ffyrebird

Doodling at the ballgame

R1 and R2 both got summer jobs as umpires this year.  I was waiting around and got to see a t-ball game R2 was umping.  The little kids were soooooo cute!  They looked like tiny bobbleheads with their batting helmets on.  I tried to get a little practice sketching them but they were so wiggly that I gave up.  I did manage to sketch R2.  He says it doesn't look anything like him and unfortunately, I agree! LOL!  Still, it was practice and it burned up a little more of the Reflexions sketchbook ( nasty paper, only good for pencil work IMHO).

Comparison of Aquabee Super Deluxe and Raffine Art Sketch

I just got in a Raffine Art Sketch book and did a quick trial page full of doodles to compare it to the Aquabee Super Deluxe that I am currently using.  First, I used Noodler's Beaver ink in a Conklin Crescent pen placed on the paper with a light and heavy hand and rubbed over at various intervals to test smearing. I tested the marks at one, five, and ten minutes.  I was going to leave it overnight but thought that was overkill and tried the last rubbing about six hours later instead.  In both books the ink was still smearable after ten minutes, but had finally dried in the Raffine in six hours.  I take notes in my Aquabee during class and close the page on them with no waiting and no smearing so I think this really is only a problem when doing pen and wash.  The pen and wash drawing of my fountain pen posted previously, was hard to control because the ink had not dried and was still sitting on the surface of the paper in the Aquabee.  Platinum Carbon ink was permanent in both books with no smearing when rubbed at five minutes.  It was also permanent and did not run when I washed over it with water at five minutes.  The Noodler's ink, (not a waterproof or bulletproof version) handled a wash of water about the same in both books.

Pencil seems to handle about the same in both books as does watercolor.  I lifted off color using a "scrubber" brush marketed to do that job and also with a soft haired flat.  The scrubber roughed up the paper in both books (a tad more in the Aquabee), the soft brush did not.  I think my problem with lifting out color was that I was using the scrubber brush and it is just too aggressive for the paper.

Bottom line- both books seem to perform the same to me.  The Auabee is 6" X 9" and is 93#, 152 gsm and the Raffine is 5.5" X 8.5" and  100#, 220 gram.  The Aquabee front cover does feel a bit thicker and more sturdy.   I'm going to finish out my Aquabee and then move into the Raffine.  Maybe after I work in the Raffine for a while I will be able to  tell  more about it.

Aquabee Super Deluxe

Raffine Art Sketch

2010 EDinM #5, 6 & 7

My EDinM entries for the fifth, sixth and seventh are doing double duty.  They are my contribution to an art journal round robin that I am playing in. Planning and drawing for the round robin has been keeping me pretty busy, so I'm going to let them stand for my EDinM entries for the days I completed them on. 

The theme of the round robin is Journey to the Imagination.  Any time I start a drawing project my children ask if I am going to be drawing chibis.  No matter what I draw, they like the manga the best, especially my chibis.  So for the first spread I did my little chibi alter ego reading the book, The Scarlet Pimpernel and imagining herself as the heroine, Marguerite.  The text is from the Gutenberg Project. I played with it in Photoshop then transferred it onto an inked spread in the book using Sheer Heaven paper.  I added in the colored chibis then finished off with some Twinkling H20s paints.  I wish the scan had caught how the Twinkling paint shimmers and shifts colors....

On the sixth I worked on a spread that was inspired by a poem that I love, The Stolen Child, by William Butler Yeats.  I borrowed a line from the poem and changed it a bit to issue an invitation to an imaginary realm.

For the last entry, I drew a firebird since I'm fond of firebirds (obviously XD). and because flights of fancy are imagination in overdrive.  I did this on crumpled masa and pasted it between the other two spreads.

