Cresta Blanca, Watercolor

 This is Cresta Blanca, a limestone cliff outside of Livermore. I had started This painting plein air during the summer while I was volunteering at Camp Arroyo, but never got a chance to finish it.  Once I got it into my studio lighting, I realized the colors were washed out (maybe from working in outside lighting?) and the cliff was kind of "flat". At least I had captured the feel of the scenery while working plein air.  Now it was time to add in some deeper colors, as well as some details and texture to help bring the focus to the cliff. Here is the completed piece:

Woman with coffee

Pencil sketches are my comfort zone, so if I am feeling blocked, I get out my sketchbook and, in this case, a mechanical pencil. Google images is always a fun place to go for ideas, but sometimes overwhelming. As I was having my morning coffee, this particular image caught my eye, with the stark lighting and the pensive look. The trouble is giving credits to the photographer who originally created the image. Since this is in my sketchbook, and not likely to ever be sold, I figure I'm safe. This particular image is Allison Emm, makeup artist / blogger.

Horse in Georgia

I seem to get into a rut sometimes with creating art. I come up with all kinds of excuses...I have too much work to catch up on, I'm too tired, it will take too long.  I have to remind myself that creating is suppose to be fun and relaxing, and to just get back to the basics, keep it simple until I find my creative "spark" again.  So I pull out my sketchbook and pencil:that is my comfort zone.
Here is a quick pencil sketch I did while on vacation in Georgia of the horse across the street, while hanging out in the countryside with the grandchildren. It was a beautiful warm fall afternoon and it would have been a perfect opportunity to do the sketch plein air, but I'm only there to visit with the grandkids for a short while, so I snap a picture with my phone, and wait for them to be off at school the next day.
I have to remember to schedule creative time onto my calendar or it will never happen.