Friday, December 31, 2021

Winter wonderland and snow queen, my drawings, (digital), from Sip & sketch number 84, 12/23/21


 Sip & sketch number 84, memory list, 12/23/21, in random order.
  1. Five doggies wearing Christmas stuff hats etc.
  2. Gingerbread house
  3. Dog with a bow on his head
  4. Skimpy skinny Christmas tree
  5. Winter wonderland ice sculpture?
  6. Weimaraners dressed in Christmas decorations such as string of lights, and a wreath
  7. Woman in pouffy dress?  
  8. A still life with presents and Christmas decorations
  9. A bowl of flowers
  10. A snow queen
  11. Auburn haired woman in very  warm clothing against a white background with some fir boughs coming in from the borders 
  12. Haha I made one up - (poofy dress), and forgot one. King and queen chess pieces w a Lego toy warrior







 

















Sip & sketch number 84 


Sip & Sketch session #84, hosted by theater costume and set designers, Lisa Jordan and Cindi Taylor, 

Thank you so much for making these sessions possible. 

They curate a set of images for each session. Participants draw each selection at varying 'pose' lengths - from 5-20 minutes - until the timer rings. Then  participants may show their drawings briefly for a group screen shot in 'gallery ' view. These sessions take place virtually over Zoom.



Friday, December 24, 2021

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays 2021

 Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays to all!

The digital drawing started as a coloring page, ended up as my, (virtual), Christmas card.

Download the pdf to print and fold into a card 

https://catinkacards.tripod.com/pdf/xmasTreePoem2021.pdf












Monday, December 20, 2021

Scissortail flycatcher and leaping monkey. Drawings from #83 Sip & Sketch, 12/17/21

Scissortail flycatcher and leaping monkey. My drawings from #83 Sip & Sketch, 12/17/21 

Random memory list of images:
  1. Scissor tail flycatcher 
  2. Leaping monkey
  3. Octopus
  4. Surreal fisheye lens of view, man with an umbrella, trees inside a ring?
  5. Woman in a costume, pleated skirt
  6. Comedy tragedy faces by Ian MacKellan and Patrick Stewart
  7. Waiting for Godot
  8. Sweet peas
  9. Ribbon figure 8 chair, laminated or Bentwood




Remembered them all!


Sip & Sketch session #83, hosted by theater costume and set designers, Lisa Jordan and Cindi Taylor, 

Thank you so much for making these sessions possible. 

They curate a set of images for each session. Participants draw each selection at varying 'pose' lengths - from 5-20 minutes - until the timer rings. Then  participants may show their drawings briefly for a group screen shot in 'gallery ' view. These sessions take place virtually over Zoom.





Saturday, December 11, 2021

Cat and Pig see Gingerbread houses, 12/11/21, digital phone drawings

Cat and Pig like Gingerbread houses. Digital iMessage phone and tablet drawings. 12/11/21.

 






























And a coloring page gingerbread house drawing. Print it out to color!












Friday, December 10, 2021

Snake and Tulip, drawings, (digital), Sip & Sketch #82, 12/3/21

Random list of images session number 82, 12/3/21

Let's see what I can remember

  1. Garden snake, (no, not garden)
  2. Tulip
  3. Penis plant
  4. Staircase of the grand opera house Paris maybe
  5. High fashion model in a crazy costume with high platform shoes
  6. Chrysler building  art deco triangle windows
  7. Gymnast doing a split jump or something
  8. 1939 worlds fair
  9. Three giraffes wearing sunglasses, one of which is a baby 
  10. Interior still life with floral vases of lilacs or some kind of purple flower






Sip & Sketch session #82, hosted by theater costume and set designers, Lisa Jordan and Cindi Taylor, 

Thank you so much for making these sessions possible. 

They curate a set of images for each session. Participants draw each selection at varying 'pose' lengths - from 5-20 minutes - until the timer rings. Then  participants may show their drawings briefly for a group screen shot in 'gallery ' view. These sessions take place virtually over Zoom.


I did second versions of some of the images later.






.


 

Tuesday, December 7, 2021

Krakow Poland virtual travel visit digital drawings. 12/5/21

 My digital drawings from a virtual travel visit to #Krakow Poland with #VirtualSketchLeicester. Thanks to #PeteSketches for arranging.


















