27th World Wide Sketch Crawl

We planned to meet at Wolf Pen Creek Park in College Station for the Sketch Crawl Saturday. Friday night, thunderstorms moved in and it was still pouring Saturday morning. So we went to the alternate place to meet, the new IHOP on the east bypass. It was packed and there was a line. No one else showed up for the Sketch Crawl, though, so I sketched, which embarrassed my daughter, who was driving, and my grandson who came along with his mother. They should be used to it, though, because I always do! The above is my title page for this Sketch Crawl. Rain, rain, rain.
You can see other results of the Sketch Crawl from around the world at http://www.sketchcrawl.com/. Go to the Forum. I had to laugh out loud at one. My sentiments exactly! He was alone, too, and it was also raining there. He drew the cutest teddy bear, with a bag and an umbrella in the rain. His watercolors were really good, too.
The next Sketch Crawl is July 31. Maybe we can get a group then. It will be hot, but we can work inside.

It's odd, but, everytime we go to this IHOP, they seat us at the same table. That's okay because we have a view out the windows and of the restaurant. I thought, "How many times am I going to draw these syrup bottles!" Joni had an omlet with some fancy coffee, Ashton had a cheeseburger, and I had my usual, 2 egg yolks, toast, hash browns, 2 little sausages, and strawberry pancakes. More than I can eat. I wondered why some places keep it so cold inside. Just ruins the food as it isn't so good when it gets cold. Sort of like eating a mouthful of cold Crisco. Ashton doesn't like to eat in the morning. He says it makes his stomach hurt. I'm the same way. But I always like breakfast food. And, since college days, I like a good hamburger around 10:00 a.m.
Ashton did prefer this restaurant because he said it is clean.

Whatever happened to crayons and coloring sheets or puzzles for the kids? I have my sketchbook to keep me busy, but poor kids (and adults) who have to sit and wait in restaurants and other places. One little boy at another table was being passed back and forth between his parents. He finally took the straws and used them as drumsticks, banging away on the dishes and table. He wasn't being noisey, but he was moving a lot! you couldn't help but look.

Finally, along came the "Balloon Lady" and made him a balloon tiger to play with. I know everyone was glad to see her! I sketched her as she was making the balloon for the little boy.

She came to our table and made a balloon tiger for Ashton, too, although he is a bit older.
She was so colorful, I wanted to get a picture of her, and hoped I would see many more interesting people to sketch during the day. Love that purple hat!

This is the "Balloon Lady", Alicia D. Caceres, from Spain. I thought she was a very enterprising young lady. She said that she goes to several restaurants in the area, so look for her around Bryan/College Station. She said that she likes to paint, too, so maybe we will see some of her art work.

Since no one else showed up for Sketch Crawl, after breakfast, we went about our normal errands. A kid sat in the back seat of our van and pulled down the seatbelt that we think is for a baby seat. It wouldn't go back up. So, we went by Lithia and they fixed it with a ball point pen! We also had to get them to show us how to work the DVD player.

I noticed a pickup truck and a small van, both with their hoods up, in the auto repair area. They sort of faded into the darkness of the large area. There was a little light, coming through an open door. The contrast of some red orange posts and fencing of one work area, caught my attention. So, while they tended to the car, I sketched. I didn't have much time, but got down what I needed to see to finish as we drove.

In the parking lot at Target, we saw these 2 little girls, each holding the hand of a parent, and walking to their car in a gentle rain. They looked cute with their little umbrellas, their pastel dresses, and little umbrellas. I thought the one with the yellow duck on a blue oval was particularly eyecatching. I loved my parasol and umbrella when I was a little girl. Made me feel like a movie star, all glamorous and grown up as I walked with my great-grandfather.

In late afternoon, as we approached Walmart, the sky seemed divided. The rain stopped and there was a clear division of clouds and blue sky. This seemed to be the back of the storm.

I had hoped that we could start the day, sketching at Wolf Pen Creek Park, and, that afternoon, sketch the preparations for the concert with Roger Craeger that night at the ampitheatre. I thought it would be cancelled due to the ground being saturated. My driver said she wanted to go home, so this was as close as I got to the concert. She drove by and I got to see a lot of people going to the ampitheatre. I was so disappointed. The last good concert that I got to see here was when Bo Diddley came. The family balked at going to that one, too, but, at least, they went for a while. They fumed the whole time, so it wasn't as much fun as it could have been.

We went home and I watched "Last of the Summer Wine", "My Family", and "Dr. Who" on tv while I ate a sandwich and added more color to my sketches of the day.

I tried to add my pictures to the Sketch Crawl website, twice. The first time, it all disappeared when I previewed it. The second time, I only had Xs for pictures. So, if you are looking at my work on the Forum for Sketch Crawl, you can come here, or on Flickr or FaceBook to see them! I hope I can find out what I did wrong!

Join in the 28th World Wide Sketch Crawl July 31!

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26th World Wide Sketch Crawl Bryan, Texas

These are my sketches from the 26th World Wide Sketch Crawl, Saturday February 27. I used a Pitt pen in a 7" x 10 " sketchbook, with a touch of Winsor Newton watercolors to add a bit of color.

