Day 153 "Thinking" 8 x 9 mixed

During our recent days without power, we had time to read, play games, and play with our cats.  Here is our cat Maggie, sitting and thinking about the paper towel tube in which I had placed a pencil.  She sat and looked and thought... then dove at the tube, digging out the pencil with ferocity.  She is quick... so quick.  This is my hundred fifty third daily drawing.  I drew in pen, added some gray marker, then used china white pencil to add a few highlights and whiskers.  Thanks for looking, as always. 

Day 102 "Safe Space" mixed 8 x 9

Four and a half years ago we went to meet a brother/sister pair of kittens in their foster home.  We brought Fred and Maggie home a few days later, though I believe they had different names back then.  Not sure how the names occurred to us, but as pet names sometimes do, they popped into our heads quickly, in fact, while the kittens were in their crate with us on the way home.  They are a joy, and both lap cats.   My hundred and second drawing is Fred lying on my husband's lap, as happens almost every day... Fred's safe space.  
Thank you for continuing to look at my drawings each day.  

"Cookie Baking" ink, marker, pencil 9 x 7

Our cat, Cookie, was a sweetie and picturesque.  She loved our wood stove, and parked herself on the hearth rug given the chance.  I love this image of her in front of the stove.  I designed the drawing to emphasize the sense of the space, with Cookie staring into the depth of the stove where I added the only color in the picture space.  Her gaze, the structure of the stove, the brick arch, and the color choice all build the sense of depth in the drawing.  
As always, thanks for looking at my daily drawings.  I appreciate your time and attention.  

"Cat Nap" mixed 3 x 6 #Inktober

Our cat Maggie loves to sleep on the cable box. It is warm, centrally located and we cuddle her every hour or so when we have to move her tail, or leg, or paw so that the remote control will work... sort of a sweet retro kind of feel.  Remember the days you had to get up to change the channel? I started with some ink with a brush, then layered up with white conte pencil, some colored pencils, just for the cable box, and some fine point pen.  The drawing doesn't look much like Maggie, but I enjoyed layering ink, pencil, more ink, and white conte. 
This is my eighteenth drawing for #Inktober 2017.  As always, thank you for looking. 

Day 14 "Quiet Harbor" pen, ink, colored pencil 9 x 9 #Inktober

I love drawing from the foreground to the back, thinking about the interplay of lines and shape and what needs to intersect what where and how.  Sounds a bit vague as I reread, but truth is, once I get going, it is very specific... maneuvering reality as I draw it to avoid unintentional geometry and misleading tangents and intersections.  Today was gray, albeit warm for mid-October, and occasionally drizzly.  The harbor is in transition from summer's bustle, to winter calm; half of the pleasure boats are in storage, many on the other side of the harbor, indicated here by the slightest suggestion of grouped masts and shrink-wrapped boats.  
This is my fourteenth entry into #Inktober 2017, and as you can see from the additional photo here... I can not take full solo credit for my work.
Again, thank you for looking.  I'm enjoying the intentionality of  making drawing time each day. 

"Sweet George" pen & ink

Looking through an older sketchbook last night, I found these drawings from 2010 of our wonderful George hanging out on the couch next to me. George was sixteen at the time, a graceful sweetheart, all his days. George was a people cat, and we were lucky enough to be his people. He's been gone a few years now, and I still trip over his name now and then when I'm addressing our new male cat, Fred.  Very happy to have found the drawings.  

"Snow Day" pen & ink 8 x 9

Two and a half years ago we invited a couple of kittens, fostered through the Standish Humane Society, to come live with us.  We told our contact through Standish, that we wanted a brother and sister pair.  Maggie and Fred are a treat; funny, loving, a bit wild, and unpredictable.   Yesterday was our first snow day of the year, and I spent the morning hanging on the couch with NPR on the radio, good coffee in my cup, and Fred curled up by my side.  Absolute bliss.

Kirigami Snowflake - Cat and Cupcake

 As you may remember, I like to cut paper. I like the challenge of cutting paper, mostly without drawing a design ahead of time, and I like the tactile feel of sharp scissors on good paper.  So, I taught my students a little Kirigami recently, using some math (naturally) to show them how to fold their paper into a cone shape with a couple of folds that create the 60 degree angles needed for a true 6-pointed snowflake.  Then, I show them how to turn anything into a snowflake!  Here are a couple of designs I came up with.... reclining cat, and a cupcake. I have included the original design for each, and the unfolded "snowflake", both the patterned side and the white side.  Personally, I like the cat a lot better... I'll be making a few more cupcakes before I hit the final design... will post the new design, and instructions shortly.

 Have any ideas for a snowflake motif?  Let me know and I'll give it a shot. As always, thanks for looking.

Bat house, Birdhouse and icons

Recently, I designed a lesson for my young Art Studio class.  We talked about symbol vs reality.  Road signs are a great example.  When you see a sign for "Deer Crossing", do you see every eyelash on the deer?  Every nuance of fur and hoof?  


All of the students gave examples of symbols that they come across in their lives: birthdays, Red Sox, holidays, poison, danger, electricity, product recognition, superheros, etc.  We had a blast.  Then we created symbols for Halloween and constructed lanterns using the silhouettes in heavy black paper atop yellow tissue paper.  Drop a votive inside (in a jelly glass, with parental supervision) and you have a very cool Halloween decoration.  Yup, a lesson where we got to cut paper, right up my alley!


I resurrected the motif for a birdhouse I painted for my local art association's recent fundraiser.  Fall IS just around the corner.

Thanks for looking.