Random Sketching

Hot days in the south
time to stay inside and draw.
Add a bit of watercolor paint
and what do you have?

A watercolor painting of your silly sketches...

People - Draw!
Paint!
Repeat PRN...

Mr. Bluebird

"Be like I, hold your head up high,

Till you find a bluebird of happiness.

You will find greater peace of mind

Knowing there's a bluebird of happiness.

And when he sings to you,

though you're deep in blue,

you'll find a ray of light creep through.

So remember this, life is no abyss,

Somewhere there's a bluebird of happiness."

(incomplete) lyrics by Edward Heyman and Henry Parr Daves (1934)

Mr. Barn Owl

I suppose that he is finished...
although I am toying with the idea
of painting in some foliage for him...
right down there in the lower right hand corner - just covering the edge of the rock
and his sharp, dagger-like claw.
I'll have to think about that for a bit.

Inspiration

More pages from my small Moleskine.
If you look closely, you will see clues from the places I sketch at...
A small section of a bone in the top left-ish corner...
a hip socket down there in the lower right hand corner...
guess where I was then?
The large leaves are from a bookmark that my husband was using.

Here on the bottom of the page, you will find a spider plant from another doctors waiting room.
So...you can see that it is possible to find inspiration (and images) everywhere!
If you will just take the time to look around you,
notice the different shapes and forms that surround you,
you may be surprised at how you can find inspiration anywhere!

Stay curious my friends!

"She Ruled The Roost"

A peek at the latest mixed media fiber piece.

"She Ruled The Roost"

Carol Sloan

2010

vintage photo transferred to fabric, textiles, found items

mixed media fiber collage

As usual, a little bit of this and a little bit of that.

Click on the picture to enlarge.

I love the burned fibers around the photo!

I recently got a new (and more powerful) heat gun and I am really enjoying it...

More Sketching

Well, it seems that when you have a broken leg ( dear husband)
and other health issues (dear me) -
you spend a lot of time in doctor waiting rooms...
waiting of course!

I NEVER leave home without my handy dandy sketchbook
and Pitt Artist Pens.
NEVER.
You shouldn't either.
This is a page that I worked on while they were
REMOVING HUBBY'S CAST!!!

YES!
He got his cast off after 5 weeks of being restrained in one...
Mind you, he is still restrained (are you reading this dear husband?!)
but the cast is gone, gone, gone!
He is still on crutches, with orders to limit his weight bearing to about 20-30%.
But he is healing - which is great!
Thanks for all of the emails and well wishes.
I (well we) really appreciate that.

I'll try to post another finished sketchbook page tomorrow.
Maybe a new piece of artwork as well!
Yep, I completed yet another mixed media collage piece today!
I mounted the piece in another shadow box, with a black background this time.
It really looks so nice with the different background.

Hope that you all are keeping cool in this heat wave in the east.
I'm doing my outside work early in the am
and then late in the pm...
like every other southern resident!

Stay creative, my friends.

Mr. Barn Owl

is getting a few details...










Still a W.I.P.

Small Sketch Book

I carry a small (3.5"x5.5") Moleskine Sketchbook in my purse
along with two Pitt Artist Pens (S & XS).
I'm slowly filling the book up with my "Doodle Drawings".
Very simple yet intensely detailed little drawings.
Can be done anywhere -
with any inspiration.
These drawings were done while
looking through my well loved copy of Graham Leslie McCallum's
"4000 Animals, Bird & Fish Motifs (A Sourcebook)".
Love, love, love his sourcebooks!
Check them out!
Oh, and draw -
EVERYDAY!

Mr. Barn Owl

I've been busy creating the mixed media fiber collage pieces
as well as taking care of my beloved husband.
He continues to hobble around -
can you image hopping around day after day on one foot?
Imagine doing everything while hobbling around on one foot - and managing the crutches.
He still has 4-6 more weeks in the cast. Then maybe a "walking cast".
Whew...

I only had three or four paintings (of birds) that I felt were good enough to use as central collage elements.
I wanted to make more pieces of collage work
so I decided that I needed to
Paint More Birds!

I've seen other folks use the same images over and over and that is fine -
I just wanted to have a larger variety I suppose.
Anyway - here is the latest drawing/painting I'm working on.

Mr. Barn Owl.
I drew him on watercolor paper (140 pound).
I have only added large color blocking sections to him...
I have never had any formal painting lessons - or drawing lessons, for that matter.
I suppose I am, what some people would call,
A Born Artist.
I certainly don't mean this in a vain way -
just that this is where I have spent my time.
Yes, that is what is it.
My son is the same way...
A Born Artist.

