Travel Journals

Welcome back to my little home on the internet!

Summer is over and with it my scheduled hiatus. I have not yet determined what my blog posting schedule will be, but I am here for now and I am glad you are too!

Over the summer I was lucky enough to take two vacations with my family.

Whenever we go on vacation, I try to keep a journal of our adventures. It is so much fun to go back and read about the trip, and it is easier to remember the details when you have a framework to start in.

The first time I kept a journal was on a trip to Disney World that we took when my kids were very young. I knew that they were young enough that they probably wouldn't remember the trip on their own, so I wrote a brief summary about each day to capture and preserve the memories.

palm tree sketch from Hawaii

©2010 Stacy L. Rowan

Now that the kids are older, in addition to words, I try and sprinkle in a few sketches. The act of sketching more firmly cements the details in my mind and helps me soak up the vacation mood.

Someday I hope to create enough sketches on trips to be able to accurately refer to my travel journals as travel sketchbooks.

banyan tree sketch from Hawaii

©2010 Stacy L. Rowan

There are many artists in the world who keep wonderful travel sketchbooks. I love looking at the sketches and feeling the essence of a place - especially if it is a location that I may not visit in my lifetime.

If you are interested in learning about travel sketching or in viewing other artists' travel sketchbooks, the best place to start is with Katherine Tyrrell's Travel Sketching Squidoo lens.

As always, Katherine has compiled a wealth of information on the subject and neatly organized it for our benefit. She has included information on how to sketch and sketching tools, as well as links to artists who share their travel sketches in books or online.

My only warning about this site is not to pop in for a "quick" look. There is so much good and interesting information there, you won't be able to be quick.

shark & barracuda sketches from Florida

©2012 Stacy L. Rowan

If you are more interested in viewing images then learning about the craft, here are links to some artists whose travel sketches I enjoy.

Nina Johansson - look for the "Categories" drop down menu in the right hand sidebar of her blog and select "travel" to view her travel sketches. Or click this link.

Lynn Chapman - In December of 2011, Lynn took a trip to Kerala in Southern India. Her descriptions and sketches from that trip are wonderful. Try typing "Kerala" in the search bar at the top left hand side of her blog or click here.

Laura Murphy Frankstone is a prolific traveler and sketcher. You can see a collection of her travel sketches here.

Liz Steel is another prolific sketcher who is also well traveled. To see sketches from some of the places she and her friend Borromini have been, click the location tabs at the top of her blog.

I would love to hear from you if you have a favorite artist who shares sketches from their travels - leave a comment below. Viewing travel journals is a wonderful way to see the world without ever leaving your couch!

Evolution of Painting Style

another azalea sketch

approx 4" x 6"

ink and watercolor on paper

©2012 Stacy L. Rowan

I am having a bit of a style crisis. I think it is a natural part of artistic growth.

In the beginning most artists just want the skills to be able to draw something recognizable. If a new artist draws or paints an apple and people say "Wow! That is a great apple!" they are thrilled. Mainly because the people who commented didn't think it was a plum or a pepper.

However, as their skills improve they start wanting more.

For me, I am finding that I want to paint in a more "painterly" fashion - still realistic, but a little looser.

However, when I sit down with a brush, what comes out is very controlled. The part of my brain that controls the brush just can't help it.

Alright, if I am totally honest, this style crisis effects more than just my painting style. I hold the misguided belief that if I am in control of everything nothing bad will ever happen, life will be made up of rainbows and butterflies and the whole world will be happy.

At least I recognize that it is a misguided belief.

And I am working on being comfortable with relinquishing control - in my paintings and in life.

Typically in my watercolor paintings I have worked a lot on dry paper. When I apply the paint on dry paper it is easier to control where the paint goes.

I also mix my colors on the palette so I make sure I get the exact color and value I want before brushing it on the paper.

While this method of controlled application is very effective for painting realistic and detailed works, there is a trade off. Pre-mixing colors on palette and applying them to the dry paper means I lose some of the magic of watercolor.

One of the things I love most about watercolor is the way the paints mix on wet paper. Beautiful things can happen when an artist "lets the paints do the work for her".

But letting the paints do the work requires that I give up some of the control and take on a certain amount of courage.

Since courage can be harder to come by on large studio pieces, I decided to start with baby steps, also known as sketches.

After completing the azalea sketch last week, I knew I wanted to try it again only this time working more "wet on wet." Working "wet on wet" mean working on wet paper so the pigment can move and spread on its own.

