Doodles, Sketches, and Zen-Neuro

 My collection of creative things since the last post. Some are just squiggle girls, who just flowed out of my ink pen/marker, some are in Ebony pencil from photos, and the last two are zen doodles in mixed media, and they are in different sketchbooks, some lightly textured and one really smooth. The large 12" x 12" one won't fit in my scanner, so I had to make photos, which don't turn out nearly as well and for some reason the whites look gray. :/

I usually just do faces or busts, but this week I added bodies just for practice, and I need a LOT more of it.

This one is from an online photo with an Ebony pencil, and was really a challenge for me. I added a warm B/W filter. The background and face lights are very white actually. The translation between my camera, my editing, and my blog gets confused somewhere along the line, and I can't figure it out. :( Same with the one below.

This one is referenced from one of my favorite original photos of me and my Granny. I was wearing my Hop-A-Long Cassidy gun and holster. We are actually standing behind an old model car (which was new at the time). I didn't worry about a likeness, and my face is in shadow from a nearby tree. I had polio when I was two, so one knee being lower than the other is not a mistake. I want to try this one again at some point.

A zen-neuro doodle that I spent at least four, maybe five sessions on. Again, the background should be very white. I started out with the neuro doodle square in the corner, then added the tree trunk, and then filled the spaces. Good for calming my mind and relaxing my body.

This is one that I posted a while back. I was trying something different and I used a Sanguine Pitt brush pen. I've never liked it, so I was flipping through my sketch book a couple of days ago and decided to take the large end of my Zig Writer marker and do this (below) to it. I like it much better!

Anyway, that's it for now! Just a hodge podge of marker/pencil ramblings that gave me an immense sense of pleasure!

So far, I am keeping up my physical therapy for my back/hip at home, and hubby is still doing it with me. It takes us about an hour, but so far it's helping both of us, so it's worth it.

The days get by so fast, it's unreal! I can't believe October is already at the end and daylight savings time is back. Doesn't seem like it's been five minutes since Christmas, and it's almost here again. Yikes!

Thanks for visiting! Let's count our blessings every day, because we still have many, despite what's going on around us. 

Backyard Fall Leaves in Rain

 We got some rain a couple of days ago, after several weeks without any, and since I love to smell the rain when it hits dry dusty ground, I went out onto our little back porch to enjoy it. After a few minutes, I went back inside and got my camera and made a few pictures of the fall leaves in the rain. It wasn't a heavy rain, so it's not showing up much, but it looked pretty to me. 

I labeled this field trips, but I rarely get to go on a field trip anymore, so pictures from my porches have to do, for the most part. Thankful I can do that though!

I love the heart shaped leaves on this tree!

I love this one! It's a bit blurry, but the rain may be part of it. This mini rose bush has outdone itself this year. I ordered, and set out, five different colors many years ago, and this is the only one that survived. The rest didn't make it past the first year, and this one has looked iffy a few times, but it's still with us. 

My husband said he started to clean the blue glass ball the other day, but I told him not to. It has a very weathered look from being in all kinds of weather all these years, and I love the build up of greenish algae, or whatever it is, built up on it, the rusty iron work supporting it, and the big glass cats eye marbles enclosed under it. I just love old loved and worn things. 

Three of my favorite smells: first rain on dry dusty ground/roads, when I opened the lid one of those large coca-cola boxes, where the soft drinks stood in cold water to keep them cold, many years ago, and white peonies.

Just a few shots in my back yard that made me happy! Hope you find something today that makes you happy!

Girls, Cat Sketches, and a Birthday

 Life has been kind of busy since my last post, but I managed to do these three sketches in my 12" x12" sketchbook, which is too large for my scanner, so it cut some of the edges off. Two of the sketches are with an Ebony pencil and the other is just a quick squiggle girls sketch with a Posca paint marker. I used online photos as references for the two pencil sketches. I learned a lot from this practice.

I'm doing my therapy at home now and trying for every day, though the doc said at least three times a week. I think the steroid shot is wearing off, because my hip is starting to be sore again, despite the therapy. I am getting around better though, for which I'm very thankful.

