EDM#119: Draw some rocks

This tower is made of stone, so I suppose it fits the category here, despite my rather cartoony depiction.

Linking to EDM #119.

List it Tuesday and EDM #310: Junk Drawer

Sometimes it feels like every drawer is a junk drawer.  You never can tell what you might find in any drawer in my house.  This quick sketch shows just a sampling of one of the more random collections!  Don't ask me why I would have a fortune cookie in any drawer! 

Back to back List it Tuesday posts this week because I'm finally getting one posted on a Tuesday! Also linking to EDM #310. 

List it Tuesdays: Small Comforts

This is for List it Tuesday at Aimee's Artsyville.   The topic this week was small comforts.  As usual, I'm eking in just under the wire for the 12/4 list. 

This was a really interesting exercise for me because it made me realize just how many small things throughout the day serve as beacons of comfort in an otherwise harried life.  And, at least one or two are really not small comforts but huge ones!

EDM#290: Draw a teapot

I used ArtRage on my iPad again for this one.  I'm fascinated by teapots and love collecting them, even though half the time I just pull hot water from our gizmo with the water bottle on top that dispenses super hot or super cold water.  Maybe one day, I'll draw that.  Of course, it's not nearly as pretty as most teapots are.

This teapot also reminds me of my wonderful grandmother, who would have been 102 today.  I can't drink a cup of tea without thinking of her.  She always drank plain ol' Lipton black tea from the supermarket.  I'm not sure whether she'd be delighted or appalled by all the flavored variations I drink today.

She always reminded me that I was her first grandchild, her god daughter, her namesake and her favorite.  The first three always made me feel extra special.  The last-- being her favorite-- was something she told all of her grandchildren... and we knew it.  But it didn't make any of us feel any less special.  She passed away just before Christmas several years ago.  She's always on my mind, more so at this time of year.

Linking to Sunday Sketches and EDM #290.

EDM#164: Draw a camera

This is another attempt to paint on my iPad.  I used the ArtRage app to create this wonky camera.  I'm not sure I'd know what it was if I didn't know what it was...  so I'm calling it abstract. :-)

Linking to EDM #164 and Show and Tell Saturday at Artists in Blogland.

Doodly Dotty Daisies

My go to doodle is daisies.  They really are the friendliest flowers.  Especially when they're very colorful with lots of goofy patterns.

I started this with just a page full of round, white stickers.  I randomly added color to the page for a kind of tie-dyed look.  I pulled them off the sticker sheet and used them as the center for my crazy daisies.

Then I doodled in some patterns.  I like the black and white patterns against the touch of color. 

I think I should have left well enough alone, but I have not learned that trick yet.  Of course, being the color junkie that I am... I couldn't resist adding some extra color. 

Linking to Paint Party Friday!

Fall Fearless and Fly: Bubbling over with Laughter

This week's Fall Fearless and Fly challenge is hosted by Marcia Beckett.   I'm a big fan of her vibrant, fun artwork and she provides some great examples of using favorite colors and representing joy at the Artists in Blogland site for this challenge.

The prompts for this challenge are:

Headline Prompt:  Lifelong Fan: What or who have you consistently valued or looked up to in your life?  What lessons have you learned from people you admire?
Color Prompt:  Your favorite color now or from childhood or both!
Quote Prompt:  "Among those whom I like or admire, I can find no common denominator, but among those whom I love, I can:  all of them make me laugh."  W. H. Auden

Obviously, I used the quote-- and it's apt because it is people who can make me laugh (and who laugh easily) that I've consistently admired.  Relatively speaking, we have such a short time here, doesn't it just make sense to find the joy in the big and little things along the way?

Be sure to stop by and check it Marcia's work along with the other linked up artists!

EDM #285: Draw something that loves the sun

For some time now, I've been intrigued with the idea of creating on my iPad.  I love the mobility of it and I've seen some artists create amazing things electronically.  I have struggled with finding the right programs and the right tools.  For my birthday, I asked for and received an aPen A5 stylus that I thought would be good for drawing on the iPad.  Unfortunately, it turns out that it only works with a limited number of apps and is better suited to taking notes than to creating art.

For this one, I just used my finger with the ArtRage application, but I'm still looking for a good stylus or brush tool if anyone has any suggestions!

This is EDM #285: Something that loves the sun.

EDM #185: Draw a cat

I attempted here to do an abstract-ish version of my favorite little kitty. 

Despite my telling him that it was an abstract cat, he decided he needed to edge his way in to do some formal posing! 

You might think that he is just sitting there, normal as can be, and that I tried to convince him to pose, but the real proof of it can be found in the many other photos that show the truth...  practically 24 hours a day, he is finding new places and positions in which to nap.   He magically wakes up just as we're trying to go to bed at night or on the rare mornings when we have an opportunity to sleep in a bit later.  That's when he wants to party like it's catnip night at the Whiskers Dance Club.

And those are the least embarassing of them.  I'm just going to quit now before I really become the crazy cat lady. 

Posting to EDM #185: Draw a cat

Fairy tales

Orange is not usually a color I use a lot.  I was experimenting with using some autumn colors but I think this came out a bit muddied and dark.  I like the concept though.  I need to work on better execution. 

Be Yourself

Linking to Sunday Sketches and to Kat's Reverb '12 at I Saw You Dancing. 

Countdown to the Christmas...

Well, I made it past my birthday and had a wonderful celebration with my sweetie yesterday.  I know some people don't like celebrating birthdays as they start to get up there, moving from one aged group to the next until one day you wake up, smack dab in the middle of what could be considered nothing less than middle aged!  But I'm of the opinion that any opportunity to celebrate with loved ones and to revel in the wonderfulness of life and the fact that we've made it as far as we have is a good thing. 

Each year, I say goodbye to more and more friends, many of whom are only my age... and I think about all the things I still want to be doing with my life and that I hope to have time to do before my time runs out... so bring on the years... as long as I have birthdays to celebrate, I'll be dancing them into the dawn!

And now I'm ready to start the countdown to all the celebrations between now and the new year... Right after which, I'll ring in the near year, too!  Happy holiday season to one and all!

Linking to Show and Tell Saturdays at Artists in Blogland!