He has been drawing since he could hold a pencil.
I do wish that he would give me permission to post his artwork here...
but, he is a lot like me - so very private,
so very tough on himself...
but so very talented, that young man is!

You know, drawing/painting is one of those things that people automatically
shy away from.

They will say "Oh, I can't draw...no,not me".

But it truly is something that I believe everyone can learn to do.

Yes, it requires time.

And paitience with yourself.

But it can be learned.

You just have to put the practice time in.

If I go a few days without drawing,

I have to use a couple of pages of paper to practice - to get myself loosened up.

Oh, back to Mr. Barn Owl!
I have drawn him in graphite.
And only added some sections of blocks of color.
I added a teeny, tiny section of darker details - but only a tiny bit, mind you.
Later I will begin to layer the details -
bring him to life.
Much like I approach any type of artwork.

Tiny bit by bit.

Mr Barn Owl.

Waiting Room Sketching

I'm one of those people that can't sit still without doing something.
Like this...


It's a sketch I started while waiting in a doctors office.
My advice is that you Always carry your sketch book and two sizes of Pitt Artists Pens (xs & s).
Entertain yourself and those sitting around you by drawing.
It makes people wonder where in the hell you get your ideas from...
Some never understand that this is what I see
when looking at the potted plants in the office...

Again, it's all in how you look at things, isn't it?

What's on Your Table?

Here's my studio work table this morning.
My mad scientist approach to making art...
Use what you have, what The Universe gives you...
whether it's a rusty washer or your painting ability.
Just. Use. It.

Part Two

I was going to do another post on the class at Jane's shop
last Friday, but she did a great post on her blog...
so I'm going to cheat (with her permission) and point you in that direction.
It was a one day class but this project will be GREAT as a two day class!
I can't wait to teach it at the "Textile Evolution" retreat in Colorado (at the Franciscan Retreat Center) this fall.
The folks that take the class there should be able to actually complete the project...
and we all know how frustrating it can be to
bring home yet another UFO.
So mark your calendars and send in your registration!

Trashcan Annie

Last Friday, I taught my "Scraps, Fragments and Artifacts" class at Random Arts Studio.
There was a mixture of five beautiful and quite entertaining women there.
I always love to watch the group dynamics unfold as the day passes, and I
certainly wasn't disappointed with this awesome group of artists!

Woman are always so supportive of each other, aren't they?

As we went through our stash of memories of people, places and things,
we managed to begin a very good foundation of work.
I took photos but because I was remiss in asking permission,
I'll wait about posting them.
I will, however, post Jane's piece
since she posted it on her facebook page already.
But first, since I uploaded the photos in the wrong order,
I'll share a one of the last two pieces that I did.
They are both mixed media fiber collage.
I mounted both of them in shadowboxes and it looks really nice.
The shadowbox on the left is especially nice,
as it has a hinged front that opens so you can mount items easily.
I'm thinking about taking the Artifact piece I did about my grandmother
and putting it in one of these.
It would work great since it is an interactive piece of art work.
It would be housed in a frame that would keep the dust away
yet I'd still be able to pull the little pieces of paper out
to show and read.
In front of the framed pieces are a few things that Jane has made.
Maybe the woven book covers belong to more than just Jane -
I can't remember for sure.
What I do know for sure is that they are beautiful!

Here is Jane's Artifact piece. She sat down with a small box of random vintage items
and challenged herself to create a piece of work
without adding items from any other source.
I'd say that she did a really good job, wouldn't you?
I love the simplicity of it and the colors.
I also love the gridded background.
She used walnut ink to tone down the fabric.

I enjoy teaching so very much.
A friend of mine, who is also a teacher, and I were talking the other day
about why we liked to share this type of knowledge.
With our type of artwork, it's our creative process that we are sharing.
I think that, as artists, we (as in all artists) think in a different manner.
And when you embark on the mixed media journey, you really do
look at everyday items in a different way.
We try to help people look through our eyes, or look at things the way that we do.

I love to tell the story of going to a Salvation Army type store
and finding the best art supplies in the trash!
The lady there told me (in her very sweet southern way) that it was just trash
but "hunny, ye take what che want. Ye just hep yeself."
That was the day that I acquired the most fabulous lace tablecloth!
It was torn in a couple of places but it has proved to be
an invaluable resource of collage work for me.

