Finished!

Day 31: Draw something you collect.  I have another rack up the hill that has another probably three times as many as shown here.  This is a bit rushed and wonky (no, the bottles weren't really changing size, and no I'm not drunk), but it's done.  They don't call it a challenge for nothin'!  I started this May Challenge after seeing a post from Borromini Bear on May 1st. I happened to have crayons handy, and so with no planning or forethought I found myself hanging in there, every day, drawing the things on the list.  What did I get out of it?

• a rekindled love for crayolas
• a new appreciation for the group of artists with whom I shared this trek 
• a daily habit
• a sense of accomplishment
• 31 new drawings

Bienvenido a Barcelona

Day 30: Draw a Chair.  I drew this chair once before, as a little mini demo in my book.  I think I also sketched a few of them 100 years ago in design school.  I've always liked them.  They're kind of the Audrey Hepburn of the chair world to me.  Beautiful lines, elegant without being fussy.  Hard to believe it was designed in 1929.  That Ludwig, he was ahead of his time.

Little known fact: It was actually a collaboration between Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich, the first woman the join the Deutscher Werkbund.  It's usually attributed just to him, but not so.

Oh my God.  I sound like Cliff Clavin from Cheers.

Dreaming of Wells...

Day 29: Draw Something Architectural. I took some photos of this house when I was at an art workshop in Wells last summer. I'm just planning to head there this summer for the Toni Onley Artist's Project, and dreaming of camping in my van, painting all day, picking a little guitar by the campfire at night. Ah, Wells...


Only two more of these crayon drawings to go, and I'll be done! Woo-hoo!

Return of the Cone Heads

Wow, only three more of these 'Every Day in May' drawings to go.  I almost want to just crank through them right now and be done.

We've been stepping over the boobie-dog and his giant cone head for two days now.  He lays in the most central thoroughfare he can find and gives a couple of wags each time we pass by.  When he eats he places the cone over his bowl, making perfect contact with the floor, and eats inside his own personal dome.  I knew when he tried to take off after a marmot today up at my work that he's on the mend.

I've been spread out on our dining table with my crayons 'Every Day in May'.  It's kind of taken over our living space.  I had a little studio up until recently, but the space is being converted into a daycare and we had to move our stuff out.  Now I'm setting my art gear up in the second bedroom here.  I think I'll use it more this way anyways.  I'm having fun unpacking and setting up.  There are all kinds of goodies in these boxes - yet to be used.  Fun times ahead.

Day 25: Draw a Glass - The kind you drink from.  That'd be one of these.  I was going to put the UB40 lyrics in this sketch, but after asking Greg if he remembered exactly what they were we both found ourselves droning over and over "Red, red why-e-eye-e-ine, goes to my heh-e-eh-e-ed".  I couldn't do that to any and everyone who ever looked at this.  So, it's Lord Byron instead.  This excerpt is from a poem called  LINES INSCRIBED UPON A CUP FORMED FROM A SKULL  It's worth a read.  It's here if you're interested. 


Thanks for the Yogi inquiries.  For those of you who're interested, here's the update.  He's home.  Surgery was successful.  Getting around is pretty tough; he can hop but he gets tired and sad - big woeful eyes.  I've been carrying him everywhere - all 75 lbs of him.   We're a sight in the elevator, huge cone like a bonnet on his blonde head, limbs sticking out everywhere as I wrap my arms around his middle and try to keep him hoisted off the ground.   Oh well, it is what it is.

Recycled Fruit

Day 24: Draw a Piece of Fruit.

We were out all day, first visiting Yogi at the hospital, then at work, and then at the funeral of one of Greg's hockey buddies (very sad).  We went for dinner with friends afterwards and got home late, tired, and with no fruit in the house for me to draw for the May Challenge.  It was dark out, so no going down the elevator and drawing the Giant Peach concession stand in front of our house either.  I'd done this watercolour sketch of it  a while back, so I pulled it off the wall and reprised it.  I was laughing at myself as I hit the upload button on flickr at 11:59.  Just like college days.

This peach is such a cool thing.  The opening each year marks the start of beach season.  There's a bikini clad sunbather in the original, but I clothed her and gave her a buddy in this one.  It's too early in the season for solo sunbathing.

Here's the original.  Now that I see them side by side, I think I'll add a little more crayon inside the peach.  It needs to be darker.

Not A Good Day To Be A Dog

Day 23: Draw your foot (or someone else's).




