Drawing Challenge II

After a fleeing break, I wholeheartedly welcomed another drawing challenge! Being more in the groove and having the experience of the first one, I was able to work out the timing of accomplishing the task from what to draw to the finished drawing. Sometimes I went over and caught up with a few drawings in one day. I was hard on myself at first, but soon realized that when I was happily drawing, taking my time, I was more pleased with the outcome.

Thank you Jen for introducing this drawing challenge and to both you and Wendy for sharing in this experience!

My Favorite Recipe, Oyako Donburi!

This prompt was by far my favorite. It happened to land on a day where I had more time to draw, though it took me a day to just think about which recipe to choose. Too many possibilities, so I'll be drawing more of them! The following morning, I brought my sketch supplies with me and drew up the idea while waiting for my daughter. I planned to work on it in the evening, where I stayed up way past my bedtime!

Quilt Block
A fun exercise of creating design. I added a white outline after posting it.

Reverse Drawing
Memories reemerge with having used this technique in a large drawing of a cat I drew so many years ago. 

Fishes à la Ana Ensh
 Another one of my favorites! I took a little extra time with this one too...researching fish images, organizing the shapes to create a "follow the leader" flow and adding all the dots.

Anthropomorphism Plus

This was a little difficult for me to begin even though it is intuitive. After drawing a few, I began to loosen up and after a few more began to let go of the outcome. 

Boots and Shoes
On this day I remember vividly that I did not want to draw and made myself draw anyway.

Flowers

I looked around my home for flowers to draw and found real, dried and beauties on teacups.

My Favorite Drink

I had a stash of chai ingredients all ready to draw!

Positive/Negative

After figuring out which shapes to use, it was easy to flip them around and color specific shapes in to create different patterns.

Negative Space

I knew I wanted to use the rabbit sculpture in this drawing because of the long ears.

Hand Lettering
This quote is from a children's book I wrote many years ago.

What's for Breakfast?

I had already eaten breakfast before receiving the prompt, so I used my daughter's smoothie and the croissant my son had taken a couple bites out of to create this drawing. Using watercolors was so fun and meditative, that it was difficult not to go too far with the black ink.

Shadows

Not having a strong light source made this prompt a bit tedious, though I'm pleased with the results.

Weaving with Sculptural Element

Jumping off the shadow prompt, I continued using shadow in this one.

Collage Painting Drawing

 I found an assortment of magazine photos to use and many ideas floating emerged in my mind. It was difficult for the paint to stick, so I tried a few different things. Later, I remembered using chalk markers in previous work and will use those again next time.

Contour Plants

This was a relaxing prompt where I drew from life and magazine photos. The cherry blossoms were brought into "Draw your Favorite Recipe".

Designs

Browsing through magazines for different designs and isolating them in sketches.

Sketchbook Cover

I didn't use a sketchbook for all of the drawings in this drawing challenge and thought, why not finish up the challenge with the last prompt. I began painting the cover of one of my many loosely used sketchbooks.

A Cup of Tea

 

Ukrainian Eggs

I have fond memories of making Ukrainian eggs with my mom and sister way back in the eighties. I loved spending hours creating with this ancient process; using the heat of the flame, wax and the many colors of dye to make traditional designs and to create my own. 

I could hardly wait until I could share this art form with my children! Hence, they had their first experience making Ukrainian eggs at a young age. For many years now, we also gather friends together to create these delicate eggs. It is fun to see the abundance of creativity unveil in deep vibrant patterns of color as the hours fly by.


 

Architecture continued to be a theme from drawing to egg dyeing. 

My daughter decided to make a cityscape too!

 The cat, pink and purple design and the rainbow are also her creations!

My daughter thought to use cotton swaps to add dye to smaller sections of her designs, so she wouldn't need to dye the entire egg each time. This technique also gave her many more color combination choices.

Melting the wax to unveil the finished egg.

If you are inspired to create your own Ukrainian eggs, there is little investment to hours of fun! 

When you have a moment, stop by the Ukrainian Gift Shop in Minneapolis to see traditionally decorated eggs, pick up supplies and watch these delightful eggs being decorated right before your eyes!

There is also a website with a shop and make sure to read their beautiful history of emigrating to America. http://www.ukrainiangiftshop.com

Sugar Bush

 As a family, we've volunteered many hours over the years at a local farm and this was the first time we helped at the sugar bush. Our daughter is a pro and helped us along the way with the maple syrup process.

 Carrying a full pail of maple sap.

 Maple sap dripping into containers.

 Skimming foam off the top of the vat that evaporates the maple sap and shaking it off onto the ground.

 Abstract scene of steam floating off the vat of evaporating maple sap.

 A couple images hiding in the trees.

 Collecting maple sap.

 Filtering the maple sap.

Nearby, our son made himself a little camp while wishing we had some marshmallows to roast.

Our son said pointing up, "Look... near the chimney!" It took me a moment and then I saw what he was pointing at...the steam and heat blurring the vision of the trees in the background.