Church in Ink and Watercolor down in the Srip

Paint Out in the Strip District of Pittsburgh. I wasn't sure where I would be so I packed light. A small stool/pack combo, small watercolor set, water pencils, some waterproof markers, pencil, phone for music and camera. Along with my small Olympus tough digital camera. OH, and my 5.5 x 8.5 Hand journal sketchbook. It was beautiful weather after a few days of some really cold days.
Intrigued by the architecture of the old church but I wasn't excited about taking on the entire building. Laying out the basic structure in pencil I began layering sepia micron marker and watercolor. Trying to keep ink work at a minimal until I lay in some watercolor.

The view from my stool on the sidewalk in Pittsburgh, PA

St. Slanislaus Kostka Church

 



Rebecca with Pastels

 

 Some Oil Painters



 

 

My start with a sepia Micron pen

 

My final ink and watercolor

Reminder :Up coming 30th Sketch Crawl in a few weeks

used with Permision by Susan Walker copyright 2009

A Sketch Crawl in May '09 at the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh,PA

  used with Permision by Susan Walker copyright

From a sketchcrawl at the arm show in August of '09

The Sketchcrawl is a great event and super fun. Especially when folks from 'round the world share their images. How cool to see first hand and personal views of these sites. The next one is in a few weeks, January 22nd. Though I will likely be bedside to my son in the hospital I hope to still participate in some way. Here's the link to the gateway page for Sketchcrawl: http://www.sketchcrawl.com/forum/. Hope to see your work there!

Sketchbook of Cheryl Ceol from farm show

Artwork copy right of the artist and all artwork
used with permission from artist.

One of the artist who went on the Sketchcrawl was Cherl Ceol of "Ceol Creations" in South Hills.She was so kind to share her work and her experience with us. If you would like to learn more about Cheyl and see more of her work stop by her website,"Ceol Creation" .

"I had done all pencil sketches and just the one watercolor at the Butler Farm Show.
Actually I was lucky to get out of the muddy parking lot and am still picking odd pieces of straw and mud from under my car's frame ! LOL

I loved doing the fast sketches of the animals.
The pig (Daisy) looked impossibly content and stylish with her impromptu feed bowl hat.
She was the opening sketch of the day.
The thunderstorm was a great intervention that allowed me to hang around the horses for awhile, talk with fellow storm watchers and sketch to my heart's content.... what a nice turn of the phrase 'heart's content'. Nature is very close to my heart.
Isn't it interesting that mankind decided to 'braid' a horse's tail ? LOL
Makes one look and say, hmmm, just what does the horse think about that ?
The Clydesdale from the Hunter Creek Farm was so beautiful that I regret not doing a full color painting, though with all the people around it would have been a little difficult in that area.

Gizmo, the shorthorn bovine had such a sweet disposition and warm eyes that I couldn't just walk by without whipping out the pencil and paper. The owner was very obliging, which I deeply appreciated.

It seemed that in the tent with all the birds I became a lot looser with the sketches. I imagine it was because they moved around a lot, so no dawdling allowed. Though I didn't bring a camera, I did use my phone to record the 'raucous' in this tent and snap a few pictures.

The shear to shawl was fascinating. This technique of changing a natural resource into a viable product/work of art and performed in quiet, continuous motions was so soothing. A good study of body, machine and function.

The lambs were such a beautiful serene pair. You have to love the two toned twins. There is something so elegant about their light bodies and dark heads.

Farming is so important to our nation and the 'work horses' that help feed us another interesting study. This tractor from the 2009 Butler Farm Show caught my because it was an older model. I now regret not walking up to it and jotting down some notes as to it's age and manufacturer and if possible some of it's history from it's owner. But how unbelievable that a bunch of formed metal, rubber and fluids are combined, and given a spark of life to provide a service to it's owner. What talent, engineering, and the sweat of daily use went into this piece of machinery ? There's a balance having machinery and nature interlaced for a common goal. " Hope you enjoyed! Cheryl

Just Sketchin', then the Rain...keep sletchin' in the rain...

Back end beauty

Made out to the Butler County Farm show for a sketch Crawl. It started out as a overcast day then the clouds and buckets of rain rolled in...That didn't stop us though!


I ripped down some watercolor to about 5x7 for a small clipboard I took. I placed 2 on the board and put the rest in a baggie to keep them clean and dry. it worked very well. when walking I turned the back side out just in case I got bumped or sneezed on by some goat or like.



As one was started, the cow -excuseme- steer-would move, so I started another. He would move back and I would continue on that angle. that seemed to be a good way to get something done.




Chickens on the other hand- never stop moving. Wow, anytime one chicken would 'crow' or squawk they would jerk their head in that direction. With over 50 cages in the tent- It was non stop. Good trick with these guys though you could tap on the cage with your pencil or hold your hand up and they would look at it. Then being able to direct them back to the pose. Who knew?



Fairway on the way out

Heading off to the Farm Show

Getting ready to go to a Sketch Crawl at the Butler county Farm Show tomorrow. Have my paper-ck, watercolors-ck, face mask-ck ,extra face mask-ck. Ankle high boots for missed land mines...Join me if you like!
http://www.butlerfarmshow.com/