Sketching from just about any place at any time...

I've been trying to sketch a lot more & from just about any place possible lately...

The other day it was on our daughter's field trip during the 2 hour bus ride. I've sketched in the pre-school parking lot before pick up, in between projects for work, in the line at the grocery store in my mini moleskine, or at 1am in the morning when the world stands still... but my most favorite spot to spread out & sketch or paint, is on our deck while the kids play on the swings & yard.

It's so hard to find time for everything we want to get done in a day, but I've been using those tiny left over moments where I would usually check Facebook for a second, or read the last chapter of a book to sketch in the sketchbook instead... even if it is for only 5 minutes at a time.

Renee had a great post on her group blog recently and I tried her circle trick with very light pencil lines. It helped a lot!!

If you are looking for an ongoing challenge to get you moving try the always faithful Illustration Friday, or Sketch Dailies: or Daily Doodle @daily__doodle (Facebook.com/DAILYD00DLE)

Happy Sketching ;)

New Year, New Traditions, Plans & Work

Happy (Belated) New Year! The beginning of the year is always so crazy with new client budgets more work and a lot of planning ahead. I have been learning a lot lately with books and online classes. The most recent lesson that I watched was Tom Bancroft's class through Taught by a Pro. The Class is called Intro to Character Design. It was wonderful!

I am also getting ready to purchase a couple of great classes on The School of Visual Story Telling. I really appreciate all of the resources out there, and have a few channels marked on youtube. Sycra, Will Terry, Open College of the Arts and Lynn Chapman. With the wonderful technology of apple TV and apps like Vimeo and Youtube already built in, I can now draw in the sketchbook or computer and watch or listen to lesson on the big screen. Sure beats the little 2x2 square in the top corner while you are trying to draw :)

In addition to learning I have been trying to grow more as an artist and incorporate more family time as well. We purchased a couple of the Art Lab books and with 52 labs in each book we have activities to play with every week of the year! The kids love it and even my husband can get involved as well!

Hope everyone has a wonderful 2014!
Dream Big & Follow Through... Kelli