Techo Drawings and Notes

Notes for the week in my

Hobonichi Techo...

loved the Sketchbook Fury class

by Graham Smith in

the Strathmore Workshop Series!

So fun, and lots of great tips.

I've always wanted to be

an Art Ninja.

☺

I like to write down random thoughts

and quotes. (I guess you already know this)

 I am amused by most any little thing... 

As I am linking up to

the Tea Tuesday blog hop over at

Bleubeard and Elizabeth's, that little drawing

of the glass coffee mug, in which I had milk,

is my beverage reference today.

Since Mother's Day happened in the U.S.

this week, there were a lot of gorgeous

flowers for sale in the stores...

I bought pink begonias for my mother.

Though it seems that the weather in

our area is barely warm enough for

planting anything outside just yet,

the calendar says we are past the date

for frost danger. A few days ago it was

 getting in the 40F degrees  overnight! 

Really ready for warmer days...

Trying to maintain smiles through the

many cloudy and rainy days recently...

so "cuteness" creeps in to the journal.

How do you find

the 'silver lining' in your days?

Techo Pages

Pages in my Hobonichi Techo...random stuff, what I did, heard on the radio, or even crazy stuff I saw. You just never know...

Rusty Swap Pages

There's something about being in an Art swap 

that can get you thinking outside the box. 

Often you are given a subject or color or

 material to work with that you don't normally

 use.  Very good for making your brain

 look for alternative solutions.

Elizabeth has received her Rust Pages

from me, and has asked me to post 

them. Above, painted card stock,

scrapbook paper, fabric, and brass ornament.

Collage and pocket with tag. I used

text and images from a vintage book,

fabric, magazine scrap and a vintage button.

Paint is either acrylic or gouache in

Burnt Sienna. Please pardon the blurry

scan. The 3 dimensional quality of the

button causes that, but I felt you'd still

get a better view than from a photo.

Assorted papers, brass label frame, thread,

washer and tiny key. Acrylic paint and 

permanent marker used to 'rust up'

the metal washer.

Corrugated cardboard, book text,

computer generated text, acrylic 

paints and gesso.

My favorite page! The old truck is from a 

roadside photo that I took with my phone in

2015. I think it was at a truck stop in Kentucky

or Alabama. This old gem was just sitting 

out front as a decoration, I guess!

Watercolor and Sharpie pen on 

watercolor paper.  The license plate was

drawn and painted from an image on the 

internet. The license plate is definitely

my favorite part. The metal clip prompted

the painted swirls on the next page...

Acrylic, assorted papers, and computer-

generated text:

"Patina- a surface appearance of

something grown beautiful with

age or use."

Of course, there was quite a bit of

coffee consumed while creating

these pages, and while creating 

this post... Linking up with Elizabeth

for her T Tuesday T party...

drop by for some inspiration and

a cup of tea. (or coffee!)

Techo on Tuesday

Watercolor and white acrylic paint

in my Hobonichi Techo, above. The paper

holds up very well. Even though the

pages seem thin, the paints do not

show on the back at all...

Our last snow fall was very pretty

sticking to all the trees. I could hear

the wind blowing clumps of snow

off of the branches and hear it

hitting the ground with a 

wet 'plop.'  It all melted the same day.

A friend gave me some pages from

a children's book that she was preparing

to use as an art journal.  I can't resist

Winnie-the-Pooh, and had to paste

this conversation into my Techo.

I am thankful we don't get many

earthquakes where I live, though

they have been known to happen!

Some days the Techo drawings

are pretty random...

A sketch of my travel mug for

the T Tuesday blog hop-- to 

qualify as my 'beverage reference.'

On Tuesdays, anyone can join in

the blog hop, as long as you reference

a beverage, with a photo, artwork, or even

a video clip. Join in for some fun!

There is usually a wide variety of viewpoints.

The Techo has somewhat

replaced my enthusiasm for

The Documented Life Project 2016,

But I am still keeping up with it.

I don't like to quit a project once 

I've started it. Modifications are definitely

in order though, as these calendars show.

The daily tiny drawings from January

became 'several days at a time' on

February's calendar.  In March, I

decided to do one large image

for the month.  The crocus photo

was taken by a friend, who permitted

me to draw from her photo. I am not liking

the distracting lines from the calendar...

the diagonal striped page is a pre-printed

scrapbook type page that I had chosen 

for my monthly divider. Perhaps not

the best choice. Maybe I should try this

image again on plain watercolor paper?

