Sketching in the Car

I mentioned yesterday that it is bumpy and my sketches get all out of whack in the car. Especially with a pen and you are putting in a long stroke and hit a bump. Maybe the answer is short strokes. Check out these on wetcanvas.com by Nancy, A Red Fox, a Monkey and a Zebra, link in title of this blog. How does she do it?

Happy Birthday and Happy 4th of July

Happy Birthday Joanna! It is also Cody's and Jerry's birthday today, so happy birthday to them as well. (Nephews)

We started our trip and drove from Bastrop to Clovis, New Mexico, about 500 miles. It was a good drive, a pretty good rain about Levelland, TX, just west of Lubbock. We listen to audio books and today I did 3 sketches. A Coke can .. very wobbly and out of proportion. Some clouds, they were OK and this sketch of part of the dash of the van. Too much movement for any detail and I used a Sharpie, so no erasing. In a Canson sketchbook about 8 x 10 inches. Good practice.

I took about 31 photos. I liked this windmill along the road between Brownfield and Levelland. We went through beautiful Hill Country, desert with Mesquite around San Angelo and Big Spring and then the great plains and cotton fields. What a difference in topography. Tomorrow more high desert with pinon pines and cedar and then to Magdalena with mountains and regular pines. We paid $2.629 for gas just out of town and then it was $2.489 right by the hotel. Hmmm.

Later,
Jo

10th International Sketchcrawl

Hi,
Can't believe it is was the 10th International Sketchcrawl and I missed it! Not that I've ever participated, but when I read about it I decided to sketch at our Patriotic Festival here in Bastrop. So much for that .. I forgot!

It has been a few days since I posted. Too many last minute details for our trip. Yesterday, July 1, Saturday, we had Joanna's birthday. Happy Birthday, Joanna. (Birthday actually on the 4th) Great day .. good brisket (Thanks, Gene), carrot cake, World Cup Soccer (go Portugal! Now that our team is out.) and the fireworks. Sort of a quiet time with just the two girls here.

Here in Bastrop, we have the 4th celebration on a day or two before the 4th as the Austin Symphonic Band plays and of course, they play in Austin on the 4th. It is a great evening. They have arts and crafts, food at 6 p.m., local musicians until 8:00 p.m.. Then at 8, the Symphonic Band plays traditional patriotic music until the fireworks at 9:15 p.m. or so. There is about 20 minutes of fireworks over the Colorado River. Just great. This year we had a rainy Saturday, so the Symphonic Band couldn't perform. There was food, recorded music and great fireworks. And, the rain held off during the evening.

Off to pack, one more painting for Gene to frame, etc.

Later,
Jo