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Art supplies Flower Art Gouache Ink and watercolor wash Sketchbook Pages

Flowering Crab Apple Blossoms on First Day of Spring

Flowering Crab Apple Branch, left page, ink, watercolor & gouache, 8x11"
Flowering Crab Apple Branch, left page, ink, watercolor & gouache, 8×11″

Happy spring (or autumn if you’re on the other side of the world)! Despite it being a rainy, grey day here, perfect for spending indoors in jammies (which I did since I was a bit under the weather) spring has definitely arrived in the Bay Area with blossoming trees and green things sprouting everywhere.

Out walking in Berkeley on a Sunday morning in a nice neighborhood, I spotted a beautiful flowering tree between two homes. I was debating with my walking buddy  whether to knock on the door and ask if I could take a cutting to sketch and paint from. He thought not, since people might still be sleeping, and suggested I take a photo. But I wanted to draw from the real thing. I was trying to figure out which house actually owned the tree and he was trying to figure out how to get me to keep walking.

Flowering Crab Apple Branch, right page, ink, watercolor & gouache, 8x11"
Flowering Crab Apple Branch, right page, ink, watercolor & gouache, 8×11″

Just then I heard people chatting, coming towards us on the sidewalk from around the corner. It was the homeowners who’d also been out for a walk. I asked if I could take a branch to paint and they said yes. This is the first of several pieces (two oil paintings and another sketch) I created from their branch.

I wish I’d thought to take their address so I could send a thank you card with the image on it. Maybe my friend will remember what street we were on since he chose our route.

Flowering Crab Apple Branch, 2-page spread, ink, watercolor & gouache, 8x22"
Flowering Crab Apple Branch, 2-page spread, ink, watercolor & gouache, 8×22″

This is the full 2-page spread in the giant Moleskine Watercolor A4 sketchbook I’m using now. It’s 8.5 x 23 inches when opened so rather unwieldy when sketching outside the studio but I’m enjoying it anyway. I drew directly with a sepia Sakura Micron Pigma Pen and then painted with watercolor and a bit of gouache.

I used gouache for the background on this sketch because I wanted a fairly smooth/flat background which I couldn’t get with watercolor because of the way the paper buckles and doesn’t lie flat because of the seam. My favorite part is the enlarged pure watercolor blossoms in the white circle on the left hand side, visible if you click and then click again on the top image. I’m craving some “real” watercolor painting on good paper.

Categories
Flower Art Ink and watercolor wash Oil Painting Painting Sketchbook Pages Still Life

Sunflowers: Studies, Struggles, Stubborness

Sunflowers #4, oil painting on panel, 8x8"
Sunflowers #4, oil painting on panel, 8×8″

It seems like I’ve been struggling with painting sunflowers forever but with each attempt I understand them a little better. I’m very stubborn and will continue trying until the sunflowers and I are really good friends.

I lit the flowers above with very warm light which made the olive-green backdrop cloth look gold and kind of bleached out the color of the flowers. The pictures in this post are in the reverse order I made them, with the last first.

Sunflower #3, ink & watercolor, 5x8"
Sunflower #3, ink & watercolor, 5×8″

I did the sketch above after having such difficulty with the two below, trying to better understand the shapes of the flowers and their structure.

Sunflowers in Vase (#2), Oil painting on canvas, 16x12"
Sunflowers in Vase (#2), Oil painting on canvas, 16×12″

After working for hours on the vase in the painting above I looked at it in the mirror to check the symmetry and couldn’t stop laughing. It was completely off kilter, slanted to one side as if it had melted. It’s just amazing how our eyes and brain work together to correct things and fool us. I had to completely start the vase over to get it close to right. I experimented with using a dark background and tried to paint duller, darker colors for flowers not in the light but vibrant color kept sneaking back in. After days of repainting I called it done so I could move on.

Sunflower #1, Oil painting on panel, 10x8"
Sunflower #1, Oil painting on panel, 10×8″

The first problem with the one above was my drawing. Instead of taking the time to carefully draw these sunflowers I jumped into painting, combining a few specifics with some generic version of flowers. All the pointy, sharp shapes and droopy flowers are a good visual representation of my struggle, frustration, and ultimately, disappointment with this painting.

I completed these pieces at the end of last year and had to give up when I couldn’t find any more sunflowers. Soon sunflowers will be available and I can start painting them again.

I have a feeling it’s going to go better this time around. I am studying nature drawing with John Muir Laws at his Bay Area Nature Journal Club. This month’s session was all about drawing flowers and I learned all sorts of cool stuff. More about that another time.

