Sketching at the Auction

This afternoon, I went to a local auction to bid on a tea caddy, a Kollowitz lithograph, and some other items. Since auctions usually involve long periods of sitting,  I brought my sketchbook and a mechanical pencil. With these minimal tools, I sketched a butter churn, a split oak basket, and a Flexible Flyer sled.  It was a great opportunity to practice sketching and, as long as I didn't wave my pencil or sketchbook during bidding, I didn't inadvertently bid on items I didn't want.

When I returned home, I inked the sketches, then set the butter churn and the split oak basket into a composition, including the name of the auction house.

I'm really looking forward to using some of these sketches as a springboard into other projects.

Teapot and Teacup

I took some time earlier this month to draw a teapot I found in a box of items my mother had inherited from a great aunt. It's nothing special and there are generally several on Ebay at any given time. I used a Tombow water soluble pen to draw, then shaded it.  I used a burgundy Micron Pigma pen to draw the flower motif.  I've debated painting the flowers and still need to finish the composition.

 

After drawing the teapot I had to draw a teacup to go with it.  I used the same drawing tools, but included the teacup story as part of the composition. The ocher line across the page is part of an assignment in an online sketchbook class.

New Camera and Online Classes

Amazon sent a "Daily Deal" last week featuring a Canon Powershot for $49.00.  My only digital camera is a 10 year old Sony Mavica that requires floppy disks. It's the digital equivalent of stone knives and bearskins. The reviews on the Powershot were good, although it was an older model camera.  I ordered the camera and am slowly learning how to operate it. 

The picture below is a silk shibori ribbon dragonfly broach I assembled from a kit purchased from Shirbori Girl Studios. The kit is very simple and comes in a variety of colors. I posed the finished dragonfly on a cantaloup leaf in the garden and tried my new camera.

Joggles has sent out their list of Fall classes.  There are so many terrific classes! My wish list is SO long, but I have some time to whittle it down to a manageable list based on finances and time considerations. I've already completed several of these classes and will upload some pictures of the finished projects later.

Thoughts Concerning HOT Summer Giveaway!

Since August 10,  I've been following the Hot Summer Giveaway. Participation requirements are simple: on a set day, visit the blog of a specific artist and leave a comment for a chance to win wonderful art goodies. The Giveaway continues through Sunday, August 19.

Why participate?

I lurk on blogs, message boards, Facebook, and Twitter, trying to blend in with the wallpaper.  The Hot Summer Giveaway has motivated me to see the work that artists are doing and comment on their amazing projects.

I have been working on a mixed media project based on a picture of a young deer across the road.  I've used tissue paper, acrylic paint,  Prismacolor pencils, black waterproof pen, button and carpet thread, and pearl cotton on art canvas. It's still very much a work in progress.