Category Archives: sketchbook

Weeping Buddha, One

I fell in love with Balinese Buddha when I first saw him. The monks carve them as meditations. Mine has been on my altar for 20 years, and has a beautiful patina from being held. People call him Humble Buddha, … Continue reading →

Posted in art, Buddha, creativity, drawing, gods and goddesses, india ink, journal, lojong, meditation, painting, pen & ink, series, sketchbook, watercolor | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

My “Business” Sketchbook: Tiffany Chandeliers South Entrance

The chandeliers are a crowning point in the Washington State Capitol Legislative Building.  The architects felt the most important fixtures were those in the north portico, in the rotunda, and in the entry in the south porte cochere, as well … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, art, drawing, history, journal, making a living, painting, pen & ink, process, sketchbook, urban sketchers, watercolor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 21 Comments

My “Business” Sketchbook: Ballroom Rug

Posting a page I am not 100% happy with. I may even try again . . .  We’ll get to that! The carpet in the State Reception Room floored me. It is so oddly modern when in fact it is … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, art, art journal, color, furniture, journal, painting, pen & ink, process, sketchbook, watercolor | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

My “Business” Sketchbook: Outside Torchéres

The outside lighting at the Capitol is another one of those parts that must be overlooked by visitors during the day, who are not drawn to the various sconces and torchéres because the light does not draw their eyes like … Continue reading →

Posted in art, art journal, journal, painting, pen & ink, sketchbook, urban sketchers, watercolor | Tagged , , , , , , | 27 Comments

HyperAllergic: Hong Kong’s Umbrella Movement in Pen and Ink

 Artists Mobilize to Capture Hong Kong’s Umbrella Movement in Pen and Ink by Laura C. Mallonee in HyperAllergic, October 6, 2014 Art has played a role in the Umbrella Movement since day one, from public art installations like Stand By You: ‘Add … Continue reading →

Posted in sketchbook, urban sketchers | 6 Comments

My “Business” Sketchbook: Torchére

Mitchell took great images of object details around the Legislative Building, and the torchére caught my eye.  Not the same as painting in front of it, but fun nonetheless. I began with a detailed sketch, and almost left it alone, but … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, art, art journal, color, drawing, furniture, journal, painting, pen & ink, sketchbook, urban sketchers, watercolor | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

A Very Old Sketchbook

I wish I could tell you more, but this is a very old sketchbook on display at the Flandrica Museum, in, I believe, Belgium. To move through the images page by page (again, assuming that this is what we are … Continue reading →

Posted in art, history, history of journal, history of sketching, journal, memory, sketchbook | Leave a comment

My “Business” Sketchbook: Urban Sketching at Capitol Park

Last Saturday we infilled missing color to the historic shellac.  It is one of the few times when Mitchell had time to play a bit more than I did, and he took great images of the details around the Legislative … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, art, art journal, drawing, journal, painting, sketchbook, urban sketchers, waterbrush, watercolor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

My “Business” Sketchbook: At the Capitol

We’ve been working to the point where I’ve had little time to paint or even sketch, however, we’ve been in a place I wanted to sketch: we’ve been repairing historic shellac on the wainscot of two offices in the Legislative … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, art, art journal, drawing, furniture, journal, painting, pen & ink, sketchbook, urban sketchers, watercolor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Odile, Palms, Oceans in Autumn

Heating up in Portland. Today I want to be on a deserted beach, as long as it is not in the path of Hurricane Odile. We must work — and give thanks for air conditioning. Drawn in an OE Cadic … Continue reading →

Posted in art, art journal, journal, memory, pen & ink, sketchbook, watercolor | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

75 Day Challenge: 48 To 57

Brenda Swenson has a drawing challenge to draw every day for 75 days. We are supposed to use a black or blue pen, but I know I will not do that one. Still, I play along because challenges are fun … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, Booby Gurl, Buddha, challenge, drawing, journal, painting, pen & ink, process, sketchbook, watercolor | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

75 Day Challenge: 42 to 47

Brenda Swenson has a drawing challenge to draw every day for 75 days. We are supposed to use a black or blue pen, but I know I will not do that one. Still, I play along because challenges are fun … Continue reading →

Posted in art, art journal, Buddha, challenge, drawing, journal, painting, sketchbook, waterbrush, watercolor | Tagged , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Process: My first Brush Pen Sketches, No Pencil!

Today I created my first brush drawing, wonky, clean and lovely. Five minutes, done, no attempt to brush over, single strokes. Very exciting for me, so I had to share. This one is in my lojong journal.  By the time … Continue reading →

Posted in art, art journal, Buddha, drawing, journal, lojong, painting, sketchbook, waterbrush, watercolor | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments

Process: Loading my waterbrushes . . .

I am doing accounting work this week (argh) but spent time yesterday loading my extra waterbrushes with liquid watercolor.  I had some Luma colors that I have never really used much, and some colors I loaded right out of the … Continue reading →

Posted in color, journal, painting, process, sketchbook, watercolor | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

75 Day Challenge: Gads what day??? 41!

Brenda Swenson has a drawing challenge to draw every day for 75 days. We are supposed to use a black or blue pen, but I know I will not do that one. Still, I play along because challenges are fun … Continue reading →

Posted in art, art journal, Booby Gurl, class, color, creativity, drawing, india ink, journal, painting, pen & ink, process, sketchbook, tools, waterbrush, watercolor | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

When you say you feel uncomfortable sketching in public . . .

I’ve made a new friend, Richard Johnson.  He is an Urban Sketcher, an artist, a husband, a dad, and a reporter for the Washington Post.  I am awed at what he does, both where he does it and his fabulous … Continue reading →

Posted in art, drawing, pen & ink, sketchbook | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Coloring A Drawing

I’ve been doing a lot of drawing lately, ink mostly.  I decided to try creating a photocopy of my drawings and water-coloring them.  I could not use heavy watercolor paper because my copier bends, but gave it a go with … Continue reading →

Posted in art, Buddha, color, drawing, pen & ink, sketchbook, watercolor | Tagged , , , , , | 10 Comments

75 Day Challenge: 22-28

Brenda Swenson has a drawing challenge to draw every day for 75 days. We are supposed to use a black or blue pen, but I know I will not do that one. Still, I play along because challenges are fun … Continue reading →

Posted in art, art journal, Buddha, challenge, drawing, india ink, pen & ink, sketchbook | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment