Sacramento Sketchbook - Cat Love

I've always envied cats for their royal highness attitude, nothing is ever too good for them. They'll curl up on anything they fancy.

Inspired by all the Victorian homes in midtown Sacramento. Lots of cats in the windows. This lovely pink house was two doors away.

Played with a sketch for an acrylic painting. Being mom to my cat has been a pleasurable 15 years, like a second daughter only lots of fur and hairballs. Never knew cats had such a large vocabulary. She overheard me make an appointment with the vet, zipped up to the farthest corner of my attic which at that time was mostly rafters. A few times she played ninja cat, wait for me to come home, tackle behind my knees so I collapsed on my back. I was definitely her property, owned by a kitty, not the owner of a cat. Thanks for the wonderful kitty memories.

Ghost Man

"Weight in the form of a man." White stone, 5th to 3rd century BC, India.

I think of him as the ghost man. Before and after adding more shadow and cracks. Sumi ink wash. 5x7.

Asian Art

Practicing sumi washes in a pocket size moly and a 5 x 7 sketchbook. The paper in this moly takes water better than the accordian paper. These heads are stone statues from 2nd and 11th century India.

Buddha Moleskine

My first accordian moleskine a friend gave me several years ago. The paper and I are having a difference of opinion on how it should take the sumi ink washes. Perhaps my moly paper is dry, the elastic was already stretched out. I've been enjoying the moly exchanges. Very different working on a horizontal scroll.

Sacramento Sketchbook - Garden

I had forgotten about this watercolor when I opened my sketchbook. Once I began painting I knew it was more complex than my smaller pieces but I wanted to see it through to completion. I used a photo from Victoria magazine so I wouldn't have to cope with changing light and shadows. Added my blue and white pot to the table and thought of David Hockney's crayola sketch when I did the hat on the chair.

I used Dr. Martin radiant watercolor concentrates for the brights but had to add from my Cotman set for darker colors. Unfortunately, Dr. Martin is light sensitve so I have to keep those paintings stored or make copies.

Sacramento Still Life

Color pencil sketch of a mini pumpkin. Since I wasn't planning to cook it I thought I should justify its existence with a sketch. Japanese housekeeping treats produce as something to be eaten. Immigrant ancestors had to be frugal and again for those who were in camps during the war.

Sacramento Sketchbook - Hill Quilt

Painted while sitting up to my waist in the American River where the warm South Fork joins the freezing North Fork on a sweaty hot day above Sacramento, between Auburn and Cool. 3 inch watercolor for a quilt I didn't sew.

Sacramento Sketchbook - Midtown

Found a sketchbook begun in Sacramento with short trips into the hills. These are two views from my upstairs dining window. One is of the Victorian across the street. Night drawings are a challenge. The first is a combination of pastel and oil crayon. The night sketch is charcoal and china marker.