Using last week's sketch as a reference, I started by creating an ink sketch of the outlines of the flowers and leaves.

Once that was complete, I applied yellow to all of the leaves. While it was still wet, I brushed in greens and blues and let the paint do its thing.

Once I was happy with the leaves I moved on to the flowers. Again I started with a light yellow wash and worked in with different yellows, yellow-oranges and oranges while the paper was still wet.

Although the outcome of the sketch might not look all that different, I was happy with the process of how I applied the paint. And I love the places where you can really tell that the watercolor pigments mixed and blended on their own.

Best of all, I gave up a little of my control and nothing horrible happened. In fact, it was fun to try a new technique.

Having fun builds courage, so I will definitely be trying more wet-on-wet experiments. I'm looking forward to seeing how these exercises influence my style.

One of the things I love about art is that there are always new things to try and always room for growth. Life in the studio is never boring!!
 

Hazards of Sketching

daffodil sketch

graphite on paper

We have been having absolutely beautiful weather the last couple of weeks. Yesterday I finally made time to go outside and sketch some of the Spring flowers, trees and the random garden ornament.

Since I was headed outside anyway, I decided to refill my empty bird feeder before I settled in. Perhaps this wasn't the best idea.

What I didn't realize was that there is apparently some sort of "Bat-Signal" in our neighborhood which calls birds to refilled feeders.

sketch of metal garden ornament

graphite on paper

For my first sketch I sat on a small cushion on the patio right in front of a large bunch of daffodils. The daffodils are growing up right next to the hook that holds the bird feeder.

Within minutes a little bird showed up - drawn by the Bat-Signal that is invisible to the human eye - and landed in the dogwood tree behind the daffodils. He was happily hopping around until he spotted me. When he saw me, he froze for a split second, then started wildly flapping his little wings and flew away in what I can only assume was panic.

This scene repeated itself multiple times, including with a pair of woodpeckers. The way they frantically flew away and the sounds of their beating wings started to freak me out a bit. I mean what if in their confusion they flew at me instead of away from me? Or what if they flew at me on purpose with the intent to attack?!

... What? It could happen. It could.

rhododendron sketch

(I know it says azalea buds, but they are rhododendron buds. Honest.)

ink on paper

But I decided that I would not let the savage attack birdies chase me out of my own yard. After all they don't pay the mortgage. They don't even pay for the birdseed! And I should be allowed to sketch freely in my own backyard.

So I stood my ground.

And sketched as quickly as possible!

Then I moved on to other sections of the yard. Ones that were further away from the freshly filled bird feeder!

Preparing for Spring

ink sketch of swing supplies

Perhaps the title should be "Preparing for Swing" instead...

Last Christmas my daughter received a swing as one of her gifts. She has always loved to swing. As a toddler she would swing until my arms were so tired I couldn't push her even one more time.

We used to have a swing set in the yard, but after years of solid service it became significantly less solid. We were forced to take it down before it fell down on its own!

Now there is a new swing. With the warm weather we are having it seemed like time to hang it up, so my hubby went to the store to buy the necessary hardware - chain to hang over the tree limb and two clips to connect the swing to the chain.

After he got home, I sketched his purchase. The chain links are so large I felt I had to include the quarter for size comparison. The 37 links of chain must weigh over 5 pounds! And each clip is rated to hold roughly 250 pounds!

I'm not sure how many kids my hubby thinks are going to sit on the swing at one time - I'm thinking the one at a time rule should apply here - but I'd say he's prepared for just about any number. I guess it is better to over-engineer and be safe than to under-engineer and have a pile of kids heaped under the tree! I wonder if he has considered reinforcing the tree limb...

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The Space Between

sketch of gift

sepia ink in Moleskine cahier sketchbook

©2011 Stacy L. Rowan

I always enjoy the days between Christmas and New Year. The kids are off from school and on a break from all activities. My husband typically takes vacation so he can be home with us as well.

Although we often schedule time to visit with family or plan a fun activity or two, life during this week generally moves at a slower pace. It gives time for relaxing after the bustle of the holidays, for reflecting on the blessings of the current year and for planning for the year about to start.

During this time I tend to allow myself time off from studio work, but I do like to plop down with a sketchbook and have some fun.

As part of my review of the year, I counted how many sketches I had scanned into my computer files. Since the start of 2011 I have created and scanned 37 sketches. I have to say I am quite pleased with that number since one of my goals for the year was to sketch more frequently. I have already decided to make it a goal to improve on my number of sketches again in 2012.

