From the sketchbook

Before I put away the carving tools, a few more rubber stamps:

Doodle-inspired line up

These critters - and the coffee mug - were inspired by some of my sketchbook doodles. 

Doodles In Isolation

Another exercise from Diane Culhane's online class, "Doings of A Doodle". 

From my sketch books, choose some favorite doodles.  Isolate them and place each one on watercolor paper.

Instead of being lost in a mass of doodling, each selected doodle is spotlighted:

I doodle birds often.

A rare cat doodle

I love dogs.

A sheep in a mushroom forest.

Snow Play

Another snow storm.  I enjoy watching the swirling snowflakes - especially when I am in my studio playing - snow light is a bit grey but bright and very even.  I have fun writing and doodling (I had intended to clean my work table to prep for some painting, but...)

scribble, scribble

Combine with words and collage:

Black card stock, gel pen, litho crayon, chalk

And more fun - I love doodling dogs:

Gel pen, Sharpie pen, charcoal on kraft card stock

Remy and I will be playing indoors today :-)

Mostly charcoal sheep

Along with birds and mushrooms I've been drawing sheep, specifically Scottish black-faced sheep... very appealing critters.

Here's a quick charcoal sketch of what immediately comes to mind when I think "sheep":

Sketchy.

The next two are graphite and charcoal.

Facing front:

And to the left:

I am finding that sheep - as with elephants, hippos and other "bulky" animals - are very much defined by the subtleties of their outlines.

Birds, flowers and sheep

Beginning with a surface covered in random colors of paint, I found imaginary flowers – next came birds (a favorite subject) and then, out of the blue, little sheep:

I think it's a happy painting :-)

 Masking, sgraffito, stippling, blown blots techniques, again, from "Paint Your Garden", an online workshop by Diane Culhane.