Summer Beauty

Check-out my flickr stream to see my latest piece in full!

It started out as just a doodle, but I loved the curve of her hair and her dress. I don't usually enlist outside help for my color choices, but this time I was inspired by Colour Lovers. I hope to have the print available in my etsy shop by the middle of June.

Quick Sketches

Drawing the people around you always elicits a certain amount of paranoia. People know you sketch. They know you sketch people. They also know you've glanced at them no fewer than ten times in the past 60 seconds.

Fortunately there are some settings when, no matter how positive they are they're being sketched - they just can't do anything about it. Classes. Ceremonies. Waiting Rooms. They can't leave. Confronting you is awkward. Tada! Sketch subject!

Any Given Sunday

When I was a little girl some pastors used to tell my mother that I shouldn't be drawing in church or that if I was drawing it should be about the sermon. Apparently my mom thought that could get awkward ("So, how did you illustrate Song of Solomon, Melody?") or difficult ("Well now, that's an nice drawing of predestination, but I think your propitiation could use some more shading."). Or maybe she just thought that dealing with an antsy six year old might keep her from listening very well.

In any case, she didn't make me stop.

Over the years I went from doodling on the back or in the margins of bulletins to sneaking in my own blank paper to brazenly carrying in my sketchbook along with my bible.  Maybe some people think I'm not paying attention, but I can only tell them what I have told every teacher in my life.

It helps me focus.

If I don't draw my mind wanders, drawing keeps me grounded in the here and now. And as you can see, it doesn't keep me from note-taking either.

Vampire Weekend

My youngest sister asks me if every person I draw is her. Unless it obviously is her, in which case she asks if it's someone else. Fangs seemed like an appropriate response.