A Sketch Expedition

Remember me showing you the water feature outside my library and saying I'd like to try sketching it? Friday turned out to be the perfect day to take myself on an "artist date" as I had a book ready to return to the library and another one to check out, good weather, and nothing else really pressing to keep me from spending some time sketching. In every respect, it was a relaxing and positive experience, from the mother with her two little kids who stopped to look over my shoulder and ask questions to the finished sketch. Granted, I do tend to get a bit timid with the colored pencils, kept going over the rocks to make them a little darker but I think they still need more definition. And how to show the foamy white water bits? I tried a white Posca paint pen after I got home which barely shows up. But the major parts like fitting the whole scene on the page even though I was sitting quite close to it (I often end up running out of room) and getting most of the perspective right was very gratifying. Am wondering now how I might do using watercolors - now that would be a real challenge for me!

Speaking of challenges, I had stacks of pads of paper that I use for bookmaking to move off the top of the box where my batting reserve resides so I could see if I had enough of that limited edition slightly plusher batting I liked so much in the last baby quilt left for this current one. All that paper is sitting on the work table that still needs more of it cleared so I can layer up this quilt. It has taken me awhile to figure out where I could open out the batting to cut an appropriate piece since the table is not available. Just dawned on me that I could strip my bed down to the mattress (sheets need changing anyway) and do it there. That realization felt like a palm slap to the forehead - I'm not as quick thinking as I used to be I guess.