DEPLOYMENT NO GO

Just popping in to say that it seems that the deployment will be happening, but without my Handsome Hubby. It is still true that nothing is for sure, but at this point, it looks like God wants him here.

Ahhh, I can breathe now!

Want to see some art?

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I just love those eyelashes. =)

This next one makes me cry. It’s a hummingbird that was intended as a Christmas gift for my Mom. I had some glitter (the fancy kind!) that I was going to add in around the neck. It’s not like it was completely done, but I had made a substantial start (i.e. I don’t get much free time and I had used a LOT of it on this project). Then, my lovely Eleanor, who just loves to pull up and “muck about” with whatever she finds there, somehow overturned my glass of water and, well, it’s just about ruined. I know it could probably be salvaged, but I just don’t even know if I could find the time to fix it. Anyway, my heart isn’t in it anymore. I think my painting hobby is getting put on hold for a bit. Sorry, Mom. Goodbye little beautiful birdie.

 

 

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European Starling in my Nature Journal

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I made a “map” of my watercolor palette, which I think really helps to know what colors to mix because it shows you the mid-tones and washes of each color, which is vastly different from how they appear dried in the palette.

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I finally found something for opaque white details on top of watercolor – white gel pen!

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My top “nature journal help” books of 2014. Obviously, you need a field guide. And I have really loved learning modern calligraphy, but the real stand-out for me is the Laws Guide to Drawing Birds. I think this is a MUST for any Charlotte Mason nature journal-er. It’s just an awesome book!

A Nature Journal Entry – Fall Leaf

While we were in Connecticut, I started feeling really tense and had a pretty bad headache, so Kent told me to try painting. Sidenote, I have experienced sinus pressure and pain around this time of year at least since I was a teenager – it’s not because I was with my in-laws! =)   Anyway, I chose a leaf (maple, I think) that was vibrant and also had a lot of brown spots. I had recently read an article on dry brush technique for nature study and it said to try to paint the holes and imperfections in the leaf. Unfortunately, the leaf has lost a lot of its color in the couple of days that it took me to finish the painting, but I think you can still see the resemblance =)

Painting is just super relaxing to me – I wish I could paint a little every day!

 

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After 10 days away, I have a lot of laundry to do, but the house isn’t too bad! Eleanor is cutting her first tooth! She prefers to be held, though, and I don’t mind =)

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A bit of Calligraphy (handicrafts)

P1050967 Since this is my first year with our Charlotte Mason homeschool co-op, I am not teaching any classes by myself. My main role is assistant to the handicrafts teacher – which is pretty much my dream come true. Because I LOOOOOOOVE handicrafts! Calligraphy, watercolor, sewing, knitting, quilting, collage, you name it – making useful and beautiful things by hand is what I was made to do! And it brings me such pleasure!!!

“I am, I can, I ought, I will” was the motto of the students in Charlotte Mason’s school. And this is the cover of my commonplace book (which is a lined Moleskine Cahier book). I plan to do another calligraphy of the motto with some fancy flourishes in a frame to display in our schooling room.

Our CM co-op incorporates a monochrome (all one color – i.e. pencil or pen, not with multiple colors of paint) reproduction of the subject of picture study (more like a visual narration than trying to reproduce the artist’s work), so we both needed an unruled notebook to hold the sketches. P1050964

 

Below, you can see all of Adele’s co-op school supplies: Adele’s leather-bound moleskine watercolor notebook, her picture study sketch notebook (I used an unruled Moleskine Cahier notebook), and a cute little (lined) polka dot notebook that I found for $1 on clearance! I just love that Adele is using high-quality art supplies. I think it helps Adele to treat her schoolwork with a lot of respect. And, these notebooks will be used for more than just one year; in some cases, they will be a lifelong treasure. =)

 

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When Mom tries to squeeze in a bit of sewing, the kids run amok!

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P.S. FYI this is not a sponsored post. Moleskine has never heard of me! I don’t like “name-dropping” brand names but I also know that it’s nice to know what other people use if they think it is a quality product.

 

Happy Birthday, Grandma!

I think it’s safe to say that kid pictures are Grandma’s love language! We love you!

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This one looks like Pippi LongstockingIMG_1962I crossed Everett’s legs to inhibit his tendency to push into extension. We do this in the stroller too. It looks funny, but it helps his hips and it helps him sit up better.

 

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We had a playdate at a park with a little water feature. Did you know that my kids LOOOOVE water?

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In August, we went to the Mary Cassatt exhibit at the National Gallery of Art. WOW! And we brought some prints home to do some Mary Cassatt picture study.

This one was my fav.

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This is a Monet – it’s Adele’s favorite. I had never seen this painting before, but when we got home Adele promptly showed it to me in one of our books.

 

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This is a Rembrandt – Girl with a Green Watering Can – a long-time fav of ours. We bought prints of this one for picture study at home.

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Supplies for Keeping Notebooks – What I Use

I’ve had a few requests for an updated list of supplies. So here it is. I am not a professional artist or anything like that, but I have tried a few different things and I’ve found several supplies that I really like to use. When I started my notebooks, I searched all over to find what other people were using, just to find a place to start, but I had a hard time finding a list like this.

