Buns for St. Lucy's Day

A friend makes delicious St. Lucia saffron buns for St. Lucy's Day, which is traditionally observed at the darkest time of year, as light is about to return. St. Lucy, patron saint of the blind, was martyred in the early fourth century. (The raisins represent eyes.)

The buns have a striking form; until I sketched them, I hadn't realized they trace Hogarth's Line of Beauty.

John Donne composed A Nocturnal Upon St. Lucy's Day.

Watercolor pencil, watercolor, and Dr. Ph. Martin's Radiant Watercolor (background, the color of the wine of communion). (The buns disappeared so quickly I had to sketch them from a photo.)

Poinsettia

Cabin fever

Ornament doodles

In which I riff on Koosje Koene's ornament patterns. Also inspired by December welcomes being found across the bullet journal community this week.

Playing with red shades of gouache, Uniball Vision Elite fine liner, and pastel pencils. If I had a larger stock of pastels, I may have achieved better color harmony, with the holly. This looks a little messy, but I like it anyway. You can do what you want in your sketchbook!

Arches

Lunch at Amigos, as the weather turns cold. The music sounds homesick for warmer climes. The rows of arches remind me of old British church windows. The layers and angles remind me of the surprise around the corner in Japanese gardens. I see something new every visit.

This is a good place to work on perspective; wish I had more time. The drawing is not quite as wonky as it appears; overworking the page curled the edge. I confused the height of the middle wall. Need to go back and see what happened there. A photo taken on the scene would be helpful, in this case. Taking time to paint on the spot would have solved the issue, too.

Waiting room, blue-gray

This is a test. This is only a test.

Thirty-five glass ships

Lino Tagliapietra's glass ships circle the sun every 365 days. I sketched as they passed.

Dry watercolor pencil over wet, pastel pencil background.

Note: The Columbus Museum of Art offers free admission on Sundays.

Baklava

The calm before the holiday (advertising) storm called for baklava.

Cracker Barrel

I love Cracker Barrel's beans 'n' greens, laced with pork, served with sides of onion and chutney. The gun over the fireplace reminded me an animal died for that meal.

The weapon, surrounded by antique memorabilia, also reminded me of a 19th century Amish gunsmith in my family tree.

On the road

Trip notes: water tower over scattered houses and late autumn fields, bumpersticker, couch fabric pattern, seen in a waiting room.

It was hard to reserve the whites, working small, in a moving vehicle. I used a broad white Uniball Signo gel pen on the houses, tower, and fabric pattern.

For anyone who thinks you can't draw, but would like to learn: start by sketching simple patterns, from observation of the world around you. Then move to increasingly complex ones. You will simultaneously learn to see better and improve eye-hand coordination.

Bridge Park construction

The purple column has been covered with a brown material, allowing the yellow and green to be clearly heard. I wonder if the varied colors of these materials signifies something.

The skeleton of a building in the foreground has appeared. The buildings across the river, to the left, are taking definite shape in pale blue.

Much of the Bridge Park development is being built on the grounds of the old Bash Recreation golf course. I had the privilege of meeting Herbert Bash, Sr.,  in the late 70's.
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Watercolor pencil, wet and dry, over watercolor. Still working in the Pentallic Nature Sketch journal. 

Had a great visit to Plaza Art's Kenwood store, in Cincinnati, yesterday. Wonderful prices, coupons, and selection. Friendly staff know their stock.

St. Patrick's Episcopal Church

Mental health drawing the last day before the election. St. Patrick is reputed to have chased all the snakes from Ireland into the sea.

Amaryllis

Our amaryllis, purchased after Christmas in 2014, usually blooms late. This month, it showed up early, a welcome promise of resurrection, during a turbulent election season. In winter, it's a lone star; in autumn, it happily bows to the glow of the foliage beyond the window.

I used a little watercolor pencil over watercolor, in a few places. I hatched a little dry watercolor pencil behind the flower pot. I may do some more shading on the leaves.

Monterey Park

Here, I tested a pack of Faber-Castell portrait pens. Later, I sketched the tennis courts in Monterey Park, using watercolor. The colors ended up harmonizing.

This park is a good perspective exercise, with:

• the court rectangle appearing as a parallelogram
• the closer row of bushes being warmer in hue than the far (bluer) trees
• the closer row of bushes seen in more detail than the distant trees

Ohio Pen Show

Last year, I attended the Ohio Pen Show for the first time:

• rows of tables of (old and new) pens, paper, and ink for sale
• interesting classes
• fountain pen collectors

This year's show will be held next weekend, November 11-13, at:
Crowne Plaza Dublin Hotel
600 Metro Place
Dublin, Ohio
(Just west of Frantz Road, south of Route 161.)

