JOURNEY DAYBOOK, DSFDF, AND CAUGHT UP

THE JOURNEY DAYBOOK ADVENTURE AT FANNING SPRINGS

Last Saturday, I attended a class on journaling at Fanning Springs, a gorgeous spot about a 45 minute drive from here. I learned all about Journey Daybook and worked on a couple of pages in my journal. Journey Daybook Inc. is a foundation founded by Cedar Key artist Peggy Hendrick. You can read about it by clicking here. And go see beautiful pages here.


This is one of the pages I did there.

And this on the second page..... I'm still working on this page.

It was so good to go and paint and journal with others doing the same. I look forward to spending more time with the group here that goes out every Friday to work in their books.

CAUGHT UP

It is sure hard for me to set up a routine around here. I'm just too much relaxed. I have been doing at least a little painting every day and took photos of most of what I've done and loaded last night, and here they are.


One evening I did several sunsets..... this is done in gouache,

and this one in watercolor. Both are views of from our porch.

This one was done from a photo taken on my morning walk on Saturday..... I just can't seem to last sitting out in the sun painting, and there isn't all that much shade around where I want to paint. I need to get an umbrella. This little gouache painting as well as the sunset one is only the size of a business card, whatever that is..... I don't have a ruler. Guess I ought to borrow Van's tape measure.

And in my moleskine, a pine cone..... I was going to paint the whole thing but kind of liked it like this, so might leave it.


Van and I drove to and did some hiking at the Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge on Sunday. I found these along the roadside coming back. .... haven't identified them yet.

I did these on Monday.... the paintings are all business card size


DIFFERENT STROKES FROM DIFFERENT FOLKS


If you've followed my other blog, you know that I've been painting the twice monthly offerings on Karin Jurik's DSFDF blog. Karin invites anyone who wants to to paint from a photo she puts up.... the latest is here. I would have had fun with this if I were home, using some of my Japanese wares and design book along with it, but pretty much stuck with the composition such as it was. I never could figure where the light source was coming from in the photo, maybe from a flash bulb.

Well, there I've done it..... no painting yet for the day..... this takes lots of time... but hope to get back to daily postings, though we will have company tomorrow and will be going down the coast on Saturday for a few days, so probably will get behind again.

SOME FLORIDA FLORA

I found another place to get on line.... don't know how long this is going to last. The following are all in my little accordion Moleskine, which I'm hoping to fill up with Florida plants while I'm here.
A delightful smelling jasmine, which is twining around my cousin's citrus tree in her back yard which is in bloom. I dare not pick those citrus blossoms, as it is a small tree.

The paper in the moleskine leaves a lot to be desired for painting in watercolor.... it kind of pools up on the paper in washes. but I'm mostly using gouache which works pretty good..... I'm starting to talk southern again. Ive wiped out some mistake and the beige color of the paper seems to go to a white core. I don't know what that is about..... you can kind of see what I mean in the stem below the top 2 leaves.


This is lantana.... One of the few conversations with my grandpa growing up in Central Florida was sitting on the steps of his house with a sprig of the flower and him telling me that it would take over everything if you let it. It is quite common and has different colors..... I will find some of other colors, I'm sure, and paint them too.


Another flower from my childhood..... phlox. They grew in the spare lots around my home in Bartow. I have fond memories of picking hugh bouquets of them for my mother. She always put them in vases and they lasted for days. These are the first ones I've put in my book that weren't found in Cedar Key.... they were along the road between here and Chiefland.

I have found seeds for these and grown them in Alaska. They are Phlox drummondii, a native of Texas and named after Thomas Drummond who collected in the Mackenzie River.... I just learned that in the wildflower book I just bought. One of my favorite, beloved Alaska wildflowers is Dryas drummondii. Isn't that cool. I'll have to read more about Mister Drummond.

I remember these red seeds from my childhood too..... who could forget them. They are crab's-eye or rosary pea..... I think.... Abrus precatorius. The pod on the top of the page is a morning glory of some sort.... I had found in in my book but can't now and will have to edit this later.

STILL TRYING TO CATCH UP

Not much time to write much before the library closes... I could and might go out on the bench in front afterwards. And now I see that some of these photos of the paintings are out of focus. Well, darn.
This was from the side curb by the Baptist Church... I go there to make phone calls sometimes. Its on a hill near downtown and in the shade in the afternoon. That's a cedar tree.

