This drawing is my first attempt at realism since about…2003? I feel out of practice and I’m moving at a glacial pace, but I can feel my technique improving as I go.
The piece is coloured pencil on paper and is based on a photo of my daughter.
Category Archives: Life
Mist “waterfall” in Reykjavík
I saw this on my walk last night, thought it was pretty neat.
Summer solstice – the midnight sun in Iceland
I took these pictures just before midnight. It never gets dark at this time of year.
Gullfoss waterfall + Geysir
We got home from the summer cabin this afternoon. We didn’t make all the stops on the way home that we’d wanted to as we were tired and Ellie was getting fed up with being in the car. Oh well. We did however stop by Gullfoss (the “golden waterfalls”) and Geysir yesterday. They’re not my favourite places simply because they’re as touristy as places get in this country. Spectacular & well worth visiting, yes, but hidden treasures they are not.
I of course took eleventy bajillion pictures:
Gullfoss
Strokkur (in the Geysir area).
Geothermal pool – too hot for swimming!
Drawings I’ll probably never finish
This post is inspired by some other blog entries I’ve read recently. Presley at haunting olivia shared some ‘bad’ art (which I think is actually pretty good), and Cassy at knit the hell out confessed about her piles of “UFOs” (unfinished objects). I love seeing people’s work in an unpolished state, whether it’s a work in progress, a quick sketch, or finished pieces that just didn’t quite work out for one reason or another.
Seeing as this is *supposed* to be my art blog and I haven’t had time to draw anything new recently, I figure I might as well share some of my own UFOs.
(Please forgive the not-so-great image quality; I don’t have a scanner. The grey splodges you see on some of the pictures are shadows cast by a dirty window, not parts of the drawings.)
This first one was something I started a couple of years ago to hang up in Mimi’s room. My plan was to do a mixed-media drawing/collage. I was going to draw tree branches with cut-paper leaves, and some paper flowers down the bottom.
Girl on a swing
I quite like it, but it came out a bit stiff-looking. The rough preliminary sketch I did had more life & movement to it:
Still, I think it’s nice and want to finish it.
This second sketch is based on a photo of Keith Richards’ hands. I did it in…2003? after years of not drawing. I did it to see whether I could still draw. It wasn’t intended to be used for anything, just a practice sketch.
In a similar vein, this next one is drawn from a photo of Iggy Pop (I love Iggy Pop!). Again, I wasn’t planning on using it for anything, just an exercise. I had to stop because the level of detail was making my eyes freak out. I’ll need new glasses before I attempt something like this again!
And one last one I drew for (and of) Mimi. I did it when she was around 18 months old and at the peak of her cat obsession. I wasn’t happy with it so abandoned it almost finished. I should really just hang it up. I’m sure the girls would like it!
Mimi with the dapper Mr. Cat
Thyme for tea
We found wild thyme at Mimi’s preschool and took it home and made some tea. The pictures tell the story. Enjoy!
Wild thyme growing at Mimi’s preschool
Collecting thyme.
You use the flowers for tea and the leaves for cooking.
The fragrance is unbelievable. Best smell ever.
We didn’t have a bag.
Flowers rinsed and ready for some hot water.
Steam! We didn’t have any tea filters so we just threw the flowers right in.
Sugar added.
And stir.
Scoop the flowers out and drink!
A Sunny Day In Reykjavík 