I think admission is around $5. (Children may be free, not sure.)
Fun children's activities are scheduled Sunday afternoon at 2:00 p.m.:

• ink grinding
• calligraphy demo by Deborah Basel
• free pen from Anderson Pens
• note writing
• origami
• door prize

This a trip both back in time and around the world, with pen makers from Italy, Germany, and Japan represented, as well as our local Ohio craftsmen.

Part of Ballantrae Park treeline in late October

Illustrated journaling gives both permission and discipline to pay attention....

A little dry watercolor pencil over the grass.

"....all the trees of the field shall clap their hands." Isaiah 55:12

Amigos

I'm probably the only one whose first thought on reading this poster ("The best shots are shared.") was of a doctor's office, and companionship in pain/suffering.

Should have added shadows on the spot, rather than later. Playing with Carbothello pastel pencils over watercolor.

(Sorry this is a little blurry. My hands are shaky from being ill.)

St. Brigid's Catholic Church, in the wind

The perspective here is off, a bit more than usual, I think. I was becoming re-oriented to the earth beneath my feet, after nearly falling over while gazing at the steeple with clouds scudding past behind it. The sensation of movement resembled that of being on a ship or a slow moving vehicle. For a brief moment, I felt I had glimpsed an unseen reality, of some nature. The church and I were moving through time.

I was unable to find a parking spot with a view of the whole church. The bells rang. Congregants soon came pouring out, maybe from a wedding. I thought, this may be a moment, a day, a couple will remember for the rest of their lives.

Bridge Park

Another hurried sketch of part of the Bridge Park construction. The windows in the near end seem to have glass now.

At first, I thought: they could not pay me enough to go up in that crane.  Then I thought: I wonder how much it would take?

Village Salad

Watching traffic flow past during lunch.

Wondering if driving by faith makes you a safer or a more reckless driver. Maybe more relaxed.

The Egg Man

The Egg Man came to my grandparents' farm every week to pick up eggs.

Drawn with watercolor pencils for Nelleke Verhoeff's Sketchbook Skool class.

Costco

This man and woman were not from the same couple; since everyone keeps moving, I drew whoever was there when the pen hit the page.

I find it humorous, because you could see a similar contrast in body language in many couples headed for the entrance.

Note:  Oh my, another write-O! (Need more sleep.)

Kileville afternoon, in October sun

I used the Cheap Joe's sampler here, but the dots were almost gone. When I got home, I added Caran d'Ache water soluble Neocolors, (which are almost too bright for any month but October). The Pentallic Nature Sketch page curled enough to distort angles a bit.

Pansies, Strader's garden center

Trying out Cheap Joe's American Journey top ten sampler.

(There is not much paint in the sampler dots. It's probably better to use the money toward a tube.)

Waldorf Salad

Fall apples are here.

Playing with hand lettering: Dr. Ph. Martin's Radiant Watercolor, Uniball Vision Elite pen, small Cachet sketchbook.

Waiting room

The scarecrow appeared more cheerful than fearful, in reality. A drawing often mirrors one's feelings at the time it's made.

"Write-O"

Panini Opa, lights

I love drawing these egg baskets. They remind me of days long gone, and also give practice with ellipses and depth.

(As Gay Kraeger says in her Craftsy class, "I strive for imperfection." Roz Stendahl has coined the term  "write-o", for unintentionally creative hand-lettered spelling.)

Note: Watch for frequent Craftsy sales, when most classes are $19.99 or less.

Amigos' musician

Amigos has a new stand-up cardboard musician. Children can stand behind him and be photographed, with their faces where the hole for his is.

Sunflower Chinese Restaurant, montage

I have heard Sunflower is now the only eatery in central Ohio offering Dim Sum.

(I thought the bas relief bird facing the dragon was a chicken but was told a phoenix is more likely.)

Custard

Old-fashioned Baked Custard Pie

3 cups milk

3 eggs

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons flour

[a few drops of almond flavoring]
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Pastry for 1 (9-inch) crust [optional]

Combine sugar and flour. [and salt]
Add beaten eggs.  [and a few drops of almond flavoring]
Bring milk to boiling point [scald] and add gradually to egg mixture [temper].

Pour into an unbaked pie shell and sprinkle nutmeg over the top. [or pour into 2 custard cups and a pie plate]
Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes or until an inserted silver knife comes out clean. [not liquid, but still jiggles a little when shaken]
Makes 1 (9 inch) pie. [or 2 custard cups and one pie plate]
                                                           Anna B. Showalter, Broadway, Va.

From the Mennonite Community Cookbook, edited by Mary Emma Showalter.

I bake the filling in two custard cups and a pie plate without the crust, in a water bath (bottom of a broiler pan).
* * * * * * *
Here I am trying out my new Brause Blue Pumpkin dip pen nib with turquoise acrylic ink.  This paper was not made for dip pens.
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The purple pie plate was a shower gift from my friend from Syria.

