Well, as usual, I’m completely wiped out from treatment. I woke this morning groggy, but I felt good for about an hour and a half. Then the fatigue smacked me down. So, here I sit, in front of the TV on the den couch with my MacBook. Yesterday I was ok for a short time in the morning and then I took several short naps and one 3-hour-long nap. I suppose by now I should be used to it and I shouldn’t be surprised by the level of fatigue I feel. But I’m an optimist, so I always hope that it isn’t going to be as bad this time. Add to that the additional side-effects of the medication that I’ve been noticing more - hair loss being the one that bugs me the most. Vanity, I suppose… 
Today is Sunday, which means that the catalyst for CreativeTherapy is posted on the blog with our design team submissions. This week’s catalyst is “What’s your happiest memory?” I do hope you take a moment to go visit and learn what is behind the picture to the left. Unlike my usual drawings which ar done with some sort of source image as the basis, this one was done from memory. And, I hope you’ll participate with your own response to this week’s catalyst. Take a look!
June 22nd, 2008
Posted by
Fran |
Creative Every Day, Creative Therapy, art, drawing, health, living with chronic illness, watercolor |
2 comments
Thank you all for your kind notes and thoughts over the past few days. They mean a lot.
I spent Wednesday with Angie and her son Max. Max came over to swim and Angie and I got to do some artwork. I was not quite up for doing much, so I just doodled in my journal. Nothing to show, as the page is not finished, but it was a good way to pass the day and Angie let me tell stories about Aunt Millie. She is so fondly remembered by all who knew her.
I’m feeling creative again, so there is finally some art to share!
This week I made a few cases for our trip. To the right you see the first one. This one is a case for a DVD/MP3 player that Dave and I can watch movies on. Since we’re already bringing our iPods, it made sense to have a player that we could share the movies while on the plane and in France. It has a hook and loop closure so the player is safe.
The second is a pencil and pen case that fits perfectly into my daypack and my purse (so it can be used after the trip!). It fits all my Albrecht Durer pencils and Pigma Microns for the trip. I can even fit a tape runner in there
for ephemera I pick up along the way.
Today I picked up some magazines I had been hoarding saving as collage or source photo material. I found a great photo of a mother and baby elephant and I just needed to draw it. Every time I looked at it, I smiled, and I needed some smiling! So, I drew the picture to the right with my Pigma Micron and colored it in with my Albrecht Durer pencils. It was a good way to start the day.
When I finished the drawing, I went to exercise and then I went out for a while. I had to just get out of the house for a while, since next week is my treatment again. In addition, I have a volunteer commitment next week. I figured it was a good time to do some window shopping and a short trip out of the house. It was good to get out of the house and just have a change of scenery.
That’s the update from here! Now to do some more of the CreativeTherapy catalysts for when I’m away!
June 13th, 2008
Posted by
Fran |
art, drawing, fabric, friends, pouches, sewing, watercolor |
2 comments
Yesterday the latest of the CreativeTherpy Catalysts was published. I participated, so stop over there to take a look at my response to this week’s catalyst, if you haven’t already! It felt so good to draw again and to pick up the watercolor pencils! I’m trying to work ahead on some other catalysts so I can be ahead before I leave for our trip and so I can be prepared for the health stuff that inevitably happens along the way.
I spent the early part of last week working on finalizing plans for our France trip. We ordered lots of travel things from Magellan’s, so we can have what we need to be safe and comfortable. Since I will have my walker with me, I needed a slash-proof backpack to use while we’re there. Better safe than sorry. We’re taking all the precautions we can to be safe and comfortable during the trip. Thank goodness for Chico’s Traveler’s line. That will be my wardrobe during the trip and I love that it is wash and wear and non-crinkle! We are not bringing computers on the trip. We don’t need the extra weight, especially with airlines charging for checked baggage these days! I’m only planning to bring a small journal, some Pigma Microns, a Koi water brush, an eraser, two dozen Albrecht Durer watercolor pencils, a pencil sharpener, and a graphite pencil. Not much, but things that easily fit into my backpack, and are easy to take out in a small area and don’t take up a lot of space.
