Acrylic Landscape, Eagle Nest Valley

I painted today for practice with those old acrylic paints. I spent about two hours working from a photo on my computer screen.

This is the photo I worked from:


And here is the painting:

Acrylic, 9 x 12 on watercolor paper

Scavenger Hunt Self Portrait

I sketched this morning before we took off to golf and spend the afternoon out and about. It was a great afternoon by the way. We golfed ... our normal ... but it was fun and we ate at the Lazy Lizard. It is called a restaurant cantina. It is at the resort, but reasonably priced drinks and food. Good, too.

The sketches are with my Micron 05 pen in the 7 x 10 inch sketchbook for Scavenger Hunt 141. I usually sketch with a pen and freehand. It is dangerous on a permanent drawing, but these are sketches for practice to tune my eyes and hands to look and draw quickly. I think it helps me.

Number 7, something I've had for over a year that I should have thrown away. A small lotion from a hotel that was in my art bag. It seems to be solidified. There are many things I could have drawn, but this was handy. I'm a pack rat. I am sure I have many art supplies with me that I never use. And clothes at home. Here I bring what I wear or wear what I bring. Hmmmm.


Number 8, Something from the bathroom. I sketched the liquid hand soap and used a challenge to draw it from memory. Number 9, self portrait. I'm not sure I captured my real look or maybe I have changed lately. Ha. My lips look pursed and not relaxed. Wonder why? It also looks blurry. Sorry.

Car Wash Video

We went through a car wash, which we hadn't done in years and I took a video. Silly thing, but made us smile. An interesting way to waste a couple of minutes.

Sketching for Two

I sketched in Albuquerque on Tuesday Morning for Scavenger Hunt 141. This evening I sketched here in Angel Fire for the Hunt and also for the Art House Project.


For the Hunt, Number 5 ground cover, gravel and some plants at the grocery store while Gene shopped. Number 6, cassettes, the cassettes in the TV cabinet here. Both were with Micron 05 pens, different color ink, in the 7 x 10 inch sketchbook, half page.





I saw this photo of Larry and decided to sketch from the photo. It is with a Micron 05 pen in the Art House sketchbook. I like the sketch, but I think his head is a little small. Not bad for a freehand sketch. Good practice for figures.

For the Art House Sketchbook Project, the third one for the theme, Thinking of You.

New Mexico Acrylic Landscape

I think that the New Mexico high, cool mountains are still an unknown to some folks. Some folks think of New Mexico as desert and Santa Fe or Albuquerque. We are in Angel Fire and the way it looks here, this could be somewhere else in the more northern Rocky Mountains. Of course, it is the southern Rocky Mountains.

I painted plein air today for a couple of hours while Gene tried out a new bike. He is trying a road bike versus his mountain bike that he has over 20,000 miles on. I hope it works so that he can go longer distances a little faster. He wants to ride 100 miles on his birthday. Crazy, eh??

Fencing,
Acrylic on canvas panel, 5 x 7 inches

This is a scene along side the golf course. I like the fence as is zig zags down the canyon.

It was pretty warm and sunny, so I made my own shade with the tailgate. The light didn't change too much. The clouds changed a lot!

I am so pleased that I was able to pare down my equipment to one load to carry to the car, including my drinks and snacks. Usually I have to make several trips. I did spill water in my bag so had to put the towel and apron out to dry.

This is a photo of the scene. I used artistic license and moved the closer trees on the left into the painting.

You can see more photos of our trip on my Picassa albums here.

Another Hunting Sketch

When we got to Mom Frances' place today (she is in assisted living), they were playing Bingo. They were almost finished but we sat down and I sketched. One of the items on Scavenger Hunt 141 was a kitchen chair. These chairs they use in the dining room are pretty close to Early American kitchen chairs. I usually play Bingo with them, but never play to win. They win a quarter for each game and fifty cents for the blackout. I'm pretty sure it would not be appreciated if I won!

This was about a 10 - 15 minute sketch, so not too bad. Micron 05 pen in the 8 x 10 inch sketchbook. I don't know how that big man sits on that scooter chair without sliding off. Oh, and Mom Frances won one game. Yes!

Also wanted to add my blogger for the day, daughter, Joanna, has some butterfly photos that are just wonderful. Look at her JoJo's Photobox. That brings to mind, son, Larry. He has some new family photos up as well at Larry Castillo Photography. Not our family.

Hunting Sketches for 141

We left the cool atmosphere of Angel Fire for the warmth of southern New Mexico and Carlsbad. We went to Gene's cousin's fiftieth wedding anniversary on Saturday. What a wonderful family and party. These cousins have been so caring to Gene's Mom. She is their last aunt on that side of the family, but that isn't the reason. They have always been a caring family.

The topography is so different between the northern and southern part of New Mexico. I will post the photos later.

On Sunday we came back to Albuquerque to spend some time with Gene's Mom. I sketched in her apartment for Scavenger Hunt 141. These are done with a Micron 05 pen in the 7 x 10 inch sketchbook.


Number 1 - houseplant, Number 2 - textured material, the couch cover, Number 3 - Pillow, the little pillow that the stuffed lion is holding. The lion is so bad .. he is cute in real life.