Twins - More experimenting with Lines and Dots

I love the mama bear with her twins, so I wanted to try them again, and use the lines, and this time I added dots. I got carried away with the grass.  Maybe the next one will be better!
I only got one sketch done today!

Tennessee Barn Sketches

I just did some ink sketches today, experimenting with some ideas.  I also used a Tombow marker.
and a new pen that I love! It is Platinum Carbon extra fine pen. I can tell it will be my favorite.
This is a barn in Tennessee, and I wanted to experiment with lines.  I also used the water soluble marker for the shadows.  In the second Picture, I wanted to try a little color.  I think I prefer it with out color.  The last one is from the historic beautiful  Cemetery.

Tennessee Scenes

More Sketches from Tennessee.  Only 2 today.  We were in the Smoky Mountains and got to see a Mama Bear with her cubs. She had 2. I only drew one but think i will do another one later since I enjoyed doing these.
Both sketches today are done with a Tombow marker. I draw with it or put markers where I want to make it darker or softened.  To soften it you use a wet brush. I used a dark gray on the bears and a black and dark gray on the windows.  The windows and sign was drawn first with my Lamy fountain pen.

Tennessee 2015

 This is day 5.  The steeples there just get lost in all the trees. and there are so many wires everywhere.  I wonder how the electric company know what's what! It doesn't matter though because the steeples sticking up out of all the trees are so pretty.  I loved seeing them, and wondered why churches are built like this.  Here is some info I found about it. Makes sense to me!

One reason: It was simply an architectural style that happens to inspire us to look heavenward.

These early church architects designed grand cathedrals and churches that had intricate, soaring steeples. The vertical lines of the steeple helped to visually enhance the lines of the church, directing the viewers' eyes vertically to the heavens. Obviously, this verticality complements part of the mission of the church, to keep us in a heavenly frame of mind, but from an architectural standpoint, this vertical lift gives the architecture a more graceful and pleasing look. The shorter the building, the more squat the appearance; the taller the building, the more graceful it becomes. The early church believed that the church could communicate the truth of the Bible in pictures and symbols to those who were illiterate, such as using the picture in the stained glass to tell stories, as well as the steeple, which helped by pointing upwards devotedly to Heaven. Therefore, the steeple has a dual role in that it helps the congregant in his or her spiritual mindset, and the steeple also helps the architect with a design feature that enhances the overall harmony of the architecture.  This is from an article, The History of Church Steeples,

 

Tennessee 2015-Day 4

Here are the sketches for today.
one was an old weathered barn.  It was still red though. Overgrown with trees.
another one is a house all grown up and I just used a water soul-able pen. I really like to use this Tombow marker.
Then there's the old feed store.  I realized I probably used the wrong book for these sketches because so many of them are vertical.  The Acme Feed store turned into a restaurant was a smart move!  The building was awesome and so old. The food was very good.
The last is the sun shining through a window in an old cabin. I didn't capture it like I wanted to.

Tennessee 2015

This is day 3 of Tennessee Sketches. I will probably have problems decided which ones to include.

The parking sign was so cute! I had to get a photo of it. The parking was horrible and very expensive.
There were steeples every where peeking above the trees and so pretty.  There definitely will be some more of these.  The signs were for sure an eye catcher too!  There will be some more signs too. Such fun to do! I love to draw these, and remember our fun time that we had!

Tennessee 2015

In October Keri and I went to Tennessee for our yearly 'trek'.  We had such fun and it was a beautiful time of the year to go! We couldn't believe all the color!  I am going to try to do a book full of sketches to remember our trip.  I am blessed to get to travel with my daughter!
The first one is my cover page.  This was one of my favorite signs in Nashville!
The 2nd one is obvious! driving into Nashville. The third one was a fun one! Keri was so excited to see a piggly wiggly because we don't 'have them anymore! I hope you will enjoy our trip through my sketches as I go!  Sign up to get notices if you are interested in knowing when I post new stuff!

January 1

Another year has come and gone! It is already Jan 1, 2016! Wow! It goes by way too fast.
I did a couple sketches of some of the Chrismtas gifts as well as a sketch of part of our living room with the tree up, and of course I had to do a new Years sketch as well!
SO Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

I can't believe this year has already gone by! Way too fast. We have been so blessed this year, with health, family and friends.  My art has been fun this year. I got in a North Light book, and just found out that I got in another one coming out in September 2016!  I had my first open house in November. It was such fun.  I am making it a goal to get back to sketching in 2016.  Something happened and I have slacked off!  This first sketch makes me think how fast we  made it into another year!
My prayer is that it will go as smoothly as 2015! These were just fun sketches to do. Western art is still my favorite!  Happy New Year!

On my Table

I have been so behind on everything! painting, sketching etc.  THis was a fun one I did while I had a student.  I just sketched what was on my table.  I just ordered some new pens. LOVE fountain pens.
I use a lamy most of the time with permanet Noodlers Lexington Gray. I really like that ink.

Santa Fe Sketches

I am still working on the 30 day challenge. Here are some more sketches from Santa Fe.

Santa Fe Sketches

More Sketches of Santa Fe Doors and Gates.

The top one is in honor of September 11.