More Sharpie Work

This is my latest effort with Sharpies on Master's Touch watercolor paper (140 lb.). The sketch was done with a black Monoline Studio pen (0.5mm), and embellishments were added with Posca Pens and a gold Sakura Pen Touch marker. The image is based on a painting of a classical aristocrat.

As you may be able to see, the markers are losing their ink which results in the streaking (this has happened with more of the skin tones and the lighter blue-grey in this piece) and coverage issues. That means it's time for a replacement set or an upgrade. What a great opportunity to experiment with a different set of alcohol markers!

The hair in this piece is curled around the face with a braided bun at the top back of the head. It was challenging to make out the connection between the two when the areas (around the face) were their solid original colors. So, they have been filled in with dots (large and small) in an attempt to reduce their vibrancy so the face and hair can 'pop' better. Before that, they were all in competition and there was a lack of enough contrast for a viewer to know what to focus on. The dot work has toned down those areas and added to a sense of greater texture in the piece. Even though it was tedious, it is much more effective in 'popping' the central image.

Still enjoying this way of working....with more to come!

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Introducing 'Kaleidoclown'

For fun, I've drawn one of my own photos (yes, I was dressed in a clown outfit) and added a wild and crazy background to accompany it for today's practice effort. As part of sketching the piece, it was split into four sections with two opposing diagonal lines. In terms of color choices, I've worked with color gradations for some shape sections. Can you believe, there are five major shapes in this effort? There really are -- circles, squares, trapezoids, triangles and spirals. I think the substrate is Biengfang Watercolor Paper (140 lb.). The materials used were Ohuhu markers, Micron 01 pigment ink pen, some red Stickles glitter glue for the nose, and a white Posca pen (for white dots on the face and to highlight eyes) and a yellow one (for yellow dots in the center of the flowers on the hat). There was no intention in working on this piece other than to have fun...and based on how it looks, I'd say well done!. One thing I learned is that blending with the Ohuhus i

New Project in Progress

I'm working on a new project with multiple layers and shapes of different colored organzas. It is an interpretation of lighting on an ice rink...from a show I recently saw. There is a lot more stitching to do, but I like how its coming along. I'm learning organzas are not easy to work with especially when you layer them and have overlaid edges. The fabric also tends to ravel easily. This post also linked to http://ninamariesayre.blogspot.com .

Announcing new book - The Soliloquies of A Wayfaring Trio!

I'm so delighted with my new book -- that I designed, wrote and illustrated, and is now in print thanks to Blurb! 'The Soliloquies of A Wayfaring Trio' was a months-long effort this year. I had no plan to create a book when I started reading unpacked journals from years ago. Those journals -- started in 1979 -- was at a time when life was about to serve-up some dramatic changes including a solo move from the Midwest to the Pacific Coast. I wasn't writing poetry then. In fact, I had never written poetry before, and it was only through those journals that I started writing creatively. In 1981, that creative writing began with prose (one to four sentences in length). While taking a 10-month journey to Europe (1982-3), poetry in free verse form started showing up. An edited version of one of the poems written during that trip appears in the latest book and is titled 'A Day at Nea Kameni' (a location in Greece). Thereafter, and in looking back, new poems s

Cay Denise

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