OK Sketches

No, not Oklahoma sketches.  My philosophy on sketching and exercise is about the same.  Any art is better than no art,  and any exercise is better than none.  Sometimes I am not so sure.

I sketched in the huge coffee table book.  My tool was a Micron 05.  The sketches were done quickly and freehand.  I'm most disappointed in the flag.  It is a ceramic, sort of, flag that hangs on the wall.  Gene's sister made it for us -- the story is somewhere back in my blog.  It is thick and heavy.  I don't think that shows.  I'm happy with the shoes.  How many times have I sketched my shoes??  Quite a few.

For Scavenger Hunt 505  http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1431409

Number 4, shoes that show your character
Number 5, what you are wearing now
Number 6, heirloom
Number 7, something that represents your country

What I'm wearing??  That would be what David calls, "my stretchy pants".  Sweats, but lightweight for summer.

Heirloom??  We don't have many left.  The iron skillet was in the oven so made it through the fire.  I still haven't seasoned it to use.  The little cups and jars on the sill made it through the fire sort of.  The little pots could be heirlooms I imagine.

I looked back for the flag story.  I did sketch it once and mentioned that Gloria made it for us but no real story.

The original was made of plaster of paris.  It had a wire hook imbedded in the plaster.  We had it in Albuquerque, Denver, Bolivia, Chile and Lubbock.  Impressive that it made all the moves.  Every time the top of the flag pole would break off and Gene would glue it back.  The flag didn't lie flat the way it was formed. 

One night in Lubbock we heard a terrible crash.  We got up and the flag had fallen off the wall.  The hook came out or the hanger.  It broke in many pieces.  Gloria stepped up and made us another.  They were painted to look old and antique.  We really like having it in our house/houses.  It then went to Peru, Phoenix, back to Bolivia then to Austin and finally to Bastrop.  The top of the flag broke most of the time, even though we tried to pack it with support.   

Well, the flag burned in the big fire of 2011.  Gloria made us yet another flag.  We hung it in this house.  The hanger came loose and it broke again.  The latest version she made is different material and a bit lighter in weight.  It has been up for a few years now.  I wonder sometimes when I walk under it to go out the door!

Maybe the flag is our heirloom in stages!

Back to Hunting 505

Sometimes the Scavenger Hunts just fly by.  It is a new Hunt already and a day into it....

I sketched in the big coffee table book again with the Micron 05.  These sketches are freehand and done quickly .. you can tell, right?

Number 1, The first three things that you would grab if your house was on fire (presuming that your family members and pets are already safe.)  - computer, purse and keys.  I would grab the computer over iPhone and iPad.  I do so prefer it.  I am irritated that "they" are making me use apps on my computer, too.  I like my "stuff" there not off in a cloud someplace.  Sigh......
Number 2, coffee or tea? - well, coffee.
Number 3, A book that you are reading or that has inspired you - Daily Painting by Carol Marine
http://carolmarine.blogspot.com/   Carol Marine lost her home in the fire, too.  They live in Oregon now.  She is an amazing teacher, painter and author.  Check out her blog and all the amazing info.  Take a workshop!

This list is recycled number 116.  When I saw that it was an old one, I looked to see if I could sketch some of the same things.  Most things I sketched in 2009 burned in 2011.  We had been evacuated a couple of times previous years before the big fire and these were my three things to save then, too.  We were in New Mexico when the big fire happened so my computer was with me and we didn't get a chance to grab anything else.  Most people didn't.  You can read about the fire starting here:
https://jocastilloartblog.blogspot.com/2011/09/update-on-our-home.html

My Hunt 116 sketches are here:
https://jocastilloartblog.blogspot.com/2009/01/hunting-sketches-are-on.html
https://jocastilloartblog.blogspot.com/2009/01/sketches-for-hunt-116.html

I see in the art supplies sketch that I do have some of those things.  I had them with me in New Mexico.  I've had the water bottle and the wooden box for pastels for way too long, eh?

National Day of the Cowboy Salute to Dad

It is National Day of the Cowboy so a salute to my dad.  I posted this in 2007 and thought it worth another look:

Grandad's Boost

Oil, 9 x 12 inches
Dutch and David at the Criswell

Today is the National Day of the Cowboy. My father was one of the last "real" cowboys. He was a hired hand and always worked for someone else. He was born in 1900 and died in 1980. Everyone called him "Dutch". Boy, the things he saw and the things he did.