Friday, December 3, 2021

Blue thistle and turkey head, my drawings from Sip & Sketch #81, 11/26/21


My drawings from Sip & Sketch #81, 11/26/21.
Remembered images in random order.
  1. Toothpaste and toothbrush
  2. Blue thistle
  3. Jumping dancer and airplane
  4. Finger puppets parade on two hands
  5. Turkey head
  6. Fancy dancers native American in costume
  7. Screaming guy profile
  8. Squashes (with pumpkin). .. Are squashes actually fruits?
  9. Fall tree and footbridge




Hosted by theater costume and set designers, Lisa Jordan and Cindi Taylor, 

Thank you so much for making these sessions possible. 

They curate a set of images for each session. Participants draw each selection at varying 'pose' lengths - from 5-20 minutes - until the timer rings. Then participants may show their drawings briefly for a group screen shot in 'gallery ' view. These sessions take place virtually over Zoom.




.


Monday, November 22, 2021

Antigua Guatemala, virtual travel sketches. 11/22/21

 #Antigua, #Guatemala, #VirtualSketchLeicester. Digital drawing in iOS notes. After images


from videos and google earth references. Many thanks to Pete Sketches from the Virtual Sketch Leicester group for this!

This group puts together weekly collections of locations around the world for participants to sketch from. There is a closing ‘throw down’ where people share what they’ve done. I believe this was originally started in response to the Covid pandemic.






Friday, November 19, 2021

,Dog wearing glasses and seashell still life, my drawings from Sip & Sketch week 82, 11/12/21

Dog wearing glasses and seashell still  life, my drawings from Sip & Sketch week 82, 11/12/21. Remembered in random order.

  1. Seashell still life
  2. Dog wearing glasses
  3. Woman with piercing eyes, wrinkled face, long hair
  4. Asian girls in red ceremonial garb
  5. Lotus seed pods, (not remembered)..
  6. Staircase and temple in Thailand with dragon like railing


























Sip & Sketch session/week #82,  hosted by theater costume and set designers, Lisa Jordan and Cindi Taylor, 

Thank you so much for making these sessions possible. 

They curate a set of images for each session. Participants draw each selection at varying 'pose' lengths - from 5-20 minutes - until the timer rings. Then most participants show their drawings briefly for a group screen shot in 'gallery ' view. These sessions take place virtually over Zoom.




Wednesday, November 17, 2021

I remember I did drawing and painting alongside my dad as he painted…

A friend asked the other day what I might recommend for a young child who had to spend lots of time in travel on a regular basis, over roads with nothing to see. This got me reflecting on my own experiences with art as a young one.




I remember I did drawing and painting alongside my dad as he painted. He would tack paper up onto the closet door and I would paint or draw while he worked on his canvas.

Mostly I think I worked/played with my dolls and toys. I had lots of golden books but I couldn't read yet. My parents read to me a lot, including from a book of Grimms fairytales the original versions. There were no illustrations in it. Each story had an illuminated first initial but that was like an inch by c. an inch. it ***??? wasn't you can see anything in it. The two volume book set is fat and printed in that German Gothic text so I couldn't even recognize any letters. I would just listen to the story as my mom read it.

My parents read to each other a lot too. They'd be reading their magazines and newspapers and then say "here listen to this! "And then proceed to read whatever it was they wanted the other to listen to.

After my dad went back to Germany, my mom continued to work in whatever job she was working at - secretary. And she saved enough money to take a long trip to Mexico. Of course I went with her. It was a three days and three nights greyhound bus trip. I was not drawing during this. I think the bus was too jiggly to be able to draw while riding. I had some books to look at. I think we also just visited with the other bus riders.
Whatever artwork that survived all these years I had done it on newsprint pads some of which was even lined. You know, the bigger lines like for kids. Sometimes I drew in ballpoint pen, (did we even have them yet?), or used regular crayons. I used my dad's set of tempera paint - looks like a watercolor set in a closing tin case. (He left it with me when he returned to Germany…) And I think I had to use his bristle oil painting brushes, which were not good for watery paint. But he was also really good with brush and ink sketching or pen and ink. His father was an artist who did illustrations for the newspapers. Whenever an article was about ****???? and I would like** portrait sketches done really pretty fast in pen and ink. And because the stuff is just for printing it was done on newsprint - it wasn't meant to last.
So I'm not sure I'd recommend anything but play with the dolls or any dolls, any toys, that you have. You know, play pretend and look at books, read them. Drawing should be an extension of playing with toys. 
(Voice change..)
You're using drawing and writing as another way to imagine and play in an imaginary world. And it's it's an extension of yourself. The more you need it or use it for that aspect, the more it connects to the core of your being. But if you're using it to create private product you're going to get too judgemental about it and may end up driving yourself so crazy with the pressure of expectations. Even praise often ends up creating pressure. Kids can end up judging themselves too strongly against outer values or performances instead of their own inner desire to do something just for the sake of it.

