Leslie Johnson completes her 75 day sketching Challenge!

The group of gals (The Sassy Sketchers) who started out about at the same time on this challenge in August...are, of course, finishing up at about the same time. We were all in the north woods of Wisconsin at that time.

Some of us have fled to FL now but Leslie and Susan stay on through the winter and brave the cold but often beautiful forests and lakes of Wisconsin.

Congratulations Leslie!

Here is Leslie's lovely False Solomon Seal with red berries...one of her favorite final sketches.

I posted one of her sketches much earlier (the Jelly Jars). Here is what she says she is doing with that sketch.

I did make copies of my jelly jars, colored only one in in red for interest, and then ran them off on 4 x 4 cards with ideas on the back of each card of what to do with the various jellies I am giving my family for Christmas. I'll put a card in each of their baskets. Fun!

Completing the 75 day challenge

Well, I knew when I started back in August that I was doing a "count down" to my husband's DBS surgery (Deep Brain Stimulation).

It seemed only right to make this last sketch right in his room as he rested up from a very emotional few days!

The surgery was VERY successful and Greg was able to feel how it is going to be when the second operation happens on Dec 2. He was able to write his name, draw a circle and hold a cup. Things he has not been able to do with that hand for over 10 years!

He was up and walking in the room 3 hours after surgery!

Day 74 was done in the waiting room looking out toward the street in front of Shands Hospital (U of FL) in Gainesville.

Greg will have a second surgery on Dec 2 to implant a stimulator device (somewhat like a pacemaker) with a battery that will activate the wire now in his brain.

It is all science-fiction stuff to us!

So many kudos to the staff and doctors and nurses at Shands. They are fantastic!!!

Greg did not feel much pain but is very tired.

Thanks for all the kind messages we have received.

Watercolor Class #1: Masa Paper

We had a fun time at watercolor class in the Fine Arts room at Hawthorne Park this morning from 9 to noon. About a dozen of us experimenting with masa paper (rice paper) and wc paper.

It was so nice to see folks again and be painting together!!!

This was my demo this morning.

Geraniums in a window box.

Sheila suggested maybe showing "lattice work" on the bottom of the painting. Behind the long strings of leaves. I think that has a lot of merit, don't you?

Tune in later for my finish up.

Cynthia Edmonds demo (oil)

Cynthia is a Winter Park, FL artist.

She did the demo for the Leesburg Art Association October meeting last Saturday.

Although she works in oil mostly she also has experience in acrylic. I have signed up for her two-day workshop in February (in acrylic).

She tones her canvas in yellows and golds first. Draws in with oil and then begins.

You can see some images in her gallery here. The house painting was done previous to her demo. Almost all her work is en plein air.

Note: I am now on Day 72 of my 75 day Sketch Challenge. Greg and I leave for Gainesville to prepare for his surgery tomorrow night so the last 3 days of the challenge will be Monday, Tues and Wed. Wed is the day of his surgery. It will be sort of amazing to be finishing up at the hospital. But I have known for a long time that the final day would be this special event. Watch for more in days to come. Keep us in your prayers.

75 day sketching Challenge Day 63 & 64

The scenes are Fl scenes now.

As I fall now into the last weeks of the challenge. The corner of my Florida room on a sunny afternoon and a tiny bit of the patio out back. Actually yesterday was day # 65 and that one is done also. So 10 sketches left in the challenge. It's been a pretty interesting "journey" and I know that I have seen artistic growth!

The interesting thing (to me)...or ONE of the interesting things is that this challenge turned out to be a "count down" to my husband's surgery date. I knew this when I started. The last sketch will be while he is in surgery.

On Oct 26 Greg is having DBS (Deep Brain Stimulation) surgery to help alleviate the severe tremor in his right hand from a genetic disease called Essential Tremor. The surgery will be done at U of Fl hospital (Shands) in Gainesville, FL. Anyone who could throw a few prayers our way, it would be welcome! There is a fascinating 45 sec video of how the procedure goes that you might like to view if you have no idea what DBS involves. He will be awake during the whole thing! Click here.

Every time I look at this video tears come to my eyes. The correction that happens at that moment is JUST what we are praying for. Greg will experience this during the surgery BUT he will have to "detached" from the electric stimulus after surgery and he won't be re-connected until he has a pace maker stimulator gets put in on Dec 2. So we need to pray for patience too. We wait and wait and then wait some more!

Meanwhile, my faith and my art has been my saving graces...they hold me and center me and set my my mind in peace.

