Monarch in Ink

 

Sometimes all I need is pen and ink.  There is something so natural about picking up a pen, feeling the contact as I pull out across the paper. I'm using the old techniques here, no water soluble inks, only gradient shading with lines and dots. A sketchbook forgotten with paper much smoother than I use now, still serves well for the old methods.  Like coming home to an old friend, drawing takes me right back to my roots as a little girl, where I spent countless hours creating with endless paper and supplies.  Who knew I would love this forever?  Painting number 4972 in 4972 days. 

Blue Jersey Giant

We have "chicken time" every evening, where the girls - and Able - take treats from our hands and get extra greens.  Mom comes by and Kirby and Casper join, too.  The chickens know Mom has her own bucket of goodies, so they run to her when she settles on the glider with her goodies!  I love sketching the fun and it's such a nice way to end the day.  What a blessing these chickens are to all of us.  Painting number 4957 in 4957 days. 

Dogwood Mill

I just about closed down the place with this last sketch at Dogwood Canyon!  On arriving, I thought I'd return to this location to paint.  The waterfalls called me away, so away I went, only to arrive here with 30 minutes to sketch. With pen and ink I drew out my composition, thinking of how timeless it all was.  The vintage feel of this place lends itself well to the medium of pen and ink. I hope to paint this place in oils one day, as well.  On another note, I nearly stepped on a large water snake on my hustle back to my car, in my sandals!  The Plein Air Convention has been SO much fun, and I'm taking good memories and inspiration back home with me!  Painting number 4887 in 4887 days. 

Norma's Iris

 

My first iris is blooming three weeks early, one from a dear friend who's no longer in this world. I love how these blooms remind me of friends and family members, long after they are gone.  Pen and ink in this traditional style is fun to return to.  Like old friends, the pens wait for me, and reward me for the effort.  Painting number 4853 in 4853 days. 

Woods of Petit Jean

 

The woods are so peaceful on Petit Jean Mountain, and I love spending a little time among the trees!  This path leads down to a fishing pond tucked way back in the trees, which we discovered today.  It will be a lovely place to sketch next time I get the chance.  We hiked the Cedar Creek Trail (with everyone) and the Cedar Creek Overlook (with Mom, too) today.  I saw SO MANY paintings along the creek. We're hiking the Cedar Falls Trail in the morning - and I know that will be a big treat! Painting number 4824 in 4824 days. 

Blue Jersey Giant Drawing

 

There's ALWAYS  enough time for sketching chickens - and they certainly like the attention!  This Blue Jersey Giant has a comb that has folded over since the beginning. She's sweet and docile, giving me a little peep when she wants another bite of microgreens! I take in a tray each day and feed them from my lap.  They love it, I love it, and every one gave me an egg again today!  That's twice this week, and yes, it's still winter!  Painting number 4816 in 4816 days. 

Baby Chicks!

 

My first drawing in my new Chicken Sketchbook - our newest baby chicks!  The sketchbook is a gift from my youngest son, and is made by a Fair Trade Organization called Mr. Ellie Pooh in Sri Lanka.  This is the home of one tenth of the world's total 40,000 Asian elephants.  These pages are made of recycled paper and elephant poo - no kidding!!  Since the paper is so porous, it does not work for watercolor or even gouache. But pen and ink, and acrylic work beautifully, and that's all I've tried so far.  I love working in a book that is artisan made, and I plan to fill the pages with the drawings and antics of my hens. Painting number 4811 in 4811 days. 

Betsy on the Nest

 

Sketching Betsy on the community nest - all of our hens lay their eggs in one nest each day!!  She's one of our sweetest chickens, one of two calico princesses we have.  I don't know if all chickens do this, but ours have fun the very beginning.  Only three times has an egg missed the family plot. Two were randomly in the henhouse and one in the middle of the run!  Both of the times they were in the henhouse, the nest was fill off 7 eggs already. And if one of the hens is still on that nest, they don't mind at all when I reach underneath them to pull each egg out. I'm so happy we started on this chicken adventure. Painting number 4784 in 4784 days. 

Carlotta Chicken

 

It's fun to sketch this sweet hen while she's at play!  Carlotta is the keeper of the egg box in this flock, always rushing up to the egg box when I go to gather eggs.  She waits for my praise and clucks her thoughts to me as I collect each one.  She has even alerted me to an egg in the corner that had been pushed out of the nest!  She's very sweet and loves the attention she's gets each day.  I never knew how unique and different each hen's personality is before raising them.  What fun we're all having with these sweethearts!  Painting number 4751 in 4751 days. 

Calico Princess Inked

 

My chickens went in before I finished this sketch, and they wouldn't even come out for treats!  This pretty chicken laid her first pink egg yesterday, and her "sister" laid one today!  I only had time for a drawing today, but I hope to paint her in oil one day soon!  Painting number 4626 in 4626 days. 