I'd planned to draw mine, or Greg's, but our day took a sad and near tragic foot-related turn.  Our water loving boy wandered out of sight, jumped in the creek, and was swept over the falls.  He traveled a long way down a cold and angry creek, until a stranger heard his cries, searched through the woods, and waded into the strong current to rescue him.  His foot is seriously broken, and he's all cut up, toenails worn off from struggling against the rock, but alive.  Thank God.  And the stranger.  And our dog walker Linda who knew who's dog he was and where to find me.  And Dr. Rob and Mary-Ellen who came to the hospital with me, and of course Dr. Harvey and the x-ray tech who raced in on a long weekend and took such good care of him.  He's overnighting there.




Other dogs have gone over the falls there who didn't fare so well.  I'm just so thankful he's alive.  He was such a brave boy.  Hardly whimpered once we'd settled him down (and not at all after they gave him the magic juice).  He wagged everytime someone new came in and said hi to him.  Friendly boy through and through.

Have a good sleep Yogi.  We'll see you in the morning.

The Electric Pink Robe

Day 22: Draw a Piece of Clothing.  The Electric Pink Robe. It's actually not me at all, in fact I find it a bit heinous.  It is, however, the comfiest thing I own, and therefore a weekend morning ritual.  The lyrics are Lyle Lovett, also a bit of a morning ritual.

Here's the whole verse:
"I like cream in my coffee
And I lke to sleep late on Sunday
And nobody knows me like my baby
I like eggs over easy
with flour tortillas
And nobody knows me like my baby"

How's that for a little weekend morning fare?

Last night was the opening of the Penticton En Plein Aire show.  My piece was hanging right in the middle.  Greg was so proud of me, hanging back and listening to comments, then coming and sharing them with me.  Austin came to, as did Diana and the whole Mary Ellen crew (thanks guys).  There were a lot of really great pieces there.  Nice to be a part of.  And a good cause, so if you're in the area (or not) come and bid on a piece.  It doesn't have to be mine.

Now it's off to the street market for breakfast, then up the hill to work.

Bookshelf Angel

Day 21: Draw something vintage, antique or old.  I don't know how old the bookshelf angel is, but it's got a little patina, so it's in.  All my old stuff is either in storage or up the ski hill.

The lyric is from Holly Cole's 'Make It Go Away Or Make It Better'.  It's the song my girly-friend Mig and I sing to each other on the phone when one of us is going through something hard.  We change the words to 'I will be the angel...'.  It's pretty nice to come home to that sung with abandon into your voicemail box when you're blue.

I love peeking at what's in someone else's bookshelf.  Says a lot.  If you're into sketchbooks and sketching (and you must be or you wouldn't be reading this blog) check out The Doyle Diary by Charles Altamont Doyle.  It's Sir Conan Doyle's father's sketchbook journal, unearthed in recent years.  He created it while in an insane asylum.  Doesn't make much sense, but it's fascinating, and the sketches are lovely.  I picked up this old copy at The Book Shop in Penticton.

It opens with, "Keep steadily in view that this Book is ascribed wholly to the produce of a MADMAN.  Whereabouts would you say was the deficiency of Intellect? or depraved taste?  If in the whole Book you can find a single Evidence of either, mark it and record it against me."

Sorry Mr Doyle, but it all looks a bit crazy to me.

The Great Austini

Day 19: Draw Something You Made.



I think I'm a creative person.  I had searched our house.  Other than 2-D things like paintings and lino cuts, the only thing I found here that I made was a very clunky gravy boat.  It would be charmingly naive, except I was well into adulthood when I made it. I wasn't feeling inspired.

But truly, the best thing I ever made was riding in the car with me, coming up from Vancouver for a little break from city life.  We visited Grandma and Grandpa on the way through.  Dad lit up when Austin came into the room.  It was so nice to see.  They went for a cruise around the neighbourhood, Aus walking and Dad on his scooter, while Mom, the nieces and I played a good ol' game of garbage rummy.  Then we feasted, as we always do there.  I'm so full now I hurt.  That's how those visits always end.  It's a good feeling.

Tomorrow is: Draw Something 'Dad'.  I'm so looking forward to it.  May have to start now.  That sounds like more fun than going to bed.


I did a portrait of Austin in chalk pastel for Christmas two years ago.  It's blogged here.  Funny, I like the quick crayola one better.

