Art Every Day Month and some updates

Hi everyone, 

Just a quick heads up to let you know I have decided to participate in Art Every Day Month hosted by Leah on her blog - Creative Every Day . This runs for the whole of November. I participated for a few years running but that was some years back so time to give it another go. 

The thing I like about this challenge is that it encompasses all forms of creativity such as art, photography, handicrafts like crochet/knitting, writing, music, cooking, etc. 

To find out more and perhaps sign up for the challenge yourself, click the image below or click HERE. 

Some updates if you've been following my blog previous posts -
Firstly, I'm very happy to report that my brother and his brother-in-law have now been cleared medically after their ordeal at sea. You can read what happened HERE.
Secondly, I'm very sad to say that the three plover chicks I mentioned HERE did not make it. One by one, they disappeared as the days went on. Plover parents really don't look after their babies too well — unlike other bird parents I've observed.  I kept checking on them when they were down to just one baby and then, the poor wee thing just disappeared overnight. :(
And lastly, I have recovered from the fall I had while on our day trip, mentioned HERE. I do still have a hard, tender lump at the base of my chin but I'm sure that will fade in time.
We've had rain and storms over the past week. We had a break a couple of days ago and I snapped the pic below around 7am. Can you see the steam rising off the fence as the sun hits it? A warm day was ahead...

I also want to wish all who celebrate it a very Happy Halloween! I'm sure the pandemic will be affecting regular Halloween activities so enjoy it as you can but please stay safe. Australia doesn't celebrate Halloween in a big way even though participation has picked up gradually over the years. Below is an old Halloween sketch I did back in 2008.

And one from 2017

Love, Light and Peace to all.

Summer has arrived!!!

Today was the official start to our Aussie summer. Thankfully it wasn't a scorcher and we were even blessed with a little rain.

Bradley and Reece had a blast at Elton John's concert last night! Reece even managed to get a couple of Brad's CDs signed by Elton so that was a real highlight. Brad's voice was a little scratchy today which is fully understandable after all the screaming out and singing along he did at the concert. He also got to meet an internet friend, Darren. They met via the Elton John Fan Club site and they have been email buddies for a while now. Darren was also sitting in the front row at the concert and they finally had the chance to meet face-to-face....SO cool!

It felt strange not having to sketch for AEDM today, however, I did create a mosaic highlighting some of the sketches I did for November.

I meditated for 15 minutes today and hope to make it a daily practise. It's been way too long and I have missed it. Rita has taken on a 21 day meditation challenge so, while I haven't registered officially, I will be participating unofficially on the sidelines.

I'm feeling so tired at the moment after only getting 3½ hours of sleep last night. The boys didn't get home from the concert until close to midnight and I had waited up to hear all about it. By the time I got to bed, it was around 12:30 and then I was up again at 4AM to get Reece organised for work. I'm looking forward to jumping into my cosy bed tonight.

~ Love, light and peace ~

Day 30 - AEDM & Nablopomo - Mexican bull & Elton John

The final day in the challenge has arrived!

YAY!!!!

I experienced yet another day of not feeling well but I managed to muddle through.

Today's sketch was of my Mexican Bull ornament. I bought it some years ago at a cheap Dollar Store and it's still a favourite of mine. I think it has character.  It wasn't labelled as Mexican but that's just the feel I get from it, plus the fact that it is on display in my kitchen beside a bottle of tequila.

Pencil-free sketch using Pigma Micron pens and Derwent Inktense pencils in A5 sketchbook.

to view the creative posts of other AEDM members for Day 30
click here.

I will probably post again tomorrow just to be on the safe side for Nablopomo being that it's based in a different time zone. Then I will have a day off! I'm quite proud of myself for posting each day in November.

I hope you have all enjoyed visiting my blog this past month.

