What's on my Work Desk?

Wow!  In 3 years of Blogging, this will be the first time I've participated in Stamping Ground's cool little Link up!  It's fun to see what other people's work spaces look like...and since I actually have something in progress on it, I thought I'd join in :)

Now, I know that I said I was going to do something Halloweeny....being that I was weary of painting Mermaids and all...but, when I sat down to paint, there was not a witch or pumpkin in sight...haha!

 

In fact, I started pulling out some already started projects that I've been storing.  I had 2 chunky canvases with papers already layered on them....so, I chose my palette, added more backgrounds, and sketched out my subjects....first in pencil, then in ink.... 

 

 

This is the one still in progress...

 

This is the one I finished this morning.

 

 

I love how the fox will be red/orange and the background green...and this one is the opposite. 

Last night, I was able to finish this piece that I sketched out last summer.

 

 

If I had 2 kids, I'd keep this one...haha! 

I know there is an owl-lovin' Mama somewhere with 2 kids that will click with this piece!  I'm hoping they will find eachother one day :)

 

Well, thanks so much for coming by to see what I've been up to!  I know I'll be having a date with a Fox tonight...and not my Hubby, either...heehee!

(Anyone else get such enjoyment out of silly little puns and sayings as I do?...it's childish, I know, but I refuse to grow up!)

 

Have a looksie at the other workdesks today and see what magic is in the middle of being made :D

 

Warm regards (cuz it's friggin' hot here today...oh, and because I like you so much, of course!),

Cameron

All Together Now!

I always hate showing up late to a party!

Then, again, I'm never the first and never the last...so I guess that puts me somewhere in the chewy center of things :)

The rules of this party say we need to do a little braggin' about ourselves...not something we get told to do often...so, I'll  do my best...teehee. It's all so exciting really, to sit down and talk about all the stuff you are proud of...and actually do right in Life.  Thanks, Amy!

So here we go!

Welcome!
My name is Cameron...cool name isn't it?!  I've always liked it.

I live with the philosophy that everything will work itself out.  I go with the flow and avoid big crowds, over-packed schedules and stress by saying NO to a lot of things.  This certainly doesn't make me the most popular girl in the group, but it keeps me sane.  I still find myself running out of time as it is.
I'm a Mom to a little girl that makes my heart full and happy...and a wife to a very patient and hardworking man.

I wouldn't win any awards for my housekeeping or parenting....but, they love me anyways!
I am extremely lucky!!

I'm a pretty darn good cook, but usually opt for whatever's easiest most of the time.  Unless, I get a craving for something...then I can't rest until I make it and consume it....

  

I think I could eat dessert for every meal :)

I am an awesome costume designer and take pride in putting things together with bits of this and scavenged that.

A small sampling of my handiwork...

I made this dress by hot gluing fabric pieces onto a black dress from the Thrift store.  I painted the patterns and did some hand stitching to the patches.

A furry vest and some other white clothing gets the spot treatment...

...And I made my girl a bohemian Beauty at last year's Ren Faire :)

I have a great ability to just kind of throw things together and make them work.  I had never sculpted anything before, but one day, I opened a package...and made these!

Now, I'm not saying they came about easily or quickly...but, I figured things out as I played...

...and there really is nothing more satisfying than being pleased with your efforts. 

 Especially when it involves something new ;)

I dabble in felt and jewelry from time to time.

But my true passion, the one thing I can lose myself in, is painting.  I'm lucky if I can get a few hours a week in, but those hours are magical for me....

...an opportunity to unwind and to be alone with my thoughts. 

It's amazing to me that some colors squeezed from a tube and some bristles on a stick can be used to develop a picture formed in our souls....

I made this for one of you.

5 X 7 inches on canvas.

Dream with your eyes wide open.....

...because I don't want you to miss a moment!

I'm also giving away to another lucky All Together Now Partier, these great stickers I ordered from Moo!

There are 10 in this set.  I just love them! 

 They turned out so good, I put some in the Shop, as well.

Hope you are having a lovely time at the Party!  Please visit Amy and the other revelers to see what they have to brag about!

I must go add some ice to my Malibu Coconut and OJ.....and apply to my swelled head!

All my best!