Finished Lenten Journal

My Lenten Journal is finally finished.  After 40+ days of drawing and posting, it felt weird to have the night off yesterday.  I took the time to add some finishing touches to the Lenten Journal's  cover.  I made this and some journals for the kiddos using the 7 Gypsies Binderie Punch and rings.  I wanted something I could add pages to as I went so I could work on whatever paper struck my fancy on a particular day. It worked well for that but if I was making a sketchbook I would definitely not use this system.  The punch was supposed to be able to drill through bookboard, it was barely able to go through my naked Davey's board.  Once I had added paper to both sides and ModgePodged it, the thing was too thick to fit into the Binderie punch.  I had to hand punch the covers for all the journals.  The Binderie punch was great at punching the interior pages without having to plan or measure where the holes would be- very fast.  Unfortunately for a sketchbook, the ring system allows the pages to move about and slide against each other too much for my taste.  If I were to make drawings in pastel or soft pencil they would end up all smudgy before I could get home and spray them with fixative.  This is why I would never make a sketchbook with the Binderie system.  Luckily, all the Lenten drawings were done at home and I could put several coats of fixative on them before adding them into the journal.  I also added ribbons to the rings when I was finished with the book. Not only did this cover up the bare, ugly, utilitarian rings- but it also stopped the pages from shifting so much.

I really enjoyed doing this series and it has definitely been a blessing to me.  I had my doubts about whether I could draw and post for daily for this long.  I surprised myself by not missing any days.  It wasn't easy and some posts were made at 3 AM but with a good dose of help from above, I made it.  YIPEEEE!!!!

Lent April 4

He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.   Matthew 28:6

Lent April 3

Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.   John 1:29

Lent April 2

It has been a long day and my brain is mush, so this is just a quickie drawing for tonight.  Hopefully, I won't be so zombiefied tomorrow and can do a real drawing.

Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.    John 19:30

Lent April 1

Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: "Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times." And he went outside and wept bitterly.      Matthew 26:75

Lent March 31

 Daniel 6:16-23

   ¹⁶ So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions' den. The king said to Daniel, "May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!"    ¹⁷ A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel's situation might not be changed. ¹⁸ Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep.    ¹⁹ At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions' den. ²⁰ When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, "Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?"    ²¹ Daniel answered, "O king, live forever! ²² My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, O king."    ²³ The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.

Lent March 30

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take it; this is my body."    Mark 14:22

Lent March 29

And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink.  Exodus 2:3  This is based on a picture in an out of copyright book, The Standard Bible Story Reader.

Lent March 28

"Say to the Daughter of Zion, 'See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.'"  Matthew 21:5

Lent March 27

She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.  Proverbs 31:19

I love this verse because I am a hand spinner.  Even though I have spinning wheels and charkhas for 'production' spinning, I love my hand spindles.  They are like little works of art; all sorts of shapes, styles, woods, made of everything from pottery to fossil mammoth tusks.  Hopefully this spindle is recognizable as a Cascabeles spindle by Gabe Jaramillo.  I asked him for one with character and he made this one he called a rustbucket, :)!!  It is full of patterns in the wood with little knots and streaks- love it!

ETA--When I drew this spindle, I hung it by the hook on a wire of my desk lamp and drew what I saw.  I realize now that this doesn't show how it looks in use.  If I was spinning on it the little thread (single) of twisted fiber would spiral up to the hook and the spindle would be suspended from it- not coming off of the side as I drew it, that's just how it looks between spinning sessions.

Lent March 26

Proverbs 28:1 The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.

Lent March 25

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. ¹²For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. ¹⁸And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.               Ephesians 6:10-18

Lent March 24

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.  Psalm 42:1

Lent March 23

Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.  Luke 12:27

Lent March 22

Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped. Psalm 124:7

Lent March 21

And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.  Exodus 3:2

Lent March 20

Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.  Jonah 1:17

Lent March 19

What is the price of two sparrows--one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it.  Matthew 10:29 

Lent March 18

Matthew 14:16-21

But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat.  And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes.  He said, Bring them hither to me.  And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.  And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full.

