Days 620, 624, 626 New Coaster Art

I continue to carry a few of my blank coasters with me each day.  This past month, I drew on them in The Snug, as I watched two men have a conversation at the bar, and at Flann O'Briens the night of the ill-fated Bruins 7th game in the Stanley Cup Finals, and out to dinner after a movie one night with my husband.  I enjoy drawing on the coasters in pen in any restaurant setting, then adding watercolor later from my head, using colors that suit the mood of the scene.  I am going to try adding a finish to the coasters, and am amassing a nice-sized collection.  They look wonderful side by side and tell a story.  
These are my six hundred twentieth, six hundred twenty-fourth and six hundred twenty-sixth daily drawings.  As always, thank you for looking and for your interest. 

Day 608 "Royal Escort" - remembering a beautiful day

The theme for this month's Girls Just Wanna Paint challenge is "fashion".  As soon as I began to ponder, last year's royal wedding jumped into my head.  I remember the morning, setting the alarm to watch all the pageantry, and to listen to all the commentary about the thoughtfulness that went in to the ceremony, including honoring Diana. I remember that Meghan Markle walked half way down the cathedral alone, followed by a cadre of adorable children, and then was met by Prince Charles for the remainder of the walk, a couple of meaningful statements.  Bottom line, I loved it. This is my value study for a painting I am putting together.  I took the photo from my television during the festivities.  This is my six hundred eighth daily drawing. Thank you, as always, for looking.

Day 605 "Dinner at Dogwood" - coaster art from Jamaica Plain

I scooted into town tonight for an impromptu dinner with my daughter.  She suggested the Dogwood, a nice pub with good pizza an interesting beer list.  We ate at the "social table" which meant sitting up high and possibly getting to know your neighbors.  It was a good vantage point for my latest coaster art.
Nice evening all together. Thanks for looking.  This is my six hundred fifth daily drawing.  I appreciate your thoughts.

Days 599, 600, and 601 "Festival Days"

 

Every year the North River Arts Society in Marshfield, MA holds its annual Festival of the Arts.  I love the weekend, often calling it a "weekend away" without the cost of hotel. Years ago, before I was an artist, I used to ride my bike down to the Festival to hang with my mother while she painted.  Eventually, I began to paint, and to volunteer, and have now been the co-chair of the juried art & sculpture part of the Festival for a couple of decades.  I paint out on the street for both days of the festival, talking to old and new friends while working.  Great music, food, laughter, fun. Doesn't matter to me what the weather is; so I have painted under a tent while wearing a down vest, and pausing for a warm cup of chowder on occasion, or in 90 degree heat, and everything in between.  It is New England, after all. Here is some of the work I created over the weekend. I get fired up by the festivities, the pageantry, the hubbub, and the catching up with people.  These are my 599, 600, and 601st daily drawings created Friday, Saturday, and Sunday during the arts festival.  Thank you for looking.  

Day 591 "Coaster Art" ink & watercolor 9 x 12

 I recently ordered some blank coasters which I carry with me.  Sometimes, in a restaurant, pub, etc, where a coaster might be used, I like to draw on my blank coaster.  I usually add watercolor later from what I remember in the room, and what I want to convey.  Here is a painting of me adding the watercolor to one of my coasters.  It was an interesting exercise, drawing the coaster, which is a drawing.  The other photos here are of the finished coaster itself, from a lunch last month at MJ Smiths on East 45th Street in New York.  There is also a photo I took from inside the pub while I was drawing. 
This is my five hundred ninety-first daily drawing.  As always, thank you for your interest, and your comments.  You know I love them.

Day 581 "Low Tide" watercolor and ink - gray day in Scituate Harbor

The days have been gray for weeks... spring is slowly revealing itself, and will burst forth if and when the sun returns.  Today I spent some time in Scituate Harbor.  It was gray, but pleasant, with people walking by with their dogs.  There was one particular clump in front of me that was especially fascinating to each and every dog.  It occurred to me that each dog's human had no idea this was a special patch.  But, the dogs knew, and I knew... our little secret.  
The fishing boats in the harbor were below the walkway with the tide, but I liked the variety of horizontals with walk, fence, boats, reeds, wires, one above the other.  This is my five hundred eighty-first daily drawing.  Thank you for your continued interest and comments on my work.  

Day 577 "Back of the Room" pen and ink on sticky notes

Once a month our students have a half day and we use the afternoon as Professional development time.  It's amazing how tough it is to find time with all the staff or some of the staff together to collaborate.   We started with an all staff budget meeting, then broke into groups of 10 or so to discuss our school mission statement written 5 years ago, to compare it against our school today as it has grown and evolved.  I enjoyed my group of colleagues, staff from kindergarten up through high school; some content teachers, Learning Services, school counseling... very different and valuable points of view.  For our initial meeting,  I sat half way back, and had time for my daily drawing, but only found a pad of sticky notes in my pocket.... so I used them to draw the crowd in front of me.  I liked the overlapping body shapes in layers as the crowd moved forward.  
This is my five hundred seventy-seventh daily drawing.  Thank you for your continued interest and your comments.  I appreciate it all.

