Cyber Tag

Tag! You're it!

I've been invited to join in a game of cyber tag.

These are the rules:
...you must post the rules
...answer 11 questions the tagger posted for you
...create 11 questions to ask the people you tag
...tag 11 people
...let them know you've tagged them

Here are my answers to the questions asked by the lovely and talented Cat of sea.sky.stone.



1. What's the first art you remember making as a child?
I honestly don't remember the first art I ever made but I do remember having the most creative school projects in the class. I spent more time making my report covers than writing the reports.

2. Pick a bouquet: Roses or wildflowers?
Wildflowers.

3. Do you speak more than one language?
I wish, but no.

4. How many unfinished projects are on your art table?
There are three unfinished projects on my art table. Plus four journals on my coffee table. Another two journals in my work bag. One in my purse. And at least a few dozen (or hundred) projects squirreled away in drawers, boxes, bins, and cupboards.

5. Peanut butter: extra crunchy, crunchy or creamy?
Extra crunchy!

6. What's your "if-you-were-stranded-on-a-deserted-island-and-could-only-have-one-song" song?
Hallelujah (shrek song).

7. Reading preference: fiction or non-fiction?

Non-fiction.

8. The smell of bread baking, or the smell of freshly ground coffee?
Freshly ground coffee.

9. In five words or less, what does creativity mean to you?
Doing what you love.

10. What animal do you think you most look like?
I have no clue but I'm going to use my imagination and say a rabbit.

11. What art techniques have you never tried, but want to...?
There are a few printmaking techniques I've never tried, and encaustics look very interesting.

Now for a BONUS question of my own....
Are you a rule follower or a rule breaker?

I'm usually a rule follower but today I'm going to be a rule breaker. I'm only going to follow the first two rules listed above. Why? Because ALL of the bloggers on my Inspirational Blogs list inspire me and I think you should get to know them all. Really. Click on over and meet some really creative people. Plus, I'm too tired to think up some questions and notify people that they've been tagged.

Since I'm revealing things about myself here, I should add that the photo above is the first and only photo of me ever seen on this blog. I'm pretty camera shy but I've been experimenting with iphonography and have discovered that I'm OK with showing my shadow self. Stay tuned for a few more images from this shadow series.

I hope you're having a creative week! Thanks for stopping by.

Found Type Tuesday

The Corcoran Gallery of Art is a beautiful museum in Washington DC. I especially loved this type carved into the exterior. I'd like to make that my very own personal motto. Don't forget to leave a link in the comment section to share your own found type photo.

Happy Tuesday!

Found Type Tuesday

Get your tickets here! Isn't this a beautiful hand painted sign? I just love that green color against the rustic bricks. As usual, feel free to leave a link in the comment section and share your own found type.

Happy Tuesday!

How Did You Celebrate National Pi Day?

Did you know that March 14, 2012 was National Pi Day? I won't even pretend to understand what pi means, but any day that is celebrated by eating pie is OK by me! I didn't actually celebrate Pi Day by eating this slice of pumpkin pie. Instead, I sketched it from a photo in a cookbook as part of the Strathmore Watercolor Sketching workshop by Cathy Johnson. I guess sketching pie is the next best thing to eating it, right? At least it's less fattening.

Watercolor Sketching

The second workshop in the Strathmore series of free, online workshops is Watercolor Sketching with Cathy Johnson. I've been a fan of Cathy's books and sketching style for a while now, so the opportunity to watch her work is both informative and fascinating. Like most talented people, Cathy makes watercolor sketching look very easy. I don't find it easy at all, but I love the results so much that I want to keep working at it until I do.

After playing around with some of the exercises and techniques that Cathy demonstrated in her video, I wanted to jump right in and do a sketch like the one she did of a basil plant. We always have bananas in the house--so a sketch of bananas was in order. I liked the way she added text to her sketch, so I added my recipe for banana smoothies to the page. (Try it--you'll like it!) I've been wanting to attempt a sketch using only watercolor, without pen or ink, but didn't have the nerve until now. My favorite part was splattering the paint around and experimenting with various washes.

After the second video, Cathy sketched a building from a photograph. I couldn't find a picture that I liked, so I raided the frig for some big, fat, juicy strawberries instead. (Those can go in the smoothie too.) I think sketching food is rather fun, and what could be better than sketching and snacking at the same time?

Found Type Tuesday

Welcome to another edition of Found Type Tuesday. Here is another industrial photo that contains both type and numbers. Bliss! You can probably guess that this is a genuine Toledo scale. As always, include a link in the comment section if you have a found type photo you'd like to share.

Happy Tuesday!

Found Type Tuesday

The elements have not been kind to this parking sign. But that's exactly the kind of deterioration that I love to see when I spot some great found type. Don't forget to leave a comment with a link if you want to share your own Found Type Tuesday image.

Happy Tuesday my friends!

A Few More Doodles

Workshop Two of the Strathmore Online Artist Workshops began this week. The second workshop is Watercolor Sketching with Cathy Johnson.  Before I dive into the new workshop, I thought I would share another series of doodles from the first workshop. I really enjoyed the Doodles Unleashed workshop taught by Traci Bautista and I hope the second workshop is equally as fun and informative.

I hope your weekend is off to a colorful start!