I guess I am what my grandmother would call a "Trashcan Annie"...
In all the photos of me as a child, there was a paper bag in there somewhere.
I, like Pippi Longstocking, was a "Thing Finder".
I found all sorts of treasures in my ramblings...
sticks, stones, feathers, leaves...
And the funny thing is, I still collect those things.
I just have a more sophisticated manner of displaying them!

Bling, Broken Bones and Dreaming

Those of you that regularly read my blog know how very much I love nature, especially birds.
We have a topiary beside our side entrance door that houses a tiny bird nest.
We've already had one family move in and move out this year - complete with new family members!
Well, some birds must not mind moving in to a "previously lived in" nest
because we have a new couple in there now!
I peeked into it the other day and noticed they had been doing a little redecorating...
I snapped a quick photo of the sparkly fibers in the new digs.
It's a piece of fiber that I had hung out in one of the plants nearby for the birds to use in their nest building.
How cool is that?!

I wanted to thank everyone for their inquiries into my husbands well being.
He broke his lower left leg (spiral fracture left fibula) a week ago on Saturday.
He is doing better (pain wise) but still feels the pain that goes along with mobility issues...
especially hard for him too. He is one of those people that is Always on the go.
Always.
Constantly working.
So, it's been tough to find a balance around here the past week or so.
But, he is on the mend - so thanks for your concern!

I have been able to spend more time in the studio the past couple of days.
I've almost got another new piece of mixed media art ready!
I usually make a new piece, then get asked to teach classes on it.
Then I spend weeks making step outs,
writing instructions, gathering materials and supplies...
I don't always have a lot of time to continue creating different pieces of work.
I decided that I am going to focus on creating a larger body of work.
I want to begin offering my art work and prints for sale.
I love teaching and am not going to stop doing that
but I want to be able to share my work in other ways too.

I would love to be able to teach to a larger audience.
I'd love to have a studio space large enough to invite people in to it.
I believe that there is a space out there - waiting on me.
One with a really inspirational location, tons of storage space and aglow with natural light.
Isn't it fun to dream about what you'd love to be doing, dreaming about what you want to happen in your life?
It's a very healthy thing to do also.
I believe that you have to allow The Universe to hear your dream...
shout them out!
Share them with your family and friends.
Email me with them if you'd like to.

And then put in some work on those dreams.
Make them happen.

If you knew you wouldn't fail,
what would you do?

New Art Work

While tending to an injured husband,
I have managed to find a tiny bit of studio time.
I've had this piece percolating in my mind for quite a while
I just couldn't get into the studio long enough to make it happen.
So, I finally let everything else go (after I had my husband situated best I could)
and headed into my studio.

POW!

"It" happened.
"It" being those precious times that things just flow...
Have any of you out there had that to happen?
You begin a little slowly, trying this or that...
changing that for the other...
and before you know it -
you are surrounded by the magic.
I almost completely finished a new piece of art work that day.
Even placed it in a shadow box.
I was looking for a quote or poem to go with it and decided to just write one myself.
I used to love to write poetry
and that day I remembered how...

I just let the magic of doing what I love guide me.

Here's a peek.
It's not finished at the point of this photo but this is the chick that inspired me.

Scraps, Fragments and Artifacts in Saluda NC

I am teaching the above workshop again this month.
This time at Random Arts Studio in Saluda NC.
I'm always excited to teach at Jane's!
The space is just incredible and I love the cozy courtyard out back.
We always sit out there and eat, covered by the cheery overhead umbrellas at the picnic table.
She has really built up a wonderful studio space.


So - let's talk a little bit about the class.
I have done other blog posts on it - talking about what prompted the piece, my thoughts while making it and the lady that inspired it.

My grandmother.

One of her dreams was to be a nurse. She worked at the hospital with the newborn babies but had the deep desire to be a "licensed" nurse.
So, in her mid 50's she did just that!
In going through my mom's things, we found one of my grandma's Bibles.
In that Bible she had written a quote about what being a nurse meant.
I loved reading the words, seeing her handwriting.
I worked as a nurse for many years (in Neonatal ICU) (with the newborn babies too!)
so I really did understand the impact of her words.
I also had one of her watches that she received as a nurse.
I made a small pocket with a scrap of a quilt that she had made.
I attached the watch (which also signifies the time that she took to realize her dream).
I copied the handwritten note, folded it up and placed it inside that tiny pocket.
That is just one of her stories that I included in this piece.
Here is a side view of that pocket with the watch underneath it.



