On vacation with family and I took some time to draw in REI while shopping.
Interior
3305: Lake Quinault Lodge
We had a small vacation! I did one drawing today and one the next on the same page.
Traveling Home
I was up late and very sick the night before, now I’m traveling home early in the morning.
The “Art First” Rule
The inevitable happened. I missed a day. But it was a wonderful learning experience that I can prevent a repeat of.
Optimize Coach Graduation: Day 3
On day one of graduation I learned that I need some practice with sketching moving subject and use my memory more, today I practice it.
Optimize Coach Graduation: Day 2
Today was spectacular! Up early for Meditation, Carpe Diem and Yoga, some Optimize programming then a SPARTAN RACE!
Optimize Coach Graduation: Day 1
After a very long morning we arrived in LA and started our first day with Optimize coach graduation. It was a wonderful day!
Indianapolis Drawing 8
Our last day in Indianapolis we loiter in the lobby till it’s time to travel to the airport.
Indianapolis Drawing 7
This is the last day of the conference and I’m sitting at the ZooFit table drawing the high priced Mazuri booth featuring exotic animals.
Indianapolis Drawing 6
Once again in the lobby, I’m looking at a plethora of stark architecture and modern furniture and finally settling on an area of high contrast.
Indianapolis Drawing 5
I hesitated when starting this drawing of hanging lights as the complexity of the subject seemed beyond my ability, but I did it anyway.
Indianapolis Drawing 4
I’m in the lobby again, drawing a woman behind the front desk and the massive space surrounding her.
Indianapolis Drawing 1
We have traveled to Indianapolis for an AAZK conference and ZooFit promotion so the next few days is me drawing in the hotel room.
Moving Sketch 2
We have moved most of our stuff to our new apartment yesterday now we are moving our most precious kitties after I do my sketch.
Moving Sketch
All my art supplies are packed up and the apartment is almost empty so I’m sitting on the floor drawing a clean kitchen stove.
Family Reunion: Day 4
We have a long trip ahead of us to get home so last night we got a lot of sleep and woke up to start our art and writing.
Family Reunion: Day 3
Today we decided to do our art and writing early in the day before going to the lake house and spending time with the family.
Family Reunion: Day 1
After a long flight the day before and a night of meeting family I haven’t seen in too long I did this sketch of the bed side in our hotel room.
Alaska Cruise: Day 6
Today I’m not feeling well but I’m drawing on our stateroom bed. The sea is rough and I’m hoping it will calm down soon as we are headed for Victoria BC.
Alaska Cruise: Day 5
I really liked how the chairs against the bar marched into the distance it was a great perspective challenge. I didn’t copy the scene exactly but that is okay.
Alaska Cruise: Day 4
I’m back to drawing lamps again, this is a norm for me as any time we stay in a hotel I draw lamps, I’m not sure why but I have fun with it.
Alaska Cruise: Day 3
I’m up in the crows nest again today drawing a lamp and a Lego model of our ship.
Alaska Cruise: Day 2
The cruise ship had a nice library at one of the top decks with the best view of the landscape. I sat in this crowded area drawing the cool book shelves.
Alaska Cruise: Day 1
We are on a cruise to Alaska but I don’t stop my daily art for this, it’s just another opportunity to draw something new and different, a way to challenge myself.
Kidney Transplant: Apt Day 18
I think I’m running out of subject matter in this apartment but the drawing is great practice.
Kidney Transplant: Apt Day 16
Luckily we have a portable air conditioning unit in our apartment, it keeps the heat and smoke out.
Kidney Transplant: Apt Day 13
The stove and appliances in our kitchen are particularly interesting and hard to draw.
Kidney Transplant: Apt Day 9
I’m having a lot of fun drawing this stuff just sitting on our counter, there are all kinds of details to get lost in.
Kidney Transplant: Apt Day 7
Yes I really like just drawing with ink and going for detail right away.
Kidney Transplant: Apt Day 6
I’m drawing all the stuff that has collected on our kitchen counter, and just in ink.
Kidney Transplant: Apt Day 1
We have moved to a much better apartment and very close to the transplant center.
Kidney Transplant: Hotel Day 3
The hotel we rented is not working out for us and we hope to move to an apartment for the rest of the month.
Kidney Transplant: Hotel Day 1
We moved to Seattle and this is my first night in the hotel, tomorrow I get up super early and we head to the hospital. My surgery is scheduled for 9am but we have to be there at 5am. I’m nervous, very nervous.
Mt Rainier With Dad
Our adventure continues as we drive up both the north and south side of Mt Rainier today.
Mt St Helens with Dad
My Dad drove all the way from Kentucky to visit us and we took a trip to see Mt St Helen’s today.
Living Room: Finished and Drawing Fundamentals
I’ve finished my Living Room painting and I’m very happy with how it turned out, now it is time to work on the fundamentals.
Living Room: Suitcase
I’m happy to say that I’m close to finishing this painting, just a couple more sessions.
Living Room: Out of Focus
Not only is the photograph out of focus but for this session my mind was out of focus also.
Living Room: Pink Bag
I struggling to find a good color to substitute for this pink bag that is in the foreground of the photograph.
Living Room: Floor and Glass
I’m enjoying painting the multitude of different textures and today I went from a wood floor to a glass top.
Living Room: Cat Carrier
For this session I paint a cat carrier and I think about the truth of everything.
Living Room: Table Done
I’ve finished the table this session and I’ hope all the lines are straight enough.
Living Room: Dad’s Table
I worked for an hour on a very small section because it’s important that I get this right.
