Lace Mandala Rocks.

I've been back at it for a few weeks, painting lace rocks.

It's very meditative and calming to paint these guys, or maybe they're gals?

 I enjoy that all of them have the same elements, and yet come out very differently.

Kind of like us humans!

I start in the center painting a single circle, and then make even-ish petals from there.

Adding scallops, dots, lines tear drops, and little antenna shapes.

I keep circling around and around, and slowly I'm so focused on these lace mandalas

that the world melts away and it's just me and some lines.

My thoughts ease, the elves come out (you know, those super creative little characters

 that live inside you and are very happy to help you make some terrific art), 

and pretty soon I'm in an ecstatic state of mandala bliss.

Want to make some of your own? Collect some flat-ish round rocks,

buy some Daler-Rowney FW acrylic ink and a number 1 round brush, and GO TO TOWN! 

Progression of Peony.

I saw the most magnificent peony last week in a friends yard,

and knew immediately I wanted to draw it.

Here is a progression of a peony inside my sketchbook.

I started with this amazing Kuretake Bimoji super fine brush pen.

LOVE this pen!

It's easy to get lost when drawing from a reference image,

I had to do my normal pep talking, "keep going, keep going, keep going."

I also of course had to make some "Artist choices" as I call them,

adding a few imaginary petals to make up for gaps and goofs.

Usually I would recommend working light to dark in watercolor,

but of course being a rule rebel I worked from dark to light.

I was painting with my travel Cotman watercolor set,

and my Pentel water brush.

Next I filled in my mid tones, the flower then started to come to life.

And lastly I pulled out my lightest tones,

made a little swimming green background,

and painted "peony time" in my new favorite painty font.

Here is the original photo I was working from, it's clearly more vibrant,

but what fun this little drawing was to make, and it took less than an hour.

And now I have a visual record of a beautiful spring moment with a friend.

Glad I sat down to work, as always. What will you draw today?

In My Sketchbook This Week.

It's been a fun sketchbook play week for me. 

I moved a little desk into the living room, and have been drawing and painting

while the Mr. and the cat watch TV in the evenings. 

Even shows that I usually love don't hold up to the pull of playing in my Sketchbook.

Here's what I have been up to this week...

Here is a very loose drawing of a arrangement of peonies.

I drew it with a Pilot Varsity water-soluble fountain pen and painted it in with gouache.

I love the bleedy blue lines of the ink.

I've been on a roll drawing faces from my google image search of "regular people."

I scroll until I find someone I like the looks of, then draw them, 

and I finish off the exercise making up a story about them.

"This guys name is probably Bill, or Mark, or Carl.

He will laugh at your jokes. He's got a black lab named Marley,

named after Bob Marley, his favorite musician in college. 

He is kind and will wheel out your trash if you're on vacation.

Just don't ask him to water your ferns, he's not a 'plant guy.'"

Five minute drawings over a gouache box. Everyone has time for five minutes! 

I love putting diluted ink into these Niji and Pentel water brushes and using them to sketch.

I drew these sheep looking at a recent piece of art from Taproot Magazine.

Then my brain got to thinking about the next page, and I drew this skein of yarn.

I like when pages relate to each other.

Another guy from the interweb...

"Omar loves cheese, the only problem being that he is lactose intolerant.

He is quite tolerant of ducks though, and feeds them bits of bagel every Wednesday,

on his way home from the gym."

And of course a few birds to round out the week.

What I like most about this is the combo of bright green and red,

I must use more of these complimentary colors in the future.

So, that's what I've been up to this week, how about you? 

Been sketching up something fun?

I'd love to see it!

And the winner is...

Rebecca M!!!

You have won a FREE spot in my Sketchbook Play class

which starts next Wednesday here at Bird's Eye View Studio.

Woo hoo! 

Thanks to everyone who joined in the free giveaway.

If you didn't win, but still want to take class, there are a few spots left.

I am offering a special discount to those who entered the drawing,

you may take $25 off, as my way of saying "thanks for playing!"

Dates: Wednesday's, April 15th-May 20th

Time: 6-8:30pm

Location: Bird's Eye View Studio, 

3934 NE 16th Ave. Portland, OR 97212

Cost: $175 plus a $25 material fee. 