My most recent sketch is shown above and is of one of my Christmas presents.

Do you have any presents that you receive every year?

I do. Every year my aunt gives me a glass ornament for my tree. Most of the times it is a glass icicle. And every year I look forward to this gift. It is always one of my favorites!

This year I received a beautiful purplish-pink twisted icicle. I only started adding colored icicles to my collection a few years ago (most of my icicles are made form clear glass) and now I wonder why I didn't do it sooner. They are fabulous!

So is there a gift that you receive every year? Is it something you look forward to or something you can't wait to re-gift to someone else? Or perhaps you give the same gift to someone on your list every year? Either way, I'd love to hear about it!

Happy New Year! I hope you are enjoying the last days of 2011 and looking forward to the start of 2012!

7 Tips for Having a Less Busy Holiday Season

Quick 2 minute sketch of holiday decoration

Sketched while out to lunch for hubby's birthday

Sepia Pitt brush pen in Moleskine cahier sketchbook

©2011 Stacy L. Rowan

In my last blog post, I shared how I burned myself while preparing dinner. It was the second burn in as many weeks. And although I could claim the two burns as an impossible-to-correct short coming and use them as an excuse to never cook again... oh wait, now there's a thought!
...But to be honest, the culprit here is distraction and not my lack of cooking skills.

So I promised that in addition to telling you of my kitchen woes, I would share some tips for how to be less busy. I have decided it makes sense to focus on tips for being less busy during the holiday season.

And here they are...

1. Decide to be less busy
This is the first, and I believe most important, step. You need to decide that you are done with the "run around like a chicken with your head cut off" busy-ness. And I don't mean a knee-jerk "Of course I want to be less busy" type decision. I mean a real, clear decision backed by the commitment to make the hard choices necessary to give this decision life.

2. Decide what is most important for your holiday season.
Is it most important for you to spend time with friends? Is the holiday nothing without the family traditions you grew up with? Does the true meaning of the season come to you when you are elbow deep in volunteering opportunities? Or is your main goal to win the neighborhood decorating contest? Whatever the answer, determine the two or three things that make the holiday special to you. Then make sure to get those things on your calendar.

3. Make a list of what needs to be done and what is optional - Be honest!
Okay, so it is probably unlikely that you can go the entire holiday season without grocery shopping - unless you can bribe pay someone to do it for you. And the kids will probably disown you be a little upset if they don't get any presents. But do you really need to string popcorn garland for each of the thirteen evergreen trees in your yard. Will the birds really appreciate it so much more than the feeder full of store bought birdseed? I think not.

4. For the optional list, decide in advance what activities you are not going to participate in.
If you are committed to being less busy, then it only makes sense that you are not going be able to take part in every opportunity that the holidays send your way. Make it easier to turn down the events that don't make the cut by making the decision in advance and determining how to graciously decline. Not only will your schedule be more open, but you will be less stressed if you don't have to come up with a reason to say "no" on the spot.

5. Relax your standards.
I tell my kids that it is unreasonable to expect to be the best at everything they do. The same goes for us adults.It is okay to plan to do some, or even many, of the optional items. But if you want to leave time to squeeze in a few hours of sleep or peaceful reflection over the next few weeks, you might want to lower your standards. Try only putting up the decorations that have the most visual impact or the ones that have the most sentimental value. Instead of cooking 27 different varieties of cookies, focus on the two or three you really love. Instead of running around to every store within a 50 mile radius trying to get the best price on that gift, be content with getting a good price at the second store you visit.

6. Ask for help.
This one is especially for the women out there. Yes, I know that no one can do things exactly the way you like them done. And yes I know it would take longer to train them how to do it your way than to just do it yourself. But the kids might love to get out the decorations or bake the cookies or put the stamps on the holiday cards. Yes, it might not be the way you would do it, in which case I would suggest you refer to tip #5 above.

7. Remind yourself to relax, take a few deep breaths and enjoy the holiday.
I think I often feel busier than I am because I tell myself that I am busy. The list of 'things to do' runs around in my head along with the phrase "busy, Busy, BUSY!" said in the voice of the magician from Frosty the Snowman. But when I slow down my mind and take time to enjoy what I am doing, I often find that I still have plenty of time to get everything done. The way I feel is wrapped up in whatever story I am telling myself. So why not make it a story that makes me happy?

