IF_Hitched WIP

I feel like I have been away forever! So sorry, I have been having health issues. I thought about posting something new everyday for the past few weeks but just never seemed to get to it. I feel so much better now that I have posted something. I hope that I can keep up and post more often now. I apologize to those of you who follow my blog. I have let you down. I even lost a follower :(...

When I first started blogging I posted fairly often, but this year I have been lackadaisical. (Big word for the day ;D) Lax, unmotivated, not quite enthusiastic, un-energetic, etc. etc. etc.  
or dare I say it....

maybe I've just been really, really tired, but that goes back to lack of motivation right?

Anywho, I love my blog and I want to keep it alive, therefore I must provide the "food" for my readers to feed it with. So I am making myself yet another promise to post more often. There I wrote it down, so I have to do it, right? Of course I think I haven't written it down before and obviously not followed through!

I also want to do Illustration Friday more often. Why?  Well, for one thing it keeps me posting more often, also because I am a creature of habit and right now I am out of the habit of blogging. But mostly because, IF pushes me to draw and paint things that I probably would not normally come up with.

When I first started doing IF, I posted every single week for, wow, I can't even remember how long now, a long time. Then I got out of the habit. Now I just think about posting. For example this idea was for the prompt "Puzzled", she was going to be a flying pig with wings. Then I was going to adapt it to the prompt "Jump" because I never even got past the idea of it for Puzzled and she was going to be jumping into the water with water wings on. Now it is hopefully going to work for the prompt "Hitched".  What's she hitched to, you ask? You tell me...

So, if you are still reading, this is where I ask you to comment and tell me what/who you think "Gertie" the pig has hitched a ride on?

Thanks for being wonderful, patient and kind!!!

Fighting the Slack Monster and the Little Red Hen again...

  

2/1/11

2/2/11

2/3/11

2/6/11

 I have been so slack about posting lately.  I'm trying to get back into the habit of posting more often. So, to start it off I am posting not one, but two WIP's. I'm trying to get myself back into the painting or at least sketching every day mode. I did so well for over a year.  And then it happened, I let the slack monster sneak up on me and pull me away bit by bit. Whispering in my ear little negative things like, "your tired, you've done enough today" or" you've already been on the computer all day, do you really want to spend more time straining your eyes?, you know you are tired" He's very beguiling, this slack monster.  So, now I'm fighting back, bit by bit. I started working on another little red hen illustration a couple of weeks ago and I hope to get a chance to paint it soon, but I haven't really decided on the the finished sketch yet. Yes, I know, the slack monster is still whispering in my ear.  Actually, I'm still trying to figure out what I want to do with the background and the whispering is distracting me. So, I decided to try to get in an Illustration Friday first.  I haven't done one in a while; this is for the prompt Surrender. I hope to get it painted in the next couple of days.  I will, I will, I will... 

...that's the plan anyway!

Tutorial for Linked part 1

Ok, here is part one of my tutorial as promised. Sorry it is taking me so long to finish it. I have never done one before and it is different from teaching one on one( taking screen shots and trying to write it all down and making sure I don't forget anything). So if you have questions or suggestions let me know. I'm still working on the photoshop portion. The first half is in painter, however it could all be done in photoshop using similar methods, I just prefer starting in painter.

Midnight

Now that Illustration Fridays prompt Expire has expired I had a second idea so I sketched it today. I think I will go back and paint it later in the week if I have time. This weekend I am going to work on the new prompt, Rescue. I am also working on Spring for Watercolor Wed. and Monkey for Monday Artday. and yes, I am having fun!

Adrift_stage one

 

Every week I think I will do something quick and simple for Illustration Friday, but it always evolves into a full blown illustration. So, again I am posting my work in progress because it will most likely take me a few days to get this one colored in. I had another idea that was a little simpler but, I was already drawing this one at the time. So many ideas, so little time. I have a very bad habit. I start projects but don't finish them. I can't tell you how many unfinished canvases, watercolor paintings, and just random sketches I have laying around. It is also not limited to art, I have unfinished sweaters, stained glass, half made jewelry, cut-out but, not put together sewing projects, embroidery, quilts... I could go on but, I am making myself a little sick. I am working very hard to change this about myself and am doing much better in recent years. Posting a work in progress tends to push me to finish, so whatever works, right? Anyway, thank you for visiting and taking time out to leave a comment. I can't wait to read them!

If_ Pioneer sketch

This is my sketch for the Illustration Friday prompt this week. I am running behind because of the holidays. My sister is here visiting for the first time in a year and my daughter left today to finish college. I swore I wouldn't cry but I did. I am not linking this to IF yet, I want to try to get it colored first. I had first started a wagon train on the moon but a couple of people did something along that line so I started anew. Hope you like it.

fall sketch

~just a fall themed sketch I was working on last night, I hope to paint it later... for now it's time for a new If!

if-skinny

Illustration Friday's topic this week is skinny. My oldest daughter did ballet for ten years. I will always remember the day she came home and told me that Ms. Diane said she was fat, along with several other descriptive words. She was and still is very thin. I was so angry. She was in 6th grade at the time and would hardly eat for a week afterwards. I only let her keep going because she loved it so and this woman was the director not her teacher. I had computer problems so I am a little behind getting this posted. Thanks for looking and as always, comments are welcome!

finally working

Since we got back from vacation I just haven't been able to get anything done. I've been busy with Myles and busy with school work (my 14 year old home schools), and well, just busy. I have not sketched since I got back from Charleston, which was actually the week before we left for vacation. Anyway, I finally found time to start something today. I had been sketching nearly everyday since January. I hope to get back into the swing of things now.

I also really want to change my style. I like it but, it may not be different enough or unique enough to make it stand out. I also got my first rejection. :( It was kind of a nice rejection though and I was expecting it. So, I want to make some changes to my style. I am just really having a hard time doing it. Every time I start trying to do something different, I end up fighting with myself to keep from doing it the same way I always do and it all pretty much ends up looking the same way. I just don't seem to be able to find a new look that is me. I can mimic styles, but I try hard not to do that and can't seem to find a new direction that is my own. I just keep floundering. Maybe it will just be a very slow discovery...

So, this is where I am so far.











I think I am going to make the bear "knitted" but, I haven't decided what else to put in. I had planned to put him in a darkened room with a turned down bed and a glowing night light, but this is as far as I have gotten and tonight I am not sure where I want to go with it.