Back To The Drawing Board

Alright, for everyone who asked, here are my versions of the recipes for healthy pumpkin muffins and 2-minute Chocolate Cake. I just want to say that I have made many many different versions of a healthy pumpkin muffin and completely bombed on all of them. Enough to make me want to give up baking and being healthy altogether. But I really wanted pumpkin muffins and I'd been having a string of successes with my baking so I decided to try this recipe from yourlighterside.com. Here is the link to the original recipe:http://yourlighterside.com/candices-cream-cheese-pumpkin-muffins/ I like my muffins to taste like pumpkin if I make pumpkin muffins, so I added more as well as some mini chocolate chips because my girls asked for them. Then I added extra vanilla to help mask the tasted of the whey protein powder that my family detests.  I use Jay Robb brand, because it doesn't have any sugar (sweetened with stevia) but I hear there are a few other brands of whey protein out there with...

A sketch of one of the inner courtyards of Tlaquepaque in Sedona, Az. We were told it was an "artist community" and decided to go check it out. Turns out its really just a bunch of shops and galleries, not where artists actually live. I vaguely remember visiting as a child. But anyways it was pretty and worth my taking lots of reference photos for later.

A sketch of my girls peeking in a window to an art gallery. I'm getting a little better at proportioning without the ability to erase my mistakes. My favorite part about this picture is that I can tell it's my girls and their mannerisms are pretty spot on.

I'm trying to get some practice drawing landscapes and backgrounds. I took a lot of reference photos on our cross-country journeys for this exact purpose. And here is a sketch of Old Town Albuquerque. Lots of interesting architecture with lots of interesting little details. I realize my perspective is a little off on the planters in the foreground, but overall I'm pleased with how it came out. Especially compared to my last attempt at drawing. Behold a sketch I made while on the train from the Grand Canyon. Granted, the train was moving, so I was trying to do what I could at a rapid pace, and  I was trying to do it in color, which changes everything, but...bleh.

This is just one letter in a whole page of script attributed to someone known as "Scribe A".  I was intrigued by the bird head at the end of the letter. And then there's that weird eye-looking thing at the top. I've never seen anything like it. As you can see, it took me more than one try to get the whole thing to look cohesive.  Attempt #1. It kind of looks like a G, but not really like the one in the book. I figured out that the tail was too long and the "eye" was too big. You can clearly see where I erased. And no, I didn't use a ruler or french curves or anything that probably would've made it look more fluid. Just me, my eyes, and my pencil (and my eraser).  I think the inking is and always will be my favorite part. It's so relaxing. And also so rewarding once things get going. Last time I used Crayola markers. Which worked fine, but color-wise was a little limiting. Laser lemon just can't get close to the lovely golden hue ...

It's been a while and I'm in need of some drawing practice. I chose this small segment of a piece from the Book of Kells. It's deceptively simple. I realize there are actual methods to producing this type of artwork, painstaking methods that involve lots of measuring and straight edges to make sure things are even. But I'm like Nike, and I just do it.  I literally look at the piece and just draw. I try to copy the angles and the lengths of the lines that I see. My trusty pencil and eraser come in right handy for this. Take for instance, that letter s. It's too far away from his fish friend and from the ih (for Jesus - ihs. If you've seen Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade , you know that "in latin, Jehovah begins with an I.") So I moved it over and thought I was good to go.  I bought some india ink pens to try out some this summer (mostly since I left all my ink and nibs at home). It's only after outlining everything that my mistakes become...

     I make a lot of paper dolls. I always have, starting when my oldest was still a toddler. It a good way to pass the time, get a little drawing practice in, and get her creative juices flowing. Well, I have done a number of them lately, mostly ancient Egyptian-themed or medieval or 18th century French. They don't have multiple outfits or anything. They are just dolls made out of paper that my girls color and then play with, sleep with, take them outside, and pretty much keep until they rip or wear out. Yesterday I had drawn the ballerina from "The Steadfast Tin Soldier" of Fantasia 2000 fame. Today my daughters asked me to make them a paper doll of "the Goddess of Spring." So I turned on the Silly Symphonies, played the cartoon of the same title and...found out that this was NOT what they were talking about. They were talking about the sprite (she has no name) from the "Firebird Suite" segment of Fantasia 2000. This was a tough one. She has no real...