Everdello

Experimenting

2011-12-30T07:45:00.001-05:00

Testing
Originally uploaded by everdello

Just testing a new way of posting to my blog. Pay no attention to the Me behind the curtain. More soon! And happy New Year!

The Last Brush Stroke

2011-11-22T22:12:00.004-05:00

At 9:00 last night I put the last brush stroke on the art for the book jacket. This morning I sent the painting to Boston. And if all goes well, that should be IT for this book. I can't quite get my mind around the fact that it's done! What will it feel like to make another Small Book, just for fun? I can't wait to find out. Please stay tuned...

Coming Into the Home Stretch

2011-11-01T22:10:00.002-04:00

I went away for about ten days in mid-October. Before I left, I finished the last spread of the book (above). When I came back, I finished the title page (below). Barring unforeseen circumstances, this seems to mean that the interior of the book is finished. I can't quite grasp that concept, yet. And I still have to paint the front and back jackets. I don't want to tempt fate by shouting from the rooftops. But I am allowing myself to cheer, in a teeny-tiny voice: yahooo!

The Best Before-and-After

2011-09-25T23:05:00.005-04:00

Before: This morning, I was still putting last-minute touches on the paintings. They've been hanging on my walls since June.

After!

I packaged and labelled each picture separately, sandwiched the whole batch between two sheets of stiff cardboard, double-wrapped it in plastic and brown paper, and sealed it with plenty of packing tape.

Woohoooooo!

More Before-and-After

2011-09-20T09:17:00.003-04:00

I just spent five days in this chair, doing a big push on the book. Twenty-seven of the 28 interior paintings are done. The 28th is still under discussion with the editor, and the jacket illustrations, title page, endpapers and any revisions will come later. But these 27 will soon go into the mail--glory halleluiah! Now it's time to get back to the dayjob. Meanwhile, here are a few more before-and-afters:

Before and After

2011-09-16T06:46:00.002-04:00

Before and after, before and after...

Before and after. . .

More soon!

More Details

2011-09-06T22:22:00.004-04:00

Nothing comes between me and these paintings. Hahaha.

I'm still adding details and shading--walking that fine line between "too little" and "too much."

It feels like I'm starting to see the light at the end of this ten-year-long project. A few more weeks should do it. I'm almost afraid to say that out loud!

Details

2011-08-29T22:31:00.003-04:00

Now that my walls are covered with the broad-strokes, it's time to zero in on the details--adding shadows, punching up the contrast between bright and dark colours, and waiting for the "click" feeling that means a picture is finished.

It's strangely nerve-wracking. Things can go wrong at this stage. If I push too far, I can ruin a picture. But if I hang back, the picture feels raw and unresolved. Did Jackson Pollock ever feel this way when he was flinging paint around?

When I stand back and stare at my walls (yes, you've seen my walls!) the weekend's progress isn't obvious. But these before-and-after photos make me feel better. Slowly but surely, things are moving forward. I'll show you some more, soon!

Oonching Forward

2011-08-22T22:16:00.010-04:00

My first version of this painting (the middle picture in the photo above) was long and narrow, with a blue sky. But the layouts called for a different shape--and that meant moving the little girl and the two women into a new position, in front of the ship. Since there's no click-and-drag option in watercolour, I had to re-draw and re-paint.

Unfortunately, there's no undo button, either. So when I screwed up the second version by painting the sky yellow and then layering blue on top, I ended up with a mess (the top picture in the photo above.) Check out that puce-coloured sky. What was I thinking?! It looks even worse in real life.

This weekend I had the pleasure of doing-over my previous do-over, and fortunately I was happier with the result.

There are still a few details to add, but this one is almost finished. Let's hope it'll be a case of "third time lucky!"

Meanwhile, here's a slightly-blurry summary of my progress during the past four days. I'm reasonably satisfied, but there's still a lot of work left to do. Next week I'll zoom in on some details so you can see what I mean. Thanks for keeping me company on this long journey!

A Closer Look

2011-08-16T08:08:00.004-04:00

I thought you might like a break from the endless photos of my wall, so I zoomed-in for a closer look at one picture. It took about three weeks to paint this--partly because of my dayjob and other commitments, and partly because I like to work on several pictures at the same time.

I used an old watercolour trick to create the starry effect. When the paint is not too wet nor too dry you scatter some salt on it. In a moment of insanity, I tried to use sea-salt. Yikes! The grains were too big. I could see right away that the starry effect wasn't going to happen, and to make matters worse, the grains were going to stick to the picture like little boulders. I ran to the kitchen, flipped the painting over, banged the bad salt into the garbage, grabbed the shaker from the cupboard and dashed it all over my picture.