Cameron (still a cool name, eh?) ;P

Monkey Business - Lesson 7

Welcome to another Lesson in Carla Sonheim's Drawing Lab.

This time, she asks us to do some monkeying around using a limited palette of just 4 different supplies.  And then, as you probably already guessed, draw a monkey.

I thought that I would really challenge myself by not even choosing the colors used.  I asked Maggie to choose them for me.

I had her pick one Prismacolor pencil, one chalk pastel and one fine tipped colored Sharpie to pair with my trusty black Sharpie pen.  Here are her first choices.

Here's my little monkey in red colored pencil, hot pink ink, mustard brown pastel and black Sharpie.

I really had no idea I would enjoy drawing monkeys so much.  I've never really been partial to them.  But, I decided I wanted to do another one just because....and Maggie was excited to pick out a new combination of colors!

This time she chose orange prismacolor, tan ink, and periwinkle blue pastel.

I was shocked at how cool this looks!  Totally something I would never choose to do on my own....monkeys just are not blue....haha! 

Carla suggests making envelopes with 4 random art implements inside....and when you want a challenge or need some new inspiration....you pick one, open it up and use just those 4 supplies on your next project.  A neat idea, for sure :)

We have one more Lesson to complete before moving from animals to people....should be interesting!

Thanks for joining me....and feel free to link up your monkey business here, too!

Anyone else have a craving for a banana? :)
Hugs,
Cameron

A Pack of Corgis - LESSON 6

Hi there!  

Here we are, another week, another Lesson in Drawing Lab!  This time our instructions were to draw a dog on 20 index cards....and not just a dog....but the same dog over and over again.  I have never sat down and drawn the same thing that many times before....

So I grabbed my index cards, my Sharpie (since I don't have a chisel-ended pen per the book) and this photo from the Internet.

(Source)

Here are my first 8.

I'm not sure what I was doing with the background on that first one....haha!

It is really neat how they end up being so different....plus, I found after the initial 4 or so, I started experimenting more with starting points.  I usually started with the ears and forehead....but, I also tried starting with the eyes, the nose, all the right side, then the left, etc....

Here are the 2nd 8.

The book does recommend taking a little break when you start to tire of drawing your subject.  In the middle,  from about 11 to 14 or so, it was getting a bit tedious....but then, you start seeing the big pile of finished drawings....and the smaller pile of blank cards....and it becomes a fun challenge to finish!

I sat and drew these 20 in about an hour.

Here are the last 4....sorry about my shadow across the bottom :)

I numbered them on the back, and I found that useful in keeping track of their progression and how many I had left to do.

So, there you go.  

A pack of Corgis. 

 What will your pack be?

Please link them here and share them with me :)

As usual, your visits are always appreciated!! Thank you!
20 Hugs,
Cameron

Blind Giraffes - Lesson 2

Okay, so the giraffes aren't really blind in Lesson 2, but instead, are blind contour drawings...

To jog your memory of what a blind contour drawing is....you spend your time looking only at your subject and not at your paper while slowly moving your pencil/pen in unison with your eyes.  You are supposed to use one continuous line to draw your subject.

It was hard to fight the urge to look down and "correct" myself....but it's a cool feeling to have your drawing be revealed to you in all it's wiggly, askew and sometimes scary glory and think "Hey, that's not half bad "  :)

The book author does say it's okay to lift your pencil to begin the interior details...which I did for the eyes above.....but, I didn't look while I was drawing them....I swear!  That head on the top left is my favorite.

I started enjoying the transformations...so I tried a couple more.

I cranked up the contrast on this so the lines would stand out a bit more.

Barn Owl

Penguin Chicks

Squirrel

Every time I see that squirrel drawing I hear Gollum in my head saying, "My Precioussss"....haha!!

I told you they sometimes turn out scary :)

But I hope you give this Lesson a try.  I learned to slow down my pace, to really take the time to notice all the curves and details (even if they didn't register on the drawings) and to be open to the end result without expecting too much from it. This allowed me to be pleasantly surprised rather than miserably disappointed :)

Please link up here to share your adventures in blind contour drawing!

Can't wait to see what your blind animals look like :)

Hugs,

Cameron