And now one bonus tip to help you with next year's holiday season...
This year when the celebrations are over and its time to take the holiday decorations down, instead of putting them all together in one box, pack them away in smaller containers. Label each bag or box with the room where the decorations came from. All of the items from the kitchen go in one box. The stuff from the living room is in another bag. You will be amazed at how much time this saves next year when it is time to decorate again.

I hope you find these tips helpful and are able to enjoy a less busy, more relaxing holiday season.

13 Things I Love Best About Summer

Quick ink sketches of day lilies

©2011 Stacy L. Rowan

Here are some of the things I love best about summer...
- the slower pace
- vacations at the beach
- riding in the convertible at night with the top down
- starting my morning on the screen porch with a bowl of cereal or a cup of coffee
- ice cream
- seeing my kids enjoy their free time
- locally grown, fresh and delicious produce (especially tomatoes, blueberries and peaches!)
- blue skies and bright sunshine
- hydrangeas, day lilies, marigolds and all the other flowers
- not having to do the dishes (because we passed that chore on to the above mentioned kids after noticing how much free time they had - insert evil laugh here)
- not having to wear shoes, socks or a coat
- small summer purses (how come I carry so much more in my purse the rest of the year?)
- frequent trips to the library

I am doing my best to savor every minute of summer. I'd love to hear what you love about it too. Let's turn the comments section into a big list of summer love!

Origami Crane

Sketch of origami paper crane - Day 141

sepia ink in Moleskine pocket cahier sketchbook

©2010 Stacy L. Rowan

This sketch is from my sketching project last year, although this is the first I am sharing it. I sketched it on Day 141, by which time I had fallen out of the habit of regularly posting my daily sketches. Now seemed like as good a time as any for posting it.

Every day this week, many times throughout the day, my thoughts have turned to Japan and the tragedy that has occurred and is still occurring there. If I had 1,000 origami cranes my wish would be for the situation with the nuclear reactors to be brought under control, for the rescue and clean up efforts to be able to procede without disruption from aftershocks, and for the people of Japan to be able to find some peace and start recovering from this crisis and the sadness and fear they must be feeling.

Maybe I would need more that 1,000 cranes for those wishes.

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(Edited to add this)
If you don't have 1,000 origami cranes to wish on either, but would still like to help Japan (and you love art) click here. Thank you.

Seeking Recommendations

banana sketch (Day 140)

sepia ink in Moleskine cahier pocket sketch book

©2010 Stacy L. Rowan

I was lucky enough to receive as a Christmas gift a gift card for the local art supply store. (Okay, so maybe it wasn't all luck since I asked for it, but I was lucky that someone actually followed through on my request!)

I need to replenish some of my standard supplies, but I should also have enough money to pick up some new materials to experiment with. I am looking for recommendations from my fellow artists to help me choose between all the options.

There are two things in particular that I want your opinions on.

1) Paper for Charcoal Drawings -  I currently use Rives BFK paper for my charcoals, but I'd like to try another paper. In particular I'm looking for a paper that allows me to easily achieve subtle value changes. I'd also like a paper which is easy to tone since I typically start my charcoal pieces by laying down a consistent mid-value tone.

What papers do you like working on when you use charcoals or pastels?

2) Watercolor Sketchbook - I have been doing more sketching with watercolors lately. Last year I finished up a small Canson book and now I am about half-way through my Moleskine watercolor book. I actually like the Moleskine paper and will probably buy another of these, but I would also like to try a new watercolor sketchbook.

What is your favorite sketchbook for using watercolors or other liquid mediums?

Now I am pretty sure that every artist has one or two things they can't live without. For instance, I find that I repeatedly turn to the Faber-Castell Pitt pen with sepia ink and a brush tip for sketching. And I love my Winsor & Newton Sceptre Gold round brushes for painting.

If you feel strongly about any of your materials and want to share the love, I'm listening. After all, there is always Christmas next year once this gift card is done.

Thanks for your input! I can't wait to go shopping!
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For the record, I am not in any way being compensated by the companies above or by Dick Blick (the links I provided). This is just the stuff I regularly use.

Sketching Plans

sketch of planter at my mother-in-laws

sepia ink on paper

©2010 Stacy Rowan

This is one of my sketches from last year's daily sketching project.

I really enjoyed having a regular sketching practice. And I love looking back on all the sketches I produced now that the pressure to find a new subject every day is gone. I want to take some of what I liked in that project and incorporate it into my art life this year.

