30 Day Sketch Challenge- Days 13 through 18

 Day 13

On the bus and wanted to do something where the movement would not matter as much. Pointillism works well. After I showed this to someone they said it needed one red dot.Well it turned into three different sketches after that comment.

Day 14

Light and shadows are very appealing to draw. Over all I was just drawing until I came up with this. I used a few different brushed to obtain the look in the drapes 

 Day 15

On this day I started to sketch but then didn't find the time to finish until the next day. This is the first day that this has happen but I am glad that i was able to still finish what I started. Before I finished it was just a red blob with lines around it.

 Day 16

After going to the dentist, numbing agent making me feel odd and lack of sleep I sketched this while waiting for the caffeine to kick in.

 

 Day 17

Okay lack of motivation on this day. Or at least that is what it seems like to me looking back at a sketch of lines. I do enjoy looking at it but I know it isn't my normal style.

 

 Day 18

On this day I thought I wouldn't do much but then these figures came out. This didn't take too long to finished but I did find myself going back to add a little here and there.

Day 7 through Day 12 of the sketch challenge. 

Day 7

As the days go on I find that I enjoy just sketching, however finding the time I truly want to spend can be lacking. Over all I have to remind myself that something doesn't need to be completed in a sketch. If it is good it is more for me to go back to someday to finish. 

Day 8

On this day I decided to stop a get a beverage before heading home. While at it also see if I could quickly sketch out something in the environment I was in. It has been a while since I have made myself work on a still life and also do it in under 20 minutes so I wouldn't miss my bus. I found myself quickly placing the important items needed so I could finish it from memory later that day. Downside of the art app I am using is that I wish I was able to find a better copper color for the background. Given cooper reflective quality is hard to obtain in a no-metal material but I think I could have played around with it a little more.....

Day 9

The day before I found myself just drawing lines on a piece of note paper earlier in the day. Not try to see a figure but going back and giving the few lines details while making something that looked appealing to me. I took that idea and focused just on the lines. 

Day 10

Didn't think I would have any time to sketch anything but that is because I baked and baked some more. Hopefully soon I will have a new recipe to share. But back to the sketch. After baking I found some time to sit down and draw. I truly didn't feel like it but was able to allow myself to focus on this for 20 or so minutes. 

Day 11

Felt again hard to commit to sketching but felt like doing something that might seem tedious to some and somehow relaxing for me. 

Day 12

I love color as one can tell from my sketches and each day I chose a color by what ever one jumps out at me first. Green it happen to be and the more and more green there was the more I liked and disliked it. Also used one of the pen brushes to complete the whole sketch. Which the result of the pen brush gave the sketch texture which again for me is a thing I love and hate. 

30 Day Sketch Challenge

I know it has been a long while since I last posted on this blog. For the next 30 days I am going to challenge myself to sketch in my phone and to post every 5 to 6 days no matter what I think the quality of the sketch is over all. Here are Days 1-6. 

                   

Day 1

Traffic was bad and allowed me time to sit on the bus and sketch. The movement on the bus made it difficult at times to draw but made me decide that I need to draw more. That I should not care if it is just a sketch or a finished piece of work. Just need to create. To carry my sketch book around can become difficult so I will be using a sketch program on my phone while challenging myself to sketch for the next 30 days straight. 

Day 2

Like most days I just place lines on the screen until I see something come from it. Today I used used the pencil brush, erasers brushes with radius and opacity changes along with color changes. 

Day 3

This day I didn't think I would have time to sketch. Decided to use environment I was in to sketch a pomegranate flower. Change in light means I had to sketch quicker but also realized on a really sunny day even with adjusting the light on the phone screen it became difficult to view the color wheel. Outside in full sun this would of been easier without using my phone to sketch. Also I added a light blue background to this but when ever I download the picture it won't show the background color. For the background color I didn't use the layer option.

Day 4

Was send a post-it with a stick figure one day. Took the general color and  the female figure from the post-it and add a little from there. First day that I used the page layers option in the sketch program.

Day 5

I used the layer pages and started to use the other brushes to see how this can use these options better. 

  

Day 6

Starting to like the pencil and the small brushes that are on the sketch app. This one I started earlier in the day and finished at later on.

Years Past the Trip to Reno.....

I

Reno, Pastel on Bristol Paper, 2012

It has been awhile since I posted anything about my artwork. I am not use to explaining and or giving further explanation about my art in written form. I do however miss the in class critiquing process.

I choose the title of the picture from the trip to Reno that inspired the lady figure in this picture. Below is the sketch I did while in Reno.  

The figure was in the stone counter area in the hotel room I was staying in. The stone counter in the room had blotches and flecks of greys. While glancing at it my mind likes to forms shapes out of the patterns. Similar to finding shapes in the clouds. Once I identify a shape I don't normally see it again. With this I kept seeing the face and decided I would just sketch it out.