Living Room: Gray
Even though some colors in this painting looking of high chrome they are all actually very close to gray.
Living Room: Hand Refinement
Today I worked on refining my hand and some foreground elements.
Living Room: Plaid Pants
Painting plaid pants is not the easiest thing to do, it takes a lot of focus.
Living Room: Back on Track
I’m back to it today, trying to get more than an hour of work on this painting.
Living Room: One of Those Days
Today was one of those days where I really didn’t have the motivation to do more than the minimum.
Living Room: A Small Area
When the day isn’t going well and I’m having a hard time just getting started, I concentrate on a small area to keep focus.
Living Room: Double Time
Tonight I spent 2 hours painting which is a great achievement as it has been a while since I could manage that much time in one day.
Living Room: Lots of Blending
I spent this whole session working on blending the top ceiling area of this painting.
Living Room: On the Phone Painting Boxes
I spent this whole session on the phone with my brother while painting boxes.
Living Room: Doing What I Feel Like
I was thinking about doing a session with my gouache tree painting but, honestly I didn’t feel like it.
Living Room: Texture
I find myself running out of things to write about as this painting is progressing slowly.
Living Room: The Right Music
With the right music I’m able to enter into a deep focus while painting and I almost always have good results.
Living Room: Small Changes
The portrait in this painting is so small that I’m having trouble painting it.
Living Room: Almost Half Way
I’m almost half way done with this painting, this is still just the block-in.
Living Room: Lots of Gray
I’m adjusting the original photo and removing all of the high chroma colors in the foreground.
Living Room: Sticking With it
I was going to start another painting in gouache but I couldn’t find a good subject.
Living Room: Lack of Focus
While painting a ton of complex stuff today I realize my current lack of focus.
Living Room: Stripes
Another hour spent on this painting and in this session I have a dilemma on how to paint stripes.
Living Room: Dark Glaze
I started off this session with a dark glaze over the entire background that was dry.
Living Room: Breaking it Up
To bolster my motivation I’m not focusing on all the work it will take to finish this painting, I’m breaking it up into easier chunks.
Living Room: Not Working
I’m honestly not sure if I want to continue with this painting, I think it’s not working.
Living Room: Branching Out
Similar to how Richard Schmid paints I start with detail in a spot and then begin branching out.
Living Room: Portrait Start
This is how I prefer to begin a painting, with as much details as possible with the first strokes.
Living Room: Beginning with Oil
I’ve realized that I don’t like starting with washes or general block-ins.
Living Room: Lost in the Detail
The clutter is intentional, it’s part of our lives, and I’m interested in getting lost within it.
Living Room: Drawing and Value
I’m focusing on drawing and value now with the addition of lighter gesso.
Living Room: More Drawing Refinement
I’m working further on the drawing refinement for this session, trying to get as much laid out before painting.
Living Room: Drawing Refinement
For the next few sessions I will be refining the drawing for this painting.
Living Room: Beginning Drawing
I’m not even using my easel for this one it is so big that I’m just propping it up on my lap to draw.
Living Room: Start
Most of today’s session was taking photos for my painting and getting my paper gessoed.
Me and Kiddie: Finished
I’m not completely finished with this painting, just one small thing to do yet.
Me and Kiddie: Sweater and Jeans
I wasn’t feeling particularly motivated to paint today, I’m not sure why so I did the minimum with or on the sweater and jeans.
Me and Kiddie: Desk Details
I finished up the details on the monitor and rushed the plaque on my desk.
Me and Kiddie: Painting a Monitor
I’m actually painting the icons and program that is showing on my monitor.
Me and Kiddie: More Hand, More Sweater Work
I finished up my hand during this session and started moving my way up my arm refining the sweater a bit more.
Me and Kiddie: Refining My Hand
I spent this session refining details on my hand. I take extra care in getting this right.
Vacation: Campbell River BC Again
This is our second night in Campbell River and I’ve run out of lamps to draw.
Vacation: Campbell River BC
After some long driving we are in Campbell River BC, one of the most north cities on Vancouver Island.
Vacation: Port Alberni BC
Tonight we are staying at a not so great hotel in Port Alberni BC. This seems to be a very small town with not much happening.
Vacation: Courtenay BC
Tonight we are in Courtenay BC and staying at a lovely bed and breakfast again.
Vacation: Nanaimo BC Again
We stayed a second night at the same bed and breakfast and I decided to draw a small vase of flowers as I was running out of lamps.
Vacation: Nanaimo BC
Today we are visiting the city of Nanaimo on Vacouver Island BC. We are staying at a wonderful Bed and Breakfast.
Vacation: Cowichan BC
We started our vacation today on a white Christmas, which would be great if I didn’t have to push the car out of the driveway.
Interior Perspective and Cell Phone Distortion
As I’m finishing up the drawing for this painting I was really amazed at the amount of distortion created by my cell phone.
On Vacation: Crystal Mountain 2
Our second day staying at the Crystal Mountain resort, same lamp, different angle.
On Vacation: Crystal Mountain
I’m on a weeks vacation so the following 7 or so posts will be short and the drawings simple.
Ink Bed and Breakfast
Well, I’m not in Chicago anymore, but I’m not home either. We are on another trip and I’m doing an ink drawing at a bed and breakfast.
Chicago Second Day
This is my second day in Chicago. Work is going well and when it is all over I’m in my room drawing another lamp.
A Very Long Day
After only a few hours of sleep, I flew overnight to Chicago, worked all day and finally got to bed late. It was a very long day.
Crofton Bed and Breakfast
Today we are in Crofton Canada, a town on Vancouver Island, and I’m drawing a lamp in bed.