If you can’t tell, I’m really getting excited about our trip! It’s going to be a blast! 
June 2nd, 2008
Posted by
Fran |
Creative Every Day, Uncategorized, art, health, life, living with chronic illness, shopping, travel, watercolor |
2 comments
Yesterday I did a lot of drawing, but I can only share
two small drawings with you for yesterday’s Every Day in May challenge. The other is for Sunday’s CreativeTherapy catalyst, which will be revealed on Sunday.
To the right is a drawing of my pencil sharpener. Not a perfect drawing, but a drawing, nonetheless. It’s really rounder at the top than my drawing shows, but I did blind contour drawing and, well, this is how it came out! I used a Pigma Micron and some Albrecht Durer and Lyra watercolor pencils.
To the left is a drawing from the Every Day Matters challenge group - # 91 - Draw an apple. I drew this from a photo, since I’m allergic to apples. Yes, apples. I used a Pigma micron and Albrecht Durer watercolor pencils for this.
Remember how the other day I wasn’t sure whether I liked the paper in the hand*book journal. I’ve now gotten used to working with the paper and I do, indeed like it. I will be happy to take this journal to France when we go. I just need to figure out which watercolor pencils to bring, since I can’t bring all of them with me! That will be part of the process in the next few months.
May 8th, 2008
Posted by
Fran |
Creative Every Day, EDM, drawing, sketch, watercolor |
one comment
Today I decided to do some drawing for most of the day. I’m trying to figure out if I really like the feel of the Hand-Book travel journals, since I bought one for my trip to France. I’ll decide after I get some time in with the paper. It’s thinner than what I use when I make the books myself, and that’s a drawback. It means I can’t necessarily use both sides if I’m using watercolor. And, it doesn’t really take watercolor very well. VERY light
washes do OK, so if I decide to bring watercolor pencils, that could work. Today I used some graphite pencils, watercolor pencils and a Pigma Micron .05.
Anyway, here are today’s drawings. I don’t usually draw pictures of men. I decided I should get a sense of the proportions of men’s faces. I did several drawings from photos in a magazine. The drawing of the couple above is loosely based on an ad in a magazine. The man in the picture above I like. The woman’s face however, is a bit off. The drawing to the right is also based on ads in a magazine.
Left is a montage of three different faces from the magazine. I thought it was time to start playing with some color, so I added watercolor pencils for some color. I tried to stay somewhat true to the images in the magazines. 
I got brave from here and started doodling some faces. Those are to the right. The hand on the guy on the left of the page is in great need of some rework, but I decided that I probably just need to spend some time working with hands. I tend to freeze up when I look at them and try to add them. That’s something I want to change. Maybe that’ll be tomorrow’s drawings?
May 6th, 2008
Posted by
Fran |
Creative Every Day, EDM, art, art challenge, drawing, sketch, watercolor |
one comment
Today has been a great day! I woke up feeling great and excited for the day. For weeks, Angie and I have been planning to join in the International Sketchcrawl and we did it! We finally got to spend some time together and I was able to get out of the house!
Today was the 18th International Sketchcrawl. We met other sketchcrawlers at the Desert Botanical Gardens here in Phoenix. I think two of us had been there before, so it was a first time for many of us. It was such a beautiful day - bright and sunny and nice and cool with a slight breeze in the morning. Of course, it being the desert and the end of March, it quickly got up to the low 80s and we were all pretty tired. This is probably the last outside sketchcrawl we’ll do until October or November!
There was so much to draw! We all walked off into our own groups and sat and drew and painted. What amazed us all the most was that there were so many people out and about sketching, painting, and photographing. It is like an artist’s heaven there! Angie and I went on our own and 
found some shady spots. I used my walker, knowing that the terrain might be tricky for me. I was glad I had it. It gave me a seat no matter where we were and it did help me keep from falling several times as we moved along. It was nice to bring the walker with the purpose being “just in case” rather than “must use”.
