P r e t t y S k e t c h y

Rain-Rain

When one lives in Seattle one needs to be prepared for the eventuality that you will have a weekend where it rains the entire time. This was one of those weekends so I gave myself permission to be as lazy as I felt like being. I have a bit of an over-active guilt complex so I feel guilty spending the day at home doing nothing. That doesn't mean I never do it, it just means I end up feeling guilty fairly often.

I spent Saturday reading and drawing and watching movies on my bed. I did manage to get in a work out, a load of laundry and a walk in the rain as well so it wasn't a total wash. A few sketchbook samplings...

 

Sunday I slept in after staying up way too late for no reason and then I procrastinated and drew until I finally motivated myself to take a trip to the hardware store to buy paint. I had to bribe myself to leave the house with the promise of a latte but I did go out and came back with paint. I promptly set that paint on the floor and proceeded to spend the rest of the day on my bed watching movies, water-coloring and drawing architecture in my sketchbook.

This last one is still in-progress.

Highlight movies of the day included: The Chronicles of Narnia (The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe), Some Kind of Wonderful, 13 Going on 30 and He's Just Not That into You. Originally when I saw He's Just Not That Into You I hated it because the end of the movie contradicts it's entire message but I saw it again and it grew on me. A movie with Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Goodwin and Jennifer Aniston can't be all bad. Additionally I found this video while on imdb and it made me laugh SO hard. Happy week all.

Drawings & Soundtracks to English Classics

Well here I am again. I've been avoiding painting since finishing up my last commission, (despite the fact that I have a new one) and have been spending most of my time reading, drawing, starbucks-ing and working. Not a whole lot of blog-worthy material. I did finish 'East of Eden' and have moved on to 'JPod'. The vegetable or fruit-a-day resolution has gone well so far, to my knowledge I don't think I've skipped a day and I need to work a bit harder at the drinking more water thing (in fact excuse me while I go grab some water). Okay, I'm back, and now I think I'll show you a few sketchbook pages...

 
 
 Inside cover and first page, these usually evolve the entire time I have my sketchbook as I paste more and more things in.

A drawing and a few random sewn & collagey bits.

  The backside of the sewn page and a paper and ribbon square collage.

 A strangely discolored silver triangle blob. It seems that I have been liking geometrics lately. 

Sketching in church with my current favorite drawing tool: a silver pen that I got in my stocking at Christmas. I've been making up doily patterns. 

And last but not least, possibly one of my best organizational ideas to date, my march calendar drawing.

 I really like the idea of using an agenda but as I already carry a sketchbook, a too full pencil case, at least one book and a whole lot of other crap around with me all the time, it just seems like too much. I had been using the ical program on my computer which I really liked except that it was only helpful to me when I was at home on my computer. So I came up with drawing out a monthly calendar in my sketchbook. I always have it with me and the likelihood of me losing it is slim-to-none as I guard my sketchbook like a security blanket. Perfect! Additionally, it was super fun to draw.

In other news, I have been dabbling in the world of classical music lately and you should know that this is very uncharachteristic of me. I might just be turning into a bit of a weirdo but I am really liking it. Now I'm not into the full blown symphony thing, what I have been really liking is classical piano music. It all started when I went on a date to see 'Coco Avant Chanel' with my friend Travis and I just couldn't get over how beautiful the soundtrack was, so melancholy and lovely. I bought a few of the songs I liked the best when I got home by the artist 'Alexandre Desplait' and created myself a playlist called 'Reading English Classics' out of those and a few more I discovered on itunes. Seriously it was so perfect reading 'East of Eden' while listening to it. I've been adding more and more songs to it and I did a screen capture for those of you interested in duplicating it.

 

 I plan to use it as a soundtrack to reading my next english classic and suggest that maybe you do the same if you're interested. I think it would be fabulous with any book by Jane Austin, the Brontes, Dickens, Henry James, or even Virginia Woolf.
 

Sketching & Transition Resolutions

  I don't think I've shown you guys my current sketchbook cover; it's a watercolor moleskine and it's pretty darn huge. I take my sketchbook everywhere and it was a really unpractical choice for portability; nice paper though. I'll definitely get a smaller one next time though, I swear it weighs five pounds.

   I think I might have shown you this when it was half done, now it's whole done.

   My Christmas in Seattle sketchbook page done on my Granny's couch, the Starbucks in Edmonds and the dock by the ocean.

   Some random little dudes in red & pink (I've been loving pink lately).

  Transition to 2010, my 2009 retrospective page...

   and welcome to 2010 (I know I'm a bit late). This was my New Years Resolution page. I kind of hate New Years Resolutions, in the past they either set me up for failure if I aim too high or I feel like a slacker if I don't make any at all. Nowadays I try to set realistic goals or I don't set any at all. So this year is as follows:

1. Drink more water. I was really good this summer but I've gotten kind of crummy about it this fall/winter and I feel better when I drink a lot of water.