This is an oak tree.... I posted the sketch I did on site on my last post, and finished it with gouache from a photo.
This is my cousin Martha's house across from where we are staying here in Cedar Key.... I love the crossed palm trees in front.

And this of a renovated historical house, relocated to the grounds of the very interesting museum grounds here.

Well, that's going to be it for now. I have kept up with my goal of a painting everyday, or I should say a painting for everyday, because there have been a few days that I haven't picked up a brush. Other days I've done 2 or 3. I'll get them posted sooner or later.

CATCH-UP TIME

Oh my! We left home 2 weeks ago today.... I probably have 14 postcards finished, but I haven't taken pictures of all of them yet. I am at the Cedar Key library using the wi-fi here, and will upload what I have. My AT&T wireless won't get even a slight signal where we are staying. I can sometimes use my cell phone if I go out in the middle of the road in front of the house. And I thought things were bad in Alaska. Nothing else to complain about here though. Though its been cold a few days (Florida standards) we've really enjoyed the weather.

On the way here, we spent a couple of days in Juneau, staying at the Extended Stay Motel. This was the view from our window over towards the glacier.

This was from Alaska Airlines flight 10 on Saturday, February 21... somewhere over Oklahoma or Texas.

Sunday, February 22, from the bench next to the lagoon looking towards my brother Ken's house near Lake Wales.

On Sunday, we drove to Lake Kissimmee State Park where we walked around.... visited a "cow camp", saw some wildlife and enjoyed the hugh live oaks..... I had time to do this little sketch with watercolor pencils. Yesterday, I painted over it in gouache and will put on the next post.

We came to Cedar Key on Monday, Feb. 23, and are loving it. This is the view in the west from our porch.... the bayou, painted with gouache in the morning.

and this with watercolor.
Afternoon and high tide, the colors are quite different.

I've started painting little botanicals in an accordian Moleskine.... so far using gouache. I'm hoping I can fill it up with Cedar Key plants while I'm here.
This is a sprig of cedar from which the town was named. There was a big industry here years ago using the cedar for pencils.

We are in an upstairs apartment on a canal. This is looking across the canal South. First painted in watercolor then a lot of gouache on top.
Another house across the canal done in watercolor


The same blue house in gouache.

MOUNT FAIRWEATHER ON FAIRWEATHER DAY

Busy, busy, packing and doing all the last minute stuff before we leave tomorrow..... still lots to do. But this being just about the nicest day in months, I had to get out and paint. I did this of Mount Fairweather just before the sun went down. I live in this most beautiful place.... on a day like today, I don't want to leave. As luck has it, tomorrow it will probably be snowing and the planes won't be flying.

TWO LITTLE PAINTINGS FROM KIM'S

I ran in to a my friend Kim this afternoon and invited myself to her house to paint. She has fabulous views from her windows. This is out towards Icy Strait with the Salmon River in the foreground. I painted it in my book from Florence with the Fabriano paper and am liking the paper. I have decided to take the book to Florida. Did I mention that I'm leaving tomorrow on my way there? We will be staying for 2 months.

I did this one today too...same view on Arches 140# cold press, the paper I must often use.

MY GAS STOVE AND A NEW BOOK

This gas stove replaced our oil range about 15 years ago. It has a great little oven, but we use a stove top on our counter for other than baking. I was a little over confident with my drawing with pen, and frustrated with the bleeding ink when I added the watercolor.

I started using this book today for painting my postcards. I bought it in Florence last year at Il Torchio Legatoria Artigiana It was handmade there with beautiful Fabriano watercolor paper.

TWO ALASKA SHELLS

More snow and at a loss for something to paint. I put off painting all day, finally forced myself to pick up some shells and start drawing them . Once again I am reminded that inspiration is not necessary to do a satisfying sketch, and I'm finding that since I've started drawing and painting every day, I rarely use an eraser and get what I'm after in a lot less time than before. I can't remember what these shells are and am too lazy to get out my book and look them up.

BACK TO THE BEACH

It was a low energy day after playing dominoes and cards late last night. After working at the library this afternoon, I drove down to the beach to paint from the car again. Sun was above the clouds and shining brightly, but behind the cloud when I painted. Colder than yesterday, in the high 20s.