Several years later I was looking through my sketch book to find something new to draw and I came across this face and decided I should use it. The page before the face I came across the sketch below.

Something about this sketch made me want to add parts of it to the woman's face. This sketch came out of just drawing line until things/items took shape.

The end results is a mixture of sketches with a new interpenetration.

Writing this out just reminds me how much a person can change. I use to hate sketch books and did not see the point. I took a class in Italy where we were forced to keep one. I had no idea what to do or how I was going to accomish the grade requirement for the class. I however found away to make it work for me by documenting my travels and small things that caught me eye. After starting to use a sketch book it still took me several years to reproduce or use anything I put into the book.

Strawberry Lemon Pudding

One night I needed to use the strawberries I had and thought why not strawberry pudding. I first made this using cornstarch but the cornstarch took away from the pudding. It turned out well but just was lacking. Then after talking through it with my mother I decided to try Tapioca flour/Starch. I know this is not a common household ingredient but it is worth trying. It's used in gluten free baking and it a great thickener.

The pudding must be chilled completely. The strawberry flavour will come out more when cold.

Strawberry Lemon Pudding

Strawberry Lemon Pudding

2cups strawberry purée

¾ cup milk

4 tablespoons tapioca flour/starch

½ cup sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

1 egg beaten

¼ cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon lemon zest

2 tablespoons butter

In a medium saucepan mix the tapioca flour, sugar and salt. While mixing, slowly add the milk. Mix until thoroughly combined. Add the strawberry purée. Turn on the stove to medium low heat and stir the mixture constantly. When the mixtures thickens to coat the back of the spoon or boils cook for two minutes longer. Remove from the heat.

Stir a small amount of hot filling into the egg; return all to the pan, stir until well combined. Add back to the heat and cook for two minutes more stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and add, lemon juice, lemon zest and butter. Mix thoroughly. Pour into individual cups and refrigerate until completely cooled. This will take 3 to 4 hours or overnight. 

Mexican Chocolate Pancakes

As promised there is the third pancake recipe. For this recipe I use Mexican Chocolate that is used for hot chocolate. It is a combination of Mexican chocolate and cinnamon. If you never seen the Mexican Chocolate for hot chocolate you can buy this online or if you are in California call your local grocery store to see if they carry it. I prefer this hot chocolate over all other hot chocolate.

The Mexican Chocolate

Mexican Chocolate Pancakes

1 cup flour
2 Tablespoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 3.1oz circle of Mexican Chocolate chopped
1 egg
2 Tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a medium mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. In a blender add half the milk and the chopped Mexican Chocolate. Blend this until the chocolate in well incorporated into the milk. Add the rest of the milk, egg, oil and vanilla into the blender and blend until combine. Add the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk together.
Heat a griddle or frying pan on medium heat and spray with oil. Add one heaping tablespoon for small pancakes or about two heaping tablespoons for a larger pancake. Spread the batter into a circle shape. They will take about 2 minutes on each side.  The chocolate melts into the batter making it harder to flip if you don't cook it a little longer.

Mexican Chocolate Pancakes

with caramel sauce

Serve with maple syrup or caramel sauce.

Turkish Coffee Pancakes

Tonight I decided to try making these pancakes again but to add more coffee for a stronger coffee flavor. I will give you both strong and weaker coffee versions so you can decide what is best for you. Please keep in mind that I am referring to the Turkish grind of coffee and I don't imply that I am correctly making Turkish coffee. You must love coffee to enjoy the stronger version but for me and my husband it is perfect.

Turkish Coffee Pancakes made with stronger coffee.

Turkish Coffee Pancake on the right made with weaker coffee

Turkish Coffee

4 Tablespoons Turkish ground coffee. I used a French Roast that I had the coffee shop ground on a Turkish grind

1/2 cup water for stronger coffee or 1 cup water for weaker coffee

Add the coffee grounds to a small pot or a Turkish coffee pot and add the water. Put the pot on the stove on a medium heat. Once it comes to a boil lightly stir the mixture until all the coffee grounds are fully combined. Let it come back to a boil and turn off the heat. If you are using a Turkish coffee pot watch the mixture continually because it will boil over.

Turkish Coffee Pancakes

3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cups buckwheat flour

2 Tablespoons baking powder

2 Tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoons cardamon

1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup Turkish coffee

3/4 cup milk

1 egg

2 Tablespoon oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix the flour, buckwheat flour, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon, cardamon, ground ginger and salt into a medium size bowl. Add Turkish coffee, milk, egg, oil and vanilla to the bowl and whisk all the ingredients together until just combined. Heat a pan or griddle on medium heat and spray with oil. To make smaller size pancakes pour about one tablespoon of batter and cook about 1 minute on each size. For large pancakes pour about three tablespoons of batter for each pancake. These will take a little longer to cook on each side.

Serve with maple syrup or Turkish coffee icing

Turkish coffee icing

2 Tablespoons of Turkish coffee

1/2 cup of powder sugar