Monday, December 31, 2012

Looking back~

It's a new year 2013~ I am sitting by myself in my studio/dining room. I have been trying to reflect in this past year and think of all that has happened. I only think of my papa. He passed away January 4th of 2012. No warnings nothing, it felt like how before going to bed we shut off the house lights - probably starting from the kitchen and through the living room, maybe a hallway and then the bedroom. That's how my papa went - his life went out- click. Click. Click-his whole system shut down, and he was gone.
I had done this drawing in my sketch book sometime later, I can't remember when... But all I remembered were the many tubes and machines trying to revive him.
Time went on ticking and they kept trying to revive him but papa was gone. I miss my papa so much!

Monday, December 10, 2012

STORYTELLING

Sketch booking is a great tool to use for story telling. Just drawing is fine, but to add a little bit of story, a little tale behind the drawing gives it an added life! Many times the drawings come about because of a story. So, give it a try, fantasy, reality, myth or legend! What makes those cog wheels turn?
Sometimes, I create a story after I draw something too- so what story can you create from the pictures below?





Monday, December 3, 2012

What's in your bag or pocket?

It never ceases to amaze me how surprised people get when they see the contents of my bag. Like a photographer, I don't want to get caught without a camera and miss a great shot.
You never know when you come across a moment that needs to be memory stamped into your sketchbook! I always have several pens and pencils, brushes and watercolor set or two, some paper towel and of course The Sketchbook!
So what's in your pocket or bag?




Thursday, November 22, 2012

Visiting SanAntonio

Last week went to San Antonio for the Texas Art Educators Association (TAEA) annual conference. It's really a beautiful city with the beautiful river walk, trees, markets and arts! Since I was presenting too, did not quite get the time to see as much as I would have liked to. However I did get to do some sketches in and around the hotel and convention center. I really need to get more organized about recording my travels.

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Catch up Time

If HAS been ages since I have has time to write! Not that I stopped sketching, just busy getting the classes going. l have been doing small, random sketches around the school - and now I realized it is already time to do the first progress report cards!
So I have been playing with the ballpoint pen and these are what I scratched up- I think the speak the way I feel- 1) too many things to do, 2) working to the bone, and 3) now ready to jump to the next session!!

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Kitchen Stuff

Ok so school started and I have been bogged down this whole month with all kinds of "teacher stuff"!! So what happens when I'm stressed out? Food, cooking and kitchen "stuff"! So.... I thought I would share my sketch done of a "Bangladeshi kitchen" - during my recent trip to Bangladesh!

Friday, August 3, 2012

Monsoon in Bangladesh

I had the opportunity to attend a wonderful watercolor workshop in Bangladesh, arranged by Cosmos Gallery...the theme was "welcoming monsoon rains"- and yes, the workshop was over in three days but the rains had finally arrived and went on and on and on! It was nice to see everything become brighter, in spite of the dark clouds and life went on as usual, hand in hand with the monsoon rains of Bangladesh-

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Summer Travel 2012-Bangladesh

Did I mention how hot and humid it was in Bangladesh (BD)??! Yes, this little country is quite close to the equator...and so you can imagine the steam bath I took everyday! Labor is cheap and plenty. One day I noted a construction site, next to which the day laborers were taking a rest. The midday sun was beating down on them so they had taken the shirts off and were just resting. Parked next to them were their carts on which they carried their bricks and any other loads for construction that was taking place at that site.

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Summer Travel to Bangladesh

I landed on a Friday and the streets were empty - because being a Muslim country their Friday is our Sunday (pray at the mosque). The ride home was quite calm and the day came when I was finally over my jet lag and went out. No one follows any traffic rules, everyone is everywhere all over the place... cars moving at ants pace and breaking and jerking all the time! HELP... I need my chiropractor! Since we were so long sitting in traffic, I got the chance to do some sketching-

Friday, July 20, 2012

Summer Travels 2012

Well it has been almost a week since I returned from Bangladesh. Due to not having much internet access, I was unable to blog- so now I am back in town and am ready to share my wonderful ( and sometimes not) trip all the way across the seas to Bangladesh, going through more than two days worth of hours at the airport, planes, lounges and what nots!
Here are some drawings of faces during my travel... Drawings of the city soon...

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Art, artists, friends, food & hogs!

Hanging out with artist friends is a great way to spend the weekend. After visiting an art show in Bay City-we went over to Matagorda Bay, where there is a restaurant almost in the middle of nowhere, set next to the water banks. On the opposite side of the banks were collection of hogs! Many, many hogs! The food MUST be good. Inside the restaurant they had all kinds of hustle bustle, lights and wall hangings including a flying pig (or hog?) welcoming all! The food took two hours to get to us, but the wonderful company of friends made it all better!

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Lost in Downtown

So I got to use my phone GPS for the first time! I had to go downtown -(Houston) to attend area art supervisors meet at the Hobby Center. What a beautiful view from the "founders room"! Things were going fine till it was time to come back home! So I turned on the GPS and stared at this blue dot that kept blinking at me as I drove... and drove and drove. I was getting quite concerned because I had been informed previously that the "dot" moves when you do!!
But the dot just blinked back at me from the same spot! I drove some more, getting quite giddy by now, almost panicking, thinking about all those one way streets...
And then... I realized I had only been going round and round - yes I was still in the parking garage!
You think it's age?!?
Well, at least I got a nice sketch done!

