Pencil-Paper-Paint: I'm combining my blogs...

Pencil-Paper-Paint: I'm combining my blogs...  I have two different blogs, one for my drawing and painting and the other for all my other art adventures, quillting, jewelry making, crochet, mixed media and life in general.  Needless to say this takes up a lot of extra time so I'm going to start posting over on my blog:

http://www.purplepaintsmuse.blogspot.com/

Another sketch I did a few months ago...

This is another quick sketch I did over a month ago.  I'm having a hard time getting motivated these days...  There's so much I need to be doing...

Holy cow it's been awhile!!!

Hi all, well it's been awhile!!!  Things have been a little hectic, my husband is sick and needs a bone marrow transplant so I have little time for art these days...  your prayers would be appreciated.

Finishing up another Moleskine

I'm finishing up a Moleskine I started back in June of 2010!  I just finished shading a Zentangle (tm) inspired spread.  It takes so long to finish one because I usually have 3 or 4 going at once... one I leave in my car, because I've gotten stuck too many times without one, and there are about 3 more floating around the house...  I'm hoping to get back to sketching this coming year.  Thanks for stopping by, now it's your turn, go sketch something!

A quick sketch

Finally!  A quick sketch of a pear.  I have to sketch these fast before the kids eat them!  

I love to sketch pears, I don't care for the taste or texture, but I do love to sketch them.  I'm weird, I know.  :D

I'm trying to get back into the sketching habit, it seems there is just so many other kinds of art to do too!  Some days I have so many ideas running through my head that I get nothing done!  Which is why I need to at least sketch, then I feel like I accomplished something creative.

Thanks for stopping by!  If I don't post before then, have a Very Merry Christmas!  :D

A few of my older paintings

These are a couple of my paintings I did a few years ago, I'm feeling the urge to get back to painting....  Now I just have to find room to set up my drawing table...

New sketches

Finally getting around to posting the sketch I did last week.  Ugh!  This is what happens when you don't sketch for awhile.  The leaf is from this morning.

Yesterday I spent 4 hours raking leaves!!!  I am so sore!  Since we have a forest in our back yard the thing to do is rake all the leaves onto a tarp and drag it back into the forest to dump it.  (the neighbors trained us).  Yesterday I took back 8 tarp loads!!!  I can't imagine having to bag all that!!!  And now of course this morning you can't even tell we raked because a ton more leaves fell!  And there's probably some still on the trees that have yet to fall!

And they're saying we have a huge storm coming....  Supposedly Hurricane Sandy is going to make landfall just to the east of us in New Jersey, we're in Philly.  OH JOY!!!!  I am so tempted to pack up my car and head west!!!  LOL!  I hope it's not as bad as they're saying....   They're calling it Frankenstorm because it's supposed to hit around Halloween, or sooner.  Of course all of this is just guessing....  Love how they blow it all out of proportion before it even happens.  Oh well, better safe than sorry I guess.

Has it really been that long??!!!!

I can't believe I haven't posted on here since April!!!  That's terrible!  I do apologize for my absence!  I have been sketching, really I have.  Maybe not as much as I should be...

I did this one just yesterday.  I got another great deal on roses, $5 for 25!!!!  I couldn't resist - I love to sketch and paint roses!  I also did some ACEOs that I still have to scan.

I'll try and do better keeping my blog up to date!

Thanks for stopping by, hopefully next time I'll have something new posted for you to see.

My finished Moleskines

I saw a photo on Pinterest where someone had posted their Moleskine sketchbooks so I thought I would share my finished ones. 


I have about 3 more going, and I have other sketchbooks as well, these are just the Moleskines.  I love their large sketchbooks, but I really wish they would change the watercolor books to the same layout as the sketchbooks.  Since they haven't, I've started making my own watercolor sketchbooks.


Anyway, thought I'd share.  Hope you're inspired.  :D

Sketchbook Project - Ltd Edition - I'm Done!!!

I'm done!!!!  Yay!!!  I really had to push it to get this done in time!  It's due to be mailed in by the 30th!  This is my second Sketchbook Project that I've done, I did them back to back.  It was fun but I'm ready for a break.


I had a hard time getting started on this one in the dead of winter, and realized how much I like sketching nature and flowers, that are alive.  :)  Of course neither of these sketches are of that but these are my two favorite ones out of my book.  


So now I need to get it packed up and sent off to New York.


If you've never done the Sketchbook Project you really should!  Anything goes, sketching, mixed media....  No nudity of profanity obviously.  It's fun to challenge yourself!


And now I can kick back and sketch without pressure.  Thanks so much for stopping by and now it's your turn, get to sketching!

A new journal

Hi all! I've been taking some of the lovely Ms. Suzi Blu's classes online and this is the front of a journal I just finished up! I do bookbinding but this time I followed Goog's tutorial. Should be fun to work in! I plan on doing more collage work in this one!

I've also been working on The Sketchbook Project Ltd Edition book and need to post some pics of those sketches.

Thanks for stopping by and have an awesome week!

Starting Sketchbook Project Ltd Edition

Hey peeps! Got my new Sketchbook Project book and revamped it. This is a fabric cover, isn't this the coolest fabric?!! I'm having a hard time getting inspired to sketch in the dead of winter, it took me awhile to think of what my first sketch would be. I have since done a little watercolor wash over these and done 2 more sketches. I'll have to scan them and show you!

