Bird a Day #1

The Western Meadowlark.
I'm not sure what drew me to this bird. A lot of these are from photos simply because I'm not outside during the day enough to see these guys. So I think it was the yellow that got me excited. I have this tiny sketchbook that I'm drawing these in, probably about 3"x5" and I'm using ballpoint pen and sometimes felt tip pens to add in some color. Now that you have the gist here is the first one.

Back.

Hello blogging world. I've decided to return. Since I've been reading blogs like crazy I've been trying to find inspiration to update my own on a more regular basis. I've started a challenge for myself of drawing a bird a day. Whether that's realistic or more characteristic doesn't matter. I want to draw more and I want to create more, so what better way to do that than to keep a sketchbook. (As you can tell by my blog I'm not very good at keeping a sketchbook either.) I have two birds drawn so far, one for yesterday and one for today. I'm hoping to get a few more before posting them, just so you aren't bored and so I get in a good habit. So hello again! And soon I will post some drawings.
Loves.

downtown lampost.

The hubs and I went downtown probably about a month ago and while waiting for his sister and her now husband we were sitting on a bench across from this lampost. The base of it really intrigued me with some of its fancy detail so I started sketching it in the moleskine. I feel like it scanned a lot darker and less delicate than it actually is but I still enjoy it nonetheless. Until next time, have a good one.

from the moleskine.

Tonight I had the husband scan a bunch of sketches in for me so the next couple of days will probably just be some random sketches all out of my moleskine that I LOVE. (Moleskine is a brand of notebooks, sketchbooks, etc.) Anyway, I sometimes at work have to cover the front desk and since my job doesn't allow for much to be done while up there I have sketched some birds (surprise, surprise, huh?). So I googled birds and found some generic types of birds to work on different types of beaks and different birds, really just sketch a little. It's funny these were all done at different times so I didn't realize until just now there's a common thread between them all, they all face the same way. Thing to work on for next sketch session: looking different directions, different perspective on the faces.

This bird is the white eared sibia.

This is a coppersmith barbet. Had a little trouble with the positioning of the feet. (That's why they aren't exactly finished.)

This is some sort of chickadee. I don't exactly remember what type I forgot to write it down

And a new favorite of mine, the brown pelican.

Hopefully I will be updating sooner since I have more sketches waiting to be seen. Until then, have a good one!

as promised.

As promised I have returned and continue to be more frequent in updating. So I finished my second wedding card and I'm really starting to think that it's a favorite type of art job to do. This card has a neat story behind it too. My friend Sara at work is going back to Iowa for a wedding this weekend of her two friends, Evan and Julie. For whatever reasons Evan lived in the Antartic for awhile and Julie in Brazil. So she noted on the fact that it would be fun to have two birds from those places. And this is what was created. Probably one of my favorite pieces lately so I'm excited to share it. Also, if there's anyone out there with more ideas or needs a card, I would be more than happy for suggestions or to make you one! Enjoy!

I'm back.

Well so I decided to not completley abandon this blog...life has just been busy. Being married is so much fun and I'm slowly figuring out how to fit my studio space into our apartment. :) It's coming along. I haven't been up to too too much however I have started sketching a whole lot more and am actually in the midst of about three projects. One project is a huge oil painting for one of my mom's friends that she actually asked about a while ago but with graduating and getting married haven't had much time until now. I'm actually really happy with the way it's turning out. I am currently in the thumbnail stage of a movie poster for a friend's independent film that will soon be heading to film festivals. That's pretty exciting and different. And lastly I've been working on a few wedding cards for friends who are attending weddings. The one below started out as a simple pen sketch and surprisingly turned into much more. It inspired another one I just finished today that hopefully will be posted soon. Also soon I hope to be posting more of my sketchbook from the past month or two, keep this a little more up to date. Until those postings here are these lovebirds to keep you busy. :)

slightly overwhelmed...

...but not completely. I am so excited for the next two weeks and in that time and the past week and a half I have had zero time for art. However a lot has been going on. I got a full time job at the school, working in the admissions department closely with where I was a work study. So basically it's a perfect transition and I get to stick around school with loved friends a bit longer. My first week was last week and the weekend before that Benjamin and I drove back to Oklahoma for the weekend to have some wedding showers and spend some time together. It was good to drive with him. Driving for long periods of time allow us to talk together and be silent together and really just enjoy each other. Now that we're back in the swing of things, we get to move into our new home on Friday!! Hopefully we will get it all moved and settled by next Wednesday because the fam comes and then the rehearsal and then the WEDDING! I am so excited to be Mrs. Gross and even more excited to spend time with Benjamin as my husband for the week after the wedding that I took off from work-up in Estes, down here in Denver. Who really knows what our definite plan is. I'm just excited. Anyway, that's a brief update, hopefully soon I will be able to post some sketches I've been doing and will maybe sometime soon turn them into watercolors. Have a good week!!!