To my fellow AEDM'ers - as you won't see a daily link on the AEDM site any more, you may like to Follow me so that you can stay up-to-date with my weekly or daily happenings. I'm so happy I participated in the AEDM challenge because it encouraged me to get back to regular sketching and I have also met some wonderful people whom I will continue to visit. I plan to link weekly to the Creative Every Day group so I'll still be around to some degree at Leah's site.

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Tonight, Aaron (my 12 year old son) and I are home alone for the evening as Beau (#2 son) is working very late and two of my other sons, Brad and Reece, have gone to see Elton John in concert.  You may remember me posting this sketch back in May to acknowledge Brad's big win of FRONT ROW tickets!

pencil-free sketch using pigma micron pens in large moleskine sketchbook

Here is a photo I snapped of Brad (on viewer's left) and Reece prior to them heading off for the concert late this afternoon. EXCITEMENT RULED!!!

~ Love, light and peace ~

Day 29 - AEDM & Nablopomo - Bird of Paradise

I've not been well at all today and I think it shows in my sketch below as, by late afternoon, I found it very hard to concentrate.

Earlier in the day, I painted these words on MDF board which I had previously painted white. It's going to be a backing board for a piece of art my 24 year old son recently completed as a gift for a friend.  Beau asked me to paint the words because he felt I'd be more steady-handed than him.

My sketch in three stages

Pencil-free sketch using Pigma Micron pens, Derwent Inktense water-soluble pencils and Uniball Signo white pen in my Moleskine pocket watercolour sketchbook.

to view the creative posts of other AEDM members for Day 29
click here.

WOW....one day left in the monthly challenge!!

~ Love, light and peace ~

Day 28 - AEDM & Nablopomo - Tea for One

Hi everyone,

I really didn't think I was going to manage my sketch today as I had a doctor's appointment this morning and then Michelle (daughter) and Mikayla (granddaughter) called in for a visit. It was so lovely to spend time with them. You must get sick of me saying this but I love my little granddaughter SO much! Her smile is infectious.

As for the doctor's appointment, I don't need a back scan as he feels this particular back pain is associated with my gynaecological issues. It looks like a hysterectomy will definitely be on the cards. :(

Before I knew it, late afternoon had arrived and I needed to start the curry for dinner. I don't know how I did it but I actually managed to squeeze in some time for a very quick sketch.

The subject for my sketch was a little 'Tea for One' set. The top half is a little teapot and the bottom half is the teacup hence the two handles. I've always thought these sets to be really cute.

Pencil-free sketch using Pigma Micron pens and Derwent Inktense water-soluble pencils in Moleskine pocket watercolour sketchbook.

to view the creative posts of other AEDM members for Day 28
click here.

TWO days left in the monthly challenge!
 I'm excited!!!
It's been fun AND challenging at times.

~ Love, light and peace ~

Day 27 - AEDM & Nablopomo - Chinese garden lantern

Hi everyone!

WOW! Day 27 which means only THREE more days to go! The month has gone by very fast, ailments and all.

My lower back pain was even worse today. It only allowed me short periods of time at the computer or sitting in general. I will most likely be getting a back scan some time this week.

Anywhoo, today, I decided to sketch a Chinese Garden Lantern which was prompted by the fact that I bought a new shrub for our back corner garden. I went for an Orange Jessamine shrub which is very similar to Jasmine with its little white flowers. We have these shrubs in the front garden bed and, when they are in bloom, the fragrance wafts in through the windows. I love it!

I've always liked the look of these Chinese lanterns in gardens. I don't own one but it is on my wish list.

This was a pencil-free sketch using Pigma Micron pens and Derwent Inktense pencils for colour...oh, and a Uniball Signo white pen for highlights. I liked using the double page format so much yesterday that I went with the same idea today.  It's in my Moleskine pocket watercolour sketch book.

to view the creative posts of other AEDM members for Day 27
click here.

It was a very hot and humid day...a clear reminder that summer is only days away.  I know I'm in the minority when I say that I prefer our cooler months but that's how I feel.  I hope tomorrow will be a little cooler.

