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I went without sketching for at least a week after my long trip because I came home to full on family events and house guests. Joyful for sure, but I've also enjoyed getting back to sketching in my daily(ish) life. The first was a forest walk and sketch of the colors changing and a couple of great tree trunks. I started using pencils more with my paints (mostly Inktense water soluble pencils) on the museum trip, and I've kept enjoying them. I like the extra texture they bring.
Next is a farm sketch from Saturday. I went out and had a great visit with my folks, a great walk with Henry (we spotted the Christmas tree I want, though I'm not going to cut it yet), and a little bit of sketching time for me.
Next is a farm sketch from Saturday. I went out and had a great visit with my folks, a great walk with Henry (we spotted the Christmas tree I want, though I'm not going to cut it yet), and a little bit of sketching time for me.
Last is also pencils, using more colors than just one or two base ones. It's the view from the deck of Casablanca yesterday. I had a lovely time sitting out in perfect weather, drinking tea and having lunch and sketching with my best sketching buddy Christina. Always a pleasure.
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I took a day trip to Rowan Oak to call on my show last week and also spent a perfect afternoon walking through the woods to the University art museum and sketching my way back. I am continuing my love affair with the trees on Faulkner's property. I could see a whole second series of prints coming at some point.
I also checked in at the house and took a little video of my show Faulkner’s Trees. It is such a thrill to have my prints in this amazing place.
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I spent a ton of time this year drawing individual letters, coloring them by hand, and scanning them in and then having to clean up the scanner noise. I had done one experiment years ago to put lettering over a background, and it occurred to me yesterday that I could paint strips of color and scan in black and white text and fill in with my prepared strips instead of doing each letter separately. So these images....
became these:
In order to make the image/logo image background transparent in Photoshop try the following:
1.Right click the image layer in Photosho or use the dropdown layer menu to select ‘Layer From Background’.
2.Select the Magic Wand Tool from the left panel and select the image area you want to be transparent using the Magic Wand Tool. Once selected, click ‘Delete’ on your keyboard. With that done you should see the transparent background (a checkerboard pattern) around the image.If some background areas remained non-transparent, repeat the magic wand for each of those areas.
3. Drag in the background image you want to use and size it behind your main image (or just use the paint bucket to drop a solid color there).
4. Use the paint bucket outside your image (in this case around the letters) to drop white or whatever background color you choose. If your color is digital, it will be one smooth transition. The variations and grainiess in the watercolor meant I had to use the paint bucket on numerous areas and then clean up small bits with the eraser tool, but it's worth it for the paint-on-paper look I want.
Finally I drug that whole block of text into the bookmark I've designed to hand out at the book party Burke's is giving me on Thursday, December 5th from 5-8pm. It's part of Cooper Young Night Out, so stores will be open late and Santa will be in the pavilion. I've never had a book party before, and I'm super excited, which is why I'm diving in with this extra bit of fun. Here's the back of my bookmark to go with my new book:
1.Right click the image layer in Photosho or use the dropdown layer menu to select ‘Layer From Background’.
2.Select the Magic Wand Tool from the left panel and select the image area you want to be transparent using the Magic Wand Tool. Once selected, click ‘Delete’ on your keyboard. With that done you should see the transparent background (a checkerboard pattern) around the image.If some background areas remained non-transparent, repeat the magic wand for each of those areas.
3. Drag in the background image you want to use and size it behind your main image (or just use the paint bucket to drop a solid color there).
4. Use the paint bucket outside your image (in this case around the letters) to drop white or whatever background color you choose. If your color is digital, it will be one smooth transition. The variations and grainiess in the watercolor meant I had to use the paint bucket on numerous areas and then clean up small bits with the eraser tool, but it's worth it for the paint-on-paper look I want.
Finally I drug that whole block of text into the bookmark I've designed to hand out at the book party Burke's is giving me on Thursday, December 5th from 5-8pm. It's part of Cooper Young Night Out, so stores will be open late and Santa will be in the pavilion. I've never had a book party before, and I'm super excited, which is why I'm diving in with this extra bit of fun. Here's the back of my bookmark to go with my new book:
I got fired up about the possibilities for this last night, and I decided to make a digital font of these bubble letters that I can just type into Photoshop (once I download my font) and then fill with my paint samples. I got iFontmaker from the Apple store a couple of years ago and have been playing with making my own handwriting font. It's a super easy to use, draw with your finger on a phone or (recommended) a tablet kind of program. The web addresses on the bookmark are in a font I made called Memoir (which is a free download if anyone wants it just for fun). I've drawn out half of this new alphabet. I did all these letters for P is for Possum, for the cover of Memoir of a House and for Portal, and then all the letters in M is for Memphis. I think I'll use it enough for it to be worth the trouble. This is the fun kind of rabbit hole you can go down with your main show (Rowan Oak, up into January at least) up on the walls already and your book in hand for the holidays. I always enjoy some extra play after a big push.
