Knitting AND Crocheting

 

I am yarning along again, with Ginny and the rest over at Small Things.  At least it keeps me blogging regularly ;)
This week, for your appreciation, you can see a really cool book I found in a local antique shop, Janet Marsh's Nature Diary.  The title caught my eye, and I grabbed it up to keep it.  It is similar in some ways to the Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady, only a bit more modern, and set up a little different.  It is still English though :) If I didn't actually squeal when I found it, I felt like squealing!  The other book, the new Abs Diet for women, has been sitting in my library basket for a while.
As for my projects, well you can see I haven't got very far with my cardigan.  It is in LACEWEIGHT so, not really a surprise I guess!  Here is a nice closeup so you can admire the yarn.  It only took me a few tries to get a good photo.

Isn't it pretty?  That is Cousteau, from Madelinetosh's 'Tosh Lace' range.  I found a lovely online shop that I bought it from- they had it shipped out VERY quickly.  Eat, Sleep, Knit was their name :) and I just wanted to give them a shout out.

 

My other project is more experimental than anything else.  I am sure many of you who crochet have seen and admired the crocodile stitch projects out there.  Well one, very kind person sat through the videos and made up a free scarf pattern (ravelry link) to make one.  It is a fairly easy and fun stitch, with a great ruffled texture.  The yarn, which is Serenity Garden from Deborah Norville's range, is not the best for crochet, but it looks good!
Now, I finally remembered to take a photo of the 1930's lace top pattern I made ages ago.  You can purchase the pattern from the Vintage Pattern Place on Etsy.  If I were to make it again, I'd add an extra inch to the ribbing and an  extra pattern repeat because I would prefer it just a little longer ;).

And finally, I will leave you with a couple of photos from inside the Nature Diary :)  If you want to see more, you shall have to get your own copy ;)

A Visit to the Art Museum

When the temperature starts hitting 104*F (40*C) regularly here in Virginia- with a heat index of 108*F (42.4*C) -110*F (43.3*C), it is NOT the time to be going out and about.  So we stayed in town, and ran errands.
However, today, being the day we normally like to do a little gardening, we instead went to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA).  The museum had recently undergone a year long renovation, and had a brand new (and huge) wing added to it.  Not all of the new exhibition space is open, there are two opening later in the year, but there was more than enough time to spend a few hours in there, with children in tow, admiring the exhibits.
As an amateur artist, I of course have my favourites.
For instance, there was the painting by Artemisia Gentileschi- "Venus and Cupid".

You should click on the link for a better view...
The vividness of the blue- the beauty of her technique and the fact that Artemisia was the very first woman admitted to the "Accademia di Arte del Disegno" in Florence, Italy.  Wow!
Then there was the impressionist exhibit- with my favourite painters- Monet, Renoir and Van Gogh- although they had only a few pieces by these great names!
Or the modern exhibits with works by Picasso, Matisse and Warhol... I admit, I was a little star struck :)

But the thing that blew my mind, was the sculptures by DEGAS.  I was surprised, to say the least.  I have been familiar with the paintings by Degas, of his dancers- but had no idea he was a sculptor as well.  The museum said that people had claimed his sculpture of  La Petite Danseuse de Quatorze Ans (The Little Dancer, Age Fourteen), was UGLY.  Well I didn't think so...

There are several castings of this sculpture- in museums all over the world!
There are several of his horses there too, and apparently some of the original artist's carvings (I was rushed through the exhibit before I got a chance to really see it all!!)

If you click on the photo, you can go and examine it in more detail :)
It was a delightful trip though, nice air conditioning, relaxing art works- what more could you ask for? :)

Well... I did wish there was a little more in the way of mediaeval stuff.  And I really wished they had a textiles exhibit- they were missing out on lace in particular- there is a lot of art involved in lace design, and it was very much part of the commercial aspects of life for centuries!

I mean- isn't this artistic too?  I'll just have to look elsewhere for the lace then...


