The Light Project... shells

Here are some pen and ink sea shell drawings I've been working on lately. They are a sort of specimen approach.. which I like. Science was never a love for me, but as I grow older, I feel it's a gap in my education and want to learn more. Specimens with text are very alluring to my eye. There will be more to come and as soon as the shells are finished, the zine will be assembled into a 'dummy book'. With all the kinks worked out, a zine will be born and land in the etsy shop!

We finally had warmer temps today 65 degrees and a few patches of sun, wooo hooooo! To the park we go, twice today :) AAHHHH, the sun.

Summer Patio Vibe

Nothing like summer patio time. Here are a few new drawings I've done in the past few days... the top one is with a very fine tip pen, the lower... a brush tip pen. (can never quite decide which one I prefer.) These will be going in the etsy shop, hopefully tonight!

As you can see I've been blessed with a new camera - thanks to my brother who found 'a good one' for me. Ahhh, I'm so relieved. It's rough to be without a camera!

Knightley update:

The youngest corgi dodged surgery but was in the emergency pet hospital over the 4th of July wkend. He finally passed (with much treatment and coaxing) some bone shards and later the big offender: half of a Pink Pearl eraser! Such a problem child he is... he's on the mend but we're still wondering what trouble he'll find next.

Drawing and Weaving...

Foxglove with stones

Old Letterpress

I'm an avid reader of the wonderful blog, Spiritcloth by Jude Hill. She's so innovative and creative in her approach to fabrics, quilts and often includes water elements her work as

she lives close to the beach on Long Island Sound. Also she embroiders little lions and beasts on the quilts - they have a charm all their own. Anyway, I just had to try one of her methods... cloth weaving (which equals a perfect checkerboard). Not sure where this is going but it will tell me over time.

Here are two more unfinished ink drawings with gouache. I love to draw old machines of any kind. The dark iron, wheels, and 'innards' are a never ending fascination of mine. We're off to rake leaves in the sunshine... have a great weekend!

Beach Drawings

Getting there... but still in progress (above)

Here are a few new ink drawings I've been working on... finally developed some photographs from our trip to Cannon Beach, OR this past summer. Don't know what it is about that town but, I'm very inspired by it. Probably because I was raised in a small, beachy town... it's what you know first that sticks with you. (from what I hear anyway).

Today I opened up my birthday gift from hubby (it was mail order) and used it... an air pen. It's a fabulous little device which allows me to write with paint on fabric. I've been writing with it today and will show and tell as soon as I get a little better at it. (you control the air pressure with your index writing finger - which takes some getting used to!)

More French Drawings...

Here are few more drawings... they are pretty 'doodly.' I don't know if they'll even make it into the shop because I'm not that happy with them. Maybe the sketchbook is a good place to go right now and hash out a few ideas.

It has been very warm here and the flowers are growing like crazy. There's nothing like checking the garden every morning to see how much growth there was. I like being that kind of 'busy' :) Thank you, summer, for finally arriving in our neck of the woods.

Morning Walk, Vallauris

Hooray, I actually finished a few pieces of new work (India ink drawing with gouache) this morning and posted them in the etsy shop. There are more in the works and I'm working on filling up the shop with new things for summer. Vallauris, France is in Provence and happens to be a little art town known for ceramics. Picasso famously did a lot of clay work there in the 1950's when he was with girlfriend, Francois Gilot. Maybe someday we'll make our way back there!

A Few New Drawings...

This drawing is on fabric... I'm thinking of experimenting with the 'French drawings' and doing them on fabric, quilting them and hanging 'em from a twig or something. Still not sure about that plan.

Now that it's summer and the air is warming... it gave me the urge to start drawing little French scenes. (thankfully I take tons of photos whenever we go on vacation!) The one above is my mom swimming in Arles. We stayed in a beautiful farm house there, right on a waterway in the middle of farmland. (but the mosquitoes at night were quite abundant scary... hence the reason for every window to have hefty screens.) How I wish we could all go back!

Happy Quilt

Here are a few peeks into my latest project. I've jumped off the deep end into unknown territories this time - and it's so much fun! I'm doing a 'story quilt' of sorts. It's one piece of fabric - I drew on it with a fabric pen and am now painting it with Jacquard fabric paint. There's a lot of text and story telling in it (I plan to add more) after the method created by the fabulous Susan Shie of Turtle Moon Quilts. She has an MFA in painting but has been working in this style since the 1970s.

If only I could attend one of her Turtle Camps and really learn from the master. But, she lives in Ohio and with 2 small kids and a husband who works so much... it's just not going to happen. Instead, I've studied her diary and website and have jumped in and given her methods a try. I'll show the final product when finished.

