EDM 112 - Fresh

These are cherry blossoms. I saw this photograph in the reference library at Wet canvas and it seemed perfect for the topic. I only used a small portion of the original picture, mostly because I have never seen a real cherry tree in bloom. We have small ornamental cherry trees in my area (Calgary, Alberta) and I'm not sure if they look the same as the famous cherry blossoms of Japan. I did this using my new Caran d'Ache water color pencils. I really enjoyed doing this one - I liked the colors and the topic. I like the way it turned out, especially because today actually felt like spring. The sun was shining and the breeze was soft and warm.

EDM 111 - Bowl

Yes, the shading on the apple really is that bad on the real bowl. When I was growing up, my family had an old cabin that they had purchased furnished in 1940/50 cabin kitsch style. It included this enormous bowl covered with partially-identifiable ceramic fruit painted all sorts of improbable colors. Many years later, when my parents sold that cabin, my mom asked me if I wanted that bowl. I said yes as that bowl had lots of memories attached. My mom is a warm and generous person, but not very sentimental about "things". When she left the cabin for the last time, she did so without the bowl. She was devastated once she realized what she had done, and spent the next couple of years searching for the perfect replacement bowl. This was the closest she could come to. It's not the same, but still I'm left wondering just what is that red blob on the right hand side. And that green one is probably an unripe cantalope, but I can't be sure. But it does have that kitschy, quirkiness about it that is fun.

Wired - the sequel

I wasn't so happy with the previous post of this. I hadn't entered anything for a week, and so I rushed this a little. I went back and fixed it up a little, added some details in the grass, darkened up some areas for more contrast. I think this one is a little better.

EDM 110 - Flame

This was done in my journal with the my new Caran dArche watercolor pencils. I really like them, they are easy and smooth and the colors are luscious. I drew this in dim light and it was hard to see how much yellow I was using. In the sharper light of day, I think I used too much, especially around the top rim. I was concentrating mostly on getting the shadings of the clear glass container and had fun with that. But I think it's OK, and I'd like to try more transparent objects. This candle is from the Colonial at Home collection, the scent is Rainwater, and it smells divine!

Illustration Friday - Wired

I painted this from my imagination, using some reference photos of magpies. It's not the best I've done, but I had fun doing it. I like the idea of it and I wanted to try to convey the irridescence of the magpies' tails. This is with watercolor in my Aquabee sketchbook.

EDM 109 - Clock

These are some of the clocks around my house. The little one on the right is a fold up, promotional clock from Toyota that also tells the temperature and date. The round green clock is the one from our first apartment. The one on the left is the microwave clock. While doing (and enjoying) this challenge, I remembered my favorite quote from Benjamin Franklin: "Time. No one has enough, yet everyone has all there is". I use it as a reminder that no matter how I rush or fuss, I can't change the progression of time, so just relax and do what I can in the time I have. I liked this challenge, the more I draw, the more I enjoy the process. I seem to slip more often in to the "zone" when I draw. And that's when time has no meaning.

This is watercolor pencil and the Micron Pigma pen in my Aquabee sketchbook.

EDM Challenge 108 - Light Bulb

While I really liked the chili pepper lights, I also wanted to do an actual light bulb for the practice it gives me in drawing. I knew from the scissors challenge that curves and subtle shading were tricky, and I wanted more practice. This was astonishingly difficult to draw. I actually threw up my hands and walked away yesterday, thinking to myself "Who am I kidding? I can't draw." I was very discouraged. This morning I thought I'd try again because I didn't want to admit that I was defeated by, of all things, an inanimate light bulb. And it didn't look so bad. There was lots of erasing though, and the paper was pretty roughed up by it so the background wash is not so nice. You can still see some of the lines that won't erase anymore. But it is recognizable as a light bulb. I'm glad I persevered, because I think I learned a lot from it - maybe more about persistence, discipline, and determination than about drawing - but I won't ever get better if I walk away and get discouraged.

EDM Challenge 108 - Light Bulb

OK, technically, it's not a light bulb but rather the covering over the light bulb. These chili pepper lights hang around my kitchen window. I bought them as a lark for a Mexican themed party that I held. But I really like the way they cast a soft reflection against the white, plastic blinds. On a cold winter's night, it cheers me up and speeds up the kitchen chores. I'm calling this "artistic license" on the theme.
This is the first time I've tried light and reflections and I think it turned out quite well. It's watercolor in an Aquabee sketchbook. I had to darken the contrast a bit to get the soft glow to show up, so the paper looks a bit grayer than it really is.