Showing posts with label Colored Pencil. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Colored Pencil. Show all posts

Saturday, November 1, 2014

Dia de los Muertos..

A celebration of life
and the beautiful memories of those
who are now gone...
but are 
living forever in our hearts...never to be forgotten.
(Please click on image to view details.)
 
"The day which we fear as our last is but the birthday of eternity. "
~Seneca

Monday, October 28, 2013

On My Radar...

...On this very day...October 28th...2014...
San Miguel Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico...
El Dia De Los Muertos
Tesoro del Corazon art retreat...
just sayin'!!!!! ;)

"Nowhere can man find a quieter or more untroubled retreat
 than in his own soul.”
~Marcus Aurelius 

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Off and Running...

...and waiting...and waiting...and waiting...
Aargh!
(Click on any image to enlarge for better viewing...)
Well...I am having another kidney stone blasted by ESWL
(extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy)
this coming Friday.
The preliminary tests I alluded to above are actually
general pre-op procedures
just to get all my little "ducks in a row."
Tic...Toc...Tic...Toc...
thank goodness I love to sketch!
I loved that the lady in the wheel chair
provided me with a perfect 10 minute drawing study...
little did I know that seconds after finishing her
she would leave.
Perfect timing...
Serendipitous? I think so! :)
(All drawn lead free...ink straight in...colored at home.)

"If you wait to do everything until you're sure it's right,
you'll probably never do much
of anything.”
~Win Borden

Sunday, August 5, 2012

An Elven Princess...



...the full reveal of Matt's moleskine...as promised.:)
The first photo is my completed spread...
the second photo is the transition
page between Audrey's art
and mine.
The third photo is the whole enchilada...
only one more artist to go before she returns home to Matt
in September.
Here is a bit of the back story to my pages:
She is an elven princess
of transformation and growth...
and
she is holding in her hand a crystal orb
reflecting the rebirth of Audrey's "heavenly phoenix"
from a ball of flames.
 She also brings with her
the magical auras of the changing seasons
as well as
the mysteries and starlight wonders of nightfall
to the elven forest lands.
Please click on images to enlarge...
especially the last one.

“The magic is inside you. There ain’t no crystal ball.”

~Dolly Parton

Saturday, August 4, 2012

Yep...Another Work In Progress...:)



These are some working photos
I took while designing
my 4 page spread in Matt's Elven themed moleskine.
This is for a international sketchbook project which
I am involved in over at
Illustrated ATCs.
Feel free to click on images to enlarge them.
Here's a bit of the process:
After deciding on my artistic direction
and
how I will link my art with the artist before me...
(which takes quite a bit of thought and time) 
I jump in and add
my first layer in pencil...
usually on blank printer paper first...
then, after I am satisfied with my decision,
into the actual moleskine itself.
 The next layer involves the inking of my illustration...
scary, but great fun...no place for erasures!
This is shown in the first photo above.
After that, I begin working with my color palette...
blocking in colors here and in the book.
Once that process is complete
I begin to lay in the color in the book...
and for me...that's
 when all the magic begins to happen.
I will post the final reveal of my work here for you
tomorrow...
Come on back
for a peek if you are out and about.
:) 

“If you reveal your secrets to the wind
you should not blame the wind
for revealing them
to the trees.”

~Kahlil Gibran

Sunday, July 8, 2012

"The Visitors..."

Above is the finished spread
of the WIP (Work In Progress) I posted yesterday.
You can click on image to enlarge...:)
And below is the back story
to accompany the art.
I attached a copy of the story to the backside
of my spread.
This book has only two more artists to go
before it returns home to
Elaine
in New Zealand.
And, now...the story:

