Inktober Day 12 - Dragon

Is it dragon or dragging?  I got up early to post the Scavenger Hunt 606
http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1472058  so I may be dragging today.
While I waited for Gene to get up I decided to sketch the Inktober, Day 12, prompt for today which is dragon.  I don't think I ever sketched a dragon before, but I knew where to go for inspiration.

Jennifer Rose Phillip is the artist on Fuzzy Dragons, https://fuzzydragons.blogspot.com/
Jennifer has all sorts of dragons in her art world.  She draws, paints, sculpts and has fun with them.  She is an excellent artist and does so much.  I really feel lazy when I see what she accomplishes.  Jennifer Rose has some videos which are fun and instructive as well.  Please check out her work. 

Jennifer Rose is a big inspiration in my life.  She is across the pond but is from Canada.  She comments here, too, which makes me happy. 

Inktober Day 12 - dragon, inspired by Jennifer Rose in the big sketchbook with a Prismacolor Brush pen and a Micron 02.  This dragon came out a bit angry.  I was hoping for one of the happy ones like Jennifer draws. 

One Third of Inktober Done

Yay, we are one third finished with Inktober.  Today is Day 11 and the prompt is snow.  You may know that snow in Bastrop is very rare.  We did have four inches on December 8, 2017.  It probably fell on the night of the 7th starting about 10:00 p.m.  It was amazingly beautiful and was gone in about 4 hours when the sun came out.

This sketch is from a photo.  The sidewalk was already clear.  More photos here:
https://jocastilloartblog.blogspot.com/2017/12/snow-day-in-bastrop.html

Inktober Day 11 - Snow, in the big sketchbook with a Micron 02 and a Prismacolor Brush Pen.

I find it very difficult to do white with regular ink.  I think Inktense pencils might work because you could wet the ink or paper like watercolor.  That wouldn't work too well in this sketchbook.  Have you tried snow in black and white?

We got a cold front with about half an inch of rain and a lot of wind.  It is 56 degrees now at 10:00 a.m., yesterday it was about 84 by this time.  Yikes!  Brrr....

Inktober Day 10 - Pattern and Hunt Sketch

Day 10 prompt is pattern.  Lots of those around.  I chose some coasters like the ones Mom Frances used to make.  The only ones I have left of hers are Christmas coasters which are put away.  I got these on Etsy a few years ago.  They are plastic canvas which is plastic mesh with yarn woven through it.  Mom always finished both sides of coasters and they work so well.  No slipping and no water circles anywhere.  These are 6 assorted patterns in red, white and blue.  Are you surprised?

Inktober, Day 10 - Pattern  Micron 02 in the coffee table sketchbook.  By the way, I'm finally past the halfway mark in the sketchbook.  It is taking FOREVER!  I started it in January 2016.  Jennie gave it to me and thought I would finish it in a year.  She didn't know I wouldn't do a page a day.  Hmmm.  This sketch a day in October will help.  I often sketch in other sketchbooks, on pastel paper, on my iPhone and iPad, etc.  And of course, some days I don't sketch at all.

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Scavenger Hunt 605 has a couple of days left.  http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1471767

#5 comes in a bag - the bag has sketching supplies
#6 comes in a bottle - liquid gloves
#7  comes in a tube - paint
#8  comes in a jar - Art Spectrum pastel ground.  It is sanded and can be put on a surface for pastel paintings.  I haven't used any in years so this is bound to be dried up.  It is nice, it comes in colors and can be used to repair sanded surfaces as well if you have scrubbed off too much or made a heavy mark and dented the paper.  I used it on wood panels.  You can brush it on for a textured painted look.

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We went to the Front Room in Smithville for dinner last evening. (Their website is on facebook)  Such a nice quiet bar.  They have snack items but they make a full dinner.  We had some wings and some étouffée. They have some surplus wine on sale for $15 a bottle so we had some Malbec from Argentina.  In Texas you can put the cork in and take what is left in the bottle with you.  We have some from The Bugle Boy and now this to finish at home.  I highly recommend the Front Room and The Bugle Boy.  In fact you can stop in Smithville and have dinner on the way to The Bugle Boy in La Grange to listen to music.  Win/win.

Down the street on the way to Smithville.

On Hwy 1441 on the way back.  We didn't stay out after dark.  :-)

I still haven't unpacked the art supplies.  We shall see........

Inktober Day 9 - Swing

How about some country swing for Inktober?   This couple was in Albuquerque at a Senior Center near Mom Frances' assisted living.  It was a great day.  At the time I was painting feet, so I didn't get a shot of these two except for the feet.  I'll include the painting below.

 Inktober 2019 - swing

Boot Scootin'
Pastel, 12 x 12 inches, Pastelbord

Window View Sketch, Inktober Day 8

We were at physical therapy for Gene this morning early.  As I waited for him, I liked and sketched the view out a window.  It was perfect for Scavenger Hunt 605
http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1471767

I sketched in the travel sketchbook, 7 x 10 inches, with a Micron 02.

