List it Tuesday: List of Lists

I’m answering the call for lists of lists on List it Tuesday over at Artsyville today. These are some fun things I would like to make lists of.

01. Made up terrible fortunes I might find in cookies.
02. Fun things I would buy with an extra $1,000 (no paying off bills!).
03. Top five favorite zoo animals.
04. Favorite ice cream flavors.
05. Awesome things that start with the letter “A”.
06. Ten fictional characters I would love to invite to a dinner party.
07. Things I love about fall.
08. Artists I love.
09. Favorite things to do an a Sunday.
10. Unique skills I have that I would put on a more fun, personal resume.

Let’s Make Patterns Challenge: Days 8-10

Ten days into the pattern challenge, and I’m still going strong. This is the longest I’ve ever committed to a daily art challenge (so sad). I think the limit on materials (index cards and markers) is really helping to keep me going every day. All of my materials are in one little bin, and it’s easy to grab a couple of index cards and get going. Not having to think about what materials to use is really freeing me to actually just make something. I’m also surprised at how easy it has been to think of ideas. I usually see something during the day (tree, leaf, architecture, pattern on ground, etc.), and take a little piece of it when I’m home at night to make into a pattern.

This project has been consuming my creative hours. Now that I have my pattern done early on a Saturday, I might do some other work in my sketchbook. Wishing you a creative weekend too!

Let’s Make Patterns Challenge: Day 6

This is a portrait pattern of my boyfriend Bill, for his 35th birthday today. Pears, sweater vests, bacon, Ohio, and hipster glasses. I’m a little irritated at myself for messing up the second to last repeat in the bottom right corner. So close! I am loving the idea of doing these portrait patterns of my friends and family.

Let’s Make Patterns Challenge: Day 5

I’m still completely obsessed by patterns. Tomorrow is the boyfriend’s 35th birthday. I’m considering a pattern in his honor that may include sweater vests, black glasses, pears and bacon. We’ll see how ambitious I am tomorrow.

Want in on the challenge? Details here.

Color Inspiration | Let’s Make Patterns Challenge: Day 4

Day #4 of the pattern challenge, and I’m still having fun making these patterns on 4 x 6 inch index cards. The trees around our apartment seemed to have dumped most of their leaves overnight, leaving a confetti-like blanket over the sidewalks and grass. After breakfast, Bill and I collected about a dozen for some pattern inspiration. I enjoyed looking at each individually and noticing all of the small differences in shape, texture and color for my drawing. I’m pleased with most of them, except the bright yellow one in the bottom right corner, which seems to stick out from the rest. Looking forward to seeing what tomorrow brings for more pattern inspiration.

Let’s Make Patterns Challenge: Days 1 – 3

I’m having so much fun playing along with Anika’s challenge to make a pattern every day. I’m using 4 x 6 inch index cards, and Micron and Faber-Castell Pitt Pens for the challenge. I’m posting my images daily to Instagram. I’ll do a wrap up post with images every few days here at the blog.

There is also another great November challenge called Art Every Day Month (AEDM). I’m hoping to be able to create some separate pieces for that challenge as well. I’m seeing a lot of great work under #aedm2012 on Instagram.

Oscar the Cat, 2002-2012

My sister lost her kitty on Monday. He originally lived with me in California, and then through a series of moves and life changes, ultimately ended up living with my sister here in Portland. The above is my favorite sketch of him. It’s so simple, but reminds me of all the nights he’d sit on the couch with me and watch TV while I worked in my sketchbook. He was especially fond of Felicity. I posted the memorial below for him on my personal Facebook page this week. He was a very spunky cat, and will be missed a lot.

Oscar, age 10, of Portland, OR, kicked the bucket today.

Born in 2002 on the mean streets of Lake Elsinore, he lived, played, napped, and collected paperclips and coins in California until retiring in Portland, OR (to pretty much do those very same things). Oscar brought joy to his three owners, Courtney, Tricia and Grandpa. He loved his toy fish, gravy, sleeping in sinks and all shiny things. Oscar was the winner of the prestigious “Cat of the Week” award at Catster.com in September 2004.

Survivors include Courtney, Tricia, and brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces. Oscar will be missed for his sweet disposition and loud purr.

Memorial contributions are welcome at Cat Adoption Team of Sherwood, OR.

Sketchbook: Last Farmers Market

Today was the last weekend of the regular season at the farmers market near our apartment. It was raining so much that we got in and out as quickly as possible, and took our crepes to go. All of the vendors were so nice to thank us for coming out in the rain. The downtown farmers market runs through December, but we probably won’t make it there every weekend.

This is in a large Moleskine Squared Notebook with Micron and Faber-Castell Pitt pens. The only items I forgot to catalog here were the two bags of kale chips, and five onions. The cookies were eaten almost immediately, for research purposes. The carrots, potatoes and onions are destined for a pot roast on Tuesday. I’ve never made a pot roast before, but the cold weather made it sound like the best thing to eat this week. The delicata squash will be roasted with cauliflower for dinner tonight. The kale will be made into a salad, massaged with some avocado. The crepes will be sorely missed on Sunday afternoons.

Rain is on the forecast all week, so I’m looking forward to lots of quiet nights inside with my sketchbooks and pens. Wishing everyone a creative week!

Weekend Color: Ikea

Portland is cold, rainy and dreary this weekend. It’s a perfect weekend for indoor activities.

We went to Ikea today and got some meatballs and a bookshelf for my art books and supplies. My “art studio” has disintegrated into a giant unorganized mess, so I’ll be starting to tackle that this weekend. It’s hard not to be inspired by the colors and patterns at Ikea. I love the flower fabric in the bottom right corner of the image. I’m going to try to do something similar in gouache this evening to see if I can loosen up while painting.