His first paying job was as a cook on a cattle drive. He was 18. I have a wonderful photo, but it is in Bastrop. Shucks. As a cowboy, he was a cook, windmill repairman (mechanic), auto mechanic, electrician, veterinarian, gardener, rodeo hand, race horse trainer and more. He worked in town as the water commissioner and justice of the peace. He worked in the mines for a short time. And, of course, he was a father. :) Sometimes a tough one. He had very strong moral and responsibility convictions. He did like to have fun. He would go to a bar or a dance and throw his hat in the door, if it didn't come back, he felt welcome. He would say, "I didn't come to stay, I came to play." He loved to dance the shotish and polka.

My Mom and Dad, at 62 he looked the same as he did at 18.

His cooking expertise was in Dutch ovens. He would make sour dough biscuits, steaks, fried potatoes and anything we wanted. At the Field ranch when I was in high school, we would leave to work the cattle in the morning after a breakfast of steak, biscuits and gravy. He would put on a big roast with green chile on it. We would come back to the house by way of the artesian well and pick asparagus. The two of us would eat a whole pot of asparagus and some of the roast and drink a couple of pitchers of iced tea.

Dad and David about the same time.

More about National Day of the Cowboy:

http://nationaldayofthecowboy.com/wordpress/

Hunting a Doll, Cloud Photos

This sketch is a doll for Scavenger Hunt 504.
http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1431003

This is the only doll in our house, I'm pretty sure.  So I probably sketched it the last time we had these items. Gene's mom must have had it and we got it after the move to this house.  It is a Bolivian doll.  Her hat is black and her shawl is pink with white embroidery and a pink multi-shaded skirt.  It has gold earrings, flower on hat, buttons/pins and shoes.

Number 9, doll with the challenge to sketch an item from the list in your hand.

The clouds last Tuesday were stupendous.  No rain, but we had beautiful skies during the day.

Using the word "stupendous" reminded me of Agnes by Tony Cochran.

You can see more of Agnes here:
http://www.gocomics.com/agnes

West Texas Oil Painting Practice

On wetcanvas in the Southwest Forum we have a monthly challenge to paint or sketch from photos posted by one of the artists.  I decided to paint the west Texas scene with oils.  I'm planning on a big painting and decided I needed to get my "brush and oil" skills back in shape.

Good thing I decided to practice with the oils.  I just got out some and didn't even look at them.  I got out the tubes of color then the bottle of oil and big tube of Titanium White.  I proceeded to paint.

When I finished, I took photos and cleaned my two brushes.  As I was writing my post for wetcanvas and listing my art tools I realized I had mixed my media.  It didn't matter, they mix fine.  The paints I chose were Artisan's Water Mixable oils for the colors and M. Graham walnut oils for the titanium white and the oil to use as a medium.  I meant to only get out the M. Graham walnut oils because the others have a linseed oil base.  I am allergic to linseed oil ... it gives me a headache.  I usually use the Artisan oils outside so the linseed won't bother.

I took the painting outside to dry along with the leftover paper towels and paper palette.  Hopefully I will escape without a headache.  I was painting for about an hour and a half, but not much paint out for the small painting.

West Texas

Oil on canvas panel, 10 x 8 inches

The photos for the challenge were put up by KreativeK.  She lives in Big Spring, Texas.  Maybe you would like to paint with us, check out the challenge here:

http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1430026

The Southwest and Western forum is another group of artists that paint, sketch, sculpt and share with no pressure.  Nice folks from around the globe.

As I was putting the painting on the porch, I showed it to Gene, my art critic.  He immediately says, "Where are the power lines?"  Am I getting forgetful and old or what?  I was wondering why I didn't have the small bottles of Graham oil and medium together with the colors, too.  Sigh........

The painting has suggestions of power lines now.  Maybe I will take another photo after it sets and dries a bit.  Oils always look better after the paint settles.

Hunting 504 and More

Todays sketches were done mostly around the lake on my walk.  I was gone about 50 minutes so I sketched about 20 minutes.  Back at the house, I sketched the new potted plant.  I had to get one, I have sketched the geranium umpteen times.

Sketches are in the small travel sketchbook, Canson, with some Micron 01 pens.  The red was a Splash brush pen.

Number 6, bridge - the first bridge on the walking trail

Number 7, skyline - no big city skylines here.  This is the firehouse from one of the new benches.  (The red was a spot from closing the book too soon .. flower rub off.)

Number 8, potted plant - The blooms are closed in the morning and they were just opening.  The cattails are interesting and a bonus sketch.

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If you didn't see this on facebook or twitter you will really enjoy this video.  Duane Keiser was one of the first painting a day artists.  Some of his work is so much fun.  This is about a 4 minute video.  It will make you smile and be amazed.  Inspiring.  Where does the wine go??  Gene must have been helping and drank it.

http://duanekeiser.blogspot.com/2017/07/my-latest-painted-animation.html