Sketch Journal Project: Winter Nights and Black Paper

It’s going to snow again and the temperatures dropped already. Last night I slipped on the deck, covered in unexpected ice…I really felt like making winter drawings.

However I also felt like using black paper again. I experimented with it before but sort of forgot about it. But lately I have seen Kerfe and Nina from Method to Madness experimenting a lot with black paper and they inspired me.

So I combined both : winter drawing on black paper. After some sketches, the scarf and bird at the top appeared. I am happy with that one.

Na wat lenteachtige maar ook regenachtige weken, komt de winter weer terug. Lekker sneeuw! T wordt al kouder en gisteravond glibberde ik over t terras met onverwachte ijzel. Tja dan krijg je wel zin aan winter tekeningen. Dit keer op zwart papier! Een leuk experiment.

Love and Liefs, Johanna

Sketch Journal Project: Sketches and Finished Work and Chickens

 

I know…times flies! We are already past halfway January. Its about time I show my sketch journal. The weather is pretty bland and grey, but you won’t hear me complain because Charley and I are happily walking and enjoying the cold. But Nature wise, there is not much going on that inspires me to draw.
Above the finished proposal for the book cover.

And these sketches of rather voluptuous women are studies for an exciting project: creating a perfect pattern for a plus size friend. I have a passion for clothes and I love for people to have their own style and feel comfortable in the body they have or look after their body and looks, even if they are less satisfied. I am not talking about being vain and arrogant, I am talking about genuinely having self respect and believing in your own beauty despite the fact you do not look like Chanel ‘s Cover Girl. I am very passionate about this!!

When we visited an fashion art show together, my lovely friend sighed that she had such a hard time finding affordable, comfortable , well fitting clothes for a reasonable price. Now I can relate to that: I am a royal 6 ft+ and I am always hunting down the second hand stores and sales. Now I have a feel for what makes garments well fitted and i can draw. My friend is a fabulous seamstress…so together we hope to make it work. It will take some time, I guess ;o)

And than I felt like drawing chickens. I saw a few funny ones in a garden show and on homesteaders blogs…well I do not see any reason not to draw a few funny chickens, right?

Love and Liefs, Johanna

Happy Holidays!!

Dear Friends,

I am going to take a little break…I will be to busy with mollycoddling my boys!!

Thank you all so much for your support and interest. Blogging is really a global delight with likeminded spirits!!

Lieve Allemaal, 

Ik ga even op Kerstvakantie om mijn jongens eens goed in de watten te leggen. Bedankt voor weer een jaar met zoveel plezier, interesse en support! Het is zo ongelooflijk leuk om wereldwijd te communiceren met gelijkgestemde zielen! 

Love and Liefs, Johanna

 

 

Sketch Journal Project: Festive Mood , An Amazing Present and a Wonderful Book!

Yes, yes, yes, finally the festive mood for my Favorite Time of the Year is coming!!
Thinking about a nice Christmas drawing..or maybe a collage this year?

And oh my goodness, look what Kerry send me. Months ago she had seen this moon and hare in my sketch journal and she contacted me by email. She wanted to use it for an embroidery work. Kerry is a textile artist as ever there is one and her blog is fantastic. The little sketch did not work and I was all to happy to help my dear blog friend with a better drawing. And now…look what she just simply send to me!! Such kindness. And how I admire those lovely tiny stitches.  I just got it today and I am looking at all the time, now I have to find the right spot to hang and do it honor.

And I would like to bring another blog friend to your attention, before I return to my untrimmed tree and bare halls. Laurie from Notes from the Hinterland, has published her first book! I ordered it right away. It came Saturday with a nice Christmas card and I have already finished it. It is such an excited book for teens and grown ups alike!
And look what she wrote in it….my ears started flapping with joy right away!!

Hè hè ..eindelijk in kerstelijke stemming! Eens wat ideeën geschetst voor Kerst tekening. Het is uiteindelijk de favoriete tijd van t jaar voor mij!
En blog vriendin Kerry stuurde me zomaar dit prachtige borduurwerkje dat ze maakte naar een van mijn tekeningen. En blog vriendin Laurie heeft haar eerste boek gepubliceerd en in de mijne schreef ze ook nog eens een aardige opdracht.

Terug naar de kale boom en volle dozen met versierselen!!

Love and Liefs, Johanna

Fall , One More Time

I know it’s December and I should think about decking halls and trimming trees…but with that strange balmy weather for the longest time I felt that Fall had only just begun!
I just finished this drawing..my yearly Fall drawing ;o) So today still fall for me…
Tomorrow I will start thinking about Christmas.