Behind the “Back Of Beyond”…
floating above and between
all that is known and yet to be known…
is a sacred place
where
“Those Who Came Before All" live.
These beings are like no other.
Invisible and ethereal
they appear merely for an instant
as a
twinkle in the mind’s eye.
On occasion
they might visit human life forms
in the mysterious guise of
“Deja Vous”.
They dance on velvety black skies
creating shimmering auroras
and twinkling stars.
They slide through slivers of time
leaving stardust trails
in their wake.
They bring gifts of
imagination, inspiration, insight,
and
individuality
to those who are ready to receive.
They expertly guide newcomers to the
lands past the
“Back of Beyond”.
Cloaked in rainbow hued mists,
they have been known to reveal themselves
in the presence of
collaborative artistic promise.
And…such a spectacular event
has, indeed, occurred.
Hence…
let it be written
on this warm summer’s eve
that I,
Margaret Storer Roche,
an appointed rememberancer
of the years 200-230 of the Flutterby era,
have artistically documented
the appearance of these magical visitors
for all to remember
now
and for all of the time yet to come.

Friday, May 18, 2012

"My Chemical Romance..."

...some "lyrics based" art I made in
Audrey's "My Chemical Romance" themed moleskine.
This is part of the 2012 G8 Moly exchange
over at
Illustrated ATCs.
Honestly,
I had never heard of the band before...
and
was a bit bummed out about this theme.
Plus...
the lyrics of their songs did not set well in my mind.
So, I asked
a couple of "younger generation" acquaintances
what they would suggest
I do.
With big smiles and "Ooooh COOL!" commentaries
they pointed me in the right direction.
The music is not half bad...really.
It was simply
the battling of the graphic lyrics and subject matter
with my Muse's artistic preferences
 that had me bamboozled.
The song lyrics I ended up choosing are from the band's hit
"Cemetery Drive".
The cemetery gate drawn here was
inspired by
the style of the east gate of the Elmwood Cemetery in
back in my hometown of
Sycamore, Illinois.
I went back to my roots...and drew what I knew.
Audrey's book has already been passed along
to the next artist and is
expected to return home to her in Quebec, Canada
early this fall.
This Moly exchange is packed with artistic challenge and fun....
and has absolutely opened my eyes
to many new things.
 It keeps that flighty Muse of mine in her toes...:)
Click on image to enlarge...:)

"This night walk the dead...in a solitary style
and crash the cemetery gates
in a dress
your husband hates."
~Cemetery Drive
My Chemical Romance

Monday, February 27, 2012

"The Finished Product..."

...my four and a half page spread in
Cathy's "Undersea Cave" themed Moly...Yippeeee!
Be sure to click on the image to enlarge
for better viewing! :)
This book flew from the desert Friday
and
is currently winging her way through the postal cosmos
to the artistic hands of Audrey
in Quebec, Canada.
Oui!

"The best way to observe a fish is to become a fish.”
~Jacques Cousteau

Sunday, February 26, 2012

"Book Two..."

...my work in progress on Cathy's
"Under Sea Caves" themed Moleskine sketchbook.
I promise to show
the completely finished reveal tomorrow...:)

Saturday, October 1, 2011

"Happy October..."

...my most favorite month of the year! :)

"There is something in October sets the gypsy blood astir,
We must rise and follow her;
When from every hill of flame,
She calls and calls each vagabond by name.”
~William Bliss Carman

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

"An Ivy Geranium..."

...a perfect bit of a virtual house warming gift
for my dear friend Jan.
Can't wait to see your new place and hear all your stories!
Soon...it must be soon! :)

"The ornaments of your house
will be the guests who frequent it."
~Author Unknown

Thursday, August 4, 2011

"Salvation Happened Today..."

...with the unshackling of my purple coneflowers from their
smothering floral imprisonment!
This feat of strength was accomplished by Scott...
powered by his affinity for garden work
and fueled by
some tedious, labor-intensive work
digging up yards upon yards of overgrown and resistant
lily of the valley.
He was indeed a garden warrior!
For the last few years the lilies have assumed
the reigning monarchy
of my Illinois perennial garden
running rampant over almost anything in their way...
including the lawn,
the coneflowers,
the day lilies,
and the black eyed Susan's!
Today they have indeed met their match in Scott!
The drawing above
reappears here as a revival...all refreshed and renewed...
plucked from the sketchbook garden of
my previously posted art.
I thought it was fitting...especially today...
that she, too,
would once again stand with her real life sister...
free...unencumbered...and
all on her own. :)

“Work out your own salvation. Do not depend on others.”
~Buddha

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

"A Bunch of Bees..."