Dumpling Resturant, Seattle.

Dumpling Restaurant, Seattle., originally uploaded by Tea and Ink.

This drawing has made me think about the feeling of 'outside looking in'. I took the photograph on a 'sky bridge' to the parking garage looking back at Pike's market.

To be in the inside... a warm world within, the smells, lighting, conversation, shelter. The outsider looking in can imagine all those things but experiences none of them. There's a sense of longing or 'wanting' being on the outside. But, it can be a good thing too - in a less desirable location. Like seeing prison windows from the freeway!

Hmm... I feel a series coming on. Happy Sunday!

Balloon Guy

Balloon Guy, originally uploaded by Tea and Ink.

This man made the best balloon hats and other fun stuff. He was at Pike's Place Market in Seattle.

On another note... I've had crazy bad luck this past week. We were in a car wreck (someone pulled into traffic without looking and hit our car... my daughter in the back seat) and my computer crashed on the same day. (all our photos on there of the kids from birth til now!!! Shudder, shudder, sweat, sweat) Plus, the week before, my cell phone died.

I hope this run of bad luck is over. I'm now *ahem* 'borrowing' hubby's computer for now.

Antique Dealer's Desk

I loved this little vignette - secretly shot at an antique shop... dealing mostly in paintings. Naturally, it's not finished... but probably tonight it'll be done. There are more in the works. Yesterday I got invited to do another show at The Ruby Slipper in May of this year. So, with the show in Port Angeles, WA in April... I'm going to be painting and carving in haste. (and loving it too :)

A pair of socks that are one of my all time faves. The yarn is so beautiful - Sirdar 'Crofter's DK'. The colors are so yummy.

Fat or Thin Ink Pen?

Had a great time unwinding and drawing yesterday on my favorite paper. (Arches Cover in cream... can't get it locally :( Couldn't find the Pitt India ink brush pen, so I used a skinny (.005) Pigma pen and did the lower cafe drawing. Later, I did find the brush pen and did the upper boulangerie drawing. (both will have color added) I'm going to stick to the brush pens... it gives the drawing a different quality than the ultra thin line. Amazing what a difference size makes! What do you like to use - thick or thin?

The Telephone Ladie's Party

I've been finishing up some ink drawings with gouache. This one is nearly done, but it wouldn't be in character to show you an actual finished piece! It just needs a few more touches here and there.

I've been hastily knitting a few things hoping to wrap 'em up before Christmas. Luckily, they don't need to go in the mail... which gives me extra days to finish :)

The etsy shop has been absolutely dead... crickets are all you can hear over there. Don't know exactly why... is it the economy or ? Last year was pretty busy. Oh well, everyone has an 'off' time I suppose. Wish I knew how to wake things up. Have a great weekend!

Telephone Ladies

I have been doing several drawings from some old photographs of a group of women who were telephone operators. They may turn into paintings... but with the thick brush tip pen I used, I thought it best to keep their faces blank for now. Gave me an idea to do a series of work based on gossip and how it can seem harmless but turn into something more...
Have a great holiday weekend and soak up as much summer and sunshine you possibly can!! :)

Golfe Juan Beach

An ink and gouache drawing of a trip to Provence. This was one of many beach clubs you can see from the boardwalk on the edge of the Cote d'Azur. We were heading towards a beach town called Juan les Pins. I was fascinated by the rows of brightly colored umbrellas... a different color for each little club. It wouldn't be mine if it wasn't unfinished, right?! Trying to get these all completed and put 'em in the etsy shop. (PS I'm having a sale on all the paintings on wood right now... check it out here!)

A Few New Drawings...

Still trying to make some art while the sun shines... here are a few ink drawings I did yesterday. Next comes the gouache! Happy Friday.

French Alps Drawing

Finally finished this drawing today while sitting out in the sun... my daughter re-arranged her 'rock garden' while I painted. Can't remember the name of this little town... I'm going to have to look it up and scour the names in order the jog the memory! Will be adding it to the shop tonight or tomorrow. There's another cathedral drawing that's just about done. I'm playing with color and making it a little funky. Will share it soon.

Our fence is repaired in the back yard and our puppy (Mr. Darcy) ran around 'off leash' for the first time back there... very exciting indeed! (plus he climbed and descended the stairs - another first)

New Drawing

Antibes, France.

Well, with school cancelled and hubby gone back to work, I was still able to get some painting done today in between the snow shoveling! Tackling our lower deck and upper deck... should take some photos... the snow is really getting deep. Maybe drawing pictures of the South of France is my way of dealing with this heavy winter we're having... works for me! Happy Monday :)