Melon.

I like how pieces of melon ran on the plate creating interesting composition, so I decide to draw it before consuming in front of the TV. Used Sepia ink and few Kuretake pens. It says "sharing melon" in Japanese.

Gotta share this wonderful artist.

Inge Löök

She made me laugh the whole morning.
She is a Finnish artist who was a professional gardener and now she is famous for her Granny postcards. When she was a child she lived in a building in Helsinki and had two neighbors old ladies who later become the prototype of her wonderful mischievous grandmas.

Sketching in the doc office in Moleskine.

Didn't do anything productive today except cooking wonderful meal and this few sketches in the doctor's office highlighted my day. Palomino Blackwing 602 and Pentel Multi8 pencils in Moleskine.

Sketching in Moleskine.

I feel bad to waste Moleskine pages on such casual sketches, but honestly I was so happy to be out with pencil and sketchbook, so grabbed whatever I saw on the way: people on a train, little bar while waiting for the concert, my free glass of wine, ticket, my overprotected Blackwing 602 pencil. It got so short, I put on it point protector and little rubber cushion I ripped from ball pen. Very comfortable.

Haines Falls.

Main attraction for tourists in the Hunter area of the Catskills. Every time when we pass by we verify our moods with this beauty of nature. I misspelled the name on the drawing.
I used Dr.Martin's inks on Fabriano Studio paper. Scanner made color too black, in reality it is warm brown.

Onteora church.

Built in 188something, I think. It is not far from us, walking distance. Overlooking arboretum, breathtaking view of the mountains. Built from stone. Onteora is an indian name for Catskills.  In 1883 Onteora Park was founded by rich New Yorkers as a private summer retreat, many famous artists and writers been and sketched there. I found very interesting publication online, newspaper The Critic  from 1898, an illustrated monthly review of Arts, Literature and Life. So cool!

I used Dr. Martin's Ink and my newest invention portable brush, because my travel Windsor and Newton brush broke while finishing Aubele's drawing.

Published in Mexico!

Got this beautiful book from Mexico, Peninsula de Yucatan,   with my watercolor published  in it, super happy.

What a wonderful surprise. Thank you very much Adolfo. 

Typed in Google translator and this what came out:

Born in Russia and lives in New York.
In her works we see a constant search for technical improvement through the use of different pencils, inks and papers.
Makes detailed sketches and works of various aspects of everyday life.The sketch of the pitahaya did when she found the fruit on a market: bought to try it exotic flavor and with the idea of ​​drawing it. It is so delicious to eat yet is so beautiful.

Maggi.

Here is a little panegyric on Maggi-Würze, seasoning sauce, originally from Switzerland.  I discovered it in Honey store and fell in love with it, adding it everywhere in salads combining with sunflower oil and cooking wine and for meats and sauces, and soups. I like it's taste, smell and even bottle shape. Also drew here wonderful Frank's RedHot sauce.
Second joy is my first time mix from  Dr. Martin's India inks I bought in Woodstock this fall. It has some burning warmth and slides easily.  May be because of paper? It is old paper, don't know the brand.  For color I used Kuretake pens.

Federico Aubele in ink.

Did drawing of Federico Aubele in ink after my wonderful experience on his concert. I used ink and couple of Kuretake pens on hot pressed Arches paper, so smooth that I feel a bit weird out.  I tried to capture his boyish looks and soul of musician. It brings to mind amazing novel by Julio Cortazar about music and musician, from which many years ago I cut out sentence and had it on the wall in my room, felt related to that. Sorry,  its in Russian.
Художник, живущий в нем, всегда задыхался бы от
ярости,  слыша эту пародию на желанное самовыражение,  на  все  то,
что  ему  хотелось  сказать, когда он боролся,  раскачиваясь,  как
безумный, исходя слюной и музыкой, наедине, совсем наедине с  тем,
что  он  преследует, что ускользает от него, и  тем  быстрее,  чем
настойчивее он преследует.
 I relied  on my sketches I did during the concert, here is one of it.

Mural in the pool.

Touch ups on the mural painted few years ago. Bottom rocks made from big floor tiles cut out in different shapes and painted over to blend with the painting.

The other half of the pool. It was fun job. Worked with a small team then.

Federico Aubele.