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It's been a busy week of family in town for big birthdays plus doing the Metal Museum holiday artist market on Saturday. One huge moment for me was one of my nephews taking time out from a busy and fun party to go through M is for Memphis slowly page by page and then come and hug me afterwards. No better feeling.
This week I'm trying to organize my studio and house better and gear up for doing Winter Arts for the first time, a month long beautifully curated artist market in a different area of town than my normal shows, so definitely exciting. I'll be printing more cards and getting prints ready to take out there.
This week I'm trying to organize my studio and house better and gear up for doing Winter Arts for the first time, a month long beautifully curated artist market in a different area of town than my normal shows, so definitely exciting. I'll be printing more cards and getting prints ready to take out there.
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Y'all, they've got M is for Memphis on the very front table RIGHT as you walk into Novel. And right next to Ann Patchett. I mean..... This is the bookstore I walked to in middle school, the place of my dreams, and it means so much.
I'm gearing up for the Metal Museum Holiday Artist Market this coming Saturday, November 9th, from 10-4. It's in their big wedding tent (so rain friendly) and a beautifully curated set of artists to fit in that just-right space. I did it last year for the first time and loved the selection of folks, the beauty of the surroundings, and the hospitality of the museum. I'll have a whole stack of my new M is for Memphis book, my Rowan Oak prints, a new dog print, and a bunch more. Set 374 Metal Museum Drive into your GPS for the easy way to get there.
M is for Memphis is also fully stocked at Burke's and Novel and in my online store, and Burke's is giving me a book party to celebrate during the Holiday Cooper Young Night Out on Thursday, December 5 from 5-8pm. I'll have the original watercolors of Memphis places that went into the book for sale (I'm saving them for that evening), and all the stores around will be having special hours and events. Santa will be in the pavilion. Please come celebrate with me if you're able. I've never had a book party and am really thrilled Burke's invited me.
The Faulkner's Trees exhibition is still up at Rowan Oak in Oxford, Mississippi, into January. It's the perfect time of year to visit the house, walk through the grounds to the university art museum (about 1/3 of a mile through Faulkner's own woods, the trail he used to walk to work himself) and drop through Square Books in town. My favorite day trip.
And finally, for the first time, I'll be doing Winter Arts with my prints and all my books instead of just having a book or two on the counter somewhere. It will be in Saddle Creek this year daily from the Friday after Thanksgiving through Christmas Eve. I'll send more info closer to time.
I'm gearing up for the Metal Museum Holiday Artist Market this coming Saturday, November 9th, from 10-4. It's in their big wedding tent (so rain friendly) and a beautifully curated set of artists to fit in that just-right space. I did it last year for the first time and loved the selection of folks, the beauty of the surroundings, and the hospitality of the museum. I'll have a whole stack of my new M is for Memphis book, my Rowan Oak prints, a new dog print, and a bunch more. Set 374 Metal Museum Drive into your GPS for the easy way to get there.
M is for Memphis is also fully stocked at Burke's and Novel and in my online store, and Burke's is giving me a book party to celebrate during the Holiday Cooper Young Night Out on Thursday, December 5 from 5-8pm. I'll have the original watercolors of Memphis places that went into the book for sale (I'm saving them for that evening), and all the stores around will be having special hours and events. Santa will be in the pavilion. Please come celebrate with me if you're able. I've never had a book party and am really thrilled Burke's invited me.
The Faulkner's Trees exhibition is still up at Rowan Oak in Oxford, Mississippi, into January. It's the perfect time of year to visit the house, walk through the grounds to the university art museum (about 1/3 of a mile through Faulkner's own woods, the trail he used to walk to work himself) and drop through Square Books in town. My favorite day trip.
And finally, for the first time, I'll be doing Winter Arts with my prints and all my books instead of just having a book or two on the counter somewhere. It will be in Saddle Creek this year daily from the Friday after Thanksgiving through Christmas Eve. I'll send more info closer to time.
