Santa and Chicken Mini

 

Day 3 ink in the Inkvent Calendar is Carousel - a vivid red pigment ink!  I LOVE the color - but it was SO HARD to wash off of my glass dip pen!! It's my first experience with such an ink!  A gorgeous red like this called for a Santa sketch - so I have drawn him with sweet Betsy, who is one of the first gens to jump on my lap!  I love the vivid color, but I prefer an ink that moves with water.  I had to actually scrub and use a brush to get the red ink off of that glass dip pen!  That's crazy!  Painting number 4722 in 4722 days. 

TWSBI Fountain Pens!

 

We're doing something new and fun at Urban Sketchers KC!  Fountain Pen Friday! Here's my first sketch to kick off the fun!  I'd you'd like to join the fun, post and use the hashtag #urbansketcherskc and #fountainpenfriday!  This idea popped up during our planning meeting yesterday for the Urban Sketchers KC 2026 calendar.  So, for our initial post, I grabbed a few of my newest pens loaded and unloaded, to sketch!  Once I fill with an ink in a matching color, I stand them in the tea box, nib up. Those new ones are laying on their sides, waiting for my attention.  So, THIS is the perfect in process sketch!  Painting number 4721 in 4721 days. 

Ornaments Five

 

Shiny ornaments are simply irresistible this time of year!  And even though I have a plate full of unfinished tasks, I just had to get a quick painting in.  Bright colors, in acrylic, are my go to for fast and bold painting. I think I'd love to do a large painting in this theme for the holidays, but who knows when I'll find the time?  Painting number 4720 in 4720 days. 

Chicken Walk

"Peeps (in the lower right corner) is my worst critic.  She is ALWAYS in my business, and looks very critical of my decision to sketch another, lol. The sweet buff brahma that I have drawn has taken on the role of Flock Defender. Twice she has set up the alarm when coyotes were present, and sleeps on a roost where she can look out the windows at night. She's along the first on my lap for black soldier larvae, too!  Painting number 4719 in 4719 days. 

Energy

 

Energy is the Day 2 ink of the Diamine Inkvent Calendar, a cool purple ink with deep olive in the heavy areas!  What a moody ink for a winter lake landscape!  I want to see if there is a reaction to bleach, but I'm out.  I rarely use it and when I recently opened it to use for cleaning, it had gone bad, and didn't help whiten my whites at all.  I like the way it lightens into a soft pink in wet areas, and I think I could make more of the green, too. It's so fun to open a tiny present every day up to Christmas!  Painting number 4718 in 4718 days. 

Chick's First Snow Day

 

Hooray!  It's Day 1 of the Diamine Inkvent Calendar, and Celestial Skies is the first ink!  I'm capturing the first snow for my chicks - and they don't like it!  With little wind, still the snow blew half way into their run.  After covering the east side, I swept out what I could and spread fresh wood mulch on top.  Once this was done, they ventured out from their huddle on the dry side to return to pecking, scratching and drinking.  I had heard chickens don't like the snow, and now I've seen it for myself!  The fancy dip pen pictured happens to also glow in the dark!  I'd forgotten that until I walked down the dark hall with it!  Painting number 4717 in 4717 days.