The material fee covers the cost of your 

handmade sketchbook and an 02 micron pen. 

There is an additional small supply list of a few brushes, 

an inexpensive set of watercolors, and a few pens.

Email me at: suki (at) birdseyeviewstudio (dot) com to register!

FREE CLASS GIVEAWAY!!!

Here's a big, Big, BIG giveaway in celebration of Spring!

If you have been interested in my Sketchbook Play class,

then this is the opportunity of the season for you!

I am offering one free spot in my next session of Sketchbook Play.

Class begins on April 15th and runs every Wednesday until May 20th,

 from 6-8:30pm here at Bird's Eye View Studio in inner NE Portland.

How do we win you say???

See all the details below!

To enter you must do two very easy steps.

One: Join the Bird's Eye View Mailing List here.

Two: Comment on this blog post saying why you would love to join in on the fun!

The nitty gritty rules: 

One entry per person. 

Enter only if you can attend the 6 week class.

There is a small supply list that is not included in the free giveaway.

Winner will be drawn on Wednesday, April 8th at 10am.

Here is a description of class, if you don't win, there are still a few spots left,

we would love for you to join in the fun!

Sketchbook Play : The Art of Keeping a Visual Journal

Come learn to play, sketch, paint and record your daily life in a handmade book.

This class is geared for the sketch-phobic, the ultimate beginner,

 the "I always meant to," the "when I retire", the imperfectly perfect Artist in all of us.

No experience needed, no magical talents requested,

just bring your own wonderful self.

In this class we will spend the first week creating our very own long stitch bound

 sketchbook using vintage book covers, hot press watercolor paper, and waxed linen thread.

This simple bookbinding method is delightful because our books will open flat

 giving us full access to all of our pages. 

Weeks two through six we will learn the basics of contour drawing using everyday

 objects as our models. We will continue on learning about watercolor techniques, 

hand-lettering, fancy borders and more!

Classes will begin with a demonstration and are followed up with plenty of work time

which includes, coaching, and creative cheerleading from Suki.

We will study and draw botanicals, vintage household curiosities, gifts from the sea

 and forest, and anything else that strikes our fancy. We will embrace recording

our daily lives and objects in a visual format, which is such a treat to

look back through and treasure.

Dates: Wednesday's, April 15th-May 20th

Time: 6-8:30pm

Location: Bird's Eye View Studio, 

3934 NE 16th Ave. Portland, OR 97212

Cost: $175 plus a $25 material fee. 

Your material fee covers the cost of your handmade sketchbook

and an 02 micron pen. There is an additional small supply

list of a few brushes, and inexpensive set of watercolors

and a few pens.

Fingers and toes crossed for everyone!

Let Yourself Be Inspired.

It's so easy in this day and age to turn off our senses. 

We are all surrounded by so much noise, telephones, talking, traffic. 

We are encompassed in smells, sights, sounds, tastes.

But often we are so overwhelmed by all of this that we shut it out, tune it out, 

and skim along our lives with our bumper bubbles protecting us from the world.

I urge you once a day to practice the art of bringing to LIFE one of your senses.

It's easy to do in spring, there is so much color to witness, blossoms to sniff,

fresh greens to munch, birds calls to listen out for, and gradual warmth to feel.

Some folks find it easier to witness and tune into their senses sitting still,

others find they are more attune during a walk.

Where ever you find your sensory inspiration, take it in!

Let yourself be inspired.

Recently on a spring walk I came across this ravishingly beautiful tulip magnolia tree.

My great grandfather was a painter, and this was one of his constant subjects.

So I took a moment to stand beneath it, to gaze back in time to a man I never knew.

I let myself feel the intrinsic connection. And it inspired me.

So many shades of pink, golden-green tips of branch and leaf.

You never know where a sensation will take you...

then later in the studio this pink pattern wonder burst from my paint brush.

What is inspiring you creative friends?

Needle Felted Succulents.

Needle Felted Succulent class is here again!

Come join in this coming Saturday, March 21st 

from 10am-12:30pm here at Bird's Eye View Studio. 

Make a houseplant that doesn't require water, and will never die!

Email suki(at)birdseyeviewstudio(dot)com to register.

Class costs $30, and all supplies are included!