The first subject Angie and I chose was a Dr. Seuss-like tree. There was no marker to tell us the name where we found it, but we knew we’d find it later. Sure enough, we did. It’s a member of the Aloe family. It’s aloe dichotoma, and it’s from South Africa. The bark is very light and at the bottom has bark peeling off of it. It has quite a bit of yellow in it. The leaves looked similar to those of an aloe vera plant, but they wer much more 
wavy and curly. I tried to capture it, but I think I captured the essence of it, not the reality. And that was fine with me!:) The drawing is to the left. Angie did a lot more of a realistic version, so she took a bit longer with her drawing.
So, while Angie finished her drawing, I found I had time in that spot to do one more drawing. I decided to draw a saguaro cactus that was also in my line of vision. I like how this turned out. I used different Pigma Graphic and Micron pens to get the detail. The shape and color really intrigued me. It’s to the right. It seems right that it should be one of the drawings from the Desert Botanical Gardens, don’t you think?
When we finished there, we found we still had time for at least one more drawing. We found a nicely shaded spot with benches and a lovely fountain. The sound of the water was so relaxing that we knew we’d found our second spot. We each chose our subjects. Angie was delighted by a yellow wildflower and chose that. I was staring at some bark that just seemed to scream to be drawn! I didn’t think I was going to add color to it with all the detail in the bark, but I decided it needed some color to show off how much diversity of color there was in the bark and to highlight the peeling bark and what was underneath. I’m really quite happy with this drawing!
We met up at the cafe there and talked about future locations. Since it’s so incredibly hot here in the summer, we all decided the next few sketchcrawl locations would have to be indoors. We’ll be looking at the Phoenix Art Museum, the Heard Museum, and even some malls. There’s always something to sketch, no matter where you go! And nothing beats indoors on those 100+-degree days!
Angie and I saw as much as we could, but there is so much more to see. We are planning to go again this week, while the cactus are blooming. We got several photos, too, but I haven’t had time to get those cleaned up. We’re both convinced we’ll have to become frequent visitors of the Desert Botanical Gardens!
March 29th, 2008
Posted by
Fran |
Creative Every Day, EDM, art, drawing, friends, fun day, journaling, painting, sketch, watercolor |
3 comments
Well, today was the final day for our watercolor pencil class. I’m sad that it’s over, but I really enjoyed the class. It was challenging and rewarding. I will definitely continue to use the lessons from the class. The most important thing: I am not completely convinced that I need to continue to practice my drawing and painting regularly. I plan to do just that. I’ve already bought some reference books on watercolor journaling and drawing that I will work through at my own pace. I think that the exercises in some of the books that I’ve bought over the years will actually be useful, now that I have had some feedback. I will let you know which books I find most helpful as I work through them.
To the right is the final piece I did for the class. Since it is a beach scene, I really wanted to get the feel of the beach without getting to bogged down in details. I used a mixed-media approach, using Lyra Aquacolors, miscellaneous watercolor pencils and my trusty Pigma Micron to add detail. I’m happy with it as the final piece. I have continued to find landscapes a challenge and so I challenged myself to create this one with the movement of the water, the hint of the catamaran, and far-away mountain of Molokini.
And I’m happy to report that I’m feeling much better today. I’m still not completely back with my energy level, but I am at least walking without aid and driving myself. Both are great improvements. This gives me about a week before my next treatment. Since Dave and I are headed to Chicago for a convention he’s attending, we’re moving my treatment up to a week from tomorrow - April 4th. But Chicago will be fun, because I’ll get to spend some time with my online friend, Joanne and I hope to attend the Quilt Festival in Rosemont for at least one day while we’re there. Of course, that will depend upon how I’m feeling. But for now, it’s a good plan!
March 27th, 2008
Posted by
Fran |
Creative Every Day, art, drawing, watercolor |
2 comments
Thanks to all of you who sent healing wishes. My balance appears to be better after three days of solumedrol; however, I am feeling rather weak and worn out. I’m staying in the house today and tomorrow to, hopefully, regain some energy. I’m doing a lot of sleeping after suffering the insomnia from the solumedrol. I’m also taking it really slowly. I don’t have much choice right now, but that’s fine. I am hopeful that it will be short-lived.