First of all, if you haven’t read Laurie Bestvater’s book, The Living Page, then you should start with that. In her book, she has a list of  suggested “keeping” supplies (although mostly generic descriptions and sometimes it’s nice to have a link to something specific) and, I admit, I kind of went wild. But, I think good quality art supplies are the best kind of “toys” or even “educational tools.” I am going to provide links to amazon because it might make things easier for someone who wants to just click and buy. I definitely prefer to support local small businesses, but oh-my-goodness “click and buy” without leaving the house is really helpful for me in my current stage of life. And, just a reminder these are NOT affiliate links. I have absolutely no bias in recommending any of these items.

Nature Notebook Supplies that I Use:

I realize now that my “better quality” supplies probably haven’t improved the quality of my artwork at all, but they HAVE made the process of using them more enjoyable. And, that is worth it to me =). Also, these are just the things that work for me, and even though what I like might not be the best choice for you, it’s possible that reading why I do or don’t like something will be helpful information. I hope so, anyway!

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I have tried a variety of paint palettes, but this one is my current favorite. It is not small, but I did not want to use two separate palettes, so this is the one I use at home and also for travel. The palette comes empty and you use tubes of watercolor paint to put the colors where you want them – I suggest you take some time to plan out your colors in a way that makes sense to you before you put any paint down (I wish I had been smarter about my layout). Also, a little bit of watercolor paint goes a really long way, so you don’t need much at all in the palette. If you are doing nature study in a co-op group, you might consider splitting one really nice set of paint tubes between ten or so palettes – you’d probably still have lots leftover. This palette also has a long skinny section that holds a paintbrush or two. It even has a nifty spot to hook your thumb through so you can hold it when you are painting without a table (in my lap!). I bought this inexpensive set of paints and they work for me, but I haven’t tried a lot of brands of paint. Also, my nature journal is kind of bulky, but its beauty makes up for its weight. It is a handcrafted leatherbound watercolor journal from etsy.  I can see the appeal of a smaller palette and a smaller journal, but these sizes work for me.

When I started my nature journal, I was frustrated when I tried to add details to my painting. I thought I needed a very small detail brush. I bought about five brushes (less than ten dollars each). Recently, I invested in one real sable brush and I wish I had started with that instead of buying multiple brushes. I personally don’t use more than one brush when I’m painting, so I think it’s best to get one high-quality brush. Also, the sable brush I bought (size 8) is a lot bigger than the small brushes but the bristles come to a point, so you can still paint a nice detail.

I’ve also tried several brands of waterbrushes – it’s a genius idea where the brush holds water in the stick part and you release the water by gently squeezing. But, since I am doing dry brush technique, I use very little water (just a few drops for a whole painting), and these get too wet too easily for my taste – but they aren’t expensive, so try it – you might love it.

Commonplace Book Supplies that I Use:

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I bought a leather cover from etsy that holds three moleskine cahier notebooks. I love it! I like that I can take the books in and out easily, although I haven’t needed to yet. I thought I would be filling up a cahier book every month or so, but I write really small and am not even one-third of the way through my first one so far.

Calligraphy Supplies that I Use:

I have ventured into the world of pointed nib dip pen calligraphy. And it is sooooo fun! I bought this book, which has been the perfect guide!

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These are my favorite nibs (they’re for manga drawing), but it’s a good idea to try lots of different ones. I also prefer the manga nib holder (because it’s wood and has a cushion at the top — and it’s not any more expensive than the plastic ones). I have several different inks – my favorite is a manga ink, because it’s a very rich dark black (almost shiny), but it’s also the most dangerous because it takes a long time to dry and some parts stay wet even overnight – this means that it is easy to ruin your whole project with one wrong move. It is so hard to do calligraphy without getting ink all over my fingers! I don’t mind ink on my fingers but I do not want it on my paper! =) I also have Speedball super black and also Daler Rowney FW Acrylic Artist ink. I think each ink reacts differently with different nibs and especially on different paper. You really can’t do calligraphy on printer paper. I use smooth bristol board paper.

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Mrs. Bestvater suggested a writing desk (on an incline) in her book and I remember hearing how that’s helpful for calligraphy too. I tried a few ideas for making one myself, but I recently bought this one (large size) and I think it’s really great – very sturdy. I struggle with good posture, so having my writing surface higher really helps. I tried this wooden easel first because I like the look of the wood and it’s less expensive, but it is really intended to be used in a more upright angle – when I had it farther back it kept sliding down flat when I put pressure on it (as you do when painting or doing calligraphy). I ended up keeping it though because it really is lovely and it can still be used for upright painting and also for displaying picture study books.

Keeping Supplies that I do NOT recommend:

I bought a white sharpie with oil-based paint in it, that I hoped would allow me to add white dots on top of watercolor, but it isn’t nearly opaque enough. White gouache paint (the kind that comes with most watercolor paint tube sets) applied with a (not very wet) paint brush works much better.

I’ve also bought several sizes of Micron pens, but the super-fine tips seem to break quickly and they are not cheap. When not broken, though, these pens are excellent.

In my opinion, multiple brushes are a waste of money. I don’t want to mess with holding lots of brushes when I’m painting in my lap outside, so I think it’s best to put the same amount of money into one good brush.

I bought this Niji roll, but I don’t trust it to protect the bristles of a fancy sable brush (I just use the plastic sleeve it came in — it’s like stiff plastic tubing — and store the brush inside my plastic paint palette). I do have a few pencils that I like to use but I keep those at home and don’t like to fuss with them “in the field.”