Peony Kinshi

I actually remember drawing this last Spring. Grandma was watching my daughter and I remember it feeling so luxurious to have the time to sit and draw. When I draw, and then later look at those drawings, it almost has the same power as scent as a memory trigger for me.

Dent De Lion

Chloe's Backpack

Here's a sketch I did of Chloe's little backpack. I find that now that I'm a parent, I'm making little notes and sketches everywhere of the funny things she does and says. Most of the time it's just a quick note written in my cheap planner. Occasionally, it ends up being one of these full blown illustrations.

I find it amazing looking back at this stuff at how much of it I would have already forgotten had I not written it down somewhere.

Normally I Don't Criticize My Sketches But...

I don't like to criticize my sketches. They are just sketches in a sketchbook. Sometimes I try something and it works - other times it doesn't. Generally there is always something I learn - which is the point of a sketchbook really. I can always find something I like in any drawing I make. On the other hand I can always find something I would do differently. I refuse to go down the road of "this is awful, that is awful, I suck, blah, blah, blah". You don't want to hear that. I don't want to hear that.

With all of that being said, I am also a mother. And as a mother I must let the record show that my daughter is way cuter than this. This is creepy. My daughter is not creepy. Even when she throws a blanket over her head and says, "Boooo. I am a ghost. Run away." she is still cute and not creepy.

So there sketch. I criticize you in defense of my daughter.

Castle Tea Room Before Watercolor

Here is the Castle Tea Room just in ink. And yes this was done over a year ago. Over the next few weeks I hope to post some older sketches that just never made it to the blog.