Octopi or Octopusses

As is most often the case recently, I was looking for something particular and came across something else that caused me to take that fork in the road to somewhere I wasn't intending on going.  I was trying to find a project, or rather the ingredients for a project that I had stowed away when the family came for our family picnic last month.  It should be noted that it doesn't take much to veer off that path when going through my art supplies.  In this case, I happened upon my bag of notebooks and journals - those in various stages of completion, including a few specialty ones that had not yet been started.  It was one of these journals that took me down that "rabbit hole".  In it I found a watercolor I had done back in 2017 for the Scribble Picnic prompt "Octopus".

I thought that this would be nice framed and hung in my "bathroom gallery" at the condo, but, I decided that this octopus needed it's mate and funny how it's mate's given first name also has 8 letters.

I knew the original was done with watercolors but I don't remember which set I used and thought that it might be easier to match the colors with my watercolor pencils than to try to duplicate mixing up that purple.  I actually think I like the second one better as I think that it shows a lot more dimension whereas the original looks a little flat.  

Having both now, it was time to frame them.  The only trouble with that is that this finished size is not a normal frame size.  We took a ride to the ChristmasTree Shop to look for a frame/frames to match those that I've used before.  I decided to put them both in a larger frame but I need to matte them so that means a trip to Michael's or Hobby Lobby for a suitable sheet of paper to use for matting.

Of course, while there at the CTS I took some time to browse around when I noticed this:

This gentleman decided to create his own "husband waiting area".  He looks familiar.

It was on a quick trip to the Dollar Tree that I came across poster board in a blue that I thought would match the background of the octopusses.  It took a little measuring and cutting but I do like the way it came out.  That's my shadow darkening the bottom.  And we're just going to have to live with the rippling - that's what happens when you add water to paper that's not deemed for watercolors.

Sketchbook Play

 

These are totally pictured in the opposite date they were created, but thanks to this "updated" blogger platform I have no patience to mess around with them since it doesn't matter for this particular share.

All are done with a combination of watercolor pencils, micron pens, and gouache paint.  Mostly abstracts.  

Mermaid Marker Play

New Tool and a Quick Get Well

So...... I'm home sick again for the past few days with what seems to be a reoccurence of a sinus infection from early last month that didn't completely clear up.  I swear that as I get older, when I get sick it seems to take so much longer to recuperate.  Or maybe I'm just babying myself.  And not to mention the fact, as I told a friend recently, that coughing and sneezing has now become and adventure of it's own and I shall not go into details.  

Today I rounded up enough energy to do two worthwhile things...... otherwise I was "just as useful as the g in lasagne".  

My dear HWNSNBP truly went overboard ordering Christmas gifts from my Amazon wishlist (which comes in very handy if your family wants to treat you to something that you really want).  Not only did he splurge for a set of Copic Markers that I mentioned in a previous post, but he also got me this nifty little tool called a Cuttlelola Electric Dotspen.  I had seen this little gadget reviewed on two blogs that I follow (Understand Blue and Life Imitates Doodles) and having wanted to try my hand at pointillism, without jeopardizing aggravating my creaky neck, this seemed to be worth wishing for. It is a little more expensive that your average stamp or die set, but it's a tool and I've always said that good tools make all the difference.

It's battery operated, but rechargeable right to a USB port and you can use it while it is recharging. There are two speeds and it's not at all noisy.  It comes in a nice little tin, which is also a plus.  There is an advisement that it contains magnetic parts and therefore shouldn't be near watches or cards with magnetic strips and also not be used by someone with a pacemaker.  (Shucks, I just noticed that I put the box down on a pile that contained a giftcard I was registering - hopefully because it was still in the box, it didn't do any harm.)

Here is my first try with it.  I freehanded a flower on a thin sheet of cardboard paper, and I'm pretty pleased with the outcome.  Can't wait to do some more experimenting.  Next step will be adding color.  Then changing the subject-matter and so on.

Secondly, well actually I'm going in reverse order because I did this card this morning and the new tool later this afternoon.  One of our friends recently had some surgery and we wanted to wish him well and since HWNSNBP was passing by their place today on another errand, I quickly put this card together and he picked up some sweets on the way to go with it.  

For the watercolored background I used one of the backs of those Color Burst cards I cut off. I had my cheap set of watercolors nearby and again, since I was in a hurry, I took my spritzer and spritzed the set with water to activate them. Then I picked up some colors in complementing families and quickly added them in no particular order, and without cleaning my brush in between to blend them. I did have to dry it with a hairdryer.  The bear and the fish were stamped and diecut and then I quickly added some color to each with markers.  I added the sentiment by hand and lastly attached some silver cording to the string of fish.  This friend takes our big snapper blues that we catch during the summer and smokes them for HWNSNBP as a winter/holiday treat.

Photo Inspiration

My blogging friend Sabrina of My Miscellany took this picture on her recent holiday in Brittany with her husband.  It reminded me of a picture that I had taken a couple of months ago, but hers had many more boats and just spoke to me.  So yesterday afternoon I got out my little 3 x 5 art journal and my Derwent Inktense pencils and used her photo as inspiration for my little watercolor below.

As you can see, there are not as many boats in my picture,  and there are a few other things missing but I am happy with the way it came out.  

Here's the photo that I took back in June.  I just might have to try something with this one too.

Thank you Sabrina, not only for the inspiration but for allowing me to share your photo.  

Please do click on this link to see more of her wonderful photography.  I love when she let's us tag along on her holidays!