I have done very little drawing this past week. However, it is our last week of Cathy Johnson’s Watercolor Pencil Workshop. It’s been a great class. The practice of drawing regularly, the specific feedback from Cathy and the class, and the book itself have been incredibly rewarding. I will certainly take another class with Cathy! She has really helped me to improve my observation and to understand the materials.
This final lesson is about mixed media - taking the watercolor pencils and using them with other drawing media to complete your composition. I had a few pieces that just did not look “finished” to me and I did not know how to finish them until I looked at this final chapter and lesson! To the right is a bird of paradise drawing I did from a photo in a magazine. I went back and added some stippling with my Pigma Micron, along with some additional penwork. I am much happier with it!
And, to the left, you will see a drawing I did of a banyan tree. I did not include any background, because I really wanted to focus on the tree itself. It’s not a realistic drawing. My goal was to capture the light and darkness in the bark and the unique shape of it. I added a bit of Pigma Micron to set it off.
I’m really enjoying the mixed media approach the best. As I’ve been looking through my work from this class, I see that where I have added some pen work, I have been much happier with the final results. I am fairly certain that this will be the method of choice for using these tools, though I have some plans to continue to challenge myself!
March 24th, 2008
Posted by
Fran |
art, drawing, health, living with chronic illness, watercolor |
2 comments
As usually happens after my treatment, last night and today have been worse for me than yesterday was. 
I’m not surprised. It’s my usual flow. This morning I felt awful and sat in the den and stared at shows that I had saved on TiVo for just this reason. Dave left for work and I sat there until around 11:30. I then went into the studio, once the nausea lifted a bit. I decided I was going to draw something, even for just a short while.
To the right you see a drawing I did today from a photo in a Ford ad. I was immediately taken in by the photo of this boy sleeping with his plastic dinosaur. I’m happy with the shirt, the shape of his head and his hair. I am, however, not pleased with the pillow background in turquoise. I’m fairly pleased with the boy’s face, his hand, and his dinosaur. I even sort of like the blanket. Drawing, I know, is something that takes lots of practice and I’m so glad I’m able to take the time to focus on it.
There is something about drawing that forces me to be still and silent. It sort of makes me find the moment again. I am just enjoying my time with this class and I’m fairly sad that it will end in a little over a week’s time.
Now, however, it is time for me to take a nap and some anti-nausea medication.
March 14th, 2008
Posted by
Fran |
Creative Every Day, drawing, living with chronic illness, painting, watercolor |
3 comments
Today I’m in recovery mode, but I was determined to do some art. I was not able to do any yesterday, since we used my dominant hand yesterday for my IV infusion. The infusion went well once we finally got a vein that would take the IV. That took about six tries. Clearly, I was not hydrated enough… But that’s a mistake I won’t make twice!
Today, however, I sat in the studio with my watercolor pencils and some copies of Smithsonian Magazine. I opened to a two-page photo ad of a Tibetan boy. I was immediately compelled to draw him. And this was what I did, to the left. I’m fairly pleased with it. I didn’t want to overwork the face, so I erred on the lighter side with a focus more on the values than the colors that the photo showed. It was more important for me to get the shading and shape of the face right. I also challenged myself to catch the shape of the fringe on his scarf. It was a good challenge. It took about 90 minutes for me to complete.
As you’ve seen the past few weeks, this is part of Cathy Johnson’s watercolor pencil class. We’re already on week 5! I cannot believe how time has flown! I plan to continue to draw regularly to keep my skills up. I’m back in the habit of carrying a journal with me at all times, and that feels great. There’s no such thing as being bored when you have things to observe and draw!
And now I think it’s time for a nap and some more anti-nausea medication!
March 13th, 2008
Posted by
Fran |
Creative Every Day, art, classes, drawing, health, living with chronic illness, sketch, watercolor |
5 comments