I had my three quarter of a century birthday on Oct. 15 and met my Aunt Lela and four of my cousins, who I hadn't seen for a long time, for lunch in town. None of them thought about it being my birthday, and I didn't mention it, so we enjoyed the visit without any hoopla, and it was nice. I don't like being the center of attention. Never did. :) Below are photos of my aunt, who will be 90 in the spring, and me in 1950 and on my birthday 2024.

We've been having some beautiful weather here, although the last few days have been rather chilly. I would love to get out and walk around, but hubby doesn't want me too, because he has found three LARGE rattlesnakes in our yard during the last few weeks, two of them at the same time. Yikes!

Oh, yes! I've been debating on whether to print calendars with my art work for gifts again this year, with postage getting so expensive. The calendar prices have also gone up, but Vistaprint sent me an email that the calendars were buy one, get two free for only 2-3 days, so I quickly picked out a few of  my sketches, put one together, ordered 15, and got them in yesterday. They cost me $98.00 (usually $200 plus). I lacked two dollars of getting free shipping, so I ordered a box of note cards with my art for $14 and got free shipping. Of course, tax was added, but it still was only $122.00, which is way cheaper than I've been paying! They look great! I still can't believe it. :o Will share pictures of it soon, when there's no danger of one of the recipients seeing my post before Christmas! 

Anyway, I hope your creativity juices are flowing and you have the time to take advantage of them! Stay safe and well!

Character Sketches, Birds, and a New Sketchbook

 So far, since the last post, I've done the following sketches from online photos. I love doing the character sketches better than the perfect glamourous ones. I don't go for a likeness anyway. Again, I've worked these in between company and physical therapy, mostly during my wake up morning coffee. It's my quiet time, kind of.

Loved this lady's straw hat and chicken, and also the joy on her face! Posca paint pen and red colored pencil

I could feel this lady's pleasure and peace while standing on a beach drinking her coffee! I think I kind of captured the feeling. Zig Writer double ended marker

This lady looked like she was dealing with something heavy, and the jacket was a challenge. Posca paint pen in sketchbook

I challenged myself to sketch this parrot with a still life, then colored it in with Prismacolor pencils. The vase is actually more of a lime green than yellow. I think I did ok, considering this is only the second time I've tried a parrot.

Yesterday, after physical therapy, hubby wanted to go in Beales to see if they had any more of the jeans like he bought a few weeks ago. I went in with him, and as we went across the front of the store, this book caught my attention, and I had to have it, especially when I saw that the price was $7.99. This is the front, and

this is the back. It was too big to scan, so I had to make a picture, and the back image turned out a bit sharper than the front one. The word "Sketchbook" is in gold glitter. It's 12" x 12", and the covers are hardback. The 176 pages are very smooth, thin, and acid free. I love the cover photos!

This morning, over coffee, I tried out all the different tools that were handy to me doodling and sketching. Even though it said it's for dry media, the paper handles markers, gel pens, and light water color washes well. Even the Copic markers didn't bleed through. It feels so soft and smooth when writing or sketching. It's a little larger than I usually get, but I love it! Can't wait to try some character sketches on it, and maybe some other things!

The paper was still flat after I doodled all over it with a bit of wet media, but it was standing on an easel so I could take a picture, and it was hanging a bit loose under an overhead light. It's not wrinkled at all. 

The canvas behind it is an oil painting of our dog at the time, which I started in 1997, the year she died. I had to give up oils due to allergies, but I have worked on it periodically over the years and am currently trying to figure out how to finish her face and capture her character. Hopefully I'll finish her before I die!

Physical therapy was a little harder yesterday, and I am still tired from it, so I've rested up today to go back tomorrow for another round. I can tell it's helping me in some ways. I just hope it helps my main problem about not being able to stand or walk over a few minutes.

Anyway, that's it for now. Stay safe, stay well, and stay creative! Prayers for everyone affected by hurricane Helene. So sad, and it can happen to any of us at anytime.

