More sketches, and a new Tapestry...

#30places30days is moving on. We're up to Day 22 now. Here are 8 more sketches in (from top left) watercolor in England, ink in Rome, markers in an interior, ink in Spain, watercolor in Colorado, markers in Canada, ink in Iraq, and watercolor in New York City. That's a lot of travel for someone who rarely leaves home!

While I'm spending so much time thinking of landscapes, I decided it's time to do one in my own medium; handwoven tapestry. So Ringo and I sorted yarns out, and Poe 'helped' me warp the loom, which means it took me an extra few hours to fix his night time warp work! (Those hanging threads were evidently irresistible, but he did no real damage, thankfully.)

Also this week, I received the handwoven tapestry postcard from England, from my postcard exchange weaver. It is beautiful, and arrived safely, and I can hardly wait to share it with you! The one I made has been sent and tracking says it is now on it's way from London to it's final destination. The reveal of our postcards, and all others who have participated, will be in August, and I can't wait to see them all!

 

Seven more, plus a Bonus Peek.....

I'm still doing the 30 day challenge to sketch a different place, in a different style, with a different artist every day for a month. The sketch above was of a duck pond in England, done in gouache.

Although this style was nothing I'd ever tried before, I really enjoyed doing this scene from DUMBO, in Manhattan, NY this way. I think it's a great way to sketch overly busy urban scenes.

This watercolor sketch is of a Quebec City street. This style is the one that I am most familiar with. This is also one of the few places we've sketched so far where I've actually been!

This watercolor sketch of the coast of California, from Carmel by the Sea also used techniques I am familiar with; from wet-in-wet painting, water spraying, spatter, and the use of salt and plastic wrap. (I could not help but think, as I was sketching this, of the little tapestry I did of crashing waves.)

Day 10 was a pen and colored pencil sketch of a Toronto artist's living room. I do like sketching interiors, so this was fun!

This is the Santa Maria della Pietà church in Calascio, Italy. This sketch is also watercolor, over a pen drawing.

The week ended with this very quick and playful lesson with an artist and architect in Mexico City. She encouraged us to play with the images and with the materials, so this was done in marker, watercolor, colored pencils, and crayons. I think this is a style I'll enjoy using in a travel sketchbook, if I ever get to travel again!

Finally, here is a sneak peek of the tapestry postcard I made of the Queen, and just sent off to England! It's still on the loom, here, and she was fancied up, fit for a queen, in the finishing process. I'll post an 'official' photo of the postcard when the ATA postcard exchange is ready to show all our little tapestries.

First Five, of Thirty

Little Joe Lake, Ontario, Canada    w/ Charlotte Hamilton

Starting on the 1st of July, I've been participating in a #30places30days challenge with other Sktchy artists. Each day there is a video tutorial by an artist in their own locale, using the medium they are most comfortable with to sketch a landscape scene. While I don't always enjoy painting in someone else's style, or doing the same scene hundreds of others are also doing, so far I am truly enjoying this.

The first day was a watercolor sketch of a portage campsite. It was a somewhat familiar scene, looking much like sites I've camped in.

The Colonia Güell, Barcelona, Spain  w/David Morales

The second day was all fine point ink, and hatching, which I normally avoid. However, I really enjoyed this sketch as well, quiting before the hatching bored me too much. 

The next day was also ink, but with a fountain pen. I am more comfortable with fountain pens, as I write with one daily. So I enjoyed the pen, but I was a bit frustrated because the artist was sketching on site, but we were using a photo and I could not always see what he was seeing. My sketch (below) shows my frustration. However, having never been bold enough to just jump in and sketch a scene like this with a fountain pen, I am now looking forward to trying it on my own scenes.

Tehran, Iraq city scene  w/Hesam Hasanipour

WA State Vineyard  w/Amy Stewart

These last two sketches used mixed media. The simplified vineyard scene (above) was done in watercolor, with added colored pencils on top. The scene in Southern France (below) began with an ink brush pen, then watercolor, and finally a bit of colored pencil was added.

Martel, France  w/Mr. Tazeb

One of the things I am enjoying, and looking forward to more of, is filling a complete sketchbook with landscapes. I truly have felt isolated and 'stuck' in one place for the last year and a half, so sketching other scenes is very refreshing. It is also refreshing for me - at this time - to sketch in new styles, and with materials I may not be as comfortable or familiar with. When this sketchbook is filled, at the end of these 30 days, it will contain many options for me to choose from as I continue sketch and creating my own sketching 'style.'