Well Done!

I love getting to draw on the table at Bonefish Grill, and it's craft paper! I'm tempted to take all my markers sometime and show them what it COULD be! :)

This was a celebration dinner for my husband's last day at what was a very challenging and stressful job before he headed on to the job he has now. If only I'd had more time to make this great, but the bread came to the table, and it was on to the business of...you know...the good stuff.

Drawing on the Table "Cloth" at Bonefish Grill

Me, the Coloring Queen for a Day

I've loved to color for as long as I could grip a crayon. Now that it's becoming very cool for adults to color, I just want to say, "I told you so!" I entered a little coloring contest at Cloth, Paper, Scissors Magazine, and I actually won. Aw, shucks! They provided the black line drawing, and it was up to contestants to be creative. Here's what I came up with.

Earth, Wind & Fire; marker on paper

Dip Pen Doodling

Doodle on! This started as a simple, monochromatic watercolor of pale blue grass or seaweed and bubbles. The brown and blue bottled ink and a dip pen turned it into a doodling exercise. I love the simplicity of low-tech pen and ink.

Dip Pen Doodling; watercolor & Noodlers ink on watercolor paper

Grace Doodle

In my mind grace is a subtle shade of pink.

This is one of my favorite color schemes! Ever.

Grace Doodle; white acrylic and watercolor markers on toned paper

Baby Ninjas Doodle

Here's one way I use up ink. This started with swaddled ninja quintuplets. Do you see 'em?

If you don't find drawing very detailed line art relaxing, you should NOT attempt this at home! I love it. I know that many people would NOT be relaxed by it. It takes all kinds!

Baby Ninjas Doodle; 5.5x8.5" ink on paper

Spring Break!

This is a very non-traditional journal page for me, but I loved the way it turned out. I work at a college, and we're enjoying a quiet week as the students are away on spring break. Maybe that's why I got all whimsical and wonky. I'll journal on the lines of the accordion-folded "thing" later.

Spring Break; ink on paper

Wired For No Reason

Sometimes it is impossible to trace where inspiration comes from. I can't explain this piece at all!

I've had the pad of black drawing paper for a long time, and finally decided it was time to try my markers on it. The design was really challenging to work out. Is there anyone out there who would like to build this thing? :)

Wired; acrylic markers on black paper

Easter Egg Doodle

Spring hopes eternal!

I was so pleased with this imaginative little piece. I feel like it's sort of a unique style that I haven't really seen anywhere else. I'm always looking for something that's uniquely mine! Why is that? :)

Easter Egg; white acrylic and watercolor markers on toned paper

How I Relax

I can't explain why I find this relaxing. I just do. A tinted paper sketchbook, a handful of markers, and Spotify. Ahhh!

White acrylic mark and watercolor markers on toned paper

Doodle Birds

Here's a recent journal page with doodling underneath and on top of watercolor. This was fun!

Doodle Birds; 5.5x8.5" watercolor on mixed media paper

The Thing about Nature

A favorite saying from the wise and hilarious Dowager Countess of Grantham. I love everything about Downton Abbey, especially any time Maggie Smith is in the scene and speaking lines. She reminds me so much of my grandmother!

I was so happy with the way this drawing turned out. I struggle so much with truly imaginative drawings, but I really let this one unfold as it wanted to. It has the makings of a fine art piece, maybe....

The Thing about Nature; 5.5x8.5" Noodlers ink on sketch paper

Patches of Life

Patches of crazy--a story of life! I was inspired to do some work in a tan-toned journal by watching a woman on the train to Chicago using one. I love how the Uniball Signo Broad white pen goes down like liquid plastic. It is very opaque and dries shiny and permanent. There are so many possibilities for this pen on colored paper!

Patches of Crazy; white acrylic pen on toned paper

Blue Fountain Doodling

Doodling the way grandma did. There's just something about a fountain pen. Could it be love?

Blue Fountain Doodling; 5.5x8.5" Noodlers Navajo Turquoise ink on sketch paper

Coffee-delic

This is your brain on caffeine. Any questions?

Coffee-delic; 5.5x8.5" fountain pen on sketch paper

A Cuppa

I barely remember drawing this. It was buried near the back of my Arc daily journal that I try to sketch in every day. Apparently, I got bored while waiting somewhere, and I had coffee on the brain.

PITT Artist Pen on Drawing Paper

Got My Color Back

I might not ever get this completely painted. I get bored with things too easily, and this piece is just boring to me. I've been adding paint to it for a while, and I'm going to call it done.

5.5x8" pen and watercolor on mixed media paper

Doodling Over the Top

I used to quilt. I didn't finish enough quilting projects to suit me. So, I draw now, and get more finished. I might suffer from a wee bit of attention deficit, and it's getting worse as I age. I can't stick with large projects like I used to. This overly involved "Doodle Quilt" barely got done. It is my ode to pattern, or perhaps it's just a great way to spend a lot of ink.

5.5x8" Micron Pigma 005 on mixed media paper

Doodling Meditation

Sometimes you have to tell yourself something you already know. I doodle things I already know. I like to think of doodling as a way of talking to myself.

5.5x8" Micron Pigma 005 on mixed media paper

A Leafy Leaf

I like patterns. The idea to fill a leaf with more leaves just seemed intriguing to me. It would be fun to do a series like this: A Leaf of Leaves; A Face of Faces; A Cup of Cups; An Idea of Ideas.

5.5x8" Micron Pigma 005 on mixed media paper

Doodle Feathers

Another obsessive doodle. It wasn't intended to look like feathers, but that's what happens to your art sometimes. It surprises you!

5.5x8" Micron Pigma 005 on mixed media paper