These creatures came from sketches done in my morning pages. They started out as a random shape, that I move around until I find something I can work with in that shape, and then pull a creature out of it.
Wally the owl is obsessed with hearts and loves Valentine’s Day. He loves hearts decorated on everything, including his food. Wally is afraid to fly.
This is Corky the Cupid Kitty. Corky has a very important task to do for Valentine’s Day.
If he could only remember what that task is…
My own character:
Wispy Whisper Thing
Yesterday was such a beautiful day that I had to go out to sketch. I took a ride up to the North Shore of LI to join a group that was painting there.
I wanted to mount my little guerrilla box on the tripod but alas, it didn’t come with the tripod adapter mounting plate so I need to order that. In the meantime I took a large board that John made for me over the summer and I used the car and the tripod as a makeshift mount.
It was so surprisingly warm, that the only reason why I was wearing my jacket so as to not be stupid and catch a chill. It was worth it to get out in the sun to do a quick watercolor and ink sketch. The ride home I was cranking up Coldplay. For just that wee bit of time it was indeed, Paradise.
And….winter is back…..sigh.
In between making sketchbooks, making Valentine’s Day cards and a multitude of other projects, here is my map for Valentine’s Day, which is also up on They Draw and Travel’s website.
My favorite candy is Lore’s Chocolates in Philadelphia. But I love See’s and I like Kilwin’s ice cream (their candy isn’t bad either.) See’s candy has a special fondness in my heart because my grandmother used to buy us a box every year for Christmas. John and I found a See’s when we were in Seattle last year. We bought a pound and it never made it home. Castronovo is a new favorite, they make the chocolate right from the bean. OMG it is amazing.
However you like to celebrate Valentine’s Day, I hope yours is sweet!
Enjoy and Happy Valentine’s Day.
Here is the link to my map on their website.
http://www.theydrawandtravel.com/illustrations/10985-candy-sweet-shops-throughout-the-us
I was in the city today sketching with the NYC Urban Sketchers. We sketched at the NY Waterway Ferry terminal.
There was a ferry that was sitting at the dock. I was able to sketch it because it was just sitting there. The other ferries were careening in and out of the terminal and it looked more like a taxi stand than a stately boat terminal. I wondered how often they crashed into something. It was humorous watching them go in and out.
These two sketches below were done early on. The gentleman on the left was eating grapes in a most unusual way. On the right, I was practicing another sketching approach that I learned in Chicago from LK Bing. It was cold today.
After sketching we went up to see the Rogues Gallery Exhibit of courtroom sketches at the Shiva Gallery. That was amazing! They had Son of Sam, the Preppy Killer and many others. I was really glad I got to see that one.
Today, I went out with some friends to sketch at a local wildlife refuge. The refuge has many live and stuffed subjects to sketch. It is wayyy to cold to sketch outside so I went into the Nature Center to sketch the taxidermy animals. I sketched this possum and found out that possums can eat up to 5000 ticks in a season! Wow, We need more possums!
Yesterday I went to the NYC Urban Sketchers holiday party. The party was held in Jersey City and had an amazing view of Lower Manhattan.
Last but not least, blind folded fruit done with a ball point pen. I am taking Carla Sonheim’s 365 Year long class and this was yesterday’s assignment. I took her 365 class in 2017 and it was full of creative assignments.
Hubby and I took a day trip to Winter Park, Fl. It’s a pretty place. I like Stuart better but it was a nice place to sit and have coffee and sketch for a bit.
I used ink, colored pencil and tombows over an acrylic prepped page.
Enjoy!
This should hold you over though….
This reference photo is a funny guy named Rick in the Sktchy community who is constantly providing us, the artists, with lots of awesome photos. I spoofed him here. I had to….couldn’t pass it up…
The Patchogue Sketch Club meets at our local library during the dark winter months. We occasionally sketch at a restaurant or other indoor venue in the winter, but the library has become our winter home. The library staff members are very gracious hosts and many of the library’s visitors stop by to see what we are doing. Winter is a good time for us to do skill building exercises like anatomy or values, or activities like making sketchbooks.
This week, we sketched various stuffed animals. Many people have them but don’t usually think of them as something to sketch, so we had quite a few people stop by this evening, curious about what we were doing with the stuffed animals.
Sketching stuffed animals is always fun. How can you not be charmed by a stuffed beanie baby or homemade crocheted horse? It definitely was a cute way to end the day.
I found this beanie turkey in my attic recently while doll hunting. I forgot we had him and pulled him out for Thanksgiving.
One of my fellow sketchers brought this totally awesome crocheted horse that her mother made years ago. I had to sketch it twice.
I have had this chubby dragon for a few years. He sits on my bed. I brought him out to the library. He seemed pleased to be there.
Last but not least, here is our display of sketches at the Patchogue-Medford Library. It is on view during the library’s hours until December 6th. Then we’ll sketch it out for a holiday sketch display.
Gina Lento: Fine Art and Illustration 
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