Keys

Why do key just turn up missing?  They are there and then they are gone.  I always put them in the same place and then they are gone and then they are back.  I think it is pixies changing them into Kleenex or a pencil or something.

Dana Point, Califronia

I spent the day at the beach today.  The weather was glorious, the sun was warm and the painting was small so I thought I would share this photo with you.  This is Dana Point in California.

Interior in graphite

I have been a bit under the weather so interiors are the way to go for me these days.  This glowing alabaster lamp shade and the back lighting from the window was the challenge I set for myself.

New Years Day

What were your New Years Resolutions?  Mine is to paint and draw more.  Sorry I didn't resolve the posting thing yet but I will work on that too.  I spent the day sketching where ever I was and this one is an interior that is so peaceful and calm, perfect colors, comfortable furniture and soothing music.

Dana Point

A quick sketch on really ruff handmade paper.

Cork Oak

Cork Oak leaf and acorn caps.

Merry Christmas

When I think of Christmas and the Holidays starting with Thanksgiving I think of the blessings I have experienced. This blog and the virtual reality of the internet has been one of the biggest blessings I have received since grandchildren.

First, the opportunity to share what I love to do,

that is to create visual art,

next to meet and communicate with wonderful, kind, generous and supportive friends and

last to hone my art skills by sketching, painting and just plain working on my art every day.

Coyote Hills

Look at this place. It's Coyote Hills in Orange County California. It is scheduled for development, houses, roads, a school, a strip mall and what else. There are many sides to serving the needs of a few. While I was painting this when I heard the cry of the red tailed hawk and looked up to capture it just in time to put into my painting. I painted this from behind a fence with a sign that said private property.

COMPUTERS!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, so I come home and turn on the computer (the old one) and it works!  IT'S WORKING!!!!!!  I have been backing up and down loading like crazy, trying to save everything. 

This is Coyote Hills.  I have painted it before only not at such a distance.  It has been raining here which has curtailed Plein Air painting.  This was done from the car.

I'm Back

I am back, a little ruffed up and worn out, but back. I will post pic's when I can. I have kept up reading your blogs while I was gone and answered when I could.


Ivy has missed her walks so much she scolded me roundly and then has not let me out of her sight since my return. I took her on a short walk but it wasn’t enough. I tell you it is really hard to walk in the house with her by my side, Sammy (the cat) in the lead and another Sam (the cat) following. They are just making sure I don’t turn up missing again. Humans get lost so easily these days.

Here is one of the sketches done on the fly at a Starbucks.

The store has put up all these Christmas decorations making it all Holiday like but it is just the coffee place where I go to get a cup of decaf and to talk with friends, get out of the house and sit somewhere warm. Maybe I will look at the decorations when they go on sale after the Holidays.

Computers

Hi everyone. I bet some of you have noticed that I have been MIA and haven't posted for awhile. Well my old computer finally passed away after a long struggle. She put up a valiant fight but in the end we said our goodbyes and now she is sitting on a shelf waiting…..for something.

I am still learning Windows 7, uploading my programs and trying to accept the fact that some of my programs are not compatible like Photoshop for instance. In other words I am not able to post pictures yet, but I am working on it. I will be gone for a week starting Dec 8th so I will report in with pictures, hopefully in a couple of weeks. Keep sketching and remember me, I will be back.

Oh, and if I don’t get a chance before hand, Merry Christmas and have a great Holiday.

Buena Vista Drive, Fullerton California

This is just another street Ivy and I walk on almost daily. The reason I sketched this was mostly because of the telephone poles and wires crossing the street creating a spider webbing across the sky. Now that I have downloaded the image into the blog I can't really see them.

Top of the Hill

I took some time and participated in the Sketchcrawl for Saturday November 21.  I hope you all had a great art day.

CONCRETE LEAVES

The concrete leaves are painted and finally put into the garden.  They will eventually be part of a fountain.

Brookdale Place

Brookdale Place is one of the tree lined streets in Fullerton that have the older homes of the community.

THE ADVENTURES OF A MEANDERING MOLESKINE

I have just received the Moly exchange moleskine from Kim.  Isn't it wonderfully imaginative?  I get to paint in it next.  You can see Kim's blog site HERE

Here is a compilation of my book that I sent on at the beginning of this month to Anna.  You can see her art work on her blog HERE

Come follow our adventure over at The Adventures of a Meandering Molskine Here

HUNTINGTON LIBRARY AND GARDENS

This is a sketch of a large oak on the Huntington Library grounds with the San Gabrial Mountains in the background.

HUNTINGTON LIBRARY

The Huntington Library and Gardens is located in San Marino California. The property was purchased in 1903 and the grounds were designed and planted with acquired specimens (both mature and seedlings) from all over the world. Some of the trees appear to be around 100 years old. It isn't very often that I can see a tree that has not been 'trimmed' to fit in the location where someone has planted it. This beautiful oak is very special.  The bamboo grove in the background has specimens that appear to be over 50 feet tall.

