EVERY DAY IN FEBRUARY, the new Challenge

Starting a new Every Day Drawing/Painting/Sketching challenge through the Danny Gregory/Sketchbook Skool people. It's been a while, so this will be good for me. Only 28 days. I wonder if I will do them all this time. And finish. 

Every piece must begin from a word starting with the letter "F" (for February. Get it?) I am, in addition, choosing to make all my entries pertain to aspects of living in the Pacific Northwest, since I do again. 

When I get this done I am going to have it printed as a little 30 page booklet. Unless that costs a fortune, then no. 

Which comes first?

So, the question of "which comes first" (NOT the chicken or the egg) but the INK or the WATERCOLOR, came up again in a group to which I belong.

My answer - "This is exactly what happens (to ME, at least), when I start with ink first. My work leaves the roundhouse as a nice ink sketch and takes off, but when it pulls into the station it has gone way past sketch, roared past painting, and arrives with bell and whistle as a full blown illustration. And, for me, it NEVER fails to do this. If I want a nice, fast, easy, loose sketch, I stick with areas of watercolor FIRST, then ink."

I started this at the Christmas party table at Cynthia's house yesterday. These are a trio of her holiday decorative matroyskas from her tree and her shelves (and, of course, some of her mushrooms). I did all the ink work there, and then finished at home. The nice, loose, fresh one is from last year, started watercolor first.

I rest my case.

While everyone else at Sketchers was exceptionally brave yesterday, sketching Paula's adorably beautiful blue-eyed grandbaby, I chickened out (once again) on tackling a live subject matter, instead going shopping for subject matter in her kitchen. First thing I found was a blue, metal elephant. From there my still life grew into a rosemal painted chopping block, another wooden elephant, some cinnamon sticks and a jar of Garam masala. I'm happy to draw things that don't move. Or giggle. No matter how cute.

The DC Sketches - November 2017 #6 Sketching at SAAM

I saved the best for last, I guess. After visiting the NGA and seeing the new Vermeer and Genre Painting exhibit, I hiked up to the Smithsonian American Art Museum (in the Portrait Gallery building) to attend the weekly drop-in gathering of artists for drawing and sketching in the Luce Collection. This is the third time I have done this, and it won't be the last! The moderator gave us all the task of either choosing either something architectural to draw, or something from the craft collections. Instead of "either/or", I chose AND - something from architectural (a sculpture of a little River House on an Alabama river by William Christenberry) and a finch "house" from the Nam June Paik archive. 
This is such a welcoming group of artists, having so much fun. I am already planning my next stay in DC to be bookended by Tuesdays, so I can attend TWICE during my stay!

The DC Sketches - November 2017 #5 Navy Memorial

What a DAY!! Went to brunch at Teaism downtown on 8th St, and when I was done I made a hard right out the door, headed for the National Gallery of Art. I only got as far as the Navy Memorial, which was empty of people and bathed in sunshine. It was quiet enough to hear the music of the water flowing over the cascade, and the fountains were sparkling in the sun. I didn’t get any farther for the next hour, just sat, sketched and enjoyed. Someone had left a floral tribute next to the sea bag of the Lone Sailor’s, one of my favorite public bronzes. 

The DC Sketches - November 2017 #4 Calder Room at the NGA

My first stop of the day was the newly remodeled and reopened Calder Gallery in Tower #2 of the National Gallery of Art. So nice, so inspiring. I was just afraid to tuck my pencil away and get out my pen, for fear the (very lovely and nice) guards would call me on it. Had to wait til I got home to use the illicit ink and watercolor. Spent the better part of my morning in the new galleries in the NGA - Rothko, Frankenthaler, Close, Thiebault, Warhol, Pollock - the moderns, my favorites!!!!

The DC Sketches - November 2017 #3 Henry, the Rotunda Elephant

While Genna had to go back to work in Chicago on Monday, I had the first of two wonderful Days on the Mall. Stop #2, drawing #2, in the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. I finished this one first because I was a rebel and snuck my contraband pen out after I’d finished with my sketch in officially sanctioned/approved pencil and completed the line drawing in ink on site. A no no. I added the evil, banned from all museums, watercolor after I got home. I love Henry, and he looks fresh and clean again, but I think I liked the old diorama he used to stand in better. Not happy with the “high tech” setting they’ve got him in now.