Categories
Drawing Faces Ink and watercolor wash People Self Portrait Sketchbook Pages

End of Journal Self-Portraits

End of Journal Self-Portrait, ink & watercolor
End of Journal Self-Portrait in Stillman & Birn journal, ink & watercolor

OK, let’s just get this over with. At the end of each journal I sketch a self-portrait. In the one above from the end of 2012, I had new glasses but was in need of a haircut.  I put on some lipstick and mascara to get in the spirit. Even though it’s not very complimentary (or maybe it is? Yikes) I think it looks like me.

End of Journal Self-Portrait, February 2013, Pitt brown Brush Pen and watercolor, 8x5"
End of Journal Self-Portrait, February 2013, Pitt brown Brush Pen and watercolor, 8×5″

This one was done quickly last month in a Moleskine watercolor notebook with a brown brush pen (still wearing the same old grey hoodie plus a down vest to stay warm). My hair and clothes look right but NOT my face. Oh well.

I’m now using a giant Moleskine watercolor notebook, A4 size I think. and I’m really loving it. I have a whole bunch more sketches and some oil paintings to post…. but since I feel the need to go somewhat in order I had to get these posted first. Done. Moving on.

Categories
Berkeley Ink and watercolor wash Sketchbook Pages

Crazy Chicks at Poulet: A Poultry Panorama

Sketch of Crazy Ceramic Chickens 1 at Poulet, ink & watercolor, 5x8"
Crazy Chickens 1 at Poulet, ink & watercolor, 5×8″

The night we sketched at Poulet, a mostly chicken café in north Berkeley, I was feeling out of practice with drawing. So instead of trying to sketch the architecture or people I just drew their collection of chickens displayed on shelves, counters and walls.

Sketch of Crazy Ceramic Chickens 2 at Poulet, ink & watercolor, 5x8"
More Ceramic Chickens at Poulet, ink & watercolor, 5×8″

I didn’t bother with the shelves they sat on or perspective or anything serious…just allowed myself to be as playful as the silly chickens. That helped me get over my insecurity, warm up my hand and get back to sketching again after a brief spell of doing everything but art at the beginning of the year.

Poultry Panorama (2-page spread in my sketchbook).
Poultry Panorama (2-page spread in my sketchbook).

On our Urban Sketchers blog you can see Ceiny’s sketches of the café, starring some of the same chickens and Cathy’s sketches of the scene.

Categories
Ink and watercolor wash Life in general Sketchbook Pages Urban Sketchers

Electric Owls and Giant Rats: Pest Control at Pastime

Pest Control at Pastime Hardware, ink & watercolor, 5x8". Sketch of artificial owls and other pest control devices
Pest Control at Pastime Hardware, ink & watercolor, 5×8″

When we made our annual sketching pilgrimage to Pastime Hardware on a cold winter evening I picked the Pest Control department. I was attracted by the big, ugly, inflated hanging rat and the artificial owls who seemed to be discussing who was going to nab the rat.

The names of the products seemed inflated too: Pest Chaser Pro and Sonic Pest Chaser (both made me imagine cartoon critters that jump out of the box and chase critters away). And then there’s the Tom Cat Mole Trap (contains cat? that chases moles?) and Cat Stop (do you need Cat Stop after you’ve released the Tom Cat Mole Trap?)

I know someone who is courting real owls by putting up owl houses in her yard. That solution might be worse than the problem. My son has a family of screech owls living in a tree across the street from him and they keep him awake, screeching all night long.

Categories
Food sketch Ink and watercolor wash Sketchbook Pages

Deep Fried Fish Lips

Sketch of a fried fish, Deep Fried Fish Lips, ink & watercolor, 5x8"
Deep Fried Fish Lips, ink & watercolor, 5×8″

When I see my neighbors at my door holding a covered plate I get excited because they are fantastic cooks who often bring me treats. Except this delicacy was not from their kitchen; it was deep-fried take-out fish from 99 Ranch Market’s seafood department where they scoop live fish out of a big tank, “dress” them (euphemism for remove guts and slash the skin) and toss them otherwise whole in the deep fryer.

I gratefully accepted the gift and sketched it instead of eating it since I prefer my fish grilled, not deep-fried. Then I gave the fish to my tenant who enjoyed the nice dinner.

Photo of thank you card on returned plate
Photo of thank you card on returned plate

Today I returned the plate with a little thank you card featuring the fish.

Categories
Building Ink and watercolor wash Landscape Outdoors/Landscape Sketchbook Pages

Mira Vista Country Club Golfcarts

Mira Vista Country Club Putting Green and Carts, ink & watercolor, 5x16"
Mira Vista Country Club Putting Green and Golf Carts, ink & watercolor, 5×16″

My plein air group held our annual season kick-off meeting at the Mira Vista Country Club on Saturday where one of our painters has a membership. Afterwards, I sat on a bench in the sun and sketched the clubhouse, putting green and all the cute little golf carts.

