Paper and Threads

My days were full the month before Christmas, with Holiday preparation and activities, and Kate's wonderful Artist's Journal Class.  I still love completing EDM Challenges, but had enough art to do each day without them.  So here are 4 that I wanted to post before the end of the year (#250, 251, 253, 254).  The only one I completed during the week it was assigned was "Draw a Pine,"     (#252)and that was possible because I brought home a pine bough from the Christmas Tree lot where we bought our Christmas tree. 

EDM #250:  Draw Something You Got for Free

I received a Christmas t-shirt last year when I made other purchases, and this is the embroidered design on the front.

EDM #251:  Draw a Perfume or Perfume Product

This is my absolute favorite body cream and I need to use it daily during the winter months.

EDM #253:  Draw a Sock

This is one from a pair of Christmas knee socks which I haven't worn in more than 15 years.  Why do I still have them??

#254:  Draw Something Joyful

We had almost 11 inches of snow last week and my husband and I walked into Central Park by 8AM to enjoy it.  I love to be out in the snow and couldn't wait to bundle up and explore our area of the Park.  This drawing is of my husband in his sheepskin coat and mittens.  I still draw and paint family members from the back ONLY!  And I love how recognizeable they are!

Yesterday I took care of two of my grandchildren in the morning and then went to W57th Street area to see the fabulous Bergdorf Goodman Holiday windows.  They are really not to be believed!  This composite page has the reindeer design from Zach's pjs that I put in his Christmas stocking and one of the very small paper cutouts from a Christmas window in the jewelry display.

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I took my daughter and my grand daughter Sydney to the Nutcracker Ballet at Lincoln Center on Wednesday night to celebrate her Dec 20th birthday.  The evening fulfilled all of my expectations - it was magical in every way.  She watched every single minute of the ballet, with rapt attention, but loved the Snowflakes dancing in a blizzard on stage and especially the Mouse King the best.  I now need to find a photo of the Mouse King to add to my journal for her.  If anyone reading this has a photo of the Mouse King from the NYC Balanchine production, I'd LOVE to have a copy!

Sydney - looking very grown up - for her first night at the ballet.  Loved the rhinestone headband!  And the silver bracelet from her great grandmother (on my last blog page) was a big hit!

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On Monday we bought our Christmas Tree and I picked up a pine bough for EDM Challenge #252.  I was able to really study the way that the needles grew from the branch, and on this one there were 5 long needles from each little knob along the it.  Fascinating!!  I used my rigger brush and both tube watercolors and paint removed from the tip of my watercolor pencil.

Two of my grandchildren have birthdays this week, making the holiday schedule even more complicated.  Long time readers of  this blog may remember our frantic dash to London when Callum arrived 6 weeks early - and one day before Sydney's 2nd birthday.

 Tonight I'm taking my daughter, and Sydney to their first NY City Ballet production of The Nutcracker for her birthday.  My mother, Sydney's great grandmother, gave me a a small silver bracelet to give to her to wear to Lincoln Center.  We are very excited!

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Saturday we took our 6 year old grandson, Henry, to his second NY Philharmonic Young People's Concert.  At Kidzone, an hour before the concert, he was able to try playing a cello and a harp, compose a bar of music which was then played by a violinist, and watch Instrument Village play compositions by young composers.  While he listened to them for 10-15 minutes, I sketched a few of the musicians.

On Sunday morning, the Meet-Up Central Park Drawing Group met at the Metropolitan Museum of Art to sketch.  We started in the Greek and Roman Galleries with two 30 minute sketch sessions.  I drew 3 statues with watercolor pencil, and may still add water.

We then moved to the American painting exhibit - and I sketched a painting by Everett Shin, using watercolor pencils to add color.  Only pencils and pens are permitted in the Museum, so I surreptitiously added water with a Niji waterbrush, to paint it as we left the gallery.

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