In the meantime, if you are in Richmond, VA, take a look at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts- it really does have a great collection :)

The Art Books I Like

This is a continually running post I am setting up- I will link it in the sidebar for the express purpose of recording the wonderful art books I like :) There are three categories- drawing, painting and inspirational. That's pretty much self explanatory :D. There is no particular order to these, just the one I felt like ;)

DRAWING

The Big Book of Drawing by Lee Hammond. Lee's books are ALL great books for teaching drawing. They are what I would call intermediate to advanced level drawing books, for those who already understand the basics of perspective. Lee's books are all about making your drawings REAL. She has some really great tips, and I highly recommend trying them out- some seem a little fussy or finicky BUT are actually very helpful if you have complicated pictures you want to draw :)

How to Draw Lifelike Portraits from Photographs by Lee Hammond


Lifelike Drawing in Coloured Pencil by Lee Hammond. This one takes the steps from her graphite books a lot further- teaching you how to add colour. I admit, I liked it because she used Prismacolor pencils- which I happened to have :D


Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards. This is a really good book for the beginner artist. Yes, it CAN help the more advanced, but typically it works best for those who want to learn from scratch :)

The Sierra Club Guide to Sketching in Nature by Cathy Johnson. I love Cathy's books, and she also has a number of CD's at her website that are worth checking out since many of the older books are far too overpriced (and it is not money going to her!!). The CD's are compilations of information from her older books and modern updates. Definitely look for these :) This particular book is a guide to sketching while out and about- in different media.

Sketching Your Favourite Subjects in Pen and Ink by Claudia Nice. Claudia's books are really the definitive work on sketching in pen and ink. If you want to learn some of her tricks, then her books will definitely teach you how to make the most of that pen you are too timid to try :)
How to Keep a Sketchbook Journal by Claudia Nice. This is a simple book that just gives some helpful suggestions on making your own sketchbook journal- my favourite part is the little bag she made for her tools though :)

PAINTING

Creating Nature in Watercolor by Cathy Johnson. This is great tips and tricks book for actually painting from nature. Like most of Cathy's books it is full of ideas, and worth buying :)

Creating Texures in Pen & Ink with Watercolor by Claudia Nice. Goes with her pen and ink drawing books, only this one adds paint too. Buy as a companion to the pen & ink book and enjoy the full versatility of inks :)



Beautiful Botanicals by Bente Starcke King. If you ever had the idea of becoming a botanical artist, then this book is a good start. She has several tutorials you can follow through, plus tips and techniques to try.


Create Your Own Artist's Journal by Erin O'Toole. One of my favourites because it is such a nice record of HOW to make your journal, by telling you how SHE made hers!



The Watercolorist's Essential Notebook by Gordon MacKenzie. One of the more unassuming books, this is full of techniques to use when painting with watercolors- worth the look.

INSPIRATION

When Wanderers Cease to Roam: A Traveler's Journey of Staying Put by Vivian Swift. This is a glimpse into the sketchbooks of an artist- she has compiled pictures from her journeys and her current staying home life. It's a fun read, and sure to get you thinking :)

The Creative License: Giving Yourself Permission to Be the Artist You Truly Are by Danny Gregory. Many people credit this book with making them want to draw again- although in some ways it IS an how to book, it is also inspirational for making you WANT to do it, and not be worried about HOW you do it. As with all of Danny's books, he illustrated it himself, his drawings are definitely quirky and very lively :) It's a great book for those just starting back into drawing.

Everyday Matters by Danny Gregory. This is Danny's journal- one of self discovery and realisation. It's a heartwarming read :)

An Illustrated Life: Drawing Inspiration from the Private Sketchbooks of Artists, Illustrators and Designers by Danny Gregory. I consider this one to be the most inspirational of Danny's books- because here you get to glimpse into the sketchbooks of all kinds of artists! This book is sure to inspire anyone of an artistic bent, into wanting to make their own journals. If you can only buy ONE inspirational book, make it this one!