Lion Drawing

This drawing is for tomorrow, but I couldn't wait.  I'm supposed to be on a Vancouver run, and I didn't want to fall behind again with this May drawing challenge.

This deck is such a sanctuary.  This is where my early riser hangs out every morning while I'm still sleeping.  There are a million great views with every fractional turn of the head, but this is what I see when I sit in the comfiest chair.  Most mornings it is a sheet of glass with the view repeating itself perfectly in the lake.  This morning is a little cloudy with a steady ripple, but it's nice enough for us.

I used my own advice (it's in my book) and drew the thing that can move first.  While I was doing the rest of the drawing, Yogi was in about 15 different positions.

"Lie down like you were, or you'll end up as a line drawing".

"I think I would like to be a lion" he replied.

"No, not a lion, a line.   Line drawing.".

"Oh" he sighed, and resumed his former position.

The Champ

Day 16:  Draw a favorite tool
I was planning to sketch the tool I use to do lino cuts, but I couldn't find it, so the wine opener got to model for me yet again.  We had Kassia and Miss Lily here this weekend while Rob and Mary-Ellen were away.  It was nice to have some company at the colouring table.  Now they've gone home, Greg is watching Avatar on TV, and I'm blogging and watching the amazing flash lightening show happening outside right now.  We get some great lightening shows here, often followed by forest fires.  Last year we were up in Kelowna taking Mom and Dad to the theatre when a forest fire struck in Westbank, blocking the road and cutting us off for days!  An hour from home and it took us three days to get there.  We had Austin and Chelsea with us, camped out on Grandma and Grandpa's livingroom floor.  Family bonding at its finest.

Lightening is still flashing, the intergalactic battle still  raging on tv, but I'm tuckered.  Going to bed.

Drawing Trees, Escaping Death and Dodging Coyotes

Another tough day at work.  I slipped out to draw a tree for today's challenge, and ended up drawing the entire scene. This is where I work; my office is a trailer that sits about  8' past the right border of this view.  That's my car.  Yogi is running around the hillside behind me, but never very far.

I saw a big ol' coyote here the other day.  He was right about where I'm sitting now.  Every time Yogi barks with any urgency I turn my head expecting to see him on the hill behind me.  But no.

This is the cross view of the lake.  I'll do the North view at some point.  It goes forever (well, about 70 miles) up past Kelowna, Vernon.  It's so stunning.  In fact, the beauty of this view almost killed me today.  I was driving home from here on a little ribbon of a road above the main road, and a guy came over the hill, fast, completely on my side! I had steep bank to my right and nowhere to go on the left.  I wailed on the horn and he snapped his head back from the view to the road, swerved back onto his side and carried on.  Happy to be alive yet again.

Day 13: Draw What You Had For Dinner

We drove out to Kelowna for Mom's birthday tonight.  I came home a bit early, thinking I would drop Yogi off, then go out and pick up her gift.  When I got home, I saw the line drawing for the portrait of her and dad I was thinking of doing.  It was about 3:30.  We had to leave at about 5.  I thought, well, why not just paint for a bit, and if it's coming together fast, I'll give her that instead of a stack of books to read.

Not having much time I think can actually help a painting.  No time to muddle and overpaint.  I got the painting to a point I could at lease show her.  Her feet weren't visible in the reference photo, so I left them out, took the painting up as her present, looked through old pictures to see what kind of shoes she wore then, and brought it home so I can add her feet.  I haven't done it yet, but you'll find the footless version below.  My dad lit up when he saw it.  Turns out the car is a Martin, it was tan, and they drove it for their honeymoon.  He may be struggling with his memory now, but his memory for 1953 is perfectly intact.

I'm glad I did this in time for her birthday. The nieces bought her just about the same stack of books I was going to pick up.  That's one good thing about painting presents - I never have to worry that I'm giving a duplicate!

For the record, I said yes

Day 7 - Draw a bottle, jar or can from your kitchen.  Well, I do keep this in the kitchen.  We've had it since last September, drank the first 9/10ths of it that night, and the rest has sat in the cupboard above the fridge ever since.  I won't re-write the story here, but it was a very cute life moment.

Can you see the little mini self-portrait hidden in this drawing?

I'm participating in the Penticton En Plein Aire event again this year.  It's tomorrow.  Last year I got there and all the other artists showed up with half finished paintings.  This year I'm being smarter.  I went out to the site I'll be painting at (Elephant Island) and took some photos.  I mapped them out last night onto watercolour paper in a sort of a storyboard layout, and will just do the painting part on site.