Here is the copy that I made. It says


"I believe that the true virtue , the true calling of the nurse, consists neither in following the doctors orders nor administering prescribed treatments (although she ought to do both conscientiously) but in the true aspect contained in the very name of the profession: To nurse and to nurture, to feed the body and to nurture the soul."

"Health is the first wealth."

I don't know the name of the person that the quote belongs to - my grandma didn't add that.
But isn't it great to have that piece of paper?
To honor her with the artful adornment of it?

Her watch face - all these memories - withstanding the test of our time, but all lost when she was ravaged by Alzheimer's.

Another area of the piece is a pin that was kept by my mom,

one from an Alzheimer's walk.

I made another small pocket out of a piece of sheer fabric

(kept from curtains from mom's house).

I used my mom's embroidery floss and placed a corner

of a snap packet from grandmother's sewing basket,

a piece of a pattern from my grandma's dolls and a corner of one of her lace edged hankies.

You can see the pink lace peeking out in the picture below.

In that same Bible, I found where she had written her family history...

all ghosts by the time the disease had its way with her.

But safely nestled in this tiny pocket.

My grandmother left scraps of her life behind.

Fragments of memories.

Handmade artifacts, used in everyday life.

All treasures to me.

I'd love for you to join us, bring your treasures, your stories.

I've got a small suitcase full of little bits of this and that that I share with the folks that take my class.

I believe that there are a couple of spots left.

Call or email Jane, here, and let her know that you want to join us.

You'll be so glad that you did!

Goldfinch Collage Page

This is one side of the book page that I am working on.
I used a manila folder (cut to size) plus duck tape plus collage elements to build this page.
The painting of the bird is one that I painted and then printed on some kind of photo paper.
We have an apple tree in our backyard that the Goldfinches love to visit, eat and rest on.
So I used small twigs from that same tree to add to the bottom of the page.
I painted "tuna" cardboard - oh, someone asked about that.
It is a great art supply from the grocery store -
straight from the tuna boxes on aisle 7 (just kiddin', I don't know what aisle they are on).
But they are in the boxes of packaged flaked tuna. Great corrugated cardboard without all the work.
And your local grocer will gladly let you have it!
Even if they do look at you kinda funny when you ask... I did add some type of oriental coin charm thing on the bottom of the page.
I tied it onto the waxed linen that I tied the sticks on the page with.
The page is still functional as a folder.
This is just the way I work -
A light bulb goes off in my head (not too painful and I'm getting used to the glare).
I run to my studio, twigs, paint, fiber, glue, thread, paper flies...
I finish the project and then go back and say things like
"Well, if I did it again, I'd do this different or that..."
You all know how that goes, right?
But I did do one thing differently this time.
Since I knew ahead of time that this would be developed into a class,
I wrote down what I did as I went along!
How cool is that?!
I usually finish up and then try to remember what I did...
that doesn't always work with me...
When I finished the page I took a different colored index card (that's what I was writing on at the time)
and wrote down the things I would do differently next time.
Hopefully I can remember to do this on the next page...
Yeah, yeah, I see all of you shaking your heads - thinking "there is noooo way she will remember to do that..."
Well...I might.

A Give Away!

Everybody loves a give away...
and especially when it comes from Spring Market!
My friend Liz Kettle from Textile Evolution was at Spring Market
and has put together an awesome little packet!
Check it out, here, leave a comment
and if you win - send me something since I sent you there!

While I have your attention,
let me throw in a shameless plug for my retreat class.
I was invited to teach at the Textile Evolution Retreat this fall in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
I am SO excited about this! Not only the opportunity but the venue!
Colorado in the fall...
But you know what is really great about this retreat?
It's great because it's small...
it's safe to stick your toes in to the pool of mixed media art...
it's accepting of everyone, any level...
I know that there are a lot of fiber artists or quilters out there
that really want to try their hands at a more artist approach to their work.
This is the Perfect Place to do that!
No pressure,a fun loving teacher with
plenty of opportunity for you to grow, to create and to take your passion of making art to a new level.

Does that sound like something you'd be interested in?

Sign up here - but don't delay as the class sizes are limited.
I am teaching two classes -
one is a two day class, "Scraps, Fragments and Artifacts".
The second is a one day class- SO much fun- "Play, Create, Explore".
I'd love for you to join me.