The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady by Edith Holden. I love this book- not because it was written long ago, so much as the life it shows in it. The author's story is somewhat tragic, but her paintings and nature notes should definitely grace EVERY homeschooler's shelf, and artists are sure to find her book a delightful read :)

Food Glorious Food!

Don't care what it looks like... ;)

First up... an accidental plan view of dinner. Accidental because during a distraction I started to draw... then realised it was plan! I ended up drawing standing up LOL. Luckily it was the leftovers again ;) (DD fell asleep eating so she had a lot... shame she didn't STAY asleep ;))


Then, because I am having problems with my hand from too much mouse work (:-o), I kept it simple with a spray bottle.


That allowed me to put a strikethrough on my list of EDM's ;)

As did today's drawing:

Or rather drawingS. Different media versions of EDM #179: Draw an onion. From the top: pastel pencils, graphite pencils (H, 4B and 9B), Derwent Watercolour Pencils.

And a painting for someone on a swap:

July 4th Holiday Drawings

Yes, I am British, but I still have to celebrate the 4th July- after all, the rest of the family is American :D Even though it was a holiday weekend, I still kept my drawing up, and although I did not get food in every day, I did sneak it in a few times ;)

The evening of the 3rd July, we had a concert and fireworks display we attended. I managed to do some plein air sketching, despite the woman next to me staring at what I was doing :) I forgave her when she told her kids to make sure they didn't ruin my 'pretty pictures' :D

Here you can see some of the concert goers, and the stage- complete with cameras (it was televised live in our area). Below I added the conductor (he was all I could see of the orchestra around the equipment there) and an ice-cream vendor.

At the very bottom here, you can see my view of the crowd in front of me, and one of the buildings that surrounded us :)

On July 4th, I did some 'grids' and just drew little things from around and about. Like a dead tree that caught my eye.

Or the barbecue, my festive pedicure, my daughter's burger (trick #3 in catching food... draw the kids ;)), or the darkening sky. I coloured them later with my new art toys... Koh-i-noor's Gioconda soft pastel pencils, and a gold marker pen.

On the 5th, after a trip to the library and Farmer's Market, we went out of town down to Yorktown, Va. There is a lovely spot where you can see out over the York river, and beyond into the Chesapeake Bay. The tall ship The Alliance was out (it takes paying customers) and proved to be a worthy subject... not just once but twice.

I experimented with drawing with my new toys again... without the ink outline this time. I really like these pastel pencils!

On the 6th, I drew my new toys :) Partly because I wanted to, and partly because I love them!


I did manage to sneak in some food again.. this time a picture of some of my Farmer's Market Haul- which is also what I named the picture! I drew this in white charcoal, then colourised it with my new pastel pencils. Despite only having 12 colours, I think it came out very well... it certainly made me love the pastel pencils more :)


I hope you had an enjoyable long weekend too (only if you were in the US of course, otherwise I hope you had a nice weekend ;))!

Food for Thought

Mac and Cheese is my kids favourite lunchtime meal. I like it because it is easy and pretty healthy... I use the whole-grain pasta, the organic milk and the strong cheese (real stuff) for extra flavour. My kids and I serve it up with a sprinkling of Mrs. Dash for an extra boost!

Derwent watercolour pencils, Pigma Micron (brown) 05. Lettering in black Pitt Artist Brush pen.

Lots of leftovers today because I used up the rest of the pasta!

Art Attacks...

So today is the 3rd of July- that means a concert and fireworks tonight, and a parade and book sale tomorrow- so I am hoping to be drawing at those :)

This mornign, before the 90 plus degree weather hit, I went outside to draw our beautiful sunflower.

It didn't come out well, and I applied some ink to resucitate it. It looks better, but not great... back to food later :o

Sunflower and a Bee

Winsor and Newton Watercolours, Pigma Micron 01

Blogging Food

My solution to draw the leftovers of a meal works well... most of the time :) See, in my house, there are children, and they ALWAYS have leftovers!! However, today is Wednesday, and my grocery shopping day. We always eat out on grocery shopping day to make the ordeal go faster... otherwise we leave very late for the store.