Lent March 17

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Lent March 16

David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

Lent March 15

Another day, another drawing..........

Lent March 14

DH and our oldest two sons just got back from their train trip with the church youth group.  They have been regaling me and our younger two children with stories of their adventure, making this drawing another late night/ early morning one.  So, here is a speedy sketch ala The Chinese Brush Painting Bible.

Lent March 13

I know it is 3 am on the 14th, but since I haven't been to bed yet I am counting this as Saturday the 13th's drawing.  I was feeling much better so I took the two youngest out shopping.  We came back home with goodies to make journal/sketchbooks.  Of course, we had to start making them.  It was 2 am before I knew it and I didn't have a drawing made!  I cranked out this little puppy and I actually like it. Wow, it seems like it's been a while since I really was pleased with a drawing.

Lent March 12

Today is another simple sketch, something idiot proof after my latest fiascoes.  I'm drinking lots of tea and trying to take it easy.  Hopefully, I'll beat this bug soon.

Lent March 11

This one is posted late,after 1 am,because I kept trying to get a good scan of the gold writing.  The foil is much shinier IRL, but it just won't show up in a scan.  I just  wanted to do a quick scribble and go to bed since I'm still sick,but nooooo I get a cranky scanner and invisible gold letters.  UGHHHH!!!!!

ETA-- When I looked at Thursday's sketch this morning I realized I had misspelled a word. That was the last straw, I hated the lettering part and it had to go.  Of course; being tired,sick and totally clumsy this morning I decided to burn a frame for the sketch to hide the nasty, misspelling.  Well,the hotmark tool was too slow and managed to burn one finger and melt my polish on another.  So, I'm off to try a candle flame.  I managed to set my paper on fire and completely burn up my frame and new lettering not once but three times!!  This is as good as it gets--- the verse is now spelled properly and my house is singed but still standing.  I need chocolate, NOW!!!!!

Lent March 10

Gack! It is one of those nights.  I've got a cold and am feeling puny, I'm off to bed now.......

Lent March 9

Slitttthhhering in with another Lenten drawing....

 

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"  Genesis 3:1

Lent March 8

A hen and her chicks based on a couple of examples in The Chinese Brush Painting Bible.

Lent March 7

I'm exhausted tonight so this is just a quick sketch........

Lent March 6

John 15:5

I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Lent March 5

I am the rose of Sharon and the Lily of the valleys.   Sol. 2:1

Lent March 4

John 13:5   After that he poureth water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet...

Lent March 3

And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.  Matthew 8:20.  Based on a drawing from an old out of copyright book, The Standard Bible Story Reader.

Lent March 2

In a bit of a hurry tonight.........

Lent March 1

Quick pen and wash........

 

ETA: This was based loosely on an illustration from an out of copyright book, The Children's Friend Stories of the Life of Jesus.

Lent Feb 28

I had fun with this one, my youngest son helped pick out each color....

Lent Feb 27

Today's entry........

Lent Feb 25

Clyde the camel has a dilemma.........

Lent Feb 24

One week finished!!!!

Lent Feb 23

Still working on this series.........

Lent Feb. 22

Lent Day 6

Lent First Sunday Feb. 21

I can't help it, I looove Shaun the Sheep.  He's such a baaaad boy!

Lent Feb 20

Lent Day 4

Lent Feb. 19

Lent day 3

Lent Feb. 18

Peeking down a desert well...

Ash Wednesday

I'm not Catholic, but in college I got into the habit of observing Lent with my roommates and friends. Usually this takes the form of my giving up something that I enjoy, like chocolate.  Some years are different and I choose to do something instead.  One year, while pregnant, I got up at 5:00 before my tiny kiddos were awake and read through the Bible noting verses about mothers and children and labour.  This year I'm trying out a visual approach with images that are reminders of my faith.  We'll see how it works. 

ETA: I forgot to explain that the letters on this cross spell light on the vertical and life on the horizontal.