A Nice Breeze

Autumnal Blis

And here my Fall drawings from past years too.

Have a great weekend!

Love and Liefs, Johanna

Ps proposal for book cover…

Sketch Journal Project: Dogs and Pigs….

More or less finished the commission for the pig illustration . I was ready to sketch a few dogs!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you who celebrate it!!

Love and Liefs, Johanna

Ps check out this website Cupcake Speaks.

Sketch Journal Project: Fungi and Crayons

For a couple of days the weather was really cooler and for the first time in weeks Mr. Walker and I had a proper hike, up at Rowe Woods.
Nature is changing, the leafs are looking tired, some are falling already. The last flowers are blooming and lots of beautiful mushrooms and fungi everywhere. I love those, such extraordinary shapes and forms.

It inspired me to make an early fall drawing and playing some more with the water color crayons. I really like the possibilities and it creates a bit of roughness around the edges, so to speak. Not entirely happy with this but quite pleased.

And lovely to do now the heat has returned yet again…

Love and Liefs, Johanna

Sketch Journal Project: Crayons and Finished Work!

I practically always work with color pencils and fine liners. I love it, I can make the drawings that are in my head. However, I do have a desire to make my work more ‘loose’ ,more movement in it, more like the 1950 plate decoration shown here and which I love so much. I am playing here with watercolor crayons and I really love it. I am quite happy after this first attempt and I will continue playing with it.

And finally, all the illustrations are finished for the Children’s Book (fingers crossed, though) These are last two. Hopefully within two months I will be able to show full finished result!!!(fingers, legs and eyes crossed here!)

Ach soms will je wel eens wat anders, eens experimenteren. Ik werk altijd met kleurpotloden en zwarte stift. Maar ik zou ook weleens werk willen maken dat er ‘losser’ uit ziet, met meer beweging. Zoals dat alleraardigste jaren 50 bordje bv.
En eindelijk de laatste illustraties voor t kinderboek af…nu flink duimen dat er binnen twee maand een boek op tafel ligt!

Love and Liefs, Johanna

Lately…Important Nothings and Downton Abbey!

Well we had a little breather with cooler weather last weekend. Mr. Walker and I enjoyed a good walk at Rowe Woods..such joy!!!

Ragweed season has started and our Darling Girl is allergic to it. Her skin gets so itchy and she starts wriggling and crying. So immediately of to the vet for her shot and on coming home, she made sigh of relief and continued with her favorite activity.

With apologies for this rather blurry photo…but all this packing material was used to send  the three little bottles of vitamins in the front of it….

The Walker boys and I text a lot and send each other photos during the day. The Youngest Walker Boy received some doodles making fun of the difference in height between him and his Princess (she is adorable) and him spoiling those cats! ( there is always a lot of teasing going around amongst the Walker Clan)

I showed the Oldest Walker Boy this book and we decided to challenge each other drawing a map…this was his, of course so creative and original!!

Mine…your traditional medieval map. Good practice but not very original.

And what a great book this is!! Cocktails and literature…best of both worlds and beautiful illustrations to boot! 

And I leave you with all these photos of the splendid costumes from Downton Abbey!!! The traveling exhibition arrived at the Taft Museum and my friends and I ordered tickets all ready last spring and were of in a thunder gallop as soon as our time came up!! There was a lot of ‘Oohs’ and ‘Aaahs’ ….and I would be very happy with that red coat!

Have a great weekend!!

Love and Liefs,
Johanna

Sketch Journal Project: More Farm Animals

I am working on that children’s book and actually on a deadline. But my sketch book was calling me and so I did a few quick sketches to relax mind, body and spirit.

After a couple of cooler days, the heat is back again. And I have to find my outdoor fix indoor…well have a look at this wonderful website the kitchen garden. Cecilia tells about her daily life on her farm and takes marvelous photos of all her happy animals.
Such bliss and I could not help being inspired to draw yet a few farm animals again. After all , I did spent a large part of my youth on a farm and it brings many happy memories!!!  

Och hemel, na wat koele dagen is de hitte weer terug. Het landleven moet ik dus wel binnenhuis zoeken…gelukkig is er deze fantastische website , The Kitchengarden. Nouja, ik kan altijd wel naar boerderij dieren kijken (ik bracht een deel van jeugd door op de boerderij) en Cecilia maakt wel hele mooie foto’s van haar gelukkige dieren!

Love and Liefs! Johanna