Lucky me, we chose Chick-Fil-A, where I love the spicy chicken cool wrap... served up in two half portions, which allows me to eat while drawing the other half! And the dressing packet ;)

I also drew a picture of what was left... a pitiful bit of tortilla wrap, and a piece of lettuce. The only reason the lettuce stayed was so I could draw it ;)

This picture was done in the Pigma brown... which for some reason just scanned odd. I know Kate calls it red ochre, and it really does look red on here! I am not sure I like the effect... maybe if it had been watercolour?
Maybe it is just the scan... it looks OK in person ;)

New month, new idea

So this month, in school we'll be trying to read a few things and finish off someone's mathematics book, then we'll be ordering new stuff.
Meanwhile in painting and drawing, there is a July theme of 'food'. I decided to join in, at least for now, and drew my dinner last night.
Only, I did not want to wait for it to cool down while I was drawing... so I ate it and drew the leftovers- combined from our various plates and added to to make it look more like a meal. Just not as big *grin*


My illuminated letter went a bit wonky this time- I need to get a decent brush for the acrylic paint OR just buy one of those pens ;)

The Last June Drawings

The last drawings from last month...

A sprouting garlic from my kitchen :)

A great cure for a nauseated stomach.

Cloud studies from throughout the day, plus a quick sketch of what I was doing and my ever present weather box ;)

A poor attempt at food... I can't get enough detail onto the page when it is black... think I need the pastels for this. They can wait until I am a bit more secure in my other media ;)

There are a couple more things I did, only they are part of a swap and so I did not post them up here ;) Just in case...

Learning Curves

I was thrilled the other week, when one of my favourite artist/authors, Cathy (Kate) Johnson announced she had a new Ink & Wash Slide-Show Workshop on CD. Immediately I ordered it, for I have long been an admirer of the ink and wash technique :)

It arrived fast, and was in my possession just a few days later, and I watched it immediately! What fun...

So this week, I finally put it all into practise. Sort of.


We were out, and I had yet to do my daily drawing. I blame Julie Oakley... Kate mentioned her on the CD, and I was hooked into her old One Mile from Home blog ;) rather than drawing! So when we went to the grocery store to pick up some conditioner, I drew it. I forgot, however, to draw a little faster and I attempted to finish it as we drove away. And I messed up completely on that part- the lower right hand corner. I could not get it right- and later I messed it up even WORSE than it had been, so I decided to just leave it and learn.

Lesson Learned: Do not attempt to finish an intricate piece of architecture or anything else that might be intricate from memory. Leave the picture unfinished... no-one else cares!!!!

Another lesson I should have learned from Julie, is the art of leaving a picture unfinished when necessary!

I am still rather pleased with the wash though, and I love Kate's CD- which I highly recommend for those out there who are interested :) She has several others at her Cafe Press site, including watercolour and sketching CDs, and a couple of CD versions of her books- updated and with new information. I have several of her artist books, which are great and well worth looking at too!

More Artwork

Eventually I will have a few blogs about other things in my life. Like the kids and schoolwork ;) Or a couple of books I want to share :) In the meantime, here are two more journal pieces.

This first one is in memoriam of Tasha Tudor, who died last week (June 18th) at the advanced age of 92.

She was a wonderful artist, and I have mentioned before how she inspired me :) I am not sure I would want to live as she did, but I certainly understand the lure of the time period she chose :) I found an image of her online that I liked (I think it was from one of the books about her because I vaguely recognised it), and used that for this entry.

This was drawn yesterday at the park. I took the kids there for nature club (all afternoon), and drew this while they played in the creek. They were both exhausted by the end of the day (not to mention soaked... thank goodness the hot weather dried them so fast!). I remembered that 'Draw a Bridge' was a recent EDM challenge, so I did...