Mira Vista, left side of spread, 5x8"
Mira Vista, left side of spread, 5×8″

Although I prefer jeans to dress up and agree with Thoreau’s quote: “Beware of all enterprises that require new clothes,” the club has a dress code that prohibits denim. So it was fun seeing how nicely the paint-spattered artists I’m used to seeing at our painting sessions can clean up, even if it meant I had to dress up too.

Mira Vista, right page, 5x8"
Mira Vista, right page, 5×8″

Our plein air schedule starts up again next month. Last year I only sketched at our paintouts but this year I’ve committed to dragging my oil painting supplies again and giving actual plein air painting another try. But if I still find it too frustrating to stand in one spot instead of exploring the locations, I’ll go back to sketching.

Categories
Food sketch Ink and watercolor wash People Sketchbook Pages

Pork Bung Gut (?) at 99 Ranch Market

Mackerel and Tea Lady, ink & watercolor, 5x8"
Mackerel and Tea Lady, ink & watercolor, 5×8″

We made our annual pre-Chinese New Year sketching visit to 99 Ranch Market and the Pacific East Mall (an Asian marketplace) with some new sketchers who joined us for our  monthly Urban Sketchers First Tuesdays sketch night.

I headed first to the fish department and we ended the evening at the Ten Ren Tea Shop (sketches above) where there were so many interesting and colorful items to draw but for some reason I chose instead to sketch the very nice shop girl.

Poultry and Pork on the Hook at 99 Ranch Market, ink & watercolor, 5x8"
Poultry and Pork on the Hook at 99 Ranch Market, ink & watercolor, 5×8″

After the fish, I went where the Peking Ducks hang and was surprised to see a small pork carcass hanging there too (on the right above). I drew it first, and then found myself in a race with a woman taking down the ducks to clean up for the night. She won the race and I ran out of ducks so I copied the menu instead.

Could that carcass be Pork Bung Gut? Or is it what it sounds like (ew) and just wasn’t on display?

It’s interesting how different cultures are squeamish about different parts of the animal. I grew up loving my grandma’s roasted beef tongue, the chicken feet in her chicken soup, and my dad’s gribenes (pronounced “gribnis”)—like pork rinds except made from chicken skin. After removing the delicious crispy skins from the hot chicken fat that he’d rendered from them, he put the fat in the fridge to harden and then spread that “schmaltz” on his rye bread instead of butter.

None of those foods sound gross to me, nor does caviar, raw oysters (yum!), or rump roast, but please don’t offer me brains or intestines, thank you very much.

You can see my friends’ great sketches from the evening on our Urban Sketchers blog here: Susan’s,  Micaela’s, Cathy’s, and Ceiny’s, and my sketches from previous visits to 99 Ranch in 20012 and 2010, 2010, 2007.

Categories
Berkeley Ink and watercolor wash Interiors Sketchbook Pages

Pyramid Plates and Brew

Ale and Ale Drinkers, ink & watercolor sketch, 5x8"
Ale and Ale Drinkers, ink & watercolor sketch, 5×8″

Before being seated at Pyramid Brewery in Berkeley some of us went upstairs to sketch. I enjoyed the perspective challenge of drawing these guys below me, sitting and standing with their pitcher of beer.

The menu recommended their Apricot Ale with the Blackened Salmon dinner (fruity beer a bit odd but tasty). The beer came before my food so I sketched it. I was too hungry to draw my delicious dinner.

Plates at Pyramid Brewery, Ink & watercolor, 5x8"
Plates at Pyramid Brewery, Ink & watercolor, 5×8″

After dinner I drew what I could see from my corner of the booth where I was kind of wedged in. And that should finally be the end of December and beer sketches. Now on to posting more interesting stuff than beer and dishes!

Categories
Berkeley Drawing Food sketch Ink and watercolor wash Interiors Sketchbook Pages

Tickle Your Tastebuds: Gaumenkitzel

Sketching German Cookies, ink & watercolor, 5x8"
Sketching German Cookies, ink & watercolor, 5×8″

When we visited Berkeley’s very colorful Gaumenkitzel Restaurant, they offered us a large “community” table where we could sketch and snack all evening. After most of the other customers had left, one sketcher pulled her chair right up to the pastry case to get a better look. Gaumenkitzel means “Tickle Your Taste Buds.” Just saying the name feels tickly on the tongue.

20121222-Gaumenkitzel

I sketched the back of Susan’s beer while she drew the more decorative front. Click their names to see more sketches from the evening by Ceiny and Cathy.

My January and February have been swallowed up by a ton of organizing and business chores which I’m hoping to declare completed tomorrow (YAY!). Then I can finally get back to a life centered around art instead of on spreadsheets, file folders, computers, and tax forms.