Today I was so lucky to see  Federico Aubele live concert, amazing Argentinian singer, songwriter, musician. I fell in love with his music few years ago, I heard him somewhere online. I listen to him often while drawing or driving, I made Pandora radio station with his songs.
Today I sketched and listen and at the end asked him to sign my sketch, how cool is that! He liked my drawing. Wow! I am gonna do drawing in ink based on my sketches of him today. Here used Blackwing 602 (love this pencil) in Moleskine.
Postales

No one

Orange truck.

Ever since I met this trucks on mountain roads they impressed me with their happy sunny colors and muscular shapes, and when you hear their aggressive roaring it brings feeling that now it will be ok, problem fixed, safety restored, life will be better, somebody cares. Interesting that even drivers of this trucks look so enormously tall and manly, at list few I talked to after the Hurricane Irene damages.
I used ink and Kuretake pens.

Eggs over easy.

Pulled out my drying ink remix and fought with couple of stuffed water brushes (pierced my finger few times till it bled)  to draw this simple Sunday breakfast with eggs over easy. Bits of color with Kuretake pens.

Краски.

I was always interested in Payne's Gray color hearing so much about beautiful mixtures it could create.  Loving amazing palette of grays by Serov I was intrigued. A friend from Serbia mention this  great sale in London for Rembrandt watercolor, I tried and end up with this wonderful addition to my 24 colors pan set I got from Ebay some time ago. Now I may have to figure out what palette I will need for tubes, or I can get empty pans, or even wash pans from old paints and fill it with paint from tubes. In any case it is more inspiration now to experiment with color.
I also got filbert brush and 2 telescopic Da Vinci brushes with interesting idea to fold it without damaging shape.
My idea of cover protecting brush shape is simpler and better, I just don't know how to introduce it to the world, where to find people who can actually produce it. :-)
Here on the photo I compared bottoms of two pans: old which came with Ebay set and this new, different design.

Queens.

Got back to my Sepia drawings. Was a bit unreal atmosphere with that charming European village houses and pale moon. Finished at home with few Kuretake pens. Had a fight with big water brush, keeps clogging.

Painting apples.

 Quiet evening.

Apples.

My husband picked this bitten by the frost very energetic apples from the apple tree near our driveway. Last time he did 5 minutes fruit preserve recipe he learned as a teenager in sports camps. It was delicious with tea. Now he picked the whole box.
So I decide to draw it to appreciate its wild  tough beauty. And also I have a nostalgic memory about autumn apples from the book of Iris Murdoch I read many years ago. How I was longing in my Moscow apartment for that apple smell  and lonely walks on the seashore.

Painting snow.

Snapped process of painting with Rembrandt watercolor. Here is adorable filbert Midas Touch brush, telescopic Da Vinci and nice view.

First snow.

Mountains never fails to surprise me, different every day. It was too cold to draw outside, so I drew through the glass door. I used watercolor here. Tried my new interesting Da Vinci telescopic brushes, I like the system, but hair was a bit too soft for me. Snow melted everywhere but not here, strange, but I appreciate it. I saw here bear's footprints. May be couple of bears.

Tower.

Really quick sketch on the way to get chili. Pretty house with mysterious tower overlooking mountains and Arboretum.

Sketch in black.

Sketched while waiting.

Croissant.

I finished drawing by adding color with Kuretake pens. Still left watery loose marks, I like combination of loose texture and sharper details. Very sad how fast water brushes getting clogged and loosing sharp point. Even I trimmed it with scissors as Laure Ferlita advised and disassembled to rinse. May be I should try distilled water?

Blue roses on a sink.

I painted blue roses on that porcelain sink. It was coordinated with wallpaper and pattern on chairs.

Here on the other side of the kitchen, second sink. I used special paint which sticks to everything, but it smells so bad, I was coughing.

Kitchen, sitting area. Small roses on wallpaper and in squares on chairs. Tiles near stove imitated old Holland tiles, pretty weak imitation. I love old Holland kitchen look, my dream is to get a wood stove with holland tiles depicting bucolic life and flowers. I probably never gonna have it because won't give up time I'd rather spend on drawing and it will be costly. :-)

Moleskine pen and pencil.

Wanted to show this awesome Moleskine pencil and pen I got from JetPens. You can attach it to the cover and it stays perfectly when you throw it in a bag or put it on your lap. Pencil comes with one refill and sharpener. 2B. It is rectangle shape and sits good in a hand. I put here, on my unfinished drawing I brought from Upstate, few Kuretake pens, I will use for touch of color, Dr. Martin's inks I got in Woodstock, I will mix and play with when have more time, and my headphones for loud music not to disturb my sleeping family.