~ Love, light and peace ~

Day 26 - AEDM & Nablopomo - African Milk Tree

hi everyone

after my good health day yesterday, lower back and abdominal pain had me feeling off kilter again today.  if it's not one thing, it's another.....so not fun. i didn't get around to sketching again until afternoon.

another pen sketch was in order.
i was quite excited about doing a double page in the landscape format.

the subject - one of our potted african milk trees

though it looks like a cactus, it is actually a succulent and belongs to the euphorbia family. this particular variety is called a euphorbia trigona.  NOTE - euphorbias are highly toxic.

after the pen sketch was finished, i used my derwent inktense pencils and some AS artists watercolour paints to give it some colour.

and then....the final layer with more details.
pencil-free sketch using ZIG millenium & pigma micron ink pens, derwent inktense pencils and AS watercolour paints in my moleskine pocket watercolour sketchbook.

OH...i also used my uniball signo white pen.
i don't know how i overlooked it but, AFTER i took the final pics, i noticed that i'd neglected to colour the very top right shoot.  it has since been coloured.

to view the creative posts of other AEDM members for Day 26
click here.

~ love, light and peace ~

Day 25 - AEDM & Nablopomo - Bali Buddha

i was feeling much better today.

brad (my eldest son) and i went out mid-morning to run a few errands and pick up a few groceries. it was quite a hot, humid day and the promised rain didn't really eventuate. just light drizzle early morning which only added to the humidity factor.

come afternoon, i decided to do a pen sketch of the buddha i have in my bedroom. 

he came from bali and is made from wood.  he used to be a dark brown colour but i painted him aqua.

out came my derwent inktense pencils for a bit of colour

"If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change."  ~ Buddha

to view the creative posts of other AEDM members for Day 25
click here.

"The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly."  ~ Buddha

~ love, light and peace ~

Day 24 - AEDM & Nablopomo - egret sketch

hi everyone

thanks so much for all the well wishes yesterday

i think my migraine came about from a mix of stress and hormones. stress because i was setting up my son's new laptop and there was a bit of a hiccup trying to get it to recognise our wifi connection. the wifi on/off switch didn't get any reaction at all. after what seemed like forever, i magically did something that finally had it recognising our wifi again....just don't ask me what i did because i have no idea myself. i can tell you there were many screams of frustration and possibly a few tears during the whole debacle and, of course, a migraine. i was not well today either thanks to migraine fall-out but, by the end of the day, i was feeling much better.

it's funny that most of my sketches this month have been, last minute, end of day tasks. today was no different and i chose to do a pen sketch of an egret in my moleskine pocket watercolour journal. i used some derwent inktense pencils for the colour.

then i went and ruined it with my messy writing. i was just not in the right frame of mind and should have listened to my inner voice that was screaming NO, DON'T DO IT!  ah well, lesson learned and, it's a journal after all, so it will do.

the reference image i used is credited to pd photos.

to view the creative posts of other AEDM members for Day 24
click here.

until tomorrow

~ love, light and peace ~

Day 23 - AEDM & Nablopomo - bali fish & migraine

i'm fending off another migraine so this will be a quick post and run

i finished my sketch journal page this afternoon BEFORE the migraine reared its ugly head so here 'tis

to view the creative posts of other AEDM members for Day 23
click here.

until tomorrow

~ love, light and peace ~

Day 22 - AEDM & Nablopomo - another fishy post

you may recall that yesterday i started this fish ornament sketch

today i played a little more.
first, a second layer of watercolour to strengthen the colours.

then some shading and detailing with my pigma micron pen and uniball white pen.  this (pic below) is where i ended up today. it's very close to finished and then, i'll just add some journaling to the page.

i can hardly believe we're already at day 22 which means only 8 more days left in the challenge!! i sure hope i'll be able to see it through to the end. i must admit that there have been days where it would have been easier for me NOT to do my daily art due to health issues but the commitment to AEDM has a strong hold on me.  it also has a lot to do with the wonderful people i have met in the AEDM group. they are all so encouraging and supportive and i can't thank them enough.

to view the creative posts of other AEDM members for Day 22
click here.

