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 Today I wanted to get outside without spending too much time thinking about it. Sometimes you can waste time just planning and packing so I kept it super simple. I took a gallon ziplock bag, my 6×8″ sketchbook, a tortillion, a small stiff brush, one small set of charcoal pencils (already in a clear pouch so I could grab them), and something new to me a set of “Cretacolor” leads or sticks with a lead holder. I have a bigger picture of them laying on my sketchbook pictured. The set comes with a 4b graphite stick, a white chalk, two shades of brown chalk, and sanguin? stick that is like a color pencil and doesn’t smear or blend easily.
I should have brought a simple pen for writing, hard to write with charcoal! oops! Next time. I wore these work gloves because they offered a bit of protection but they let me use my hands better than my heave work gloves! I use these when I do oil landscapes in the fall or spring when it’s still chilly. 
Something I’ve mentioned before, it’s when you really stop and be still for a time that you start to notice little things you might have missed before. Today I was setting my ziplock bag in the snow as I worked on drawing standing up. When I crouched down to retrieve something from my bag, I noticed a tiny, tiny bug on my bag. Then I noticed there were more tiny bugs on the snow under the dead Zinnias I was drawing. Then as I looked around, no kidding, they were all across the snow everywhere! Yikes, glad they were tiny, but it’s a sign of spring. I’m not sure what they were.
 (click on the photos for a larger view, these were taken in my own backyard)
“Connecting to Nature”by Mary McAndrew2-4-08
“If you’re feeling tired, stressed out or sort of ‘disconnected’ today, consider taking time to visit some place of natural beauty, a place that fills you with a sense of awe and wonder.The ocean, a river, canyon or forest would be great because they carry their own energy of power to marvel at. Let go of worrisome thoughts and just immerse your mind in the beauty around you. Our problems fade away when we are in the presence of such wonder; our mind and spirit expand and open.
Actually the more you experience these great feelings and positive feedback, the easier it will be to draw the memories up when you need them.You don’t have to visit a grand forest or the Grand Canyon for that matter, to experience this, just take a walk out your back door for some fresh air.Even a dead looking yard in winter can hold beauty and life. Find a place to sit or stand quietly and close your eyes, just listen, feel the breeze on your face and hands, smells of the earth, rain, snow; the sounds of birds or leaves blowing.Let them visit you, touch you and enter your being.Feel the warmth of it entering your heart space, a beautiful green color glows within.Did you get a shiver?That’s the energy moving through your body, it’s a great thing!
If you can’t get out to nature, sit and quiet your mind and breath slow, let yourself wander out an imaginary door to the places you’ve really been before. Remember the sounds, sights, smells and feelings you had when you were there. Let yourself smile and see how it changes your feelings or mood!
If you can, next time you do go to a beautiful place, take a journal or sketchbook with you.Write how you feel, paint some colors or do a drawing of an interesting or beautiful plant.Memories will stick with you so much deeper if you write about it or draw it, the thoughts going from a deep place within you, to your head, to your hand, your pen then the paper.Look back on these notes and sketches on a day when you feel you need to connect with nature and you’ll be surprised how the feelings and memories will come back to you!“
 Today I did some paintings of birds from the field guide “Birds of the World”. The birds (photographs) are not grouped in much of a familiar order so I just flipped through and what caught my fancy I drew. I love European Robins and hope to see one in person someday! I also put one in my “Love Entangled” oil painting. I guess the Roman’s believed he got his red breast when he pulled the thorn from Christ’s head, the blood coloring his breast forever.
The other bird is a Blackburnian Warbler, I just loved the strong pattern and colors! I’m still using the Inktense color pencils so I can get used to them, I really like them so far! The trick of course is coming up with the subtle colors that don’t come straight from the pencil.
I do like to write, sometimes things pop into my head and I have to write them down, such as the quotes you see. I especially like the two last ones, I think I should have a tee shirt that says “I paint, therefore I live”
The last painting is for ‘camulus’, who’s left some nice comments on my blog and today said that there was a Red Admiral Butterfly in their kitchen! Awake too early for Spring, just like my ladybugs. (Camulus lives in Northumberland England, the comments are on the last post).
 Today I sketched some quick moving juncoes, a chickadee and cardinal that came by the feeder. Having a window feeder is great, you can really get a closer look at the small birds, especially when seed drops on the roof too. I noticed the juncoe males are a very dark, uniform slate grey. I always thought they were all this way, until seeing them this close, I realize now that the female has a lovely brown mixed in especially on it’s back.
Oh yeah, the weather was just terrible that day, you can see on my notes.
Then, as I teach students in Nature Sketching classes, if you can’t or don’t want to go outside, there’s always something to draw. I studied some lady bugs up close. If you take a look at things with a magnifying glass you’d be amazed at what you missed before!
I hope you enjoyed the sketches.
 Today I’m showing a page from my sketchbook that has drawings from two different days. At the top is a drawing of a dead sunflower head I did on Jan. 25th, on a very snowy, cold day! You can read what I wrote on the page about that. I was trying out my new Graphitint Color Pencils, this one is ‘cocoa’. After I sketched it, I used a waterbrush (brush with water stored in it) to pull the color out and create graded values of tone. Then I worked back into the dark areas to push the value range further and define the flower’s shape.
Today I found a green caterpillar when I picked up some bricks that were piled by my driveway, it was tucked in some rotting leaves and snow. I can’t imagine how caterpillars survive the winter like this. But he looked as fresh as springtime! Umm…so if you knew me, you’d already know I took him inside to draw and study!