When I decided on last year's sketching project, I envisioned heading out every day and finding something interesting to sketch. Reality quickly set in and I realized that it wasn't feasible for me to go out sketching every day, especially if I wanted to have any time to paint originals.

My commitment to sketch every day, combined with my inability to go out sketching every day, meant I ended up sketching at home. As it got harder to find interesting subjects at home I pushed the sketching off later and later - often sketching right before going to bed. Not the best recipe for inspired sketching. And it explains why I ended the project after six months.

It didn't take me too long to miss the sketching though. So this year I've decided to make it a point to get out of the house for some sketching sessions. Not every day. I know that's not possible. Instead I will target once a month. I am scheduling this Friday morning as my first day out. Wish me luck!

Happy New Year

watercolor sketch in Moleskine watercolor book

approx. 8" x 5"

©2010 Stacy L. Rowan

Happy New Year everyone!

Like many other people at this time of year, I have been reviewing my accomplishments from 2010 and working on setting my goals for 2011.  Last year was a good year for me, and I hope to continue to build on my successes this year.

Although there were many things that I did well, I realized during my annual review that I have fallen behind on sharing new work here. So in my goals I have committed to catching up.

I also realized that I only shared my daily sketches through Day 125, even though I continued the project through Day 181. I probably won't post all of the remaining daily sketches from last year's project, but I will promise to show you some of my favorites.

I also might have a new blog feature or two up my sleeve... but you will have to wait for more news on that.

I'm looking forward to another great year of creating and sharing art. I hope you will join me here.

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I painted the watercolor sketch above two days after Christmas. This Santa was a gift from my husband probably 5 or 6 years ago. He is still one of my favorite decorations. I was inspired to be a little looser in my sketching after viewing some of Ronell's magnificient sketches. I love the freshness and feeling of energy she achieves.

Merry Christmas!

Before going offline for the holiday I wanted to take the opportunity to wish all of you a Merry Christmas! I hope you spend the day surrounded by people you care about (even if you don't celebrate the holiday!). 

Thank you for visiting my blog throughout the year and spending some time with me.

Happy Holidays!
  Stacy

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The image above was created from one of my daily sketches. The original sketch was done in sepia ink. I scanned the sketch, took the image into Photoshop elements and digitally colored it. Foolishly I thought this would be the quickest route to adding color. Turns out, since my Photoshop skills are very lacking, it took me three times longer than if I had used colored pencils instead.

Day 125 and Summer Break

Hello readers! You have probably noticed my decrease in posting since summer started. When summer rolls around the sunshine and warm weather activities lure me away from my computer. I'd rather spend my time swimming at the pool or splashing in a creek, riding bikes or walking on the beach, eating ice cream or watching fireworks. And while I am kicking up my heels, my poor computer is languishing alone.

I tried to tell myself that I would put an end to my summer break this month and return to a regular posting schedule, but I realize now that was just a lie. So I will be taking 3 or 4 more weeks away from the virtual world. Once September rolls around and the kids are back in school, I will offer my apologies to my computer for ditching her and, assuming she forgives me, I will return to my blog with more regularity.

So go out and drink some cold lemonade, read a good summer book and chase lightening bugs in the yard after the sun goes down. Once we've had our fill of summer, let's meet back here and I'll share the rest of my 6-months of daily sketches as well as some new tap pieces and a new floral.

In the meantime, here is my Day 125 sketch to tide you over. It is a sketch of one of my lovely irises that bloomed this spring.

iris sketch

sepia ink in cahier pocket sketch book

copyright 2010 Stacy L. Rowan

Days 123 and 124

Two food related sketches to share with you today and a bit of news.

First a sketch of the basil plant we bought at the farmers' market at the beginning of the season. I love using fresh basil, especially in the summer when I can pair it with fresh, local tomatoes. YUM!

sketch of basil plant

sepia ink in cahier pocket sketch book

copyright 2010 Stacy L. Rowan

Then a sketch of some salty pretzels - the perfect late night snack. Even better when paired with some ice cream.

sketch of pretzels

sepia ink in cahier pocket sketch book

 copyright 2010 Stacy L. Rowan

And now onto the news...
After much deliberation, I decided to end my sketch-a-day project at the six month mark instead of continuing it for a full year. So I completed my last project sketch on June 30th. I guess that makes it a Project 181 instead of a Project 365.

I will continue to share the project sketches until I have posted them all. I appreciate all of the support I've received here and plan to summarize my thoughts on what this project taught me after you have seen all of the sketches.