Sadly, the LaSalle Hotel coffee shop, downtown in the LaSalle Hotel, is being remodeled, so we couldn't meet there as we had before. I thought the library might be a good, family and artist friendly place to meet and hopefully, we might have a group. I asked people to meet at the old fire bell, unless it was too cold, then we would have to meet inside.

Skies were blue and clear, and the north wind was strong and cold, so I walked around outside for a bit, looking for anyone who might like to sketch that day. I didn't see anyone, so I took a few photos of things I would like to draw, if the weather had been warmer.

Inside, I picked a table by a big window, thinking I might draw the backs of some buildings downtown. But, I looked at all those windows and decided that would take too long. I have photos that I could use later, if needed. While I decided what to draw, I did a title page, showing flapping flags, bare Crepe Myrtle, colorful pansies that were planted beside the library, and the library with sun on the front.

I was in the section where the computers are located, and I was amazed at people coming and going, working on the computers and making copies, and I wondered what happened to the microfiche machine. I did some sketches of some of the people at the computers, and activity in the library. Of course, as soon as I would start to draw someone, they would either move or leave.

Some of my drawings were on the order of gesture drawings, just to capture the pose or the moment. Good practice!

My daughter and grandson picked me up for lunch. We thought that the Longhorn Tavern was a pretty "Texan" type of place to eat. The Longhorns (University of Texas) are Aggie rivals, but this place was named for cattle and not the university. It was located north of town, beside the old auction barn for years. Last summer, that building was torn down and the restaurant moved to downtown Bryan in the old Coca Cola bottling plant. An interesting place to eat with old pictures and collectables around, sort of dark, but they have huge servings of food, cooked the way it should be!

After lunch, my family took me back to the library for more sketching. This time, I shared the table with a nice lady, Deborah, who said she likes to draw, but had to make out tests.

I sketched a boy and girl at the next table. The boy seemed like he didn't feel too well and was coughing, (like so many people!), but he was engrossed in his book. The girl was reading and working on her tiny little laptop. There was an older boy, working on a computer, behind the pair. I decided that this must be a family, using Saturday to learn. About the time that I started sketching the girl, they all left! I had to finish her from memory.

I planned to go upstairs and sketch the doll house, grandfathers clocks, etc., but they announced that the library would be closing. My tablemate thought they closed at 9:00 and I thought they closed a t6:00 perhaps. Not at 5:00.

Instead of drawing the dollhouse, I went outside to wait for my ride and took a few more photos, with afternoon light. Reference material for other drawings, possibly.

It turned out to be a good day, with a good place to work. It was warm, comfortable, safe, with tables for working, fairly quiet, with water and restrooms nearby.

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The next Sketch Crawl will be May 15.

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Entires for the Brazos Valley Art League Judged Show will be taken in at the Art Center March 5.

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That is also the date for the big First Friday in Downtown Bryan. Look for the links in my sidebar.

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Just listened to Mitt and Ann Romney on Fox, talking about healthcare, among other things. Yes, it's great that many people can get wonderful health care here, and because they are Americans. But that doesn't happen for everyone. They are lucky to be who they are and wealthy.

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Remembering Mothers Day

Remembering Mothers Day

8.5" x 11"

mixed media

(Prismacolors and watercolors_

Early Sunday morning sun glistened on the curtains of my bedroom. I could hear my children outside my window. They were up early and outside planning a Mothers Day treat for me.

I smiled and looked out at them moving in the back yard.

The best things are the ones that are created just for you.

I wondered what they had planned for me. I didn't want them to know that I was watching. They were being very independent today.

I didn't think they would cook breakfast. I would do that, and then we would dress and go to church. After that, we would come home for Sunday dinner and, maybe, their grandparents would come for a visit in the afternoon.

Pulling the covers up around my face would conceal the fact that I had been awake as they entered my room.

"Here's a card for you. I made it myself." my son said as he handed me his construction paper card.

My daughter handed me her handmade card.

"What do you have behind your backs?" I asked.

"It's your Mothers Day present," my son said. "Close your eyes!"

"Okay." I closed my eyes and heard them walking beside my bed.

My daughter handed me some wild flowers, with fresh dew still on them, that she had picked in the yard.

At the same time, my son put something sort of wet and creepy feeling into my hand. I screamed and thought sure he had found a snake in the yard. A wonderous thing to a little boy, but a scarey thing to this woman.

"Take that out of here!" I kept screaming.

"But, Mama, it's only a nice little green frog," he explained.

He looked hurt.

"I'm sure it is a very nice frog. But he would be happier outside with other frogs. That was nice of you to think of me, but he really belongs outside."

They went outside to find a good place to release the frog.

We had breakfast, went to church, had dinner at home, my parents came to visit and went back home.

That was a most memorable Mothers Day for me.

Now, years later, my grandson picked out a Mr. Bean movie that we will watch later. My daughter slept late, my sister came by on her way back to her home, I've washed clothes, fixed lunch for my grandsons, taken care of the cats, and plan to give Bitsy, the cat, a bath. My grandson made a card for his mom and the oldest one bought her a present.

Happy Mothers Day to all you mothers and grandmothers. I hope that your day has been one to remember.

I did the picture above with a Pitt pen on 70 lb drawing paper and added Prismacolors and some watercolor to give it color. The paper is acid free.

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Happy Mothers Day!!!

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