I always wished for one of those pencil boxes that had a little drawer. I don't think they make them anymore. I never got one. I also really loved those letter writing cases. They opened like a book. Had a place for a large pad of paper, and slots for envelopes, pens, stamps. They closed with a wrap over snap or a zipper. Never got one like that either. My Ginny and Ginnette dolls had a lovely trunk for them and their clothes and accessories. That had a little drawer. But I did not get those dolls til age 6-7.

My Mom and I brought home from Mexico earthenware pottery. Lots of kids dishes. Also the kid/doll size version of a corn grinding stone. And that carved chocolate making tool. …mollinilo

Years later when I was big sister to all my siblings, we'd sit around the table drawing together. But these activities were also influenced by our parents. Our Mom's father and aunt were both very involved in artistic/creative interests. The German aunt had made a picture book of her childhood activities in her home - a copy for me, and a copy for the German cousin about my age.

Once I was in art school and came home, (family had moved to Michigan), to spend Xmas break babysitting them while Mom went to visit in Europe, I got the opportunity to kit out the siblings w some more grown up art supplies. I got them each a 'leatherette' bound sketchbook and an assortment of decent colored pencils - Berol prismacolor.

But they all always liked the bright colored water based markers. Our Mom kept them well supplied in those. The two boys were always drawing maps on those shirt cardboards that came from the cleaners. These were lands and terrains to drive their matchbox cars on, on the floor. They also drew fantastic landscapes and imaginary scenes. They did much more drawing than the girls did. I think our Mom just bought them large pads of drawing paper about the same size as the shirt cardboard. One of the brothers drew lots of cartoons and Rube like contraptions. This however was the brother who died as a young man. 
Every kid,(sibling),had their hands in some creative ventures. It was just part of what was assumed kids did. They were never overly praised or paid attention to for what they made. In Montclair they were still quite young. So our Mom was always taping their art from school up on a little wall area in the kitchen.
At the young ages i think it's more important for the art to be an extension of the imaginary/pretend world. A place to play with your characters in - to pretend in.

So what kind of little suitcase/travel case would kids nowadays like for keeping colored pencils and markers? I think I made books back then as Christmas presents for my parents - Ie the Nativity story. But I didn't have a stapler big enough to staple properly. Christmas card making came along because our Mom had discovered one could do fake gold leafing. It was sheets of transfer gilting one burnished off onto your page. She was writing in 'fractur' with special calligraphy dip pen and ink, and then using the fake gilting. I think that started the Christmas card making tradition. (Like doing the cookies at Christmas or eggs for Easter.)
Our Mom also taught me hand sewing, crocheting at a very young age. because she'd had to do it early. Sew an apron to learn sewing. And make a crocheted potholder as a present for whom? I don't know. She had to do it and then I had to. My siblings never got that far.

After rereading this I have kept returning to recent memory of a traveler from England(?), who had an adorable travel painting set. A tiny paint set in a case that opened up to hang on your chest like a tiny easel! Smaller than a cigar box. One side held the papers, the other side had the paint set. Some tricky ways for water and mini brushes too. I don't know the name of this kit, and cannot find it.

So with your question dear friend, I keep googling for this for me! But I may have found some decent options for kids. One kit is canvas type. No idea what the media qualities are. Another kit is Crayola. That quality is ok enough. (It's what I've been using in the kids classes.)

Tuesday, November 16, 2021

Using iMovie to make a Movie-Book

How to insert text above this youtube 'share' feature? its an iframe share, so going into the html editor may do the trick. 

This is in answer to a question on how to make digital nature journaling sketches into a page turning effect. 

Besides making a movie, you can select your images and save to ibooks as one document. There you can turn pages as you would in any other book reader.
 

Thursday, November 11, 2021

Veterans Day poppies, Cat and Pig. Phone drawings. 11/11/21

 Veterans Day poppies, Cat and Pig. Phone drawings. 11/11/21

Cat and Pig observe Veterans Day.

































Sunday, November 7, 2021

Dancer through flowers, bowl of figs. Sip & Sketch week #80?, 11/5/21

 I drew from memory of a brief study of the reference images from week 80, Sip & S'ketch. I did not attend, May only get these done. 

A


Sunday, October 24, 2021

United Nations Day and Inktober’s ‘extinct’

 United Nations Day and Inktober’s ‘extinct’, 10/24/21.

Cat and Pig consider both. For a kid growing up in NYC and New Jersey, the United Nations and the Museum of Natural History were very regular class trips. What wonders to see those huge skeletons and animal models.