Days 572 and 573 Dinner at a Pub - Coaster Art

It's nice to draw in a pub; lots of activity, people, interesting decor and interesting overlap of foreground to background, and often a view out the window with backlighting.  I carry some blank coasters with me, and draw on them, adding watercolor later.  The texture is interesting and super absorbent... coaster's job.  We ate at McGreevy's in Boston the other night, great food and a fun pub atmosphere.  The Red Sox game was cancelled as the skies opened up just after the game's starting time.... soggy fans poured in.  The onslaught got the kitchen confused and our food was delayed.  We didn't care.  It gave me more time to draw, and to enjoy dinner with my husband and daughter. The first two drawings were made while sitting in the pub, and the third from a photo I took out front as we left. 

These are my five hundred seventy-second and third daily drawings.  Thank you for your continued interest.    

Daily Drawing 536 "Crosstalk" pen & ink

I love the motion and the hubbub of the city streets; buildings against the sky creating fascinating negative space while the overlapping elements down below provide patterns and shapes.  
This is a vignette I captured on Newbury Street one afternoon while this man hustled across on front of me, as many people do... phone to ear, hunched over, missing the beauty around him, in that moment.  Maybe he looked up a few minutes later and sauntered down the street taking it all in.  I hope so.  
This is my five hundred thirty-sixth daily drawing. Thank you, as always, for your interest and your comments.   

Day 560 and more - Patterns in Doodles

 Sometimes I create my daily drawing at night, and am interested in exploring patterns, without intent.  I will lay down an asymmetrical grid pattern and begin mark-making.  Occasionally, the lines are more organic, other times more structural.  Interestingly, I almost always draw my sketchbook work that is representational using straight lines, seldom curves.  But, when I doodle these structures, I often opt for curved lines.  As I fill in the space, I am sometimes driven by the density of lines in the grid, and will look for where more detail is needed. 

These are interesting to me... expect to see more in the future. As always, thank you for looking.  I appreciate your interest, and your comments. 

Day 552 "At the Grille" coaster art, ink & watercolor

Last night, we took our daughter and two friends to dinner in Boston at Woody's Grille & Tap.  We love this nice little spot, good selection of beers, great pizza and burgers.  It was so nice to listen to the smart, sassy, engaged conversation of these three young women who care about each other and the world.  Meanwhile, I made some new "coaster art".  I draw on the coaster at the table, and add watercolor later, from how I remember the scene.  We had a lovely night.. 
This is my five hundred fifty-second daily drawing.  Thank you for your interest, and for following my daily drawing adventures.  

Day 546 "Sunday AM View" ink & watercolor

Sunday mornings, I usually sit in the same pew in church.  New North Church  in Hinhgam has the oldest pews in town.  They are labeled with the original pew holders' names, including Benjamin Lincoln, Revolutionary War hero who accepted Cornwallis' sword at Yorktown. Today I moved forward one pew, and saw this out the window, through the ancient rippled glass.  I drew while listening to a fascinating sermon about The Prodigal Son, where I always think the older, responsible son had a right to be cranky.  We had a lively and interesting discussion afterwards, with a variety of points of view.  Edifying.  
This is my five hundred forty-sixth daily drawing.  As always, thank you for looking, and for your continued interest in my work.

Day 539 "Coaster Art - NY City Lunch" ink & watercolor

Spent a wonderful weekend in New York with my daughter... no agenda beyond attending a Friday night live performance of the podcast Wine and Crime, which was a blast.  We spent Saturday walking through parts of the city, drawing in Bryant Park, exploring the NYC Public Library, Steven Shwarzman building, touring St. Patrick's Cathedral, and popped into MJ Smith's Food and Spirits for a great burger, and some time for "coaster art".  I have my own coasters that I keep in my sketchbook, in case I have lunch in a pub that suits.  This one certainly did.  You can see photos of my drawings in progress here.  I added watercolor this morning while sipping coffee at my cousin's sunny counter.  A great weekend, refreshing, stimulating.  New York is a visual feast for the eye... and I loved meandering without agenda, taking in the sights.  
This is my five hundred thirty-ninth daily drawing.  Thank you for your continued interest.  

Day 535 "Still Light with Compote a la Matisse" pen, ink, marker

Tonight, I was looking through images online, as I often do... exploring, and saw a few of Matisse's paintings of fruit in still life.  I like the arrangement of this one with the compote.  This is a value study.  You can see the painting below.  I like the textures and the values, and although the placement of objects provides depth, the modelling is still quite flat, and the value shifts are strong and mostly crisp.. This was painted in 1899, when Matisse was 30 years old.  His style shifted as the decades passed, including his paper cutouts in the 1920s and 1930s.  There is a consistency in the powerful, angular shapes that is very appealing.  
This is my five hundred thirty-fifth daily drawing.  As always, I appreciate your interest and your comments.  

