Rancho San Antonio - sitting under the tree

It was pretty hot day and I was tired and grumpy and stressed and overall needed a break :) But I was fortunate enough to have great supporting company who spent time looking for acorns, shooting (with camera ;) squirrels and overall giving me some space - to spend time by myself - sitting under this big tree and drawing - first - view across the field and then - tree itself and view on the road.

I was thinking about adding color but later decided to keep it as is - whatever was done on the spot - nothing taken away or added :)

Rancho San Antonio - view

Illustration Friday: routine

I kept IF challenge for about a year. Now I've taken a break for about a year. Is it time to bring back IF into my routine? :)



Illustration Friday: routine, originally uploaded by apple-pine.


I did quite a few sketches and this one I kept coming back to - so there are many things used: markers, pencil, watercolor, ink. A bit of a mess in terms of color palette but still - there is something in it that works.

Squirels


Squirels, originally uploaded by apple-pine.

It's prohibited to feed these little beggars but as soon as they see you dig into the backpack for the nut (which of course was for yourself!) they are there - in numbers and with the most charming tails! I eat my nut - but little crumble hits the ground - and ... well, we played this game for a while ;) Had a good company and a great day too!

Squirels

Hidden Villa: resting


Hidden Villa: resting, originally uploaded by apple-pine.

The day was a little too hot - we did not get far on the trail but enjoyed watching water spiders cross the creek. Every member of the party did it in his/her own way - I - mostly with the watercolor pencil and some water from that same creek ;)


Hidden Villa: catching Hidden Villa: looking

Mom Reading

Mom reading
Reading.
Dad fell asleep - mom was still reading.
I fell asleep - mom still was reading :)
I liked this evening a lot :)



Mom - still reading, originally uploaded by apple-pine.

Bay View


Bay View, originally uploaded by apple-pine.

I had very limited time and even less patience that day. And did not get to finish this. My little helper tried to draw with me - you can see pen marks ;) And I lost my favorite barbed fan brush...

But I got to see some hares, observed how thousands of snails are waiting for better weather by gluing themselves to dry grass, saw huge white pelicans fishing and eating, got to spend some time next to great white heron and shared this place with dear ones - so all in all - another wonderful morning spent away from work ;)

Alum Rock Park - bridge


Alum Rock Park - bridge, originally uploaded by apple-pine.

I've got a few funny pictures of me and my mom sketching without noticing a pretty large park vehicle passing by through what we left for him (we were sitting on the side of the road ;)

As soon as I find them - will post ;)

July 29, 2008: wild experiments

Hot day - I tried to capture what I saw on the hill and it ended up as this wild color thing... I did not have time to finish ot make it into anything - but it has something to tell about my day:)

Waiting in line


Waiting in line, originally uploaded by apple-pine.

These two people were ahead of me. One was suspecting me in drawing and another one was so tired he kept yawning all the time... Man, sketchbook really helps when you are pointlessly waiting in line...

July 24, 2008: Villa Montalvo - slope

you would think that when I moved to a different spot I got rid on the neighboring roaming group of tourists? ( http://apple-pine.blogspot.com/2008/08/july-24-2008-villa-montalvo.html)

nope :) They were here too :)

July 24, 2008: Villa Montalvo


July 24, 2008: Villa Montalvo, originally uploaded by apple-pine.

There was a large group of tourists on the trail. I stopped to paint this one and a couple more little snapshots of the forest. The group was in the park for the first time, contained many well-preserved retired people - all in search for the "right trail". They kept walking past me several times - extremely polite and disappointed that the dust might get into my painting :) But the fact is - it was a lot of fun to see them roam to and from - looking for the "right road" :)

July 23, 2008: Flower shop


July 23, 2008: Flower shop, originally uploaded by apple-pine.

New handmade books on my table :)

Book Number 21
This is book number 21 - I just completed it, scanned and will start posting images soon :)
- It was a good book
- but too big: 11" x 11" final paper size, a little bit larger with the cover - I had to re-organize my backpack every time I wanted to put it in - so I ended up carrying it most of the time - and it's not convenient.
- Big pages to draw - that was pleasant :)
- Hard to scan - did not fit in my scanner so some sacrifices had to be made ...
- 140 lb Fabriano Artistico Cold Press and Hot Press and Strathmore 140 lb Cold press.
- added a little plastic pocket (held with regular black office clips) - it has a couple of pockets to carry small items like extra piece of paper etc. - worked out fine.
- this decorative paper is a little unusual to handle - becomes wet with the glue immediately and then easy to tear apart while adjusting-flattening.

Current Books

While working in this one I made 4 new books: 2 square ones - for my Mom and for my Friend they are both 7.5 x 7.5 and contain Fabriano Artistico Hot Press ans Cold press 140 lb and a sheet of Strathmore 140 lb cold press.

And I made 2 not so square books: 7.5 x 9 and 7.5 x 4.25 - both contain 90 lb Fabriano Artistico Cold Press and Hot Press (2 sheets each) and a sheet of Aquarius 80 lb cold press.

But these books were drying too slowly - I had to add some glue on the spine - and as a result I am working in a nice little Arches Travel book (6 x 10) that my Friend gave me :) Very toothy paper - very interesting to work on with both watercolor and watercolor pencil! I intend to try pen and ink too - before it ends ;)

July 21, 2008: Picchetti Ranch - log

bright grass lost color next to this log. It was really fun to draw!

And this is the end of the book number 20. Will stat scanning number 21 tomorrow and will show you other books I made ;)

July 21, 2008: Picchetti Ranch - whistling Dad

My Dad is a whistling guy. He whistles always. When conversation hangs unfinished, when we have a moment between two cups of tea, when he is calm or when he needs to be calm, when it's quiet around or when we are at the airport, when it's appropriate and when it's not... in short - he is a man who whistles. I tried to catch him at that pastime - he was sitting by what used to be a pond, on a great gray log and looked like reflection :)