Damiyr at Yoga Bliss

Not available 

Yoga Bliss was such an amazing retreat weekend, I can hardly touch the surface of what it embodied.  Damiyr played at one of the concerts during that event, and his music was so powerful and heartfelt.  It was my pleasure to capture the moment in pen and ink. Painting number 4608 in 4608 days. 

Overlook Chapel View

 

What a peaceful and serene view to sketch from near the Overlook Chapel!  This is the kind of view one could look at forever, and never tire of.  I chose this vintage journal for my pen and ink sketch walk today.  Longing for that timeless feel, this page could have been drawn 100 years ago.  These mountains are timeless, as the many souls who have stood in this place taking in the beauty. Perhaps they sketched here, or shared a prayer of gratitude, as I do this day.  There are so many priceless things in this life, and this moment is one of them. Painting number 4569 in 4569 days. 

Peter and Etta Koch House - Inked

I am using a brand new piece of artisan handmade, hand-dyed paper for this pen and ink drawing. Sketching the historic Peter and Etta Koch home (also know as the Livingston home) at Hot Springs, Texas, is a super fun adventure!  The paper is a little resistant, and when the ink gets wet it spreads out and weakens in strength more than usual.  So, I am going over my lines multiple times and even pulling out my India ink for those darkest darks.  Each package of hand tied paper comes with a photo of the artist and a printed memo about them.  It's interesting to read their story and I like supporting another artist.  I like the lighter color of this paper compared to my others. I wonder how it will accept watercolor?  I'll have to try that another day!  Painting number 5118 in 5118 days. 

Cardinal Family

We often have cardinals nesting on the grounds, sometimes even by the front porch. When they are so close, I just can't resist painting them as they tend their little ones!  I've chosen pen and ink for this study on handmade paper - and I like the vintage feel of it!  Maybe I should do more of these studies in black and white.  Painting number 5087 in 5087 days. 

Vintage Pumpkins

It's INKTOBER - and this is my first ink drawing of the month!  Not one for prompts, I am delving into vintage Halloween this month.  Using a dyed handmade cotton paper, i draw my pumpkins with a TWSBI fountain pen filled with Raven black ink by Levenger.  I use a little water to move the ink, then go back in with a little more pen work.  This paper is perfect for the vintage vibe I am going for.  I can't wait to try it again tomorrow!  Painting number 5179 in 5179 days. 

Cosmos!

 

Another beautiful day in the garden, and I'm painting cosmos that are taller than I am!  Oh, how the pollinators LOVE them!  Tiffany, Michaela, Casper and Kirby joined me for a little ink and watercolor time today, as we played with our new Summer Fun palettes from Chubby Mermaid.  Tiffany painted a whole field of sunflowers, Michaela a single sunflower, and Casper painted so MANY paintings, starting with the sunflowers first!  I pulled out my journals to see what I need to do to complete them, and added a couple of entries to a brand new one, too.  I've been wanting to get to these cosmos blooms for days, and I'm so happy to finally get to them!  What a great day!  Painting number 5141 in 5141 days. 

Kessler Farm Home

 

What a lovely place to land between sessions at the Yoga Bliss Festival in Augusta, Missouri.  I've painted different parts of this farm on multiple occasions, but this is my first time to paint the farmhouse.  It was nice to spend a little time with our hosts during our stay, and so gracious of them to welcome in my daughter, too.  I love making new memories here with two souls who are the salt of the earth.  Painting number 5123 in 5123 days. 

Hereford Pair

 I love looking out to the western pasture for painting inspiration.  These neighbors are fun to sketch, and I relish the opportunity to explore their forms in ink and watercolor.  The snow has melted now and the neutral tones of winter full the landscape.  So, I turn to the cattle for study.  Perhaps I'll get several painted before the next beautiful scene grabs me.  Painting number 4037 in 4037 days. 

Kansas City Museum

I loved sketching this grand staircase at the Kansas City Museum this morning.  My first time back here since the major renovations, this place is lovely.  A cafe and a bar downstairs will open early this year, making it a place to gather in a grand setting.  Here with the Urban Sketchers KC, it was nice to sketch with artist friends while browsing through the museum.  I need to return here with family to REALLY see all there is here.  With only an hour left to sketch, this is my first of two drawings.  This place is another gem in the Kansas City Crown, another wonderful Long mansion transformed! Painting number 3656 in 3656 days, and day 8 of the #stradaeasel challenge.

Walkers

It is so fun to capture this sculpture in pen and ink.  There are SO many things to paint at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, and I've been wanting to paint these walkers since I first saw them here.  The strong morning light is perfect for great shadows, and ink is my medium of choice for this.  The black and white defines the space so well, and there is no need for sky or foliage color on this one.  Kansas City is full of amazing places to paint - and I'm so lucky to get to paint here on a regular basis!  Painting number 4408 in 4408 days.