EDiM 30 and EDiM 31 - Birdfeeder-Eggs-Nest

Still catching up with EDiM

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Interesting coincidence:
EDiM 30- A birdhouse or birdfeeder
I saw this birdfeeder at our son's home in New Mexico and sketched it with our granddaughter. Then last Monday, I was with the Anacortes Sketchers in Conway, WA, and saw another one just like it. Before this, I had never before seen any quite like these. I wonder if they are antiques.

EDiM 31 - Eggs
I LOVE eggs! Everything about them: How they look, how they feel, how they taste, what you can make out of them and drawing, sketching, painting them.

More From TerraBella

I mentioned in yesterday's post that I had another sketch from TerraBella, a wedding venue where the beautiful grounds and buildings are all set up for outdoor weddings. One of the buildings is called "Nest". It's exclusively for the bride and her party. A quiet place for them to rest before the ceremony.

Steps leading up to the porch and what I discovered in "Nest"

I didn't post this one yesterday because I had an idea!

Two reasons I didn't post my pencil sketch from yesterday:

1. I had an idea! I thought I might have fun using my watercolor pencils (which were at home) and couldn't wait to try them on this subject.....it's so curvilinear!
2. It was only a scribble of a pencil sketch and needed color. (besides, I got an extra 15 minutes from the sketchers before we shared our work and I decided to use them to finish the color on the Airstream.)

Nest Eggs-Original watercolor by Michele Cooper

I am putting this on the EDiM Day 31 page in my sketchbook. Still trying to catch up! But wait! There's More! I am working on another section of that page and will post the whole spread tomorrow.

More late posts from EDiM-Day 23 and 24

Here are the sketches I'm posting late for EDiM, Days 23 and 24.
DAY 23--An interesting section of a building

Just a very small portion of the old barn on HWY 20

I drive by this place almost every week, whether on my way to meet the Anacortes sketchers during the summer or on my way to teach a class during the rest of the year.

DAY 24--KEYS

When you think of the option of sketching keys, so many things come to mind. See a short list of my other ideas on keys on my May 24, 2015 blogpost......besides house keys or car keys. 

Catching up with EDIM - 28 and 29

I am using part of my summer vacation to catch up on some projects that got set aside during the last month of teaching weekly classes this spring. So, although I sketched this today, I am belatedly posting the sketch for Day 28, May.

Is July 15 too late for EDM? Day 28-Yard Ornament or Statuary

And here's another one that finally got scanned after finishing the color.

EDIM 29 - A Faucet

I have drafts of all the EDIM daily sketches that I missed. Check the back posts in May for more of the story as I post them.

EDIM 29-A Faucet

I am using part of my summer vacation to catch up on some projects that got set aside during the last month of teaching weekly classes. So, although I sketched this today, (7/15/15) I am belatedly posting the sketch for Day 29, May.

Donkey farm faucet

I saw this particular type of faucet in New Mexico at our son's house, on a family trip to Aztec National Monument and at the  JF Miniature Donkey farm. See my sketches from a summer visit to the donkey farm here.

The blue one filled 350 water balloons for our grandson's graduation party this June.  The red one was outside the Aztec Ruins, NM. 

EDim 28-A Yard Ornament or Statuary

I am using part of my summer vacation to catch up on some projects that got set aside during the last month of teaching weekly classes. So, although I sketched this today, I am belatedly posting the sketch for Day 28, May.

Is July 15 too late for EDM?

I just can't get over what a fabulous summer we are having. We have taken advantage of outdoor living, a rare thing in the PNW. This hand blown glass fountain sits in its own little pool between the garage and the studio side of the house. I can hear the sound of the water right outside my studio window. Today, I wanted to sketch a fountain, and all I had to do was walk out my own back door!

EDiM 25 - An apron or something you wear as cover during messy activities

Gary's Garden Gloves

Although there are a few aprons hanging on the easel in a corner of my studio, I was inspired by my husband's garden gloves. He needed to run back to the store for more gardening supplies, so I pulled up the garbage can as my temporary easel and sketched this. Just as I found it. It's a messy activity.

Update: I've been Explored! This is the third painting of mine that has been invited by Flickr to be included in the Explore Group!   I am honored. Over 2,556 views and counting!

EDiM 24 - Some keys

When you think of the option of sketching keys, so many things come to mind:

• House keys and car keys, of course
• Piano keys, as in my sketch of Dale in Silverton
• On a map, the key to various points of interest, highways, etc.
• The Florida Keys 
• "The key to a man's heart........."

