..."The birds and the beasts were there...."

I joined a few urban sketchers at the state fair—where I found it hard to focus on drawing, with so much to see.

Poultry barn

Kiddie rides



Lamb judging

Sailing the seas of Asian cuisine, Thai and Chinese

Maneki-Neko (Good luck cat)

We recently visited a couple of Asian restaurants.

Joey Chang's, a beautifully decorated, semi-formal establishment housed at Mill Run (Hilliard), serves the Thai and Chinese food of Mr. Chang's heritage. The friendly young waiter recommended the combination platter; we took his advice, and split a delicious dinner portion.

Café China, located in the Perimeter area of Dublin, seemed to be a quick week-day lunch stop. The large golden cat, beckoning from the end of  the counter, begged to be a focal point. The Lucky Cat, originating in Japan, has also become a Chinese symbol of good fortune.

St. Brigid's in July

Drawn from Brigid's Green, across the road—looking west.

I finished the Stillman & Birn Alpha sketchbook about a month ago. This is drawn in my new “everyday carry,” a Handbook Travelogue Journal, 5.5” x 5.5”. I’m still getting used to the change in size, shape, and paper.

“The Light Which Fills the World”

Frederick Mathewes-Green recently linked a PBS introduction to the landscapes of Orthodox photographer Christopher Burkett. He painstakingly develops photographs using Cibachrome, a film no longer made by the manufacturer.* He purchased ten years’ worth of film, when the end of production was announced, in 2012.

Burkett shares more of his story in The Tapestry of Creation.

“I’m working within a very limited box, in terms of technical possibilities. It’s a form of discipline, but there’s a strength and depth that’s possible within that discipline that doesn’t happen any other way.”  Christopher Burkett

*Watching Burkett process film brought back memories of watching my father in the darkroom, so many Sunday afternoons.

Bockingford 300 gsm Not watercolor paper

Today I folded six quarter sheets of Bockingford 140 lb/300 gsm Not (cold pressed) watercolor paper in half (with the grain), and sewed them into two signatures (matching surfaces across spreads) —another experiment for #30x30DirectWatercolor2018. (Turned left so spine faced into the wind, here.)

A few years ago in Sketchbook Skool, Brenda Swenson mentioned including Bockingford paper in her handmade sketchbooks. I ordered the paper when it was also recommended (along with Saunders Waterford) by Bob Davies, in an Art Tutor class.

 I had ordered book binding supplies from Paper & Ink Arts, during Roz Stendahl's online By Design class, but didn’t have the time to focus on it then. I have been reading about Tina Koyama's sketchbook binding techniques for a few years, and hoped I would eventually get around to trying them.

Anne-Laure Jacquart's recent Youtube demos were the tipping point; her clear instruction brought the attempt within reach.

Palette play

Altoids mini-palettes

Triad experiements

Many in the urban sketching community—led by Marc Taro Holmes— have temporarily put away their pens, preparing for thirty days of “direct” watercolor sketching during the month of June.

I thought about joining in, but wanted more direction—since I won't be traveling to an exotic locale for inspiration, as many do.

I recently purchased Nita Leland's updated classic, Exploring Color Workshop, and want to work on her exercises.

I picked up a few packs of Altoids (Smalls)*, filled them with her examples of “harmonious palettes” of primaries, and attached them to a small enamel butcher's tray. Several colors do double duty, appearing in two triads.

*Cathy Johnson has a Youtube tutorial on creating primary palettes which includes the use of Altoids tins.



Re-decoration

First Watch has redecorated since we last visited, exchanging its earthy, cheerful, warm yellow farmhouse kitchen ambiance for a cool neutral, metallic, urban/industrial vibe.
[The orange bar cross the top is from a different location—a Wendy’s drive-thru.)