The State of the Blog

Probably time for another update. Pregnancy is not being kind to the geeky girl. Got over the extreme morning sickness to feel ok for a while then started getting tired. Really tired. Kind of dizzy too. That's normal right? Right?
Apparently not. Had bloodwork done that came back that I am quite anemic. I am now taking insane amounts of iron and just generally taking it easy. Nothing too serious, just unpleasant and draining. Hopefully in a few more weeks the iron will finish kicking in and I'll be up and going again.
Over the course of the last few months I've only managed to do a few drawings but I'll slowly get those posted.

The Swing of Things

This is a little sketch a I did a little while ago just to try to get back in the swing of sketching. Not really of anything in particular. I think I was watching something on the Discovery channel showing henna tattoos and later when I decided to doodle this came out.

A Quick Update

It's been a while since I last posted due to the awful "morning" sickness I've been dealing with for the past few months. It's slowly starting to get better. My husband and I are very excited and happy about this pregnancy and upcoming baby. As I'm starting to feel better I hope to start sketching on a more regular basis again soon. Thanks for people's kind comments and hopefully there will be more pretty (or not) pictures on here soon. Stand by...

Speaks For Itself Really...

Gaillardia Grandiflora

I did this drawing a few weeks ago in my front yard in humid, 90 degree weather. It's hard to stay focused in such conditions. I wasn't quite able to capture the vibrancy of the the reddish-brown color but I like the blotchiness. Gives it a little more life.

To New Zealand

To Germany

I'm afraid I haven't been very good about drawing recently. My only saving grace is the fact that I doodle on the back of these postcards I send out. Since I know someone is waiting for the postcard I at least get a little drawing done. On another note this person talked about books so I decided to draw my library card. I enjoy it when the person's profile I get has something in it that gives me an idea of something to draw. This person asked for book suggestions.

Where Have All The Bees Gone?

I did this sketch from a blurry photograph I took a few years ago. It's kind of all over the place. It kind of looks like the bee only has two legs. On the other hand I'm pretty happy with the black mixture I achieved. Really I'm happy that I drew anything at all as I've hit a bit of a dry spell. Sometimes it feels as though there's not enough paper in the world to draw everything I want to draw. Other times it feels like I'm artistically brain dead.

Lavender - To Finland

Apparently there are quite a few postcrossers in Finland. This will be the third card I've sent there in my short time as a postcrosser. On this one I did just a quick little doodle of a sprig of lavender.

To Japan

I definitely prefer the look of a big, bold drawing on the postcards I send out. It's kind of funny but so far all of the postcards I've used take watercolor fairly well. I know I don't have to do the sketches on them but it's fun to send your drawings off into the world. And I know I would be delighted to get one with a little drawing on it.

How to Make Green Beans

I hadn't sketched in a few days. Just couldn't really get going on anything. Made dinner last night which included green beans. Got to thinking about how some people don't know that you've got to doctor up canned veggies. Thus, this sketch, such as it is.

To Australia

A card to Australia. I've received my first card and it was from Dresden, Germany. It's quite fun. I think I'm going to try to focus on sketching one central item on the back of postcards I send out now. I think I like that effect better.

Soft Leather Shoes

This is my first EDM challenge. I'm thinking about starting at the beginning and working my way through. Not on any particular schedule. Just as I need a little extra inspiration or feel like it could be fun. I tried to capture the distressed leather texture of these shoes without doing so much pen work that it felt muddy. Also, I have to say, it was really, really, tempting to pick up a pencil to do this. I'm glad I didn't because if I had, I would have gone straight to that anal-retentive, obsessive place where every line, every shadow has to be exactly perfect. It's not a very fun place. In fact, I'm trying to expatriate from that place.

To Finland

Here's another postcrossing card I sent off. I don't know if I'll keep posting them here or not. They do have little sketches on them and might be fun to look back on all together someday. Any thoughts?

Oriole

Over at my parent's house my Mom has put up an oriole feeder. Apparently they are attracted to grape jelly. Who knew? In any case with the help of a bird book I made this little sketch in honor of the visitors showing up over there.

Recipe for an International Postcard

I really enjoyed the act of drawing this one. I got lost in all the little details. It also has a place close to my heart because about a week ago when I went to the post office to pick up these stamps I fainted. At the counter. In front of about 50 people. Someone called an ambulance and the EMTs hooked me up to the heart monitor and blood pressure cuff and it was all very dramatic and I'm sure highly entertaining for the people waiting in line. I went to the E.R. and got checked out and it was just one of those things - nothing serious - I might have a condition where if I stand for too long my blood pressure drops and I pass out. Sounds like the premise of a bad sitcom to me. In any case, now my husband and family relentlessly tease me that I got over excited about the colorful stamps. Now I have the drawing to prove it.

Taylor Guitar

So here's a little sketch of my guitar. Or at least a part of it. The guitar I mean. To clarify: A whole sketch of a part of my guitar. I did this in pen (no pencil again), and I think it turned out better than the hummingbird feeder. Still scary to see a nice blank page and put a pen to it. As the results are more to my liking it gets a little easier.

Hummingbird Feeder

This is not my favorite sketch but it is important none the less. It is my first sketch in my moleskine that I started straight in with the pen. In my earlier drawings I did at least a little preliminary pencil sketch before commiting to ink. Not so with this drawing. While it is frightening it forces you to look at things a little differently. Pay attention to how lines intersect and overlap. Take a little time before drawing to figure out where on the page you want things to be. More forays into the crazy world of pencil-less sketching in the days to come.

The Ephemera of a Cold

Pretty self explanatory. I think my favorite part to draw was the throat lozenge.

To Italy

This is my second card for postcrossing.

This time just a few little doodles. I actually sent the cards out on the same day.