Franklin the cat

Franklin

My nephew's fiancé's cat. A surprise for her recent birthday, so not posted until she sees it!

I'm not a 'cat' person, and have never sketched a cat before, I hope I caught a little of his personality!

January 28 - Can't stop sketching these! Why am I?

More sketches from this amazing rider report. Love the brilliant saffron of the monk's robes!
Thought I'd show the original photos with my sketches this time.

I suppose some of you are wondering, why does she keep painting from someone else's photos? She's never been to these places, she doesn't have a motorcycle (anymore).  She surely doesn't enjoy roughing it. 

Well, when I started reading their posts, their love of what they were doing was what made their photos so attractive.  Their passion about riding around the world, and sticking to it somehow came through and reached out and grabbed my attention.  The colors and composition, sure, but what I paint from these is a feeling.  Maybe that's why it's mostly people that I've used as reference.

So enough philosophizing, I'll get more done soon!  And, I promise to go through their report again and review all of these, so I can add where they were taken and any other specifics.

If you haven't yet read their ride report, at least scan through a page or two.  You will get an idea of the passion that was with them on their adventure.

Reference photos for these sketches can be found on this motorcycle ride report:
http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=480532 (Thanks for sharing!)

Monk in saffron color robes - Phnom Penh, Cambodia - Buddhist Monk with umbrella

Malaysia, east coast - Muslim school girls

Sumatra - Women walking on beach

From Estonia...

More sketches from this amazing rider report.
Reference photos for these sketches can be found on this
motorcycle ride report:
http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=480532

(Thanks for sharing!)

The ostrich photos are a riot!  I wonder if he nearly got the camera!
I still have about 50 to 80 more I look forward to sketching!
Jan. 23: just added the primate sketch. Love his intelligent expression.

New palette for the new year

I've been reading about 'minimalism' and this got me started cleaning out lots of stuff in my basement. It's also reflected in my revised palette - less colors. Took out a few that I hardly used to make room for larger pans for the ones I use most. This page is carried with my sketch kit for reference, but also because I just *love* looking at pure color!

Sketching 20120113

A very cold, snowy and windy day. Great time to update my watercolor palette and do a little bit of sketching...
I dug out my old proportional dividers to help with portrait sizing. I'm not yet able to do that squint and measure thing with my pencil yet!

 

Some painting supplies

I just *had* to do a quick sketch of my basic tools used to sketch with.

From left to right:
1. $2 brush (or maybe it was a dollar) from home improvement store

     (I love using this brush to make a messy start!)
2. Black Gold, size 8, travel watercolor brush (Feels luxurious)
3. Cotman size 5 watercolor brush (Eh, good all-purpose)
4. Robert Simmons size 1 watercolor brush (Hardly ever used)
5. Pentel waterbrush (again, hardly ever used)
6. Pentel pencil
7. Click eraser (used too much!)
8. Pitt artist pen
9. Micron .01 pen
10. Noodlers Flex nib - had trouble with this at first, have learned to love it!
11. Lamy safari with Lex. grey ink (new ink color, not used to it yet. Also, I love the flex nib!)
12. Uniball red pen
13. Uniball/Signo white
14. Plastic grid/ruler

From Estonia with love

Reference photos for these sketches can be found on an amazing motorcycle ride report:
http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=480532
A young couple from Estonia took a motorcycle trip around the world.  It took them several years, and they kept a blog on the Adventure riders website.  Margus and Karlina traveled 170,000 km over 1,126 days, and traveled through 70 countries.  The photographs are what dazzled me - the quality, and the content - they have fantastic images of people, places and things they encountered.  I do not presume that my sketches are anywhere close to the quality of their photos, just that I was touched by them.  So, here are a couple - just a start.  I received their permission to post these.
If you have some time, stop by and read their report - you won't be bored!

Ship on dry land, Cap Blanc, Mauritania

Mexico, San Cristobal de las casas native

Another sketch from their fantastic photos...

Turkana tribeswoman in Kenya

Julia Kay's Portrait Party December 20112012

Julia Kay's Portrait Party is a virtual party where the members draw each other. There are some wonderful portraits in the group by some fantastic artists. I am having fun stretching my art capabilities! Check it out, you might want to try it! www.flickr.com/groups/portraitparty/
You can see the portraits I have done with the links to the original photos here:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/artbybernadette/sets/72157628279265883/with/6567042407/
Here are my attempts so far, from first attempt at the top to the most recent ones completed at the bottom here:

2011.12.05 neil.davidson

2011.12.09 Marty Harris

2011.12.12 Mia Agliotti

2011.12.18 Nora Ilva

2011.12.23 Dan Duffy

2011.12.24 Rodrick

I'd like to think I have improved a bit over 20 days and 7 sketches!
Oh, here is another one completed in December-

2011.12.09 Duncan Creamer

2011.12.28 Skii Chung

2012.01.01 Rippleberry Jazz/ Tom Lambie

2011 Christmas

Thought I'd add the snow-family seen at my brother's home on Christmas day!

I finally made the art for my Christmas cards!  Am I too late? :) 

Think I just barely made it, now to print and send...

By the way, this is a sketch of my tree this year, it's also the first one
in my larger moleskin sketchbook.  I didn't think I could fit all the
detail on my smaller one.
As it was, I only showed about half of them!

20111030 Townhouse view

A view of the San Francisco Bay from our townhouse in Sausalito. A lovely rental with easy access to town.

20111030 Kendall Jackson vineyard

A very orange display of pumpkins at the Kendall Jackson vineyard in Sonoma at Halloween.

20111101 San Francisco Japanese Tea Garden

One of several statues in a lovely tea garden!

0111020 Lahaina Maui Banyan tree

The oldest Banyan tree in the US at Lahaina, Maui. Planted in 1873,it covers nearly an acre and is 60 ft. high.  Now that's a tree!

20111019 Wailea Beach Maui

We saw a truly romantic wedding setting, getting their photo taken on the very rocky beach.I did wonder if he carried her over the pointed rocks!

2011 10 Maui hotel good night cards

Every night, They would leave a different card and a plumeria flower on my pillow! *sigh* Why can't I have that at home??? :D

Haleakala sunrise

This was a sacred place - a native lady sang the sunrise prayer during the last few minutes of the sunrise. It was very cold, but so awe-inspiring, watching it rise as we stood above the clouds.