The picture shows him lying on my sketchbook page. 1st I did a pencil sketch with the ‘outliner’ pencil that comes with the Inktense color pencils. I drew it at actual size then made an enlarged drawing that looks like he’s under a magnifying glass. The shadow and the magnifying glass make it look more real. Then I drew him again (small) and tried to add a cast shadow. This didn’t work out too well at this tiny size so I pulled the ink black color all around it to ‘fix’ it. I also show a picture of the sanding block I use to sharpen my colorpencils. I don’t keep a very long point on them because they are more prone to breaking then graphite. Click on the pictures to see enlarged views and read my notes on my sketchbook. 
 inktense color pencil test I just bought a complete set of “Inktense Color Pencils” from Derwendt. I did some tests with them to get familiar with what they do when dry or wet. The inktense pencils are water-soluble but when they dry are permanent. I found the colors to be vibrant + fantastic!
First I lay down a very pale wash about an inch long and 1/4 inch wide. (the wash I did was a ‘dry wash’, this is a term that means a light layer or drawing with a light touch to add a light layer.) Then I added, with a progressively heavier touch, more to the strip going left. You can see it’s darker on the top left of each color swatch and lighter on the right. Then I used a ‘waterbrush’, that is a brush that holds it’s own supply of water for field work, to pull down color from the top. As I got to the darkest area, on every single color I was amazed at just how brilliant and beautiful each color was! Even the browns, neutrals and mustard color were lovely!
I’m really not used to using water soluble color pencils but I will make an effort to use these till I get the hang of it. My intent is to use them in the field when hiking, to lay down washes that may be worked over with ink or color pencil.
Let me know if you have used the inktense pencils and what you thought of them.
 Today I just had to get outside for some sketching! I have a new sketchbook to try out and new Graphitint Derwendt water soluable color pencils. I bought three shades from ASW (Art Supply Warehouse) and can’t wait to play. Colors are Warm Grey, Chestnut, and Cocoa, just love those browns! So I grabbed a small bag to put my stuff in, a Royal Traveler by Samsonite. The reason I like this bag is I can sling it over my head and shoulder, flip the cover open and get at all my supplies in the pockets. I like this when I’m out walking and need to stick brushes or pencils in while I’m drawing. The sketchbook btw is “Raffine” 5.5″x 8.5″ from ASW. I’m trying it out because the paper is heavier than typical sketch paper and I do a lot with watercolor washes and ink. Let me tell you, I LOVE it!! I want to order a bigger one now.
I had to put my gloves in the picture just to show what I was wearing on my hands while attempting to draw in the FREEZING cold barn!! It took me awhile to thaw out my fingers and toes when I was done 😉
 
Enjoy my sketchbook pages, click on them to see better and read my notes. Do you see the chicken standing on one leg? It reminded me of a fairy tale about the cook who made a succulent roast goose for the king, then ate one huge leg because it looked and smelled so good. The King was furious…the cook, a fast thinker, took the King to see the geese by the lake. He pointed out to the King how they all had just one leg! (of course you and I know they were keeping one tucked up to keep warm under their feathers!) The King didn’t see the trickery of the cook and showed him how to shoo the geese and make them put their feet down. NO more ONE legged geese for dinner!! hahah…. I should illustrate this story, it’s cute.
 This is from my trip to the Buffalo Botanical Gardens on Jan. 11, 2008. I’m working from a photo of a stem with pink and green leaves, I still have to find out what kind of plant it is. It’s very pretty!
I’m working in an 8″x10″ sketch book, first I did a sketch with a mechanical pencil. I tried to scan my progress with the color pencils in stages. I’m working with my new Coloursoft Color Pencils from Derwendt and a few Prismacolor Color Pencils.
The bottom twig tip I outlined with a very fine point sharpie marker, then worked the CP in. I’m still not sure how I’ll approach the branch, I might do a watercolor wash then CP but the paper is pretty thin and it might not work too great. We’ll see!
 
 Last night when I went into my upstairs bedroom, it was very dark but for the tremendous light coming in from the window! The moon was so bright. I always look out my bathroom window at the moon at night because it’s very dark if I close the door, and I can open the top of my window and take pictures without a screen in the way. I ran and got my camera and took these pictures, all handheld. It looks as bright as day. The first photo, (horizontal) shows a great glow from the town below, reflected, bounced light. If you look close at the right you can see a light spectrum from the ground going up towards the moon, purple at the bottom and going through the spectrum like a rainbow. Very cool!
The second photo is interesting because the clouds were moving, which gave great depth to the picture. I think it looks like a wolf on the left, looking up at the moon and his paw stretched out. On the right it looks like a woman figure, angel?, witch? her arm is bent and the moon looks like her face, she’s looking down at the wolf. What do you think?
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Today I wanted to get outside without spending too much time thinking about it. Sometimes you can waste time just planning and packing so I kept it super simple. I took a gallon ziplock bag, my 6×8″ sketchbook, a tortillion, a small stiff brush, one small set of charcoal pencils (already in a clear pouch so I could grab them), and something new to me a set of “Cretacolor” leads or sticks with a lead holder. I have a bigger picture of them laying on my sketchbook pictured. The set comes with a 4b graphite stick, a white chalk, two shades of brown chalk, and sanguin? stick that is like a color pencil and doesn’t smear or blend easily.