Mixed Media Artist Book

I have been making plans for a while now for a mixed media artist book (or journal).
If I complete it like I have planed, or even close to it,
there should be a ton of techniques in it!
I made the first (of several) folders that will be inside of it.
This one is a manila folder that has been cut down to size,
painted, inked, sanded, stenciled, spritzed, grommet-ed, taped,
and waiting for a collage element on the front of it.
I'll use screen fabric, a copy of a bird painting that I did,
along with painted/sanded and torn tuna cardboard and maybe a few circular washers...
or a feather...
Either way -
It's going to be great!

Weekend Art

I've been painting in my studio - not the walls but on canvas and watercolor paper.
I wanted to watch TV with my husband and I had to have something to do -
since I can't seem to sit still and actually watch the television...
So, I pulled out my trusty sketchbook, drawing pencils and compact watercolors.

A funky little tree with odd "plants" underneath it.
Actually, if you look closely (and use your imagination) you can tell that the plants are actually my interpretation of images from a nature book that I was thumbing through.
A fern frond...
A carbohydrate molecule...
and a weed seed head...
It's all in how you look at things.

The Swimmin' Hole

The Santee State Park built a great swimming area for the campers. It had an activity building, a floating dock with a diving board and a wooden bridge for hikers and fishermen.
...that is until the gators moved in.
I would imagine that they tried relocating the gators since they had gone to so much work, effort and money to build the swimming area.
The gators liked their new digs so much that they refused to leave.
So the park had to close the area to swimmers and only allow fishermen, gawkers and hikers.
There is a Huge "No Swimming" sign right beside this sign...

Funny stuff, huh?
Here is the first of four alligators that we saw one afternoon while gawking...I mean hiking.
He was only about 8 foot long.

Here was another one that was about 10 foot long. You can see the foliage from the shore in this shot. My husband took this one while I was running with three other women...I mean hiking .

Here is the third one that we saw in that "swimming hole"...another 8 footer.

And here is the Big Daddy Gator. The folks at the rangers office refer to him as "the big one in the pond". He measures in at a whooping 10-12 foot long.

Can I say "holy moly" ?

Look at the beautiful, though kinda scary humps on his back and tail...

If you didn't read the first sign, here is the other one that they post warning you not to feed the gators, notice the (no)swimming dock in the background...

I hope that I haven't scared any of you from going to the state park in Santee SC. If you are a lover of nature and wildlife, this is a fantastic place to go!

Between Santee State Park, the lake itself, and the Santee National Wildlife Refuge, we saw two Bald Eagles, several Opsreys, Indigo Bunting, Goldfinch, more wading birds than you can shake a stick at, Double-crested Cormorant , Anhinga, Great Blue Heron, Snowy Egret, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Wood Duck, American Wigeon, Mallard, Wild Turkey (and friends!), Purple Gallinule, Mourning Dove, Belted Kingfisher, Blue Jays, American Crows, Purple Martins, Tufted Titmouse, Brown Thrasher, European Starling, Northern Cardinals, Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird and a Partridge in a Pear tree...no, wait...no Partridge (but a whole lotta commas in that sentence).

If you love birding, this is a splendid place to take off to! The Visitor Center will even provide you with a small brochure that lists all the birds in the area so you can check off the ones that you see.

How convenient is that?

And unlike my daring husband and I, you can always watch the alligators through a pair of binoculars or not at all.

Well, it would appear that I forgot the cyrpess forest in this post...I'll try to show that tomorrow along with some painting that I've been doing.

Have a great weekend!

SC Gators

Santee National Wildlife Refuge in Santee SC has 15,095 acres of mixed hardwoods and pines, freshwater marsh, croplands, old fields and open water. It is also hailed as one of the best birding areas in SC.
The refuge is home to 296 birds as well as 45 mammals, 54 reptiles, 35 amphibians and more than 100 fish species.
It touts walking trails, biking trails, canoe/kayak trails and an interpretive wildlife drive.
We spoke with one of the rangers at the Visitors center
who helped us decide which trail to utilize that day, based on the weather and available time.
We decided to tackle the Cuddo East canoe/kayak trail.
This is a photo of the very beginning of the channel.
It's actually a channel from an old rice plantation.
just perfect for kayak travel and...
the American Alligator.
Look at how dark the water is.

The channel was fairly narrow for a few hundred feet and then opened up into a smallish pond area.
Full of water lilies, birds and
Alligators.
Here is one of them.
These pictures were taken from my vantage point in the kayak - no zoom lens here.