Thanks so much for stopping by, now it's your turn, go sketch something!

Sketchbook Project 2012 - finished!!!

Here's my last spread in my sketchbook for the Sketchbook Project 2012! I sketched the wrong book though! I highly recommend Danny Gregory's "Creative License!" That's what really got me sketching and improving so much! One of these days I'll have to post a pic of what my sketching was like before. And of course anything by Cathy "Kate" Johnson! She has several books and is just such an inspiration!

Today in the mail I got my new sketchbook for the Limited Edition so I need to revamp it and get busy!

Thanks for stopping by now go do some art! And I will see if I can find my muse!

2012 Sketchbook Project - finishing up

See, I have been doing art! Just not doing great at posting about it. Excuse my wonky perspective in the first picture, sometimes that just happens. I only have one more spread to do and this sketchbook is done and will go in the mail after Christmas!!! Woohoo!!!!! Now, what should I do for my last sketch? I already did the last page so I just need to sketch something, anything, the pressure is on!

Well I'll let you know what I come up with! I'm waiting for my next sketchbook to arrive. It would be awesome to have some of my work published in a book!!! If you want to learn more about the sketchbook project click the link to the right or check it out below, you know you want to!!! :D

Thanks for stopping by and have a Merry Christmas if I don't get back on here before then!

the Sketchbook Project Limited Edition

First off this is not my photo, it belongs to Arthouse Coop. I borrowed it to tell you about the Sketchbook Project Limited Edition! Look at all these sketchbooks!!! I'd love to go there and look through them! I'm just finishing up my Sketchbook Project sketchbook for 2012 and I am so proud of myself!

The Limited Edition is a little different. It will be due in April, 2012, it's limited to 5,000 artists, and all the sketchbooks will be published in a book! Awesome!!!! I was trying to make up my mind if I was going to do it or not and decided to go for it! The worst that will happen is that I won't get it done and I won't be able to participate in the next one. Of course I have a thing about unfinished projects so I will get it done, no matter what!

If you want to find out more check it out:

http://www.arthousecoop.com/projects/sketchbookproject?utm_source=Art+House+Co-op+List&utm_campaign=1d5f78f3c3-Limited_Edition_launch11_8_2011&utm_medium=email

Thanks for stopping by and now get busy and do some art!

More Sketchbook Project sketches

These are three more sketches I've done in my Sketchbook Project book. Only six more spreads to go! I'd better hurry it up! It has to be in by the end of January, I think. And I hate putting things off until the last minute! Totally messes up my muse!

I was so honored to have my name and a link to my blog mentioned in their latest newsletter! Now they are doing another project, where they're going to publish all the entrants sketchbooks in a book! How cool! This sketchbook will be due in April, I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to do it.... we'll see. Part of the reason is that that is during the winter for the most part, and I am really inspired by nature, flowers, bugs etc. I'm not sure what I would draw in a winter sketchbook. Anyway, click on my link to the right and I'm sure it will take you to the new page for more info on the New Sketchbook Project project. :D

Thanks so much for stopping by and leave me a comment and let me know what you think.

Some new sketches

Okay, first up is a new Hydrangea watercolor sketch! I love, love, love hydrangeas!!! They are just the most awesome flower! It's just amazing that they can change color! This just fascinates me! Feed them acidic plant food and they will turn blue! The last small hydrangea I bought died when I planted it, but that's probably because it was in the middle of the horribly hot summer. So I will try it again, and probably put up some wire around it to keep the deer from snacking on it.

Second up is my new chick sketch! I'm learning to draw girls with Suzi Blu! See her button on my side bar. I can draw all kinds of things but not people! When I used to draw them their noses ended up looking like a pig's snout! I think I'm doing much better!!! And Suzi is a ton of fun!

Oh! The hydrangea is in my Sketchbook Project book, so now I only have 9 more spreads to do! I'm anxious to get it done before I get sidetracked and space it out! :D

Thanks so much for stopping by! Now go draw something!

I AM NOT A FORMER STUDENT OF IB Visual Artsl MY GUESS IS YOU'RE BEING SCAMMED. Fall leaves

Here's a couple of sketches I just finished. The top one is in my Sketchbook Project book, the lower one in my watercolor Moleskine. I think I could sketch fall leaves all day long! Each one is different and they remind me of sunrises, which I never get to see here. I guess I'll have to start getting up really early and driving somewhere where I can see the sun rise. I am really missing Colorado these days...

More Sketchbook Project...

I know, you thought I forgot all about my Sketchbook Project didn't you? I didn't, just been terribly busy. I did have a chance to sit down and do some pear sketches. The top one is in my personal watercolor moley, the second is in my Sketchbook Project book. I have some mushrooms to show you too, but I'll do that next time!

Now it's your turn - go draw something!

Cidada and Black Eyed Susan

I forgot to post my very first full spread in my Sketchbook Project - the Black Eyed Susans. So here they are.

My most recent is this sketch of the Cicada that fell out of our oak tree during a recent rainstorm. The wings weren't really that colorful but I decided the poor ugly creature needing something redeeming about it. I'm just glad I didn't have a cup of coffee sitting there when this thing fell, eeeeewwwwwwww! My kids were a little freaked when I brought it into the house to paint, they thought maybe it was still alive. :D

Now I need to find something else to sketch....

Thanks for stopping by! Have an awesome day!