Days 121 and 122

These scissors were sketched very late at night and I think it shows. By my definition, my day for the sketch-a-day project does not end at midnight. It ends when I go to bed. I believe this was an after midnight entry.

scissors sketch

sepia ink in cahier sketch book

copyright 2010 Stacy L. Rowan

A better sketch here. I was working with the set of gray pens again.

radish sketch

gray ink in cahier sketch book

copyright 2010 Stacy L. Rowan

This is a French breakfast radish - my favorite kind of radish. I buy them at the local farmers' market. This little guy looked a lot fresher when I first bought him, but right after I laid him out for the sketch my husband called me outside to look at some landscaping blocks he had purchased. Many hours and a lot of hard work later I finally got back to my sketch. By that time the leaves had wilted, but I sketched him anyway.

Days 119 and 120

Some more spring buds and blooms from my yard. I am really enjoying sketching flowers. My only disappointment is that I don't have more in my yard to choose from.

azalea sketch

sepia ink in cahier pocket sketch book

copyright 2010 Stacy Rowan

iris bud sketch

sepia ink in cahier pocket sketch book

copyright 2010 Stacy Rowan

Days 117 and 118

We seem to get a lot of wind where I live. This was one of those very windy days. I did my sketch while sitting in the car watching these poor trees getting blown around. Needless to say I was happy I wasn't outside like they were!

sketch of wind blown trees

sepia ink in cahier pocket sketch book

copyright 2010 Stacy L. Rowan

Most days I do a little journaling with my sketch. My notes from Day 118 say I was feeling kind of grumpy. They also say that I was wishing grumpy moods would wash away like dirt, because I really don't like feeling grumpy. I guess that's why I chose to draw a liquid soap dispenser. All I can say is it made sense to me at the time.

soap dispenser sketch

sepia ink in cahier pocket sketch book

copyright 2010 Stacy L. Rowan

Days 115 and 116

My neighbor is in the process of starting up a cake business. Occasionally she needs taste testers to try out new cakes. I think it is important to be a good neighbor, so I've offered to be her taste tester whenever she needs one. What can I say? That's just the kind of person I am.

On this day she brought over a chocolate cake with chocolate icing. It was delicious!!

fork sketch

graphite in cahier pocket sketch book

copyright 2010 Stacy L. Rowan

Mondays are dance days. My daughters take two dance classes Monday evenings - tap and ballet. On this particular Monday they had to leave ballet early to go have lacrosse pictures taken.

My one daughter suggested that I sketch a pair of ballet shoes in the net of a lacrosse stick. That seemed a little complex for one of my daily sketches so I simplified it to a single ballet shoe.

ballet shoe sketch

sepia ink in cahier pocket sketch book

copyright 2010 Stacy L. Rowan

Days 113 and 114

It seems that when I don't have an obvious sketching subject which relates to our days activities I resort to sketching decorative items.

I actually tried an activity related sketch this day. My husband, kids and I went to see the show Tap Kids at our local theater. It is an old theater and very beautiful inside.

I tried sketching the balcony, but the show started before I could finish. It was a fabulous show and we were too busy at intermission talking about our favorite parts for me to finish the sketch. So when we got home I grabbed this bunny and made it my official sketch of the day.

sketch of stuffed rabbit

sepia ink in cahier sketch book

copyright 2010 Stacy L. Rowan

Okay, so I know the next sketch is a pretty pathetic, but it was actually a timely subject that I wanted to capture. The sketch is of Silly Bandz - rubber bands made in the form of different shapes.

Silly Bandz sketch

pencil in cahier pocket sketch book

 copyright 2010 Stacy L. Rowan

For a number of weeks (months?) these rubber bands were all the rage. Kids of all ages wore them on their wrists and traded them like crazy. How I wish this idea had been mine, because I bet someone made a lot of money from this craze - five bucks at a time.

Days 111 and 112

Day 111 brought some unexpected free time when one of the kids' activities was canceled. I put it to good use by creating a more detailed sketch than normal. I was really happy with how this one turned out.

belt buckle sketch

graphite in cahier pocket sketch book

copyright Stacy L. Rowan

The next day I spent some time cleaning off and rearranging my watercolor palette before starting a new painting. When refilling my palette, I decided to sketch some of my paint tubes.

paint tube sketches

sepia pen in cahier pocket sketch book

copyright 2010 Stacy L. Rowan