2. Eat a fruit or vegetable every day. Now I know this sounds ridiculous and woefully inadequate but sometimes I'll go a few days and not be able to remember when I last ate a vegetable or fruit, not good. It's not quite the 5-6 servings I am supposed to have per day but I figure this is a step in the right direction. I have found that it makes me eat more fruits and veggies though since I have to have them on hand.

3. A reading list. At different points in my life I have been quite the voracious reader, especially when I worked at different bookstores. Nowadays I am kind of lame-o about reading because I feel like any free time I have to read I should be using to paint. Really though if that is the rationale that means I would never get to read. So I was thinking I should resolve to read one book a month that will make me think. Then I thought about October, the month before my yearly show where I barely have time to eat let alone read and I decided that maybe I should have a reading list for the year to be completed when I have/make time. My first book is East of Eden by John Steinback; I'm about a quarter of the way into it and so far it's pretty good. It was a bit of work to get into but I like it now, I spent a few hours today and yesterday at Starbucks reading and it was lovely. It's gets pretty graphic with the violence sometimes though.

   And my ode to scotch tape. Sometimes when I get too lazy to glue but feel like collaging I just use loads of tape. It looks ridiculous but I kind of like doing it, ha.

Okay, that's me trying to catch you all up and being better about blogging. Happy week.

Hey peeps, I'm back (for now, ha). I've been crazy busy ever since the Royal Bison with orders (which I love, thanks peeps) and millions of trips to the print shop. I've been kind of a crummy blogger and have a huge back up of photos about three weeks old so for now, here's what I've been up to...

 rosy winter walks with the roommates...

snow days with anti-social deadbeat roommates,

 

a reception for my show at The Sugarbowl that included the drawing (and Googling) of rat kings,

 note the writhing rat on the left...

 finally getting a NEW CAR! It's a Honda Fit and peeps I love it. Yay!

 Getting a new haircut (also, taking pictures of myself in the bathroom at the Dutchess, the wallpaper was too good to waste, ha).

 meeting peeps for hot chocolate, macarons and pan 'au chocolats,

 

 

My roommate Jill threw a pretty fabulous Christmas party this weekend. There was an amazing dinner and I briefly busted out my yearly dance moves that night. Who can resist dancing to 'Forever'? Not me.

 Joel,

 Meg & Beth, I'm not sure what was going on here, ha,

Jill and meg.

*please take note of the pelts on the wall in the background, ha. 

Other activities over the past few weeks have included delivering prints, watching The OC, working on commissions & sketching...

 
 

That's it for now, I'm kind of exhausted and I have another busy week. I am so looking forward to spending Christmas in Seattle drinking Starbucks and sitting by the ocean. It's been too long.

EDIT: Guys how could I have forgotten to tell you the name of my new car?! It has been dubbed 'The Dark Lord', ha. That's right, after he who must not be named. That way when I'm driving and someone is in my way I can say things like "The Dark Lord waits for no one". So awesome! It also allows for endless Harry Potter references - Hey Oh!

Back & done (for now at least).

Yeah yeah, enough with the 'you're not blogging' harassment. I get it but I have just over a week left before my show and I've been working like crazy to get stuff done. Try to cut me some slack peeps, I'll do a giveaway later on today to make up for it and keep me in your good graces, deal?

I finally finished the huge piece I've been working on and guys, it's pretty fantastic. I'll show you a few in-progress shots from the week but I think I'll wait to post it in it's entirety until it's up at The Sugarbowl next Sunday. I have to give you a reason to come out and see it right?

 

 

 

 

For the most part I don't really have a hard time selling my paintings but this might be a tough one for me to part with. I kind of love it a lot, I suppose I do have to pay my rent though.

I finished the painting last night and started up another one right away. I've been super lucky to have lots of my peeps stopping by to chill out in the studio with me this week, last night I had 5 different people here reading, sewing and computerizing while I painted. It gets kind of lonely down here sometimes so I really love the company.

Sketchy Date

So one of my favorite peeps Sarah Jackson (AKA The Jam Girl) and I had a sketchbook date today. I brought along my friend Meg who is always a good time and we all sat around, chatted, drank lattes and drew (Meg read). As always, I took lots of pictures...

Seattle emo self-portrait flashback, ha.

I realized today that I haven't scanned any sketchbook pages for quite a while so here's a whole schwack of them...

Despite the current craziness of my life I've actually been drawing quite a bit.

I still need to update you guys on studio work from the last two weeks but we'll do one thing at a time. I'm visiting my friend Kerry at camp this weekend so you'll have to wait for a bit. Happy weekend.