Sneaking in a sketch

I am so hungry to draw. Sometimes I feel as though I need to be able to just stop everything and just disappear and get absorbed into a painting or drawing. With all the sewing I have been doing my artwork has been ignored. Luckily for me, I had my little sketch book in my purse while I was sitting at the airport. This secretive drawing at the airport is almost a learned skill. Here is my airport sketching tips for you newbies.

1. First you have to get out the sketch pad and open it without drawing much attention to yourself. Its a slow movement, keeping yours eyes down.




2. Always have your pencil attached to your sketchbook as to not have to re dig in your purse.




3. Slowly open the book, pretending to write something as if you were making a note to self.




4. Glance around the room and see who might be watching you and who is totally absorbed in something where they won't move long enough for you to sketch them.




5. Try to position the sketchbook in a place where the people sitting on your right and left can't see what you are doing.




6. With your head kept down, glance up at your victim, oh sorry, subject. LOL Try to capture the shape and angle of your subjects head and/or body. Once you have the general shape you can now concentrate on one area at a time so you can remember it, draw it. Glance up again, repeat.




7. Every once in awhile you can raise your head and look around the room as if you are just checking out the people in general. Then zero in on your subject again and take in a good long look. Sketch more. I like to make sure I don't have people watching me at this time.




8. I like to draw people that don't know that they are being studied, if this doesn't work try doing some contour drawings as you stare them down. If they ask why you are staring at them show them your rendition of their face and I am sure people will stop asking. Enjoy.

Changes

I am home from the show and trying to get all the orders out along with unpacking. Next I will have to try and get my studio back to some sort of neatness so I can just work in there. Those last few days were just a blur of grab and throw so needless to say the studio is a mess. My sister had scheduled to come down for a visit and arrived on Wendsday. I had told her to come and sit by the pool and relax, well it rained, even hailed while she was here! We are having such weird and unusual weather as is much of the country. We did manange to sneak in a spa night. As most of you know my sister is fighting breast cancer. She is doing a great job too, she looks great and isn't feeling sick or weak from her treatments. I am so thankful for that. She was here for 4 days and we tried to stay busy but it isn't the things we did that are so special. It is the night we laid in bed, all curled up under the blankets waiting for Jennifer to be ready to be put into bed. We layed facing each other, the blankets up to our chins, our heads nestled in our down pillows. We talked and giggled and laughed so hard tears ran down our cheeks. We were just being sisters. Since we were kids everytime we get together at night we would just sit infront of the TV and brush each others hair. We didn't do it this time, but we talked about it. She goes back for her last treatment and I continue to pray that "IT'S" gone!

She fell in love with this painting my brother has over his mantel. It is a portrait of a womans face with a hat on, it looks very 30's and she wanted me to paint her something very similar for her house. When I first saw her in the hat she wears to go outside I knew that she would be the subject for the painting and it would be a portrait of her. I took many photos and I can't wait to start that.

Spring Market

Well we made it back alive and well! The show was great and we had a ton of fun being a part of all the commotion and excitement.  We did something called a "Sample Spree Sale" and sold many patterns to hundreds of crazy women who had waited hours for the opportunity to buy things at a discounted price.  It was only two hours and it was amazing.  I did get a few moments to sketch in the airport, but besides that it was all about the quilts.  Randy was looking pretty good, he was only one of just a handful of men in this sea of women. Watch out.. he's mine. They told him that only a true man could wear that T-shirt! LOL