For the Birds

The next item on the alphabetical list on Scavenger Hunt 580 is hawk.
http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1463237

I am most fortunate to have a resident Red Tailed Hawk that keeps watch from the big tree in the back.  We see him almost every day.  He is a nice still model but far away and requires binoculars to really see him.

I sketched in the big book, about a page, with the Pilot fountain pen.  Quick and freehand as you can tell.

Number 8, hawk - our resident Red Tailed Hawk in the big tree

This is as close as I can get with my iPhone.  The hawk flew away when I went to take a photo this morning but he is back this afternoon.  The hawk appears to be watching the big turkey buzzards that are chasing the wind currents.  When the hawk flies it is usually meaningful and direct to a target.

This big tree takes forever to bud out in the spring, we thought it was dead the first year we lived here and it looks dead now.

Alphabetical Hunting 580

Joe put up the new Scavenger Hunt with an alphabetical list and challenge to do them in order.  I made a start in the big book with the Pilot fountain pen.

Scavenger Hunt 580
http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1463237

Numbers 1 - 7  Almond, bonbon, carrot, dandelion, egg, feather, glass
Two challenges, to sketch them in order and to group at least 3 in a still life.

I added a pistachio and a pecan with the almond.  Substituted a Werthers for bonbon and the lettuce for carrot.  We only had lettuce and tomatoes or canned/frozen veggies.  Pretty normal here.  I don't think we ever have bonbons unless someone gives us a gift.

The little blue bonnet is one of the first blue bonnets to bloom in our little patch.  I didn't remember glass was on the list so was happy to see it in my grouping and added the feathers to keep the order.

 George Ensle  http://georgeensle.com/  picking on his metal guitar.  He jokes that "here comes the hard metal songs"

Greg Whitfield http://gregwhitfield.net/  playing his guitar.  They are both such fine players.  I love it when the performers can play more than chords when they sing.  These two are super at that.

These photos are from Saturday night at Neighbor's in Bastrop.  http://www.neighborstx.com/
We had a really good time.  Some British video bloggers that were in Austin for South by Southwest SXSW were there having a good time adding to the  pace which was lively and fun.  A few snippets of music on my Instagram  https://www.instagram.com/jocastart1/

More Sketches for 579

We went to Austin today.  I sketched in the waiting room while we waited to talk to the psychologist about the next surgery for Gene.  He is agreeable so it is up to the surgeon.

For Hunt 579  http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1462808

These are in the little travel sketchbook with a Prismacolor 03.  One in the waiting room and one at the restaurant on the way home.  Very fast and loose to say the least.

Number 5 water - the water fountain on the wall
Number 6 alcohol - at the Good Times at Dry Creek restaurant on the way home.  It is in Del Valle and was previously an open air motorcycle restaurant.  Pretty nice now, good food, good service and reasonable prices.  We will go back.  Gene had "grilled" meat loaf and I had a chicken fried steak and a glass of Texas Wine, Palo Duro, near Amarillo.

The company that took over wetcanvas is declaring bankruptcy.  We don't know what that will do to our Hunts and other on-line fun.  wetcanvas was originally run by artists and got too big.  Can the artists take it back?  Hmmmm.

My encyclopedia artist friend, Katherine Tyrrell in England wrote a post about it.

https://makingamark.blogspot.com/2019/03/owner-of-artist-network-wet-canvas.html

Sketches in Car

I sketched in the car while waiting for Gene to do a trike ride.
For Scavenger Hunt 579  http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?p=21560547

Number 1 store - substituted the Hilton Hotel (about 9 x 12 inches)
Number 2 dashboard (about 6 x 10 inches)

I regretted starting the Hilton sketch.  It is a round building with soooo many windows.  The windows should have had more narrowing on the edges to make it look round.  It has a lot more windows on the second floor I think.  I don't have the patience for measuring and all that.

I took advantage of being in the car to do the dashboard.  I thought of drawing what they call the dashboard on my iMac so as not to have to go to the car.  It worked out well.  Not much time after all the windows.

Gene has been wanting to try a bike trail by the airport.  It is cement about 10 feet wide and goes for 4.9 miles.  It is lighted to ride at night??  Doesn't really go anywhere, just along the highway.  Who would be out there at night is a good question.  Maybe they rent bikes at the Hilton for overnight guests.  Hmmm.  He enjoyed the ride.

I was waiting for him in the cell phone waiting area for the airport.  (Didn't want to pay parking at the Hilton.)  The parking area was very full with many Uber cars.  Not much parking for regular "family waiting" and then I took a parking place, too.  Hmmm.  As we left we saw they have built a convenience area in part of the cell phone waiting area.  Bathrooms, Subway, Austin Java, a Taco place, convenience store and gas station.  I could have sketched a "real store" if I had gone another block.  It is very nice for the airport.

Then we went on to Austin to Jennie's and Brandon's for his birthday celebration.  It was a nice afternoon.  The weather was lovely as well I could have sat on a chair instead of in the car.
 

Hunt 579 Start

I got the list for Hunt 579
http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?p=21560547
started this morning.  I'm the host for this Hunt.  Here is the list:

Scavenger Hunt 579 March 9 - March17

• magic
• plain
• silver
• animal
• yard art
• in a drawer
• from your purse/wallet
• skyline
• water
• on a shelf
• mailbox
• slippers
• sport equipment
• dashboard
• sweet
• a gift
• alcohol
• store
• under the sink
• from a tree
• cd or album cover
• used for art
• for coffee or tea
• red
• blue
• from the fridge

Maybe you will be inspired to join in or this might give you an idea for a sketch or painting.  There are days when I can't think of what to sketch and the list prompts me to try one of the items.

I sketched in the big book with the Pilot fountain pen, quickly and directly.

Number 1, shelf - the rain gutter shelf above my desk in my studio
Number 2, gift - a new pencil sharpener that Joanna gave me .... mainly for baseball scoring.  It flips closed and is pretty nifty with the three sizes of pencil openings.