Paper and Threads

I am posting several journal pages that I did recently, to include some variety on this blog.  Tonight will be my last figure drawing session until after Labor Day, so my next blog entry will be more drawings from Sketch Night in costume.   

This plant was a gift from friends and it just keeps flowering.  I read about gloxinias and know that they need to die back and hibernate later in the season.  I only have one set of windows that have a wide window sill and enough light, so I'm afraid that this plant will not be with me next year.  I'll try to repot it next Spring, but would love to hear what others do with their indoor gloxinias.

I'm still sending weekly postcards to my dear friend Melly as she enters phase 3 of her breast cancer treatment.  She recently mentioned "dancing" when all of this is over, so I redrew my model's shoes from last week and painted them for her for last Saturday's postcard.  I hope they make her laugh!  Neither of us are the 5 inch spiked heel type of lady.

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Sketch Night on Thursday night at the Society of Illustrators is a great change because both models are in costume - partial or complete.  This past Thursday was Bastille Day and they both wore French-inspired dresses, very high heels, and wigs.  Props included a baguette, wine bottle and two glasses of wine.

Here are a few 2 min sketches, one 5 min sketch, and one of the 20 minute sketches which was drawn and colored with watercolor pencils.

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These are the journal pages that I did on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday - the last until the end of the summer.

Sydney and I sketched together and she drew hydrangea blooms while I sketched her - which was her request.  It doesn't look like 6 year old Sydney, although she said I got the hair drawn correctly!  I never used to draw family members, so at least I'm now trying to capture a likeness.

I love sweets and was tempted by a freshly baked cookie and a Dunkin Doughnut most of Saturday afternoon.  I succombed to one, but not the other!

I was awakened when a bathroom hairdryer slipped in its holder, turning it on, and couldn't get back to sleep.  So I moved out to the sunroom and listened for the birds to wake up while I read.  There was suddenly a very different, insistent chirp, right outside the screen door and it was a beautiful cardinal.  This was drawn from a photo since he flew off pretty quickly.

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We were at the beach 3 times last month, including the 4th of July weekend with our children and grandchildren.  Here are some of my random journal pages for those visits. 

The Hydrangea Variant in my Daughter's Garden:

Poolside While the Children Swam:

Group Dinners on the Patio Next to the Grill (covered):

Rabbit Drawings to Remember How Much the Bunnies in the Yard Scared Annabelle (age 3):

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My husband and I love early morning beachwalks and I spend my time, while walking, learning about the changing ocean, sand, shells, and creatures.   It is even more fun when our friends visit for a week because they can help identify some of the creatures brought in with the tides. 

I found almost a dozen sea robin fish skulls over the last several years, but this year found this very interesting 3.5 x 2.5 inch skull right at the surfline.  There is a very small black shell trapped within making it seem likely to be from the ocean.  We searched all animal skull images with sagittal crests on the web and found one identical image  - uploaded by someone who also couldn't identfy it.  Since then we sent the photo to a bird watcher, a veterinarian, and a  reptile/amphibian expert, but we still don't have an answer.

I also found 2 dead Portuguese Men of War.  Jeff needed to identify them for me - I've never seen one dead or alive in the ocean or on the beach.

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