon). I love that time period and the whole slew of different styles they had going on, and Vuillard is one of my favorites. There is one stunning Vuillard on loan from the Cleveland Museum of Art, and I'm so grateful to be getting to spend some time with it here. Once again I'm having to make do with the artificial colors of pencils and crayons since it's only dry media in the local museum, and it's a little too candy colored. I also sat on a bench across the room, so it's just an impression from there instead of trying to get all the details in, but I loved sitting and drinking it in for a while. A perfect sort of Saturday.
- Published on
I had such a welcome day yesterday. Events have overtaken me lately, and I've barely been getting through the necessaries with no time for the soul giving extras. I kept yesterday morning to finally see the new Parisian Cafe paintings exhibition (clustered around 1900) at Dixon yesterday. Like all large group shows it was a mixed bag, but the good stuff was really good. There was a stunning Vuillard, who is one of my favorites, and a lot of great prints (always happy for me) including a lifesized Steinlen cabaret poster that was beautifully designed and executed. I love that 1900 era, with so many different styles and subjects burgeoning. Clearly in a specific subject matter you don't get as many of the symbolists I love from that period, but they did have a Munch I'd never seen before, and there were a lot of recognizable artists as well as a bunch of new ones to me.
Beautifully, the museum cafe has designed a special menu just for this show. I treated myself to a salad Nicoise outside with the trimmed trees that also feel like Paris and the Rodin sculpture in the background. It was good to see art and take time to sketch again, and I did a big, loose piece in my biggest sketchbook with a dip pen, some green ink, and a bunch of watercolor on top.
That evening was a bonus urban sketchers outing to Shapeshifter Art School. They have two new shows up in their galleries, and it was such pleasure to just relax and sketch and talk with friends. I ended up sketching our founder Elizabeth Alley, who is also a founder of the school. She has been such a light to the art community here in Memphis.
Beautifully, the museum cafe has designed a special menu just for this show. I treated myself to a salad Nicoise outside with the trimmed trees that also feel like Paris and the Rodin sculpture in the background. It was good to see art and take time to sketch again, and I did a big, loose piece in my biggest sketchbook with a dip pen, some green ink, and a bunch of watercolor on top.
That evening was a bonus urban sketchers outing to Shapeshifter Art School. They have two new shows up in their galleries, and it was such pleasure to just relax and sketch and talk with friends. I ended up sketching our founder Elizabeth Alley, who is also a founder of the school. She has been such a light to the art community here in Memphis.
- Published on
I play old time music every Monday night in someone's back room, just for fun. Actually my whole month has been knocked off kilter, so it was my first time in a few weeks, and I also haven't been sketching the last 10 days or so. When Mike's banjo string burst late in the jam, I handed him my banjo. He is definitely first chair banjo and the backbone of the group. I told him I haven't been sketching, so I got out my tiny (3.5x5") purse sketchbook and did a series of people with instruments for the last half hour. These are all basic black ink in a Lamy fountain pen plus a little bit of Payne's grey Windsor and Newton watercolor marker. I'm pretty bad at likenesses, but I love drawing the juxtaposition of bodies and instruments. It was a great way to finish out evening and get my sketching jump started again.
