Pencil Sharpener Revolution: Introducing Henry

I've been using colored pencils and sharpening them with various sharpeners. (A search on this blog shows that I mentioned my favorite sharpeners several times). And I am sure you know that graphite pencils and color pencils need slightly different approaches to sharpening. 

But recently I realized that if I need to sharpen a bunch pf pencils at the same time, the strain on my wrist is getting to a point of concern. Granted, this is a reason to work on my wrist strength - but on the other hand, having a backup that sharpens various thicknesses of color pencils well and does not send me to the icepack is a sensible parallel solution. Hence - recent purchase - introducing Henry the Pencil Sharpener. 

p.s. I am aware that my pencils might live longer if I skip the electric sharpener, but part of that long life comes from the fact that I would use them less, and my goal is to use them more - and enjoy it. 

On My Table: Beginning of August 2023.

This is a special - travel edition of "On My Table" as I was traveling at this time and this is a photo taken during one of the evening "sketch sorting" sessions at the kitchen table in one of the places where I stayed. 

I will do a more thorough post about tools that I took with me, what worked and what did not - but for now - here is a photo with some comments:

On My Table: Beginning of July 2023.

It's July. In Ukrainian the name of this month (Lypen) is tied to the name of the linden (aka Tilia - Lypa in Ukrainian). I am walking the streets of California smelling Tilia blossoms and thinking about this amazing name for the month - it means way more to me than Julius Caesar ;)

As I'm working in a large (A3) sketchbook it took me some time to come up with a way to fit it on the table with the other things that I wanted to share and still show a part of it. This sketchbook is being filled with lots of summer sketching adventures!

I got some amazing books for my birthday and am obsessed with looking at the lines and colors in the art of Joaquín Sorolla, Tove Jansson, and Beatrice Alemagna:
Book 1: Sorolla and the Paris Years
Book 2: Tove Jansson: Work and Love
Book 3: On a Magical Do-Nothing Day

This new pencil sharpener (Swordfish The Triple 3 Hole Canister Pencil Sharpener) earned a place in my plein air set (Emma Carlisle mentioned it on her Patreon - for me the winning point was that it can sharpen Woody 3 in 1 Pencils as well as normal and medium-sized pencils). 

I am mixing more colors for my acrylic markers, drawing lots of people and treasures, biking, walking, sketching and having an amazing summer! And I'm trying to pick my art supplies for an upcoming travel (hence limited palette ideas you can see on the table).