Thursday, May 10, 2012

INSPIRATION

There is nothing more inspiring than hanging out in a studio classroom at Clements High school! The moment I walked in I can hear the rhythmic beat of music, I see students bustling about trying to finish up last moment art work, while their teacher Ms. Reedy patiently tries to fix the Matt cutter. I sit in one corner and spy a column in the middle painted by various graduating students of past. Paintings strung all around - each singing a different tune , yet all the same dreams of aspiring artists! All getting ready for year end show "Retrospective". - tomorrow.

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Farmers Market Again!

So it was my turn again to have a table at the Farmers Market of Imperial Sugar. Its amazing how many people I met who love art, and want to practice art, yet don't have the time to stop, and see the world around them. Then I met this wonderful gentleman who said those beautiful magic words "I draw in my sketchbook"! Ah to meet a fellow sketcher in Sugar Land! Music to my ears! I was so excited to exchange sketching tips with him, I told that I hoped to start a sketching group and that he should join us! So there is hope in starting a sketchers group locally. In the meantime here's what I saw all around me as I hung around the market. The weather was hot but I was in shade... The flirtatious smell of fresh baked bread, seared burgers and the cool sips of many flavored slushies we're just tickling my nerves as I made these sketches... Enjoy!

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Cancer Free

So this Friday many in Sugar Land spend Friday evening, night till Saturday morning doing the Cancer awareness walk and celebrating the survivors. I do not know any survivors but it was a very moving and emotional moment to watch every one come together for this cause! Many youngsters were there from their schools and they camped out in the park. It was a good feeling!

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Farmers Market

So this Saturday was my turn at the Farmers Market. We are four artists who have a table with our artwork for sale at the market. Not the big fancy canvas but small art work and sometimes more decorative. Should i be feeling that I have "betrayed" fine arts as it is "supposed" to be by sitting in this market? I don't think so... I enjoy seeing people and one of the things I do more of than making "finished" fine art is just sketching. It's a great way to stop, pause and check out life as it tries to zoom past us. Doesn't matter what kind of art work you do, it takes just a moment, pause, see and sketch, you are recording a precious moment of your life ... You might have other wise missed!
There was a young lady at the table next to mine. Young and very confident. She was selling veggie pot pies and I think she sold them all, and I kept think of my own daughter as I watched the way this young lady communicated - so vibrantly with the young as well as old. I wonder how my daughter would do if she had to run her own business?

Sunday, April 15, 2012

And so another week has gone by- very quite... Got to spend time waiting at the hair salon place and spent evening at a new local fish place. Scribble scratched a bit...to complete a sketch from my last weeks trip. Do you get transported to a different world outside your current environment when sketching - forgetting all that is around you?

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Lost and Found!




I was cleaning out my "studio" space, which is basically my dining room. Since I don't really do much entertaining, I "entertain" my art in there and create. Well it was that time of the month... I had to vaccum! Well I guess I am glad I did, besides helping clean out the dust and stopping me from further sneezing, I found my lost sketches done at the Museum of Fine Arts - Houston, when I was teaching an art educators workshop about doodling, called "Sketch A Doodle Museum". Here are some of the end results. Oh and lessons learned...do clean your work space once in a while, you never know what treasures you (re)find behind the stacks of stuff!!



Helmets and Doodles in Ink
Ink and Colored Pencil
Graphite
Ink with colored pencil

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Went to visit my daughter in Waco, and have lunch with her. It was a lovely day and I got some sketches done and some photography too. The wildflowers on the road sides looked like the ground was on fire. They looked beautiful! some blue, orange and yellow! Here is my share of one sketch~I have a few more that need some finishing with color and details. I will add them later.


Sunday, April 1, 2012

I am going to try out Bonsai. Its in memory of my papa, who passed away early this year very suddenly! He loved gardening and he loved Bonsai. So I found a nifty place near my home and picked one up from them. I was told that the Bonsai chooses you, sort of you are linked to it, and nurturing,taking care of it is a way to stay linked with those you love. Of course he might have been trying to just sell his plant, nevertheless~
 I really like this place, and I am planning to return to it soon, so that I can do some more sketches there. Here is one that I did of that place~


Monday, March 26, 2012

Art at the Char House

Wow what a weekend, Art Show at the Imperial Sugar Char House. Beautiful ambiance!

Tall, high ceiling criss crossing into the concrete skies above. Light pouring down broken window panes,  still showing black smudges of smoke long gone and showering the red brick columns. Grafitti on the walls telling of secret romance. Burned out defiant, strong, dark and rusty metal cogwheels, cylinders, gears and shafts staring down proudly at the mortality on earth. Whispers rising high... close your eyes and touch the heaven... welcome to the Char House..


 I spent the day doing art demos. I enjoyed using my new graphite stick (water soluble) on watercolor paper and yupo~ Here is my share~ Enjoy...





Sunday, March 18, 2012

Diversity


So here is my first entry. I am new at this and have no idea what I am doing...
I am interested to share my doodles and drawings in my sketchbook, and the stories they tell. I guess I chose the "faces" below as my first entry, because the mixture of color (people & souls) have always facinated me. So I start with "diversity".