...buzzin' by for a summertime blog encore.
Funny how many
Midwest bugs, bees, wasps, and other insect critters
I have forgotten about.
I think I am missing Arizona in this catagory...:)

"When the bee comes to your house,
let her have beer;
you may want to visit the bee's house some day."
~Congo Proverb

Monday, June 13, 2011

"Form Vs. Function..."


...my newest tree of life-illustrated in my Zen Journal...
drawn "ink straight in" and digitally flipped.
The inspiration for her
came from a wonky week of days spent dealing with
kidney stones, migraines, CT scans
and
and medical appointments.
I think
things are on the mend...I have a follow up
appointment today...
guess I will have to wait and see (hear)
what the good doc has to say.
Definitely not in blogging mode...funny how
quickly I can get thrown off my
game.

"The art of medicine
consists in amusing the patient
while nature cures
the disease."
~Voltaire

Friday, June 10, 2011

"Seven Years Ago...Today..."

...we officially closed on our house here in Arizona
and began adapting our
midwest state of minds into desert dwelling
"aficionados."
I reposted this drawing today to celebrate.
7 years!!!!!
Life is certainly good!

“The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time.”
~James Taylor

Monday, May 2, 2011

"From the Vault..."

...My favorite silver cactus charm bracelet makes
an encore this Cactus Monday.

In two decades
I've lost a total of 789 pounds.
I should be hanging from a charm bracelet.”
~Erma Bombeck

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

"Moly_X_11...Sandra's Book..."

First, Sandra's sign in pages...connecting to... ...Sandra's pages 1 and 2...connecting to... Sandra's pages 3 and 4...connecting to... ...Jella's pages 5 and 6...connecting to... ...Jella's pages 7 and 8...connecting to... ...Lisa's pages 9 and 10...connecting to... ...Lisa's pages 11 and 12...connecting to... ...Lisa's pages 13 and 14...connecting to...
...My page 15...connecting to...
...My pages 16 and 17...connecting to...
...My pages 18 and 19A...
to which Cindy will connect her art in the next round.
Whew!
Click on any of the images to enlarge.

“A hidden connection is stronger than an obvious one.” ~Heraclitus of Ephesus
(Greek philosopher 540-480BC)

Sunday, February 6, 2011

"The Kick Off.."

to my 3rd annual week of Valentine hearts
begins today with this heart...
made in my Artful Musings Sketchbook
just for fun.
She was drawn lead free "ink straight in"...and
was originally designed to be a metaphor...
a heart-filled bridge
connecting winter to spring.
I never intended to color her...or even post her...
but as my Muse moped around pouting-
big ol' pitiful eyes and all...
I caved
and "Poof" out came the colored pencils,
"Mmmm" went the scanner,
and
"Click" went the mouse.
The size of this piece is about 8" square.
Here are the links to my previous
Valentine's day hearts
in case you might want to pop in for a look-see.
Click here for the "Black Hearts" series...
and here
for last year's Lemony Hearts series...:)
"Follow your heart,
but be quiet for a while first.
Ask questions, then feel the answer.
Learn to trust your heart.”
Author Unknown

(Hmmm...Just a thought...
might one substitute the word "Muse " for "Heart" above?
Might they just be the same identity?
Today, I think so...:)

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

"Heartfelt Words..."

“Breathe.
Let go.
And remind yourself
that this very moment is the only one
you know you have for sure.”
~Oprah Winfrey

Thursday, June 10, 2010

"Six Years Ago Today..."

...we closed on our house here in Arizona.
This little illo of her
was drawn from a photo reference as an EDM challenge
(Challenge #165 "Draw the Front of Your House")
a couple of years ago
but
I thought a repost today would be fitting. :)
And, yes...
the house was totally finished when we closed..
and, no...
it is not purple IRL !!!...:)

A house is made of walls and beams;
a home
is built with love and dreams.”
~Author Unknown