Hiltcher Park

Muckenthaler Park

Fullerton Parks has given Muckenthaler a new picnic table, perfect for my painting after my walk with Ivy.

Painting is a freedom that I have given myself after years of doing for others. I have raised my family, worked to help support the house hold, given up time and experiences for the good of the others and now have decided to schedule time for me. I don't have a goal to be a great painter just to be the best I can be. I don't have a goal to be noticed as an artist, just to share what I have done if someone wants to see it. I want to make sure I have time in everyday to create with the skill that I have worked so hard to develop. Because I see and am able to produce a visual image that others can see then it seems that a consequence of creating art is to have it be seen, not necessarily a requirement to have it seen, just that it can be seen.

This blog has given me that opportunity. Then my fellow artists came to support me in my need to create. Now I find that I am taking time to help other people who have followed the same path of wanting to create and share their art.

Neighborhood Homes

Cathy Gatland over at A Sketch in Time http://asketchintime.blogspot.com/ did the most wonderful flip book and so I thought I would try it. I hope you like it. I do and that is what this is all about (the blog site, that is) to try new things and share what I have learned and created.
What do you think?

Hiltcher Park Walking Trail

The morning started out cold and crispy then the fog rolled in and the leaves began to drip moisture watering the new growth of grass seed and wild radish. The new grass is a fresh chartreuse color, that new green of spring color. That's what happens here, first the days grow shorter, moisture from the coastal fog gives that needed moisture and then a few hot weeks and the plants give their last bloom of the season.

Hiltcher Park Walking Trail

Ink sketch at about the 1/2 mile mark.

Hiltcher Walking Trail

I have a new sketch book and have been taking it out every morning to sketch the trail. Ivy hasn't been feeling very well so we didn't go very far. The sun was coming up through the trees and will make a fun painting. For now it started out pencil, I inked it in today and hopefully will add color another day.

Starbucks

A new sketch book and a new day. Here is the Starbucks showing all the coffee flavorings. I always get the same thing. A small decaf coffee. sometimes with a glass of ice, sometimes with a little milk. I always think I am going to try all these flavorings but I don't. I just meet with friends once or twice a month and enjoy the morning with the exchange of ideas.

Express Stop

Taking a moment to capture the image.

Magnolia on Pamona Street, Fullerton

I had a chance for a quick sketch before church.  I will be adding to this, I hope.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

THE GOOD AND THE BAD!

Here is Ivy dressed and ready for her visit with the neighbors for treats.

This is the skull replica I use as an instruction aide for life drawing lessons.

HAPPY HOLLOWEEN

YUPO & WATERCOLOR

Just love to playing with a piece of Yupo and my new brush.

FULLERTON TRAIN STATION

Fullerton Train Station

Graphite

Ivy likes this walk she sees people getting off the train and she think they are all coming to see her.

VIRTUAL PAINTOUT AND FULLERTON RAILROAD BUILDINGS

VIRTUAL PAINTOUT

The 'VIRTUAL PAINTOUT' (http://virtualpaintout.blogspot.com/) was over in Belfast Ireland. There was so much green and the country is beautiful, lush and rural. I enjoyed my visit and appreciate Bill Guffey's blog site and the work he does to pull this off every month. If you haven't tried it you are missing a fun challenge.

Fullerton buildings along the train tracks.

Mixed Media

Ivy and I walked to the Fullerton Train Station to sketch today, because I had stopped near this area a few days ago and wanted to come back to do more sketching. These buildings are so textural and I am continuing to use the art set with crayon, pencil, oil pastel and felt pens. It’s a bit of a challenge using unfamiliar tools.

FULLERTON RAILWAYS

I stopped along the railroad tracks to take a break and sketch this group of buildings.  All I had in the car were crayons.  I don't know what the people were doing in these businesses but there was a lot of yelling going on.  I could hear them even from my, across the railroad tracks, 2 streets and a field away, parked car.

Fullerton Arboretum

The Fullerton Arboretum is a wonderful place to walk and commune with nature. I walked the grounds looking at everything and then found this shady place to sit and sketch. I could easily spend another few hours on this but life calls.

Brea Hills

Brea, California

Mixed Media

This is a view of Brea and maybe La Habra Hts. from the parking lot of a favorite hardware store I frequent.  When you live in a home there is always something to repair.  That's my excercise for today. 

HOME REPAIR!

The Garden Gate

I found this gate on my walk last week and started it then but didn't have enough time to finish until today.  I know that I would like the people in this house.  Have a great weekend everyone.

The Lamp Post

The weather is cool in the mornings now. When I got up this morning it was about 57 F and when I started walking it was dark!! Sooooo, I left the sketch book at home and when I got home I walked back out to catch this lamp post. The time will change soon, let's see spring forward fall back. I don't like dark mornings. I like to wake to the light streaming in through the windows and birds singing.