I am currently preparing for a watercolor class I'll teach one week from today. And still trying to find things in my studio, get unpacked here and organized.

My en plein air FL friends are trying to set up some dates to paint together again too. I think we are going to try to get together on Nov 11 at the Eustis Sailing Club to do some sketches! They are getting ready for a regatta there! If weather cooperates.

Malcolm Carver

I wanted to add one more comment about sketching today. In the latest issue of International Artist (page 120) is a GREAT article by Malcolm Carver on "The Art of Seeing".

And on the second page he shows his tools

which include the same Cotman painting kit I use AND an iPad!

I checked and his website and it is not all that great. But the article has a lot of good information about the reason we all sketch rather than take photos for everything.

Day 61 and 62 of the 75 day Sketch Challenge

Kind of feel like I am in the home stretch now with only 13 days left in the challenge!

This is my studio in Florida (or a small part of it) and I am now stacking videos and books on the desk trying to get some sense of order! Arrrrr....gh. It's going slowly.

I did the table one day and the chair today so am counting it as two days sketching. Kinda stretching it today.

Doing the Sketch of the Mill

I met SO many lovely folks while I was sketching the mill picture last Thursday in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Folks who were artists came by to visit and folks who wished they were! Several asked for my card (glad I had a few tucked into my sketchbook!).

I am up to date on my 75 day sketches too...I will post them later. AND I've been hearing from my Sassy Sketcher friends who have been en plein air in Indian Summer weather too! And from Susan in CA too! Such fun.

We are in Florida as of last night...85 and humid. Takes getting used to!

Last Day on the Blue Ridge

Did a half hour sketch of Mabry Mill near the 170 mile marker on the Blue Ridge in VA on Thursday. Wonderful cloudless skies and warm sunshine! We found more tree color south of Roanoke. It couldn't have been more perfect.

We are now in SC on Lake Wylie with my sister and brother-in-law. I laid my sketchbook on my sister's jigsaw puzzle table to snap photo with iPad2. I am not counting these sketches as part of my 75 day challenge because I do them in pencil, watercolor them and add micron .005 ink pen afterwards.

The old grist mill is part of a working walkthrough exhibit with many docents working in there making apple butter and gardening and blacksmithing, etc.


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Sketching on my iPad2

I know this looks more like a contour drawing today! But I did this little "sketch" of the lamp, my brief case, etc that was sitting on the motel desk beside me with a stylus on my iPad! Hey, when you are traveling you do the best you can! Hahaha. Gotta keep up with my assignments! We are in West Virginia now and headed into the Blue Ridge after breakfast.


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Day 51 and 52

I did a few out door sketches on the last two days at my daughter's home in s.e. WI. The weather has turned golden and looks, feels and smells now like Indian Summer.

The sun feels warm on your back and makes you feel like taking long walks.
Knowing I'll be car riding alot in the next few days has sent me outside.

We are re-packing the car now for the last 7 days of the trip.
It is fun to anticipate seeing our old Blue Ridge Mountains again. We should roll in there on Wednesday. We have reservations at the Peaks of Otter lodge that night.

I'll be getting out my travel journal now.


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Ginny's 50th College Reunion

Today I am thinking back over the last few days to my college reunion at Beloit College in Beloit, WI. In the photo are a few remembrances. Each of us received the golden hood (which we proudly wore all weekend). Our name tags bore our graduation photo from the year book. WHO is that girl?

It was a bittersweet weekend for many reasons. On the back of the program was a list of everyone who has passed away since the the 25th reunion. My heart ached to read Pamela Hurlbut Troop. I haven't seen her in 48 years...but I always held out the hope of one seeing her again. So many adventures together.

But the old friends who were there were filled with laughter and good stories made the event so worthwhile. So we alternated between hilarity and nostalgia. An emotional weekend to be sure.
The weather was nippy but dry and sunny. The campus is very pretty. It was strange to walk in the places we walked so long ago. I think everyone took some time to do this alone. We were all so aware of much time has passed. This does put one in a reflective mood.


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75 day Sketching Challenge: Day 47-50

These sketches were all done while visiting my daughter, Beth, in WI. She'll hopefully recognize everything in them! I also took the photo references with my iPad2. (Rather than downloading them from my camera.) It is the first time I've tried doing that!

Today was my 50th college reunion at Beloit College. What fun to see old friends. Also sobering to see the list of those who have passed away. I thought it coincidental that I did my 50th sketch today, don't you?

I hope that the sassy Sketchers will send some photos after Oct 10 so I can post their work as well.







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