Saturday, October 23, 2021

Leaky - Inktober prompt.10/23/21

 Leaky - Inktober prompt.10/23/21

It’s supposed to be done in ink. Does that rule still apply? How about digital ink? Drawn on my phone.Yes, digital is ok!

#inktober2021


https://inktober.com/rules


https://inktober.com/faq




Friday, October 22, 2021

Cat and Pig make a dog’s day.

 It’s ‘Make a dog’s day’. …My phone drawings done I imessage. 10/22/21

Some ways that Cat and Pig might make a dog’s day.
Visit at the shelter
Take one for a walk
Bring a dog some treats
Take a dog to the doggy park
Bring a toy for a dog - squeaky toy, pull toy, chew toy, ball…
Play fetch with a dog.
Brush a dog. 
Take a dog to visit people.
Teach a dog some tricks.
Talk to a dog































Sunday, October 17, 2021

Cat and Dog hugging gif.

 ’notes’. Uploaded to online image converter. Arranged to the sequence i  wanted. Saved back to my camera roll. Can’t get it to work in FB yet…


Saturday, October 16, 2021

Haunted houses and a guy wearing colander helmet. Sip & Sketch # 78, 10/15/21

Image list from memory, my drawings out of order, Sip & Sketch # 78, 10/15/21 
  1. Little fat bird in the full moon, on a branch. Nightingale?
  2. Weird jack-o'-lantern
  3. Stickish figures sculpture in driftwood by Japanese sculptor, Nagatu Iwasaki.
  4. Two big purple flowers with a lot of  long thin hair like petals 
  5. A man with a weird face in a mask and costume riding bike that's too small for him, coming out of a corn stalk hide. Vintage image.
  6. Fantasy baby bull – – friend of ET!
  7. Girl in little black dress long blonde hair, black frilly Umbrella. With three fish in the air behind her
  8. Tim Burton haunted house
  9. Goofy guy wearing a colander, with a white feather and a black feather. Also a paper Doily collar.












































Sip & Sketch session #78, hosted by theater costume and set designers, Lisa Jordan and Cindi Taylor, 

Thank you so much for making these sessions possible. 

They curate a set of images for each session. Participants draw each selection at varying 'pose' lengths - from 5-20 minutes - until the timer rings. Then most participants show their drawings briefly for a group screen shot in 'gallery ' view. These sessions take place virtually over Zoom.






Saturday, October 9, 2021

Blue faced monkey baby, Halloween prep - memory list, my drawings Sip &Sketch Session #77 10/8/21

Blue faced monkey baby, Halloween prep - memory list in random order , my drawings Sip &Sketch Session #77 10/8/21

  1. Halloween Jack'o and large candy corn face
  2. Cherry tree seed pod
  3. Driftwood spooky figure - by Nagato Iwasaki
  4. Doll head bw clown doll against tin ceiling tile
  5. Blue face monkey baby
  6. Brutalist building with cat in foreground
  7. Asian guitarist wearing black leather jacket
  8. Berlin Cathedral w dome/basilica
  9. Hollering old man profile but could be old movie actor - Burt Lancaster, Jack Palance, Kirk Douglas


And who was/is Nagato Iwasaki? Made strange figure sculpture from driftwood entwined together.

Sip & Sketch session #77, hosted by theater costume and set designers, Lisa Jordan and Cindi Taylor, 

Thank you so much for making these sessions possible. 

They curate a set of images for each session. Participants draw each selection at varying 'pose' lengths - from 5-20 minutes - until the timer rings. Then most participants show their drawings briefly for a group screen shot in 'gallery ' view. These sessions take place virtually over Zoom.






















Friday, October 1, 2021

Fall leaves to draw and color

 Maybe you know what kind of leaves these are! I just drew them from some reference art but they were not identified…..

Maybe you can try to identify them. And what would you like to see?

How about some leaf and tree jokes too?

This is not an oaking matter. 





Wednesday, September 29, 2021

Beagle Puppy and Flamingo - my memory drawings from Sip & Sketch Session #75, 9/24/21

 All set to go to the session, but in the last minute I begged off.

The host kindly sends out each session’s reference pics quite soon after the class. I had a chance to see what I’d missed. The next interesting challenge from that is to write a list of the images you remember and then even try to draw them quickly! I did them on my phone with my finger. What a mess! 

   Beagle Puppy and Flamingo - my memory drawings from Sip & Sketch Session #75, 9/24/21

I was too lazy  to type the list at first. Thought it would stay scribbled. But I could not find any good image to text app. New iOS update will supposedly do a really  good job at that..