Happy Tuesday!

'Tis the Season~ Art Journal Pages

 " 'Tis the season...to get

caught up in the madness

of buying things."

Watercolor background, stamped

circular designs, chalk pastels applied

around painters' tape used as a mask.

Sometimes I need to remind myself

that this season isn't about all of the

stuff. It should be about time with

those we love. And I probably do

have way too much stuff...

Large lettering drawn through a

stencil, drawings of ornaments placed

within the masked rectangular areas.

Sharpie pen and assorted markers to

add more line and color.

Very 'busy' pages...just like the season!

Sharing a re-post of my wonky

drawing of a snowman mug...

and linking up with 

Bleubeard and Elizabeth for

T Tuesday. Stop by for a 

visit and a warm beverage!

What have you been

doing during this

busy season?

Translucent Coverage: Torn Fabric

The Documented Life Project 2015~

The Journal.  One challenge this month

was to use vellum, which I didn't have.

But fabric I do have!  I think the very

sparkly translucent fabric I used on this 

page is organza, but I'm not sure. It's very

difficult to see in the scan above. A

loose stitched 'flap' covers two layers

of fabric, adding sparkle and mystery.

There are rows of vertical hand-stitching,

but I don't think they're visible in the scan.

Click on the photo for a better look...

Above, the organza has been lifted to

reveal the cotton fabric that has been

painted with a simple floral design in

watercolor. It echoes the designs in the

printed fabric beneath it. I drew around

the flowers in permanent Sharpie marker

for more definition, since the watercolor

naturally faded and bled into the fabric.

I also quilted around the flowers a bit 

to connect it with the floral fabric beneath.

When lifting all three layers of fabric,

journaling is revealed beneath...I 

like the initial splattered and swirled

watercolor background, but it is 

difficult for me to leave it alone and

not overwork it...

The facing page:  I drew this little

flower from a bouquet my husband 

brought home to me. It is 'pen direct to

paper,' (no pencil sketch first) and I rather

like the pink background showing through

the leaves of the painting. The bouquet

survived a night in the car, as my husband

forgot to bring them in to me when he

got home from work! Since it was in the 40'sF

that night, they were a bit wilted, but 

perked up when I put them in water!

A very nice surprise...

Here's the coffee mug I am having

my morning mocha in today...

linking up with Bleubeard and Elizabeth

for T Tuesday.  Enjoying my flowers,

both real and stitched. What are you

enjoying these days?

Reading and Drawing

A thrift shop tea cup, and

some books...

.

I've been re-reading Ann McAffrey's

series about the dragons of Pern.

It's like visiting old friends...

I stuck a few sprigs of

lavender in a bud vase...

then realized they were calling

to me: "Draw me, draw me!

Can't you see we're waiting?"

I will be visiting 

Bleubeard & Elizabeth for

T Tuesday, and I'm

joining in for the 

shenanigans...how about you?

Art Journal Pages: Drawing my Food

Everyone draws their food when they go 

to a restaurant, don't they?!  One of the

waitresses came over to see what I was 

working on, but I had barely started drawing

my red water glass.  I think she remembered

me from when I drew the turtle planter in 

their restaurant...

The table top presented difficulties.  It was

a carved surface with glass over it.  Glass is

always a challenge, with shadows, reflections,

and whatever is sitting on it...hopefully you

get the idea.  I really could have eaten that

whole basket of chips by myself!

Drawing in Sharpie pen, with watercolor

pencil and water applied after I returned home.

More pages in the 

"On Again~Off Again Journal...

I take along my art bag when we are taking

a road trip.  Hubby drives, and I happily 

paste scraps of paper and doodles into

whatever journal happens to fit into the

stuffed bag.  My watercolor pencils, water brush,

and Sharpie pen are necessities,

and a few highlighter markers wouldn't

go amiss either. They can brighten up

a page considerably!

Above, the atc I sent to Elizabeth,

made from some of my doodle-painted

paper, and a little tea cup that I drew

and glued onto the background.

It felt good to make some mini~art!

You may have noticed that I added a 

new page to this blog for Tutorials.

  To go to the Tutorials page, 

click on the tea cup at the top

of the side bar on the right.

There are only a few tutorials so far, but I 

hope to add more. Stay tuned!

Linking up for the T Tuesday

blog hop over at 

Bleubeard and Elizabeth's.

There's always time for tea!