Notice the trail of bubbles behind this 12-14 foot gator...that is one way to track them.

Here's a different one - another 12-14 footer. I guess we actually saw about 10 different gators.
We saw many more bubble trails than that though.

After the pond area, the channel narrows back down to the previous width.

This shows the trail of two different gators that were hanging out under osprey nests.

Think they were waiting for mom to drop a fish

or a baby to drop out?

Everybody has to eat...

We had a fantastically scary kayaking trip that day.

I used to think of myself as a real scaredy cat...

guess I'll lose that title for a while, huh?

All is well that ends well.

This is what we saw as we drove out of the wildlife refuge that day.

A beautiful rainbow.

Tomorrow I'll try to post photos of the cypress forest that sits out in Lake Marion.

Hope that you all are flexing your creative muscles...

as well as your"I'm a Brave Girl now" muscles.

Santee State Park or Gator Hunting

Well, warmer weather is here and you know
what that means for my husband and I...
Nature Trips and Kayaking.
If that bores you or just doesn't interest you - stop reading here.
But if you enjoy living vicariously through someone else's adventures
or you love nature
or you love kayaking
or you love alligators -
Read On!

Here is one photo for you stitchers out there that always looking for patterns on things.
This is a photo of the under side of the roof on an activity building
at Santee State Park in Santee SC.
It has several nests (Martin's) in the corners of the timbers.
The birds were sitting on side timbers
watching us as we snapped pictures and watched them.

We saw so much wildlife at the park, it was unbelievable!
A lot of deers...
Big deers, tiny deers
deers with big racks (antler, that is...)
Here's a night shot where a "family" was going back to their tent...
mom, dad and three kids.
Look at them...going in through the "Do Not Enter" road!
Some animals just don't follow rules well.

Even the sky was beautiful! This was shot on the way out of the Santee Wildlife Refuge.

What an Awesome place to visit if you love observing wildlife and nature!

We were in the "Cuddo Unit".

They have a "Wildlife Drive" that has an accompanying Interpretive Guide with it.

As you drive along (it is a 7.5 mile road), you will pass numbered signs that you reference in the guide. It gives great information about the area that you're in or about the animals that you will likely see.

The guide did mention we might see Wild Turkeys.

It didn't say that they would jump out on the road in front of us, running 20 miles per hour as we lagged behind.

Nor did it mention that the original three turkeys would be joined by three more of their friends.

And run for about 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile before jumping off the side of the road.

We didn't follow them the entire time. We stopped and just watched them continue to run.

It must have been a neighborhood jog night.

The first day that we were there we went for a short kayak trip in Lake Marion.

We wanted to take a peek at the cypress forest that stands in the middle of the lake.

According to the park brochure "Lake Marion is a 110,00 acre lake that is more shallow, full of stumps and trees (including a deciduous cypress forest gracing the middle of the lake across from the park) and is adjacent to thousands of acres of pristine, secluded wetlands and forest."

I'll post photos of that, along with the up close interaction with several alligators we met...

How close? you ask.

Very close...

Sketching on the Road

When my husband and I go places, he usually drives.
I usually draw.
The South Carolina roads can be very bumpy
which is aggravating while driving
but can provide some pretty cool lines while drawing.
I suppose this could be another example of making lemonade from your lemons, huh?
Anyway, here is a two page Moleskine spread that I started when we backed out of the driveway
headed to Charleston.
I drew some of it while watching a Citadel baseball game
and completed it on the drive home.
This one was done completely on the drive home - notice the jiggly (meaning jumpy) lines.

There is a detour on 385 North going towards Greenville right now due to construction.

You have to go through a little town called Laurens and some really bumpy back roads.

They provided the opportunity for the nifty jiggly lines on the drawing that I could not have obtained any other way.

My friend Liz Kettle (over at Textile Evolution) was in Charleston this weekend as well.

So we all (her family and my husband) got together

and went kayaking in the Charleston Harbor on Saturday.

We had a blast!

If you're ever in Charleston and want to kayak (with or without a guide)

go here - Coastal Expeditions.

These folks are great! And reasonably priced also.

Art Revisited

Here is a drawing/painting that I did last year.
Even though she is a product of my imagination,
she really looks like a friend of my son's.
Isn't that funny?
Maybe I had her on my mind when I painted this lovely girl...
So maybe I should call this one

"Kaitlyn"