Character Sketches and Neurograph Paintings

 I have managed to get a few creative sketches done between visits to physical therapy and company the last few days, and thankful to have done so. I've actually done three more, but don't have them scanned yet.

These gals fell from my imagination and out through my sanguine brush pen one morning.

I colored in some of the neurographic art that I posted previously with Kuretake watercolors. I love the tree!

She started out as a contour sketch, but morphed into a regular sketch. Black gel pen from online photo

Also started as a contour sketch from an online photo with a black gel pen.

I just stuck with a line sketch from an online photo using my Zig Writer marker.

Another sketch from an online photo using my Zig Writer marker.

Last one for this post is also from an online photo using the Zig Writer marker. I messed up on her face, so any gray areas you see are where I tried to cover the bad black marks with a white posca paint pen. Didn't quite cover it up, but I tried! 

I don't try for an exact likeness on these sketches and am just using them for practice in my sketchbooks.

I've been to physical therapy for my back/hip three times now, where they do fifteen minutes of moist heat massage, six minutes of a rowing/pedaling machine, and leg swings at a bar, before putting me through several exercises flat of my back on a table, plus I have exercises to do at home between visits. I worked up a sweat at the last visit, but it doesn't take a lot for me to do that. I suspect they will add more to each visit. I have three more sessions before I go back to see the bone doctor.

The steroid shot is still holding the pain at bay so far, and I'm getting around better, but I stood long enough to iron one tee shirt before I had to sit down. I'm praying that I will get to where I can do some house cleaning, because Lord knows it needs it. I haven't been able to do much in a long time, and it's really bothering me. Plus, I am getting desperate to do some painting!

Prayers for all of you in the wake of hurricane Helene. I hope you are, or stay, safe. Thanks for visiting! You keep me inspired to keep doodling! :)

A Few Sketches From the Past Few Days

 So, I managed to get some creativity in amidst all the other stuff going on since the last post!

This is an enlargement of the first of two neurographic art drawings on the page below and is my favorite of all the ones I've done so far! It did what it was meant to do!

Both of these were inspired by Sara Wener's Youtube videos on neurographic art, which I love. I'm going to re-watch both of these, take some notes on symbolism, and color in the second one. She explains everything so well, and I love the look of these lines much better than the ones I have been doing, but I enjoyed doing those as well, and they, too, took my mind off my health problems, although they are kind of hard on my eyes if I do them for long at a time. These were both done with a Zig Writer marker and colored pencils on the first one, because they were handy.

I think I posted these in a previous post, but I have since added color to them. All were drawn with a brush pen with India ink and a Zig Writer marker, then colored in with Prismacolor pencils, Tombow markers plus water, Kuretake watercolors, and the top right one started out drawn in with a Pitt Sanguine pen, but I didn't like it, so went over it with the India ink pen, then it has multiple layers of Posca pens, colored pencils, and a white Signa gel pen. I still don't like it, so it may get another layer at some point!

These four were also inspired by Sara Werner's videos, particularly the tree of life. I used the Zig Writer marker to draw them and fill in the corners. I used Tombow markers to color the one in, then it looked so bright that I sprayed a bit of water on it and laid a paper towel on it to soak up some of the color, leaving the texture of the towel on it. I do plan on coloring the others in.

An enlargement of the tree of life from above. Actual size of these four to the page drawings is about 3 1/4" x 4 3/4". Can't wait to color this one in!

This one is a whole page drawing (7" x 10"), also with the Zig Writer marker, and I used a roll of tape to draw the circles. Some people draw them freehand, and I like it, so I think from now on, I will draw them freehand also. These drawings are supposed to resemble the neurons in our brains, and I think these circles are too perfect.

Just a bit of idle doodling. I took the damp paper towel that I used to blot up the color on the previous colored sketch with and stamped it on the paper the same day and went on doing another sketch. A couple of days later I sketched this imaginary girl with a black gel pen over it. I love squiggly lines! Then a few days later I quick sketched the other lady, also imaginary, with a water brush pen and Kuretake watercolors. I think they both have character.

