Best Nine of Instagram Posts

Lots of people are posting their Best Nine images of the year - these are the ones that gathered most likes. Some people adjust these and some don't, some tell the viewers about it and some don't - so I decided to see what are my best nine and here is what I got - with my comments:

If you don't want to read my handwriting the short version is that there are at least two videos that got into the final nine and I am glad as I want to make more of those - but they cannot be presented with a single frame! And lots of gouache-relate painting - I did several large projects in gouache this year - so no surprises there. Two images are from the 100 Views of Silicon Valley project and there is one from my learning of Spanish by drawing project.  But quite a few big things were overlooked! I started scrolling through my Instagram feed of over 430 posts this year and quickly collected a bunch of things that needed to go in the top nine. But there were way more than nine...

So after some careful consideration, I picked a few to switch - I like this selection better.
It looks like a summary and a little bit like a plan too :) 

My Participation in the Strathmore's new Art Project: "Pass the Journal"

Pass the Journal is a collaborative art project organized by Strathmore. Artists from around the world fill the pages of 12 art journals, passing them on to keep the cycle going.

I created a spread about treasures and you can view it as well as work of other artists drawing in this journal and other journals here: http://www.strathmoreartist.com/pass-the-journal/journal-full.html#/journal/5/show

Because of this opportunity I had two wonderful walks - one was when I went to gather things to draw and paint and then sat in a shadow to actually create the spread.

Another walk was when I went for a little sketchcrawl with the previous artist from Rockwell journal - wonderful and inspiring Gay Kraeger! It's an mazing experience - to meet in person someone whose sketches I've been following online, to be able to flip through actual, live journal pages and draw side by side (even if it suddenly rains in California :)

I am excited to be a part of this and can't wait to see what others will make out of their spread! Thank you, Strathmore and Gay!

Daily Life

Everyday Life: Meeting people, dogs and making soup.

July 2014: Bits and Pieces - Treasures and Such.

Reading Time

Reading in the library, at home, in the park, while visiting friends and relatives.

Day-to-Day Stuff

I am so behind with posting (perhaps it will look better if I say that I have more stuff drawn than posted :) that I decided to do a few posts with lots of day-today things dumped here - as a record.

Reading

Sometimes easy, sometimes hard.

On My Table

April 2014: Dentist

Sketching is one of the best ways for me to survive visits to the dentist...

Bits and Pieces of March

I am playing with liquid watercolors a bit lately - when I get to scanning this week's sketches you will see more. It's very direct and very unforgiving and extremely exciting!

Treasures as a way to return to sketching.

Morning Walk

Process:
 
And final:
 

February 2014: Long and Interesting Day

This was a day filled with events:
First - a visit to a new dentist office,

Then collecting treasures in San Francisco
and finally meeting in real life an online sketching friend - Suhita!

I did many many pages of sketches in my little pocket moleskine book on that day and most of them are in the recycling bin. But I had to keep something for the record - so here it is - my best shot :) And here is how Suhita saw me on that day :)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sketchaway/12573428053/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sketchaway/12573323335/in/photostream/

February 2014: Treasures

Two very different days.

February 2014: Hunting for Perfect Magnolia

 
 

January 2014: Working on a Project

This was drawn during a few days working on the project.  
Many books were taken form the library... many of them were useless... some were useful :)

 
Many interesting facts were discovered. 
 
Many hours of work... 

 
The grand finale (so far) was a mini sculpture of the Quetzalcoatlus :)