Kind of like I've been doing with these colouring book pages.

Crayon Memories

I bought this pack of crayons to fix a divot in my parents cork floor.  We picked them up at the Bargain Store in Kelowna.  The floor is dark brown, and by melting a little of the black and brown crayons, mixing them together to get the right shade, and feathering it into the hole, the divot was magically returned to its original state.

The box of crayons kicked around my art bag for months, just waiting to be noticed.  And now, like rediscovering a childhood friend, we're having great fun playing together EVERY SINGLE DAY!  The smell of them reminds me of Mrs. Cumisky's playschool; plastic farm sets and trampolines, riding my Mom's hardwood floor polisher, running down the back lane barefoot, trying to build up the callouses on our feet.

Do you remember your first box?

May EDM Challenge Day 4: Draw a Cup

The fun continues.  I notice my guitars keep sneaking into these drawings.  How will I tell them that they're not the subject of 'Draw a Musical Instrument' Day??

I sketched this yesterday morning, then headed off to work to hold our realtor event that I've been prepping for.  All went well.  We had a good turn out, food was eaten, views were absorbed, materials taken, and follow-up planned.  It went pretty much exactly as I'd hoped.

Afterwards, Mary-Ellen invited me to a fashion show at the Lakeside. It was beautiful.  It was a triubute to the amazing Sharon Amos, who passed away a few months ago.  Her two gorgeous daughters, one a hair stylist and the other a fashion retailer, stylist and glamazon, put together this amazing event.  It was all retro fashions, shown in a very dream-like way, with models working the very long runway in a sort of floaty-drifty fashion, with great hair, cool parasols, and awesome music. It was also very cool to see so many of the Penticton women out in their 'city' duds.  Loved it.  Great job girls; your mom would be proud.

Day 3: Draw a Wallet, Purse or Bag

Day Three - I'm going to have to go with lighter backgrounds, or splurge on another black crayon soon.

It's funny how much colouring with crayons is stimulating my memory bank - and not just about times in the past when I was colouring.  I find myself scribbling away and having the strangest things come back to me; trips I've taken, people I've known.  It's an interesting type of meditation.

I did have about one billion handbags.  A couple of years ago I wrote an article for the paper on excess consumerism called 'Play With the Toys You've Already Got'.  Made me look at my own 'stuff' in a whole new light.  I'd still rate pretty high on a 'stimulating the economy' scale, but I no longer have the need (or the energy) to transport wallet, keys, cell phone, three lip glosses, handfuls of receipts I'll lose before I ever give to my accountant and various and sundry other goodies from bag to bag to better reflect my fashion mood of the moment.



 Or maybe I just upgraded to better bags.





Here's the black and whitey.  Feel free to download
and do a little colouring of your own.

May Colouring Book/EDM Challenge - Day 1: Shoes

  Thought I'd join in the 'May Madness' and draw the first 31 EDM challenges, one each day. I did this in Crayola crayons. I did the black line, colouring book version first, scanned, and then coloured it in like the good old preschool days. We were talking at dinner the other night about colouring books for grown-ups. I think that's what inspired me. I started out by cutting out paper to make a 31 page colouring book, totally forgetting that the black felt pen would soak through each page and the back side (and in my case the next page or two underneath) would be rendered useless. I'm so used to using good, thick watercolour paper in all my sketchbooks. Oh well, I can do these separately and stick them all together later. My intention is to stick with it for the month. Let's see how I do!

Pye and Besh Visit

Two of my all time favorite artist souls stopped in for a sleepover last night on their way across the country.  Pye and Besh are heading from their home in Newfoundland to visit Besh's family on Vancouver Island.  I got to know Pye and Besh when I was living in Collingwood, Ontario.  They came in on a timeshare presentation and I was the big bad closer.  It was instant love.  She is a FANTASTIC painter (http://www.keli-annpye-beshara.ca/) and he is a brilliant, revolutionary knife maker, among so many other things (http://www.beshknives.com/).

We had a big feast of a dinner.  Afterward, I noticed Pye eyeing up my box of crayola crayons, sniffing them, looking wistful, so we whipped out two big pads of paper and did crayon sketches of each other.  Fun!  That's my version of Pye at the top of the post, and her version of me here.  It was a total show-and-tell exchange of an evening, food, art, knives, business ideas.  Awesome.  I love you both!  I'm so glad you came, and that you had a chance to meet Greg.   Until the next time...