Category Archives: pen & ink

Inky Entries

I am playing with ll my grey inks this month… Some inks call themselves grey and are not (see above).  Greys seem to lean purple or blue or red… Graphite and Grey Lux are lovely inks, though the strong smell … Continue reading →

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Tests in Journals

I test journals primarily for two reasons: 1) To see what a new ink or watercolor does, or how a mix will look in a journal with which I am familiar; 2) To test a new brand of journal’s paper … Continue reading →

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Lifting Paint

I’ve heard of lifting paint but never tried it. I didn’t like the looks of the heavy gouache on the nose of the Pinto Pony, and so I thought I’d give it a try. I carefully and gently used a … Continue reading →

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20th Anniversary

Why is it harder to sketch when the subject is “important”? We were married 20 years ago in a sweet colorful ceremony. When I wanted to draw our ceremony I am afraid my poor people drawing skills kicked in and … Continue reading →

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Inky Thots: Robert Oster Dragon Night

It is no surprise Robert Oster inks my favorite inks.  Dragon’s Night is such a gorgeous sketching BLURPLE ink it has a permanent home now in my purple leopard Pilot Metropolitan.  I art journal many nights with this one, a … Continue reading →

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Shells

I have a beautiful soft green Roseville bowl of my grandmother’s that is filled with shells. Some are found, years of beachcombing as a kid, but some are from a trip my mom and I took to the Monterey Bay … Continue reading →

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Spicy Ginger Teriyaki Chicken

I have a recipe watercolor journal I work in but sometimes I don’t take the time as that one is a bit special.  Ginger People’s Spicy Ginger Teriyaki Sauce is a great shortcut for a different taste, and works best … Continue reading →

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Laguna Beach 1950

  Inspired from an old postcard from the fifties, and I wanted to do it because my mom and dad honeymooned in their second marriage at Hotel Laguna (a looong story, not interesting except to family) but in a nutshell … Continue reading →

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Tools: Hahnemühle 100% Cotton Watercolour Book

My new journal is an A5 landscape Hahnemühle 100% Cotton Watercolour Book, and it is not only a new journal, it is a new brand from Hahnemühle! I’ve had it for a bit and been testing it out.  I LOVE … Continue reading →

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VSW: Guildford Town Hall

DANG DANG DANG! I forgot to take a picture of the bare line drawing…. And it was such a nice drawing of this lovely Art Deco building in Perth AU! Guildford Town Hall, part of our Virtual Sketchwalk in our … Continue reading →

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USk: MPFC Finish Studio

Every so often I like to sketch our studio rooms. This is primarily my finish room, where I work conserving objects. I use our own mixed shellac and (primarily oil) paints to bring back dead finishes. You can see one … Continue reading →

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Lupines

Dragon’s Night is such a gorgeous sketching BLURPLE ink! In a Hahnemühle Nostalgie Sketchbook, wild lupines are perfect for the blurple of Dragon’s Night, with a little help from his other inks! Drawn with a Platinum Carbon pen with waterproof … Continue reading →

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Echinacea

Pink echinacea from a photo… And a lovely quote to remember from Ani Pema Chodron: “We can  make ourselves miserable or we can make ourselves strong. The amount of effort is the same.” We can also make ourselves and others … Continue reading →

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New Black Moon, Dragons Night

New Moon today at 1:28 pm PST. This new moon is also a Black Moon, meaning the second New Moon in a month. There is also a solar eclipse, so I think it is safe to say the heavens will … Continue reading →

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Tools: Esterbrook “Estie” Sunflower

Loving sunflowers and knowing how lovely the Esterbrook pens are, I had to purchase the beautiful Esterbrook “Estie” Sunflower pen from Penchalet. I ordered the 1.1 stub nib, my favorite nib for sketching and writing. I am convinced the stub … Continue reading →

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Dragon

I think this is what they call blurple… Dragon’s Night… a blue-purple! This dragon sports it nicely, doncha think? It seems to glow under the flash, above! A new color for me, and I’ll do lots more sketching with it! … Continue reading →

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Wild Test of Hahnemühle’s New 100% Cotton Sketch Book

Another test of the Hahnemühle 100% Cotton Watercolour Book. I layered Sennelier Shellac ink over the page, and painted the basic flower with gouache.  It felt toothy enough that I tried layering colored pencils over that… I’ve never had that … Continue reading →

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Ukraine Faces

The war in Ukraine bothers me so… Sketching the lovely faces on the internet is a way to connect when I feel so unempowered to do anything, and marks this wartime. I cannot comprehend why we are again walking through … Continue reading →

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