Sketching in Delta.

I know I shouldn't allow myself to fool around with great sketchbook, Delta, hardbound, but couldn't resist to scribble on the way.

Played for a few minutes with water soluble pencil and smudge Dr. Martin's watercolor over.
I drew on each side of the page, nothing bled through, even layered washes on the other side.

Couple of momentarily sketches in Gamma sketchbook by Stillman & Birn.

Sketches on Subway on the run. Coming home at 1.30 in the morning. Loosing cool. Burning eyes. Missing drawing. Missing living. Unfinished drawings. Sleepless nights.

Entrance room.Wrinkles with some sparkle.

Great talent.

I saw this on Twitter today and really want to look thru all that movies about amazing Pina Bausch. Just looking at her movement gives chills. Language of dance.

Dusk on Long Island.

Going back and forth to Long Island I was stopped by the flaming skies, it is near fire station. I am looking at the sky more than ever before, amazed by humongous symphony someone playing every day for us, people. It changes quickly, leaving trembling melody in my heart. So I was trying to capture the moment. Used ink and Kuretake brush pens.

First page in hardbound Delta sketchbook by Stillman & Birn.

I was so eager to try this wonderful treasure, that started it on a Subway, coming back from Red Hook in Brooklyn, where I experimented in a shop with the "wooden" guys and different textures. I didn't want to waste an inch of this creamy thick 180 lb paper so started right on endpaper. I drew my little Red Dot Japanese knife, which my husband found on one of Manhattan streets, and I fell in love with it. I wanted to test color washes on the paper and it took it perfectly, no bleeding, no little soft fibrous substance from applying wet on wet. I added Uranus pen's ink, Kuretake brush pens, white gel pen, Pentel color brush and even blue Durer watercolor pencil.

Couple of sketches on the way.

Subway sketch in Muji book. I am trying to deal with many options on my way, don't like to say "no" to any challenge,  doing samples, talking to people, getting more and more tired and longing for drawing.

Today is only 17th, but my mind is racing and I am running into tomorrow. I wrote 18th.

Squeezed some colors for touch ups on the wall, flowers and some twigs. Meanwhile thinking about color for base coat for glazing in coffee with milk and reddish tremors, metallic strokes in pearl and gold on color, paintings with pomegranate, sky in peachy tones, pricing kitchen cabinets, garden with fountain, drawing red car, deep chocolate/caramel for entrance room, hight toll prices on Verrazano and all that for different people.

Emmons Avenue.

Emmons is a very popular street in Brooklyn, full of restaurants, night clubs, cars, people, small shopping malls. It is located at the Canal, where boats coming, you could enjoy marina, take a boat trip to Manhattan, buy fresh fish from fishermen (I personally never did, because I am afraid of bones and fish scales and get fillet only).  Cuisine is from all over the world: Greek, Japanese, Italian, Chinese, Azerbaijan, French, British pub, Russian, American, Thai, Turkish, Siam, Mediterranean, I can't probably name all of it, because I didn't try it all, I am not much for eating out but rather take it home.
It is amazing for sketching, which I did many times from the car and private piers. This time it is a view from the side of Siam restaurant ( I didn't like their famous soup, but liked salad with  caramelized shrimps). I used ink and touch of Kuretake Twins on Winsor & Newton wonderful paper.

Red truck on the road.

Shiny red truck, loved and groomed by his owner (building inspector), I had to draw it. It was hugged by shadows and greens on the road side. I used ink and Kuretake pens with tiny help of Stabilo pen and blue Durer pencil for the sky.

2 new Stillman & Birn sketchbooks!

I got a present from Stillman & Birn, 2 hardbound sketchbooks Delta and Beta. Yippee! Thank you very much, Michael!
Paper is so good, that I can draw on both sides with multiple washes and nothing comes through.
Delta is so pretty with ivory color paper, my favorite french ink would look so good on it. And Beta is white and thick, color would be singing. On Beta printed charming drawing by Jan Blencowe in mixed media: watercolor, ink and gouache. Blue bottle playing with framing blues at the edges of sleeve, stunning combination.
On Delta play of greens and colorful watercolor of fish by Jeanne Forsyth. I think it is a great idea to put artist's work on the sketchbook sleeve. Inspiring. On public I like to remove it, leaving the sketchbook black and less noticeable. This sketchbooks just perfect.

Smokers pencil.

Drew Smokers pencil on the top of the sketch. I really like it for sketching in Beta sketchbook by Stillman & Birn, lines are dry and light, pencil is pleasantly heavy in your hand. Here I drew it with help of Kuretake pens and white pen. Paper is taking my washes so well, I use both sides of Beta and nothing is leaking. Here is the link to my previous post a year ago, when I got this pencil and did research on it. It is really useful for smokers for pipe and cigars. For me it is another travel in time.

Sketches in Beta sketchbook.

Quick sketches at the Union meeting. I start using Beta book, even wanted to leave it for ink wash and watercolor, but because I almost finished Gamma, I need something for everyday, for travel.

I thought I was pretty discrete and no one can see what I am doing, but I was unpleasantly surprised when guys approached me afterwards and asked to show sketchbook and asked me to draw their boss, may not the boss but really important man. So I will have to, probably soon.

Here on a train, trying to put to work my amazing Smoker's pencil, British, so charming, with the round end to press tobacco in the pipe and a sharp blade to pierce cigars, I think. I will draw it soon.

Learn from amazing artists.

Lesson on caricatures by Jason Seiler.

What a wonderful artist.

BonJour.

This little breakfast scene is about our everyday mornings (or mornings when we are together), rushing, exchanging couple of sweet words, cereal with blueberries and almond milk, sun, dancing on the BonJour french press coffee maker, wonderful smell of coffee, filling out corridor outside of the apartment up to the elevator, basically a moment of life lived fully and appreciated.
I used ink and  a little bit of Kuretake on wonderful paper I got in "Dick Blick" on one rainy day in Manhattan, when I decide to spoil myself. Ink loving this paper. I wrote "Almond milk" in Japanese.

Yesterday....

Doing metallic washes on the top of glazing and it is so hot, no air condition, I believe inside is around 100 degrees. I used art pin from my Muji sketchbook in my hair. Blasting music loud - only help, jazz and Nina Zilly.

Schlagbaum.

Getting lost in the shadows of the trees and rocks, on the way to the lake. For some reason real simple things like rocks on the bottom of the creek, silhouette of the branches against the sky  or skipped lunch have to me emotional value, sometimes nameless, sometimes formed into words. So this one sounds to me and I wrote it in Japanese "till the end of love". And it is not from the

Leonard Cohen's

 famous song, but from the feeling that love will remain till the end. And it is no point to be afraid, because it doesn't matter.
I used ink and 2 Kuretake pens.