Rainier Ave. S. & S. Ferdinand St.

Another hour at Columbia City Bakery before my swim class. Finally, a new small sketchbook. Not too much to say. I couldn't do the bread and flowers again, so I sat near the window hoping to find something outside to sketch. Thankfully there was a bike in view — and a few people. Something. Keeping it simple. Just trying to get something up. I need to get outside soon and sketch/paint some cherry blossom trees. Some scenery — spring colors…even though it still doesn't feel like spring. At least it's not freezing out. No snow — some sun.

An hour at Columbia City Bakery

I have to confess — I have not been carrying my sketchbook around with me everywhere. One of those times again where I had no inspiration, felt too busy. My little sketchbook is all filled up. That is part of the problem. I am much less likely to toss my big one in my bag. Need to get a new one.

Today, I finally gave it a try again. Perhaps the sun had something to do with it. A fresh start. A month should not have gone by with no new posts!

Normally I have HM on Fridays, but she's with her little friends today. I had an hour after dropping her off before I had to get to my swim class. Columbia City Bakery was right on the way. A double, short, extra hot latté and an apple morning bun. Yum. The bun was just what I had in mind — like the cinnamon rolls I used to get at The Little Cheerful Café in Bellingham. Flaky, not doughy. If only it had been bigger! I had to keep myself from devouring it while I sketched it. I only had a black pen and a wrinkled, used piece of paper floating around in my bag. I also used the backs of some flyers I found on their shelf. Three quick ones. Added watercolor when I got home. Gouache too since I couldn't get the watercolor intense enough. The paper was the worst for these paints. Super thin, no texture. Better than nothing though!

I will try to keep up my sketching without feeling guilty about the lulls in inspiration. Especially for those of you that check back for new stuff.

First daffodil

I never draw flowers! Now I know why. This was tough. I still don't think I got it quite right — the depth/inner part of the straight-on daffodil contrasting with petals curving out in the foreground. I kept at it though and finally had to stop. HM was getting restless and L woke up. Time for lunch. Used pencil, watercolor pencil and colored pencils. I purposely didn't use a black pen — just to challenge myself since I always use one. Trying to get a softer look for this first bit of spring.

Pizza obsession

It worked! Thanks to my sister for her recipe & tips. Preheat oven to 500 degrees (not 450 like I had been doing) for 1/2 hour before baking. Bake on bottom rack of oven. I baked it for 8 minutes on the sheet then slid it directly onto the rack for the last minute. Was crispy on the bottom finally, not all floppy like before. Both the pepperoni/olive/garlic and the veggie were delicious — just ate the leftovers for lunch. I have to admit that I was obsessed with getting it right this time! Much to my family's relief, it turned out — or they would have had to listen to me complain about it all night. I almost lost my temper with the dough — guess it just takes practice. I lack patience!

Sketched the toppings while the oven was heating up. After dinner, drew the slice directly on top and colored with pencil and watercolor pencil. Nothing digital this time.

Pizza for dinner tonight

I've tried the pre-made TJ's pizza dough twice now. The first time I worked with the dough I didn't leave it out at room temperature long enough. Too cold, couldn't get it to roll out thin enough. Almost gave up and threw it all away. Ended up with a veggie calzone and a pepperoni pizza with crust too thick and undercooked. Last Monday, the second time, I left it out too long. It was too thin. Still didn't cook right, not crisp enough on the bottom and just blah throughout. This time I called my sister for her recipe. Her and Y's pizza is always perfect! Hoping the homemade dough will be an improvement — even without using a pizza stone. { sketched the mozzarella, yeast package and pizza sauce jar on the striped receipt }

2 double, short, no room Americanos

Originally I was going to post a new sketch every day. I figured out soon that a more realistic goal would be to get one up weekly. Also, they were going to be quick. Spontaneous. Just whatever I saw laying around or happened upon. I was running out of things at home that I wanted to draw. Looking for things. Trying to outdo myself with composition, level of detail, new techniques. Two weeks since the guitar and had no desire to sketch. Today I was going to go to the I.D, Lincoln Park, Alki or sit in the car by all the containers piled up on West Marginal Way. Morning turned out differently — hanging out in the car at the Burien Starbucks with M while HM slept in the carseat. I went back to the original idea — quick sketches with black pen only. Doesn't have to be a masterpiece. I didn't have my sketchbook, thus the kraft bag and napkin. I can't help putting bits together digitally too.

Fender Telecaster Deluxe

M's most played guitar.

Half-price Maruta

The minute I threw the bag of sushi on the car seat, I knew it was what I wanted to draw tonight after HM went to bed. Even though I really wanted to eat the deluxe California roll, I held off so I would have them left to draw. My brother-in-law let me in on the Maruta Market 50% off deal. Weekdays starting at 5pm, all the items of the bottom shelf of the deli case are half-price! You have to get there a few minutes before 5pm before all the sushi-lovers have emptied the case. I learned tonight there is a 5 item limit. It's perfect for Thursday nights since it's right on the way to pick up HM — between Highland Park and Beacon Hill, in Georgetown. Also, M always has meetings Thursday nights so it's just HM and me for dinner.

I thought the black & white drawing would take at least 2 hours. Only one tedious hour. I was scared I would ruin the detail with color, but really wanted to see the bright orange flying fish roe and clean greens and reds of the packages. I taped a piece of translucent paper on top and used colored pencils to complete it on a second layer. Put them together digitally.

Dickie's bag

It's kind of tricky to get a black bag to look like something other than a dark blob on the page! I was just going to have the linework and not fill it in — so you could see all the stitching — but went for it with the black. The inside of the bag is olive green camouflage, but I didn't feel like painting it, so I ended up adding the texture and color by repeating the bag artwork on top and underneath digitally.

Cupake Royale : West Seattle

Yesterday afternoon I headed over to California Avenue to sketch — disinterested in anything at home to use as a subject. I was going to do something quickly — an hour at the most — before going over to the Y for lap swim. Ended up at Cupcake Royale almost 2 hours and never made it to the Y. It takes a long time to draw in all those tiny cupcakes and boxes! After getting the scene down, it lacked the contrast of something up close — the yummy, perfect swirl of the frosting. A good excuse to buy two more, a carrot one for M (I cheated and made the frosting pink instead of white) and a babycake for HM. I wanted color without tediously (and not bold enough) filling in all the cupcakes in the case. The sparkly orange sprinkles, the pink frosting and sea green peppermint frostings provided the inspiration I needed for the color. I used the itty-bitty heart sprinkles (which I knew HM would be delighted to discover), white beaded sprinkles and oblong red ones as reference to scatter a bit on the sketch.

I had my whole kit this time — sketchbook, pen, pencil & eraser, pencil sharpener (in the much-used Altoids box, covered with Starbucks coffee blend stickers from college), colored pencils (in the same, dented tin from when I was a girl!), Japanese watercolors and brushes. I didn't have my own water cups this time, but a Verite paper cup worked perfectly for water filled from their fountain, and a black plastic coffee cup lid for mixing the few colors I needed.