The week has been spent at a Sketchbook Course offered by the Alberta College of Art and Design.  Most of the time we have been outside sketching nature, people and buildings; it has been the hottest week of the summer as well which has led to a few sweaty pages!  With all the flowers and foliage in the park I managed to choose this half dead fir tree!  What does that say about me?

I am a follower of the Joggles weekly videos - I look forward to an early morning coffee on Wednesdays and watch Barbara's latest project.   This week's video was about making Artist Tiles and I just happened to have a package of the Strathmore Artist Tiles and of course some (OK - many) Twinkling H20s. 

Back to painting birds.  (watercolour)

I tried to draw Tommy Kane with ink and skewer - not good!  So then I decided to draw him in pencil on top of the ink drawing.  !!

Using a skewer and ink and then adding a bit of watercolour, I drew the first peony I have ever cut and put into a vase.  With all the ants I have left the vase on a table on my deck rather than invite more critters into the house!

Sketchbook Skool - second semester.  The homework was a piece of toast - well, a gluten free bagel (not nearly as good as  a "real" bagel) was what was on hand - toasted, a tad burnt and voila.  I used a Micron pen and two Twinkling H2O colours.

I live near the mountains and am definitely land locked so it is perhaps not unusual that I just adore the ocean and beach combing.  My table is now quite well stocked with shells that I was able to bring home from Tofino.  I was delighted with this find -  a shell with very large barnacles attached.  My cats are also enjoying inspecting and sniffing the shells and attempting to assist me with my drawing!