BEACH TREES

I never tire of painting these trees at the beach. It was another mostly sunny day, so I once more headed to the beach in the car and was able to pull of the road and paint this and another one of the same view in gouache that needs some more work.

PAINTING FROM THE CAR

I drove down to the beach and painted a couple of views looking North..... this is the best of the two. It was so enjoyable painting this.... so good to be out of the house on this rare sunny, beautiful day. And the painting came out half way decent.

YET ANOTHER VIEW OUT THE STUDIO WINDOW

This is done with gouache and smaller than most of my postcards..... 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches, and painted on a dark gray piece of mat board.

PINCUSHION AND SCISSORS

I made a dress for my grand daughter, Alyssa, today. It was the first garment I've made in years.... my sewing for the last few years has been on quilts and mending. I think I'll paint this arrangement again, and put some pins in the cushion.

FEBRUARY 8TH AND 9TH

I've really been at a loss for something I want to paint lately. I'd really like some flowers around. This cactus, which I've painted before (seems like I've painted everything around the house at least once ) seemed a little more interesting than most things. I first drew with pencil then painted the green with watercolor followed by the spines with gouache. Then I outlined with a silver Jelly Roll pen. I painted a Mexican sort of design pot which looked goofy, then glued over it wit a piece of paper that I had previously painted and stamped. It was fun.
Monday mornings are busy... I work at the local second hand store until 12 or 1. Today, I took my paints with me, intent on going somewhere afterward to paint, and ended up at the Wing's building at the airport, got a sandwich and prepared to paint the trees and mountains from the window, then Doc came and parked the snowplow right in front of the window and came in and talked while I managed to draw part of the plow above the railing, even while 3 other guys joined us all talking guy talk.

I got tagged by R. Gerriot who is a fabulous painter and who has a great blog with information about photoshop that you can go to by clicking here. The result of being tagged is that I am suppose to list 7 unusual things about myself. So, here's my list.

1. I cut with scissors backwards... I'm left handed and cut with the scissors pointing towards me rather than away. Always have, dispite numerous gifts of left handed scissors.

2. My first trip ever out of Florida where I grew up was when I was 20 and went to California on a Greyhound and worked at Yosemite for the summer.

3. I lived without electricty for most of 8 years.

4. I lived on a one acre island for 3 years.

5. I live in Alaska and never voted for Sarah Palin.... and I always vote.

6. I never voted for Ted Stevens or Don Young either.

7. I've never eaten a Twinkie.

Now I'm suppose to send this to 7 bloggers. But since most all of the blogs I read have already done this I'm just going to list 7 here that I like to read, and hope you will check them out too.


http://lindablondheimartnotes.blogspot.com/
http://makingamark.blogspot.com/
http://pharmwife.blogspot.com/
http://ninajohansson.blogspot.com/
http://gurneyjourney.blogspot.com/
http://rozwoundup.typepad.com/roz_wound_up/
http://foxyartstudio.blogspot.com/

FEBRUARY 4,5,6, AND 7

Its been a busy week and I've been derelict with my blogging duties. I spent most of the last week making a woodblock print for the Baren Forum Year of the Ox exchange. You can read more about it on my other blog here. Also derelict in painting on Wednesday, but since each of the 70+ prints were printed by painting on the block with watercolor, I guess I can get by with a print counting as my post card for Wednesday.
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Painted on Thursday, these are the last of the tomatoes, and I took a little longer to paint them this time. Not so happy with the arrangement on the cloth. I painted it upside down from this, but like this better, and maybe with my signature in the right bottom corner it will balance out more to my liking.

I painted these yesterday..... brush and the baren used in my woodblock printing.

And tonight, I painted this of my husband Van, watching a movie.... MEN IN BLACK

FEBRUARY 2 AND 3

These tomatoes are the brightest things around now. Wish I had some flowers. I've been painting the still lifes after dark while I prepare dinner.

It was quite windy today, from the west. A bit of sunshine and more snow.

FEBRUARY 1, 2009

Yet another paper.... Lenox, in one of my handmade books. The sun came out this morning, and I put hand warmers in my boots and gloves and went out with my paints. When I got out beyond the trees, I realized the wind was blowing quite hard. I found some shelter on the smokehouse porch. This was done very quickly with too large of a brush for my liking, looking across the river towards P. Island. The sun was so bright that I couldn't see much color.... the scanner couldn't either.