Serendipity, Windows and the Dailies

 

This week my Tuesday Morning Painters group went to our Loutit Library to paint.  My sketch was looking out one of the many windows at the courtyard.  I didn’t get what I had intended but that’s okay, I had fun with the branches on this bush….

And now for the serendipity…. while I was there I realized it’s time for the Snowbound Readers challenge, 10 books by the end of March and there is a cute soup cup to get if one meets the challenge.  Time to check out a book and there was one I had been looking at… The Sketchbook Challenge. 

Back home I read the book, it’s a quick read.  And the suggestion for the challenge was to pick a theme.  That’s often a challenge for artists, most of us work that way but beyond doing it daily I don’t have a theme for my sketchbooks.  Something to think about.

Then while I was checking other things on line that evening I decided to check out the Sketchbook Challenge blog.  Hmmmmm, a different theme every month and this month it’s windows.  Maybe but I’m also thinking everyday objects or circles.

Later I went into my studio and there, sitting on a coffee table I made from a print tray my son gave me for a birthday (he does come up with good gifts) was another book I had been meaning to read but hadn’t gotten to…. Windows Into The Soul.  On the way out, another book, this time a reference book for colors but … Painted Ladies has some really interesting windows.

And then I remembered an exchange I did with a group from wetcanvas.com … windows.  I took a ton of photos of windows for that exchange.

Seems someone was trying to tell me something so….  my theme for the rest of this month is WINDOWS.  I’m not sure where it will take me but I’m ready for the journey….

I know I’ve missed posting several because of problems getting them to my computer… it’s the operator, not the computer.  I was going to go back and try but decided I’d rather not spend the time.  If, every now and then I can get one on here I will.  I don’t think anyone cares if they are out of sequence and if they do…. I’m sorry.  From now on I’m going to download a different way, it worked on yesterdays and todays.

This is one of the dailies I’ve been having trouble with.  I can’t open it in Photoshop to adjust the contrast so it’s hard to see.  Not a real good likeness but note, he made the W because he recognized himself, probably because he was the only kid in the house at the time. 

The Sketchbook Project

As I said, I wasn’t going to do it again.  Last time I got in late, didn’t have much of a choice in subjects for the book and the book arrived late so I didn’t have much time. 

However, most of that was my own fault for not signing up early so I decided to give it a go again and this time I signed up way before the deadline.

So, it has arrived and I’ve decided it will  travel along with my on my daily travels be they to Bay View or my back yard. 

And that’s what the first two entries are – a view from Bay View’s Memorial Garden on the left and a view in my back yard on the right.

The next entry is a friend’s yard where I went yesterday to do some plein air painting with she and another friend.  She has some beautiful gardens so sketching was fun in spite of the heat and believe me it was HOT.

 

We’ll see what today brings. One thing I hope to accomplish with this is to get back in the habit of sketching every day.  It’s something I did for years and I know my drawing improves – all of my artwork improves when I do that.

Here’s another sketch from yesterday; this one done in my regular sketchbook…

You can see an expanded view of the garden I was in yesterday.

It has arrived

My sketchbook that is.  Once again I’ve signed up to do “The Sketchbook Project,”  there’s a link in the column on the right. 

The last time I did this I entered late and subjects were limited.  On top of that my sketchbook took forever to arrive.  It wasn’t the best experience so when I first saw that it was going to be held again I ignored it.

It kept appearing, that little logo was everywhere I went on the internet.  I took it as a sign… “Helen, you are suppose to do this and this time sign up early so you have a choice about the subject of your sketchbook.”

So I signed up before I left for Bay View.  My subject:  “Travel With Me.”  I like that much better than “In Five Minutes” which is what it was last year.  I have more choices.  Travel around my house, my yard, my city, my state, all of the above, none of the above but instead travel around inside my heart and head… so many options.  I haven’t decided which yet so no images to post so …

I’m posting a photo of something in a friend’s garden that I may travel over to for a plein air one of these days….

He built the house; there are at least three of them in the garden.  Who knows, there is so much in his garden more could be hiding in there. 

The Sketchbook Project

I signed up this morning after reading about the project on Diahn Ott’s Facebook page.  I’ve been a member of The Art House on-line cooperative for awhile so I knew about the project and every now and then I’d think, yes, I should do that because I do a lot of sketching.  Reading Diahn’s post and the interesting theme she got grabbed my attention again and this time I acted on it.  My theme is “In Five Minutes.”  Details about the project are here if you’re interested in participating or if you just want to know a bit more about it.  Once the sketchbooks are done they will be traveling around the country.  One stop is Chicago and I plan to see them when they are there.

I’ve also started a studio Facebook page, Helen Percy Lystra Studio, where I will be posting what’s going on in the studio.  Currently I’ve got three paintings in process and my mind is churning around two more.  I’ve agreed to do a water themed exhibit in March so that will be my concentration for the next several works.

These are reference photos for one of the paintings though I may not be able to put it in the exhibit.  This is “Pirate”  A Seawind Ketch that we sailed for 15 years.  She may have to hang here at home once the painting is done.