So here is my list - again practicing my memory, so it’s random.

  1. Three nectarines
  2. Three birthday cupcakes
  3. Flamingo head
  4. Woman in little black dress with poppies
  5. Obelisk and fountain
  6. Beagle puppy
  7. Grey draped figure stage set
  8. White costumed figure and stage set
  9. Floral arrangement on black




Coffee Day phone drawings, 9/29/21

 Cat and Pig like Coffee Day, digital phone drawings, 9/29/21

They may have cream and/or sugar in their coffee.

And they’ll enjoy their coffee with a bit of chit chat.

What was your weather yesterday? I don’t remember. Wet I think. Or maybe sunny! Seems sunny today though. How did you feel yesterday? I don’t remember. Today is good though. It’s starting to get cold out again. Yes, we are going around. ….Somewhere somehow we remember seeing a photo of big green northern lights. Now where did we see that photo…?





Wednesday, September 15, 2021

Three crows in the tree, pagoda bridge, Drawings from Sippin sketch session # 74. 9/10/21









 Sip n sketch #74, 9/10/21

Images list from memory in random order:




I’m just posting this as is. I dont have patience now to sort out all these tech issues!




Sip n sketch #74, 9/10/21

Images list from memory in random order

  1. Three crows in a tree
  2. Male Dancer from the back,
  3. Tulip or orchid?
  4. Pomegranate split open
  5. Coxcomb
  6. Pagoda bridge
  7. Coils of rope or knots
  8. Model with big hair Bob
  9. Old man profile with white hair and beard




Wednesday, September 8, 2021

Lightbulb and King & Queen modern chess pieces- Sip & Sketch #73, 9/3/21

 Lightbulb and King & Queen modern chess pieces, my drawings from Sip & Sketch #73, 9/3/21






















Saturday, August 28, 2021

Mr. Rat and Kangaroo, Memory list of images from Sip & Sketch #72, 8/27/21

Memory list of images sip n sketch #72 8/27/21 in random order.
  1. Kangaroo 
  2. Summer  Park trip landscape
  3. Dancer
  4. Woman with Ramshorn/antelope headdress
  5. Tea cup with steam coming out
  6. Salamander
  7. Bethesda fountain, Central Park, NY
  8. Friend  in a dress? Or body painted like the wall?
  9. Rat movie cartoon  character

Yay I got them all at last! But at subsequent memory attempts I get stuck after seven, and not always the same ones!

Sip & Sketch session #72, hosted by theater costume and set designers, Lisa Jordan and Cindi Taylor, 

Thank you so much for making these sessions possible. 

They curate a set of images for each session. Participants draw each selection at varying 'pose' lengths - from 5-20 minutes - until the timer rings. Then most participants show their drawings briefly for a group screen shot in 'gallery ' view. 









Monday, August 16, 2021

Castles, and a dancer. Doodle Dine, week 70, 8/15/21

Doodle Dine week 70, 8/15/21

Missed the first two and left before the end because my drawings got lost in my tablet when I touched something wrong. I panicked at not being able to find my drawings..

Here in somewhat random order are my drawings for the session. I like to try to remember before seeing them again, what we drew.

  1. X
  2. X
  3. Symmetrical view up column/pilastre? With gargoyle at the top/end.
  4. Castle with two conical turrets
  5. Double vents
  6. Dancer w thin draperies
  7. Monhegan cliffs maybe
  8. Dollar sign or spiral stairs/walk on NA building
  9. X

Thanks to Liz Popiel for hosting this virtual zoom sketch class and curating the images for the session.


















Saturday, August 7, 2021

Mouthful of blueberries, seed pods, Sip & Sketch #69, 8/6/21



#69 session list as quickly seen then remembered - in random order.

In this case I left the session after the first image. Later I looked at the collection quickly and tried to recall what I’d seen. And then I drew them from memory - as quickly as possible

  1. Blueberries around vulgar lips like 'sausages',
  2. Seed pods - 8? NO, 7
  3. Freckle face w some piercings
  4. National glacier park or  ?
  5. Castle/cathedral w spires and tiny dome tops
  6. Queen of hearts? White haired glamour woman in bright red
  7. Elephant trunks and eyes
  8. White form of?
  9. Pennies - this one I forgot








































 


Sip & Sketch session #69, hosted by theater costume and set designers, Lisa Jordan and Cindi Taylor, 

Thank you so much for making these sessions possible. 

They curate a set of images for each session. Participants draw each selection at varying 'pose' lengths - from 5-20 minutes, until the timer rings. Then most participants show their drawings briefly for a group screen shot in 'gallery ' view.