~ love, light and peace ~

Day 21 - AEDM & Nablopomo - fishy sketch

i've been sick all day yet here i am....how's that for dedication or am i just plain crazy?! i'm going to quickly post what i did today and then I'm going to lie down. I'll catch up with blogs tomorrow.

today, while moping around and feeling sorry for myself, i decided to do a pen sketch of a balinese metal fish ornament i own. with the way i was feeling, i could only manage the first layer of watercolours but there will probably be at least two more layers before i'll call it finished.

i didn't notice until afterwards that the colours i used on the fish are very similar to the colour palette i used for my mandala.  i've also noticed that my fish is a little elephant-like and desperately needs some 'snout' adjustment. lol

my subject

to view the creative posts of other AEDM members for Day 21
click here.

until tomorrow

~ love, light and peace ~

Day 20 - AEDM & Nablopomo - mandala & paperbark

a very quick post today showing more stages of the mandala i've been working on

i wasn't really happy with the end result but this IS what i worked on today.

to view the creative posts of other AEDM members for Day 20
click here.

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and a little more inspiration

this is an australian paperbark tree. it is native to australia and is a member of the melaleuca family. i love the papery bark and i think it would work well in mixed media collages.

until tomorrow

~ love,light and peace ~

Day 19 - AEDM & Nablopomo - mandala & inspiration

hi everyone!

how has your weekend been so far?

it's saturday evening here and, so far, i've had a nice, relaxing day apart from the pain in my hands and arms.  if the body pain keeps up, i may have to try a different non-steroidal anti-inflammatory tablet because i think my body has already adapted to this one.   of course, i am hoping the magnetic underlay will do its stuff within the next month or so.

we didn't get to watch the second part of harry potter and the deathly hallows last night so we will be watching it shortly. i last watched it at the cinema and can hardly wait to see it again.

for my creative venture today i decided to get to work on my mandala

so i first transferred my mandala design to my large moleskine watercolour journal using SARAL transfer paper. it worked a treat.

then i went over the transfer line using my black uniball permanent ink pen

next, the colouring process began

of course, you knew there was going to be green, blue and purple in there, didn't you?! yep...it's one my favourite colour combos. there will be one or two other colours as the progress continues. i'm kinda deciding colours as i go along. i hope to get more work done on it tomorrow.

to view the creative posts of other AEDM members for Day 19
click here.

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for inspiration, here are some purple flowers i snapped while walking aaron to school on friday. i don't know the name of this flower but they bloom in lots of clusters on a medium-sized shrub. anyone else know their name?

if you look closely at this one, you will see a bee

and now i will be off to enjoy the movie

until tomorrow

~ love, light and peace ~

Day 18 - AEDM & Nablopomo - cody, inktense & plumbago

it will by a quick post tonight because the boys are anxiously waiting on me so we can watch 'harry potter and the deathly hallows - part 1'. they are hoping to watch 'part 2' straight after so we need to get an early start.

so today i decided to do a quick sketch of my dog, cody
he is a chihuahua/shih-tzu/maltese cross

i started out with a pencil free sketch using a pigma micron pen

then followed up with some colour using my derwent inktense pencils

then the final details and some words

cody turned FIVE on november 10th!
the poor thing suffers severe separation anxiety if i go out and that's even if my sons are at home. he's terrified of storms and loud noises too. i feel so bad for him.  he's like my baby and he follows me everywhere. i love him so much!


i also did some swatches in my sketchbook for my derwent inktense pencils.

it's not easy to judge what colour a pencil is going to deliver just by looking at it so i figured the swatches will be a great reference.

to view the creative posts of other AEDM members for Day 18
click here.

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i'll leave you with a couple of flower pics i snapped this morning while walking aaron to school

this is a plumbago flower

~ love, light and peace ~