Bullet Journal

I began using Ryder Carroll's structured, flexible Bullet Journal system in May of last year. I implemented it in a large, blank, stapled Fabriano notebook, which allowed information to run together and was difficult to index.

A few weeks ago, I filled it and moved to the Bullet Journal community's popular dotted Leuchtturm1917 (in the A5 size), which comes with introductory index pages and page numbers. So far, it seems to be working better, especially for logging what happens (sometimes channeling into collections and habit trackers).

Kara Benz (who blogs at Boho Berry) is doing a helpful Bullet Journal intro series on youtube.

Signs

Amigos

Amigos has a large, new piece of beautiful metal art on the wall, reminding me of turqoise seas and golden sands. The holes in the center are lit from the interior, when a switch is flipped. A straw hat dangling from high rafters swims the air currents.

Bridge Park construction

You can now see a building rising across the river, below the horizon trees on the left.

A few weeks ago, large trees sprang up in the new median and along the road; streetlights appeared. These hundreds of condos and apartments are aimed at single people and couples, including empty nesters, who want a walkable neighborhood with eateries and a park nearby.

I hope the construction and increased population density don't harm the river's ecosystem.

Rose Bush

Quick impression of light on rosebush, in a flower pot, at the entrance to Anna's Greek Cuisine. ( I am at sea without the anchor of an ink line.) Avgolemono soup highly recommended for those who are ill. I need to find an authentic recipe.

Waiting room

Plain City Florist

Once upon a time, this corner housed the public library.
There's a slight warp in this Pentallic paper, since the spill, that affects the photos. Wonder if it can be ironed out.

Whole Foods

Quick lunch at Whole Foods. Iced tea and a shared slice of pepperoni pizza. Most things on the expensive side, but colorful environment and good place for a few vitamins--and Noi Sirius chocolate!

Wine bar at Panini Opa

Always enjoy eating here: delicious food, interesting menu, fair prices, friendly staff.

Moments in time

1) Waiting for the gas tank to fill. Wondering how free and wild the forebearers of these bushes were. Feeling sorry for them, stuck in a suburban parking lot, surrounded by asphalt.

2) Discovering most-popular-local-diner-we'd-never heard-of-till-now, Jack and Benny's Barnstormer at OSU's Don Scott airport. The bacon and eggs didn't last long enough to draw. Should have checked the price of orange juice before ordering, but the scent of long ago Florida vacations was almost worth it.

Iconic Women

Waiting room

Restaurant

Immigrant mothers, in rough and simple contour sketches--the first seen before, the second after--listening to Frederica Mathewes-Green's recently reposted podcast about the Dormition of Mary.

BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse

A bright spot of panache in a rough week.
The light was a little dim, and still not adjusted to vision with my new glasses. (Just after sketching this, I knocked over the pizza stand trying to cut the last piece, shattered my water glass into myriad shards, and soaked my skirt.)

Dancing Hares in August

Evening light, through clouds. The park is quiet, the second evening after school starts. Maybe the hares are glad to have it back.

From the southeast.

Mellow Mushroom

Looking out the window, from the bar room area,  past the giant mushroom by the hostess/cash register.

The water I spilled last evening buckled some pages of the sketchbook, and may have caused the paint on previous sketches to move a little. The brown seems most affected. Some colors stain; others "lift" easily. The brown, probably burnt sienna, must be one that lifts.

Sunday supper

Painting from memory, later that night. Watercolor play. Chicken cordon bleu is probably delicious made from scratch. Pre-fab, not so good.

Panini Opa

Village salad, Philly cheesesteak, lemon chicken soup, moussaka, raspberry lemonade.

New tools

Sewing gauge

Saturday, I attended a plein air watercolor workshop and learned of a couple new tools. The instructor used:

• a sewing gauge for measuring proportions and sight sizing, and 
• a large eyedropper--first to wet her watercolor and later to draw excess water off palette mixes.

Breakfast for lunch

Trying a new breakfast place, Scrambler Marie's. Friendly staff, pleasant atmosphere, good food. A little pricey.

Dancing Hares

Sophie Ryder's Dancing Hares, across a field of dry August grass. The summer fountain crowds are already waning. One of these days I'm going to take a viewfinder along and get the proportions better.
From southeast.

Five Guys Burgers & Fries

Trying to draw verbs, after watching Suhita Shirodkar's Craftsy class.

Bridge Park construction

The tall gray elevator shafts have grown wings of purple. The intersection roundabout will open next weekend.  Trees in "alligator bags" have suddenly appeared in the median and the middle of the roundabout. The orange barrels are slowly fading away.