Arting for 365 Day 240: Not Quite as Planned

8.5 x 11 watercolor on paper

8.5 x 11 watercolor on paper

Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days

Yesterday my niece and I were able to sit down and do some drawing together. We worked patiently for quite awhile and put our work up toward the end of the evening.

This morning, as we opened presents, she ended up getting watercolor pencils. We decided we’d experiment with them on our yesterday’s work.

Nolan’s art (see below) turned out beautifully! I wasn’t as thrilled with my piece as experimentation turned out to be a bit of a mess in some areas. Oh well. Sitting down and painting with my niece was well worth the not-so great project I ended up with.

Nolan Day 240

Arting for 365 Day 239: Lime

Day 239: Lime

5 x 3″ watercolor and ink on paper

Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days

The holiday season is upon us. In our family this means overindulging in food and drink until you are, basically, comatose. Yesterday was no exception. Chex mix, candy, pie, sugary drinks and adult beverages abounded.

While there is plenty of healthy fruit around the house, it seems most of it has been used in our adult beverages – limes squeezed into tonics and cranberries floating in mulled wine.  Just as it should be.

Happy holidays all!

Arting for 365 Day 238: A Renewed Interest

5 x 3" watercolor and ink on paper

5 x 3″ watercolor and ink on paper

Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days

Like most things new, flying had been exciting initially. But the luster quickly wore off. The daily flight, above beautiful green groves below, became ordinary and soon enough the landscape faded.

It’s uncertain what changed to make her take notice. But a renewed interest in all that surrounded her emerged. Patterns and shapes danced below. The world anew.

Arting for 365 Day 237: Poinsettia

3 x 5″ ink on paper

Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days

As I was drawing yesterday, a poinsettia-like plant began to appear. I’m feeling inspired by the fun of winter and the holidays. I love this time of year. The light, the he winter cold, the time to spend with family – all fabulous.

Last night, we slept in the RV with no heat (it was 26 degrees out and we had a slight propane issue – long story). It was frigid to begin with, but luckily, we had multiple blankets and sleeping bags, as well as Box the cat to keep us warm, so we stayed nice and cozy. But it got me thinking that there are a lot of people out there who don’t have it so great on cold winter nights. The experience reminds me to be extra thankful for the people and the things in my life.

Arting for 365 Day 236: Birds As Satellite Towers

3 x 5" watercolor and ink on paper

3 x 5″ watercolor and ink on paper

Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days

Back in the day, pigeons flew messages from place to place. From my understanding on the subject (which is very little) the fowl seemed pretty reliable and happy to do the work.

Maybe phone carriers like Verizon and Sprint should think about a similar approach. I see lots of positives to the idea:

1. Birds are everywhere. You would NEVER lose your signal.

Never mind. I guess I only see one positive. But it is fun to imagine.

Arting for 365 Day 235: Fun Owl Mural

Day 235 Wall 1 with Floor

Goal: To create one piece of work each day for 365 consecutive days

Some friends of ours are due to have a baby in about a week. So over the last few days I whipped up a mural for them. They’ve decided on an owl theme and have lots of fun owl accessories that I drew inspiration from to create these guys. Initially I had planned to incorporate more design within the owls, but because there is quite a bit of fun stuff already going on in the room, I decided to keep them a bit less busy and more simple.

I started by using samples of regular wall paint. But by the time today rolled around, I realized using my own acrylics gave me far better results in the color department AND they dried much more quickly.

I’m happy with the whimsical result and I’m hoping they are too!

Arting for 365 Day 234: The Slinky (Dink)

12/18/12

3 x 5″ watercolor and ink on paper (In real life image is has more of a red hue)

Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days

The Slinky aka Slinky Dink: A toy that, as a child, held such potential for fun. This funny metal (they may be plastic now) worm-like toy brought excitement to us all. My siblings and I would crowd together at the top of the stairs to hold races or contests to see just who had the best touch for making the Slinky go the farthest. And as we set the thing off on its downward journey, the sound of rings of metal stacking up on each other was pure delight!

If you are anything like us though, our excitement quickly faded. It seemed that after a few runs, the slinky dink was out of commission. I’m certain it wasn’t that we became over zealous upon sending the metal worm down the stairs – watching it flip and fly as it went – landing in a tangled mess at the bottom. It also couldn’t have been the stretching of the slinky across the room that made it perform less spectacularly. No. We were certain the toy was just not that good.

I’ve tried the Slinky Dink again as an adult and think they must’ve fixed the problem – whatever it was. It seems to work fine now.

Arting for 365 Day 233: A Different Path

12/17/12

6.25 x 10.25 Ink on paper

Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days

He recognized long ago that he wasn’t like the others. Physically, he didn’t belong. His stubby antlers never reached a length of more than a few inches. And he honestly didn’t care for foraging or trudging through four feet of snow in the dead of winter.

Not handsome by nature’s standards – that required a six point rack at the least – but sharp as a tack. Numbers were his thing.

So he packed his bags and made his way to the city. Wall Street specifically – where a fine suit and silk tie trumped antlers hands down, and numbers were the name of the game.

Day 233 Head Detail

Arting for 365 Day 232: A Beautiful Time of Year

Day 232: Tangled

3 x 5″ watercolor and ink on paperDay 232

Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days

Whether you’re into Christmas and the holiday season or not, you’ve got to admit the lights are pretty fabulous. The ugliest of venues becomes a dazzling site, come nighttime. Trees and snow (if you are lucky enough to have it) glow and all seems right with the world.

Last weekend we visited a little vodka distillery in Boulder, CO called the 303. Perhaps it was the vodka in me, but I was taken by the loveliness of the place, as the room filled with a warm glow from the many strands of lights. We chatted with friends, toasted to a happy birthday, and I took solace in the fact that while there are things that are wrong with the world, there are many, many more that are right.

303