 But these are the keys that came to my mind as a result of a recent family announcement.

EDiM 23 - An Interesting Section of a Building

Just a very small portion of the old barn on HWY 20

I drive by this place almost every week, whether on my way to meet the Anacortes sketchers during the summer or on my way to teach a class during the rest of the year.

There are just so many parts of this barn that show the patches, paint and problems of wear and tear through the years. I can't imagine what it would take to restore the whole thing because it is gigantic, even for a barn.

EDiM 20 - Your Wallet/Billfold

After I started sketching in more urban areas, I decided to get a compact wallet. It's one that has a shield for cards that have RFID. It holds my credit cards, ORCA pass, and a few bills, but not so good for change.
I picked the one that looks like Vincent Van Gogh's painting of the Irises. Good choice for an artist, eh?

EDiM 19 - A Cupcake

What can I say? Strawberry whipped cream frosting on a chocolate cupcake with chocolate shavings and a fresh strawberry on top.

EDiM 18 - Lipstick/lip gloss

"Pour yourself a drink, put on some lipstick, and pull yourself together," - Elizabeth Taylor
I think Liz and the Red Queen would have either got along famously....or would have gone down in flames together.

EDiM 16 - Ingredients for a Favorite Recipe

My take on Mom's Waldorf Salad

Ingredients for a Favorite Recipe
About this time of year, my family would have a family picnic in the park near where my grandparents lived. Grandma would make potato salad with homemade mayonnaise and my mother would make her Waldorf Salad.

I made my own version of Mom's Waldorf salad today and reminisced.

EDiM 15-Something you could throw/give away

"Throw" pillows, literally!

These pillows are probably the softest, most comfortable ones in our family room. On each occasion of serious TV watching, however, the tassels have been coming apart, losing their threads a little at a time. A few more adjustments, plumping, and scrunching of these pillows, and the last two tassels will look as threadbare as the rest.  Time to get some new pillows. (Not to mention a change of decor being long overdue!)

EdiM 14 - Something You Use Every Day

I simply couldn't choose just one, so I sketched both my iPad and my sketch kit. I use them both every day to make and publish my artwork. Actually there are three things that I carry with me and use daily. My phone is the third in this trio of essentials.

Note: I have been so busy this past week and upcoming schedule is just as jammed; so even if I sketch each day, I may not be able to post until my calendar clears up a bit. At this very moment, I am prepping for a two day workshop I am teaching at Kirkland Arts Center this coming weekend.

EDiM 13 - The last thing you bought

You know when you run out of something, so you go to the store to pick it up, and halfway home you realize that those two bags of groceries in the trunk contain everything BUT the thing you went to the store to get in the first place? Well, I stopped by 7-11 on the way home and I bought this.

 

Anybody see the problem here? Almost gone already. Now I have to go back for more. Hope I remember what I went for when I get there. Arrgh!

EDiM 12 - Some stairs or steps

Watercolor Landscape-Step by Step

 

 

 

 

Nearly every day of the week, I teach watercolor. Part of the lesson often entails a demonstration of how to paint the subject, step by step.

I am a contributing author in two books, "The Ultimate Guide to Painting from Photographs" and Gary Greene's "Artists' Photo Reference: Buildings and Barns",  both published by North Light Books. My portion of each book includes step by step watercolor instruction.

EDiM 11 - A hat, cap or other headgear

Quinn has a pink fluffy owl hat.

This winter, Quinn got all bundled up and went out for a walk with her family. It's one of the rare times that she didn't have her hat off in a matter of minutes.

When it comes to portraits of toddlers, I have to use a photo. Even if the hat stays on, the face is turning in every direction, coming and going, and changing into all manner of expressions. Wish I could capture it all!

EDIM 10 - Something you can turn on and off

I have been turning this knob on and off for approximately 35 years. My husband installed this wall heater in my studio when we converted the garage.

It's one of the few analog things we have left around here.

EDIM 9 - Something with an interesting label

I already sketched some interesting labels while making pancakes one Saturday morning. But, here we are on Day 9 of the Every Day in May sketching, drawing, painting challenge and I need to find an interesting label again.

This bottle has been in the back of my refrigerator for longer than I can remember. I just can't bring myself to open it, because the label is so unique.