The Sketchbook - A Confession

I have been working on and off, on my sketchbook for the 2nd year of participating in the Art House Co-op Sketchbook Project Tour 2012.

It's not due til the end of January. 2012.

                                 My sketchbook was not going as well as I would have liked.
                                         

                                        Then it took a different turn - it became Yoshi's story.

                                        Now, I've decided, I do not want to part with it!

I think the sketchbook project is a great thing - and I was proud to participate in it last year.
And, it's certainly not that I think my original art is too good to be included - quite the opposite!!LOL There are some extremely talented illustrators and artists participating this time around!! I don't know how they can part with their works of art!!!

Overall, on the tour, my first sketchbook was only seen by people who actually knew it was there. It kind of got lost in the thousands (literally) of books in the tour. I am proud to have it there - that was the first time I had ever attempted anything like that.


And, since, I am not the most prolific artist out there - I decided I really like these original preliminary "yoshis" too much to let them go!!!

Having procrastinated  on what the book should have in it, until the last month or so, helped me in that decision - but mostly, it was, I like my sketches too much!!! I hope that doesn't sound vain- I am just attached!!!LOL

So, I guess Art House can consider my entry fee a donation- 'cause I am keeping the "yoshis", to work on at my leisure!!

Here are a few of them - just beginning - done with pencil and watercolor pencils, some will be finished in Pigma pens.

                                                        Baby Yoshi, mini donkey - born Feb 2010

Yoshi with his mom, Ocean

  Now, this little Yoshi below, was taken at the proper angle- blogger refuses to acknowledge that - tried to crop, then rotate, save as, etc - blogger will not show this upright!! Frustrating!!!!! It was taken exactly as the others were, and they are loading properly.

                                                  Almost 2 year old Yoshi - he eats well!!!!

Naughty Yoshi - I discovered he likes to nibble on tails - two GORGEOUS flowing tails are now "trimmed" on the outer edges!!!!!!

There were a couple more, but they are not loading properly, so I will save them until another time.

Dandelion Fever

With its cheery little countenance, the dandelion has to be one of my favorite little wildflowers. Great in salads, very good at cheering one up, they are quite prolific, much to the consternation of gardeners!

My husband hates to see them in his "perfect" lawn- but we live in the country now - we don't have a lawn - we have a field!!! Dandelions are very much at home there!!!!

While the horses were grazing, I was admiring the dandelions, and decided to awaken my sketching  abilities- notice I did NOT say talent!

I picked the several stages of the dandy lion, minus the puff ball- and tried to replicate them with paper and pencil.

 A little yellow gel pen embellishment- and this is the best I can do.
But, I am not giving up- it was fun, and practice makes perfect-maybe!!!

Inmate Art

I was working all day yesterday on organizing my studio (pix in another post soon).

I came across a pencil sketch I discovered at the thrift store.

It was created by a woman inmate, incarcerated in Illinois. There is apparently a Prisons Foundation Arts and Crafts Show, and her little sketch sold for $20!! I got it for $1 - and I love it!!
That reminded me of some other sketches I had tucked away.

Some years ago, when just out of high school, one of my daughter's friends ended up in jail. He would write to her - not something I encouraged when I found out about it. He was not an artist, but some of the people he knew in jail were. As he explained to her, the inmates were only allowed to have the ink cartridge part of the pen - not the whole pen- that could be used as a weapon! And, I think, at the end of the day, those ink cartridges had to be all accounted for and turned in.

So, with the tiny ink stem, some of these hardened criminals, were able to create some seriously talented art! I only hope, that when released, some of these guys were able to turn their lives around with their art. One of the designs probably tells why the artist was in jail-lifestyle choices......!!!

When discovered, my daughter's letter writing relationship ended, the art was something to be encouraged - the relationship was NOT! I kept the envelopes- they are really beautiful- out of darkness came some light..........................