Day 519 "End of Day" pastel on black ink

What an interesting weekend!  Yesterday morning provided a sunny gleam on top of the few inches of snow we received Friday night.  Then, clouds rolled in and the pre-snow heaviness was followed by rapid snow beginning around 10pm last night.  We wound up with about a foot of heavy snow greeting us this morning, and no school.  It was fun to shovel... great exercise and clean air.  This afternoon we did some errands, then drove home along the coast at dusk.  I saw this over my shoulder while looking east.  The sun was almost gone, and it lit the sky, pushing against the heavy, dark clouds that were moving out over the ocean to the east.  So many colors, so much beauty.  Great day with lots of outdoor time.  I even made a snow angel, because... otherwise I'll wait until next year, and I believe this is the first one I've ever made in March.  
This is my five hundred nineteenth daily drawing.  Thank you for your interest and your comments.  I appreciate every one.

Day 518 "Morning Light" watercolor 5 x 8 - a snowy spring day

My husband likes to get to church early on Sunday morning to organize his thoughts, conduct book study, and get settled in before the congregation arrives.  We drive together, but I like to hang outside and draw somewhere nearby. This winter, I noticed the shadows cast up the street on the Old Ordinary, home of the Hingham Historical Society.  I posted my five hundred fourth drawing of the building using ink and markers a couple of weeks ago, with its beautiful shadow pattern.  Today I used my watercolors for the same view.  There is a snow storm predicted for tonight, so the clouds were encroaching, but I could see the shadows intermittently and took advantage. 
You can see my in process photograph below, taken from the dash board of my car as I painted this morning. 
This is my five hundred eighteenth daily drawing.  Thank you, as always, for looking.

Day 516 "Snow Day Brunch" ink & watercolor

Today, Saturday, we were forecast 6-8 inches of "March comes in like a lion"  starting in the early morning hours.  I took a peek out the window at 5 am and saw nothing, but it was coming down steadily by 8.  We had brunch plans with a few friends, so we headed out on an adventure, expecting the eight inches of snow to materialize by the time we finished eating.  Turns out roads were reasonable, and the big snow forecast became more like three inches of slushy and mushy stuff.  We timed our morning right, and found a table for six of us at a great little spot in Cohasset, MA - 5 South Main.  I have liked this small restaurant for a number of years.  Last year it changed hands, and I like it even better.  The chef/owner is a parent from our charter school family.  I have taught both his children 8th grade math, and enjoyed them both for different reasons.  We had a great meal today, in the company of friends... warm, delicious, and fun, while the gray, slushy, snowy day stayed outside.
This is my five hundred sixteenth daily drawing.  As always, thank you for looking.  

Day 514 "Overpass" ink & pencils

I love the angular perspective of over and underpasses along the highways.  This is a shot along the lengthy ramp in Boston that snakes its way up from the congestion of the "if you lived here you'd be home now" Leverett Circle area, to Rte 93 North or South. Once you break free, you are on a long, luxurious ramp that flows under some fascinating structures and drops you onto the highway moving north.  I love the angles under here, and the movement.  I used a brush and added some india ink to the drawing, and then dropped in a hint of warmth in the tail lights and a couple of signs.  This line drawing is my five hundred thirteenth daily drawing, and transforming the drawing with ink is my five hundred fourteenth daily drawing effort.  Though contained in the same rectangle, I'm counting these as two separate daily drawing efforts.  Again, thank you for looking, and thank you for your comments.  You know I love them.

Day 510 "Waiting for Pizza" ink & pencils on newspaper

This afternoon we stopped by our local wood-fired pizza shop, and waited for our order.  I love these chances to draw and usually have a sketchbook in my bag.  But, I had left the book at home, and there was not another paper in the car. I needed to find something to draw on so I pulled a newspaper from the magazine rack in the pizza shop and found a page with enough white on it to do a drawing while we waited.  I sort of like the juxtaposition of the pizza staff over the newsprint, in the "Wicked Local" section of the paper.  By the way, CP's Woodfired Pizza is fantastic, if you are near Scituate, MA.  Check them out. 
This is my five hundred tenth consecutive daily drawing.  Thank you, as always, for looking.  

Day 509 "Main Street" ink & watercolor

Today was beautiful.  I pulled my car into a parking space along Main Street in Hingham above the downtown and drew the street, with my car window open to the sun.  It was nice to absorb some Vitamin D, while looking at the sunlit buildings.  I like drawing from my car sometimes.  I have a bag, kept in the car with sketchbook, watercolor set, pencils, markers, small enamel water dish and brushes.  You never know when you'll need it.
This is my five hundred ninth daily drawing.  As always, thank you for looking.