Saturday, November 28, 2009



The second page for Janet's spread.

The first of the two-page spread I did in Janet Takahashi's "Nature" journal, as part of our round-robin exchange. The upper left hand leaves are collaged from a magazine ad. The Hiaku was written for this spread. I used Avery tags, one stamped with my hand-carved image, the other collaged from purchased elements. The monogram in the lower left was from a stamp that fellow-journaler/calligrapher, Debbie Powell, carved the for me
Click to enlarge.

Friday, May 29, 2009

Canal in Leiden - Queen's Day 2007



With the help of friends, I'm teaching myself to sketch. Through trial and error, I've learned that I prefer simple sketches with little detail. This one is getting there. I left off the cars parked on both sides of the canal, much of the detail on the buildings that line both sides, and quite a bit more!

I took the photo on Queen's Day Eve in 2007--it was a gorgeous day in Leiden, Holland. For a change, the sun was out and, in the very center of the city, the canals were jammed with boats, waiting for the festivities to begin. I caught this at just the right momement and left off the boat that was parked, with just a portion jutting into view.

I see things that I'll do differently for the next drawing and your critique is welcome. And, I'll print copies of photos to sketch during my ten-and-a-half-hour flights each way in June! I'll also take a few photos, specifically for sketching.