Yesterday morning I was feeling a bit down and sketched this imaginary girl with the black eye with the Zig Writers bold marker end, then used Prismacolor pencils, a white pastel pencil, and a white gel pen for color. I think she also has character. Is there a story here?

This is a sketch I did for a friend, who is painting a beach scene mural on her daughter's retaining wall by her pool, which has a dock/pier included in it, but I don't think she used it. Oh, well, I tried!

Anyway, that's it creatively for now. I'm just thankful I got this much in, considering, what the last few days have been like.

If you've read the previous blog posts you know I had tests because walking/standing were becoming really painful for me. I found out I have osteoporosis, degenerative disc disease (bad) in my lower back, and the left hip pain is coming from my back and sciatic nerve, inherited. I have also had polio, which affects my right leg, making things a little harder.

They gave me a once a week pill, Alendronate Sodium tablets, for osteoporosis, which a I had a very bad allergic reaction to and had to stop immediately, while I was waiting for the bone doctor appointment. I thought I was going to die for a little while, the joint and muscle pain was so bad. 

I was still getting over the pill when I saw the bone/joint doctor last week, and he gave me a steroid shot in the hip and ordered physical therapy and ultrasound heat twice a week for four weeks to see if that will help. I start that tomorrow and go back to see the doctor Oct 10.

The steroid shot helped my hip a lot, but the day after I saw the bone doctor my right rotator cuff started acting up again, after several years with no pain, so that may affect the therapy for my back. The doctor that treated my shoulder before is no longer there, so hopefully this bone doctor will do something for it when I go back. Just having to be careful with it and my hip/back for now. Also, my eyes are acting up, so there's that. 😏

Just thankful it's not worse and I'm still mobile for now. The reaction to the pill made me well aware just how much worse it can get. Still feeling the effects of the pill and the shot.

The PA that is my regular doctor wanted me to come in last Monday to discuss the pill and what I could take instead. We left it that for now I'll take calcium pills and vitamin D3.

We'll see how it goes after the therapy tomorrow. Hopefully, it will help, and I'm hoping I can do it at home! Also praying that I'll get able to help hubby do some of the things that he took over when it got too painful for me. He is not without pain himself, and we are both up in our seventies.

That's where I am for now. Maybe now I can do some art standing up!

Thanks for visiting! Do something you love every day. It's good for you!

In Color Neuro Art

 I went back and colored a couple of neuro art pieces that I previously posted.

Posca marker lines colored in with beeswax crayons, with a layer of colored pencils over them...

Zig Writers double ended marker lines colored in with Kuretake watercolors...

 

I decided I preferred it to be horizontal, but it still looked too bright and opaque,

so I sprayed the whole thing with what I thought was plain water. It wasn't. It was water mixed with white vinegar that I had used to rust some paper. I let it set for a couple of seconds, then laid a paper towel over it and lightly pressed down and lifted, which made it more transparent and also gave it some texture. I still prefer it to be horizontal, but forgot to rotate it. I think I like it better!

I've also colored in a few more of the smaller pieces and drew a few more in a different type of lines in between other things going on this week.

It's been a busy week. Had company last Sunday and Tuesday, had to go to the local clinic for some blood work before going to a neighboring town to get a new prescription, groceries, etc., and ate out, rested Thursday. Finally heard from my mammogram Friday. It came back good, as did my blood work, thank the Lord. 

Our air conditioning went out again yesterday, but thankfully, hubby was able to fix it again. Way too hot to be without it! 

Today, Saturday, a friend came and brought materials for me to help her on a portion of a very large mural project on a retaining wall for her daughter's pool. Hubby and I both took a nap and ate grilled cheese sandwiches and fries for supper and called it a day, except for watching TV and me typing up this post.

That's how our holiday weekend is going, so far! Hope all of you who celebrate are having a safe and happy long weekend with family and friends doing whatever makes you happy!