It's official I'm in a slump…

I've been working on a basket that's larger than most that I make. 

I had forgotten how tedious it can become to do row after row after row after row with no end in sight. 

I'm not even sure I like this crazy thing I think I used to many colors, they're all purple or green, just different shades of purple and green. You'll have to let me know what you think. 

I do love this piece of wood, I thought about tearing it apart several times just so I can use the wood for something else.

Whenever he road takes more than an hour, it does help to like the piece.

Tomorrow is Saturday and I'm going back to the farmers market that I did when I worked for my sister for the year and a half. It's the market that has the biggest crowd. It's also where I got my start and have had the best luck with sales. 

So iif you want to find me that's where I'll be... At the St. Augustine, FL Old City farmers market from 8:30 to 12:30!!!  Come on out! I haven't been there in over a month it should be a lot of fun.

June 25, 2014

My first sphere in color. And of course I had to reach for the purple...what 'cha think?

I think I have the shading thing figured out she so now maybe I'll move on to a cube. I just really want to work on getting my shading techniques down properly.

I also started a new fleur-de-lis on what panel.  This time no pencil, so only charcoal.

Let's hope I do better with this one than I did with the last piece. Much more sparingly with the fixative, this time, as that's where the problem came in the last time.

I really love that ribbon designe too.  I will probably give that one another shot.

June 23, 2014

I am so excited!!!

 I have been really working hard with my pencils trying to find something that I can sell in my booth besides just baskets, kind of break up the work a little bit. 

I was working on the beautiful drawing that you saw on Birch paneling and wrecked it, bummer bummer bummer!!!

But I decided to persevere and switched over to charcoal instead of graphite pencils. And look what I got. 

I have been trying to do a perfectly shaded sphere for years.  I'm thinking nailed it today. I'm also thinking I might just forgo pencils for a while and stick to the charcoal.

Check it out!

The reflective highlight in the bottom picture is a little too bright but I fixed it it's not so blaring now, gray now instead of bright white.  But My goodness I am so proud.

A 'lil progress ...

June 20, 2014

I was thinking seascape but now I'm thinking ribbons.  Either way I'm liking it already.

Wow! Half way through June already!!!

And I, like everyone else in Florida, am feeling the heat.

And of course when it is hot like this not many people want to come out and walk around at the farmers market. So sales have been slow and I have been playing with my pencils!

This is graphite pencil on Birch plywood.

Kind of reminds me of an underwater seascape.  

I have also been playing around with my Dremel tool, I've been trying engraving.

I've also been trying wood-burning. And guess what ... I still come back to the pencils.  

Turns out both in engraving and wood-burning are very very difficult.  I am trying to come up with something that I can add onto my table at the farmers market to sell with my baskets.

This will probably be just a practice piece, but now I'll show you the practice piece from this morning...where I had every tool in the house out trying to figure out what I wanted to do.

This was the first design and you can even see I tried color pencil.

I guess as far as drawing, without proper instruction I'll just stick to the pencils.  I'll keep you posted.

Oh yeah and this is a piece I was doing on paper.  This is the inspiration piece.

This is my version.

Not quite done yet, not the greatest paper, so I'm not sure I will finish it.

A little blue custom order.

Last Wednesday at the farmers market I got a tiny little custom job.

 The gentleman wanted a business card holder for a friend who happens to love the color blue.  He wanted a Cedar Center and he really liked the diamond stitch, so this is what happened.

I got the size perfect.

And I love the diamond Stitch just as much as he does.

On the bottom I used a spiral straight stitch in a different color of blue.

And of course a piece of Juniper/Cedar right from the local woods around my house.

And I always find my work.

I hope he and the gift recipient are as happy with this basket as I am, I get to deliver it to them today.

Bright and cheerful!

05/03/14