Number 4, view out a window - The little pumpkin faces were ceramic and sort of rust colored.  Different.

Inktober Day 8, frail.   I sketched for Inktober in the big sketchbook with the Micron 02.  From a photo which was unsatisfactory.  I chose the crocheted basket because Gene's sister used to make them.  They were starched stiff but if wet, they collapsed and had to be re-starched and reshaped.  I wish I had had one of hers to sketch.

#inktober  #inktober2019


It was about 65 degrees when we got up and was supposed to get to 86 degrees today with a cold front arriving.  Well, Gene just said it is 96 degrees.  Pbftttt... where is fall?

Inktober Day 7 - Enchanted

The prompt for Inktober, Day 7, is enchanted.  I immediately thought of the Land of Enchantment - New Mexico.

This is in the big coffee table sketchbook with a Micron 02.

We had New Mexico History in the seventh grade.  Mr. Smith was our teacher.  We didn't know it at the time, but he was a Navajo Code Talker in World War II.  He was so interesting, calm but stern.  We had to sing the anthem of New Mexico or State song.  I remembered, "Oh fair New Mexico, we love, we love you so.  Our hearts with pride o'er flow, no matter where we go ...."  So, I had to look it up.  I found this on the internet:
https://www.lyricsondemand.com/miscellaneouslyrics/statesongslyrics/newmexicostatesonglyrics.html


O, Fair New Mexico Lyrics

Written by Elizabeth Garrett 

Under a sky of azure, where balmy breezes blow, 
Kissed by the golden sunshine, is Nuevo Mejico. 
Land of the Montezuma, with firey hearts aglow, 
Land of the deeds historic, is Nuevo Mejico. 

Chorus: 

Oh! Fair New Mexico, we love, we love you so, 
Our hearts with pride o're flow, 
No matter where we go. 
Oh! Fair New Mexico, we love, we love you so, 
The grandest state we know --- NEW MEXICO!

 New Mexico has a large variety of people, scenery, and things to do.   The beautiful green snow covered mountains in the north enchanted circle area, Taos, Angel Fire, Red River, Sipapu and more,  where you can ski but also in the central southwest near Ruidoso.  There are cliff dwellings near Los Alamos and Silver City.  There are mesas, volcano flows, desert and more.  The four corners area has ruins and pueblos as does the rest of the state.  There are missions, pueblos, mining, oil and history to go with it.  Military bases, White Sands Missile Range dot the state.  There are ranches:  cattle, sheep, alpacas, bison, etc.

Turquoise and silver jewelry and other arts and crafts are statewide.  The state bird is the roadrunner.  New Mexico chile is famous, both red and green.  In restaurants if you want both you ask for Christmas. 

Carlsbad Caverns in the southeast is one of the largest caves open to visitors.  There is water in the Rio Grande and lakes, some man made like Elephant Butte and fishing in the small rivers and lakes.  The climate is from the mountains to the desert. 

New Mexico is enchanted.

Inktober Day 6 - Husky and Hunting

We were out on the porch this morning where I sketched for Scavenger Hunt 605, then came in to the dining table for Inktober Day 6.

Inktober, Day 6 - husky.  I thought of our great grandson number 2, Luke.  He turned 2  and is sooooo cute ...  and husky!

#inktober  #inktober2019

I had my feet propped up and realized one of the items for Scavenger Hunt 605  http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1471767  was "something you wear on your feet".  Appropriate for the day.

Number 3, something you wear on your feet - boot for my sprained tendon.  Hopefully I will get it off tomorrow.  It is gray, but looks sort of mauve here.  ??  I had a cast on my foot back in 1978.  What a difference technology has made.  I think the cast was on for 6 weeks and was miserable.  They did have a plastic mesh one so I could shower and swim, but it didn't come off at night for sleeping and itched like crazy.  This one comes off and I can wear a sock with it -- no itching.

It will be a lazy Sunday here.  The weather has been nice in the mornings for porch sitting, but by 10 or so has been in the nineties.  Maybe today it will just go to 89 degrees!

There is a bar/cafe on 1441 on the way to town.  The building and some sort of restaurant has been there for years, before we lived in Bastrop, so pre 1997.  It was a steak restaurant in those days and was good food but smoking allowed so we didn't eat there more than once.  Then it was run by our friend Brenda.  She had good food and no smoking in the restaurant part, but the smoke lingered so we didn't eat there but a couple of times.  Before we went to New Mexico,  it was bought and opened as a restaurant bar with a new name.  We didn't try it.  When we got back it had changed again with a new name and nice cleaned up paint job on the outside.  Yay!  So we went....  Opened the door and it was dark and smokey.  Looks like a bar, pool hall, now.  So we went to Schlotsky's.  Sigh.....