It was pepper. Hahahaha! Lord love a duck. So I had to tip that into the garbage, as well. Meanwhile, the paint kept getting drier and drier. I threw some table-salt on it and waited nervously to see what would happen. Against all odds, it came out quite well. Good enough to eat, even. Ha.

And for dessert, here's the latest picture of my wall. I know you're just dying to see it. More soon!

Slowly but Surely

2011-08-09T07:10:00.005-04:00

Here's another before-and-after: last week (above) and this week (below).

Meanwhile, the street scene from my last blog-post is still in a state of flux. When I finally get permission to ink-and-paint that one, there will be dancing in the streets! Until then...back to the drawing board. Literally. More soon...!

Getting from Here to There

2011-07-24T17:18:00.006-04:00

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The editor asked me to make this street scene more child-friendly and multicultural, and to incorporate more unusual street noises into the scene. But getting from the old version (top) to the new version (bottom) wasn't as straightforward as I expected. As usual, I bumbled my way from here to there!

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Did I nail it? We'll see what she says. More soon!

Slow Motion Time Lapse #1

2011-07-12T07:49:00.004-04:00

Last weekend, above. This weekend, below. End of bulletin!

Why It Takes So Long

2011-07-02T21:32:00.003-04:00

Why does it take so long? I don't know. It just does! Here's a snapshot of the work in progress. I'll post another soon, so you can see how things develop. It'll be like a time-lapse photo, in slow motion!

Why it Takes so Long: The Book Jacket

2011-06-26T17:56:00.011-04:00

In mid-May, my plan of attack looked like this:

4 pencil drawings awaiting feedback,
11 drawings ready to be inked and then painted,
9 inked drawings in the process of being painted.

Then, all of a sudden, the publisher needed sketches for the book jacket--a thing I hadn't even begun to think about. It was a steep learning curve for me, full of back-and-forth, hurry-up-and-wait, and it's not over yet! But so far, the process has gone roughly like this:

Pencil Sketches

Ideas for the Endpapers

A Jacket Sketch with an "Active" Feeling

A Jacket Sketch with a "Quieter" Theme

Now we wait for feedback from the sales and marketing team. In the meantime, I've gone back to my previously scheduled plan: inking, painting, inking, painting...and pausing once in a while to touch base with you. Thanks for keeping me company on this long journey!

(P.S. Were you surprised by the shape of the book jackets? They're designed to wrap around the whole book, and they include those flaps that fold inside the front and back covers to hold the jacket in place. That's why they look so long and skinny.)

Why It Takes So Long: Real Life

2011-05-31T11:58:00.003-04:00

I spent the weekend working on sketches for the book cover. The publisher wants to see two versions: one "quiet/still" and one "busier/more active."

Two covers means four paintings, because each book has a front and back cover. Another ten or twelve hours should be enough to finish these off. But now it's time to iron some clothes, make myself presentable, and go to work!

Why It Takes So Long: Mistakes!

2011-05-09T18:24:00.009-04:00

My mistake-o-rama starts with this sketch of a scene from an opera called The Tender Land, by Aaron Copland. The editor has written on the layout "show more of the SOUND, instead of the literal crowd and stage."

First I have to transfer the measurements from the printed layouts onto my computer screen. The editor uses inches. I use centimeters. My software uses a grid that is neither one nor the other. Let the mathematical mistakes begin! (Dad, stop laughing.)

Next I have to figure out how to show SOUNDS. Write words onto the picture? Make swirly or spiky marks? I don't love those ideas, and I don't think they would fit with the rest of the book. I decide to zoom up close to the argument, show the characters shouting, and put as many noisy elements into the picture as possible.

I draw for nearly an hour before I realize I don't know what I'm doing. Exactly how do people stand when they're arguing? What do they do with their hands? Mistake number two--trying to draw without reference photos. I stop and do some research, and make a collage.

The photo of the kid covering his ears is a nice surprise. It strikes me as a great way to convey SOUND. In the opera, the men are arguing about a girl, so why don't I put her front and centre, with her hands over her ears?

Back to the drawing board. Mistake, mistake, mistake. Erase, erase, erase. Start again and again.

I'm drawing like mad when an awful thought hits me: does the girl really appear on stage in the argument scene? It's been months since I did the research for the original drawing. I remember the argument, but not the girl. Maybe she's not even in that scene!

Pause for opera-viewing. Luckily, there's a version of The Tender Land on YouTube. Unluckily, it's divided into twelve sections. I finally find "my" scene about halfway through section 8. And...tah-dah! Yes, the girl really is there. Whew. Mistake narrowly averted. I add a crowing rooster and barking dog for good measure. Here's the sketch I'll submit:

Will this picture will even make it into the book? Or will it be cut in the next round of revisions? I'd say there's about a 50-50 chance. We'll see!

Why It Takes So Long

2011-05-08T20:18:00.002-04:00

The Ives-Lusitania saga continues--I'm into revisions, revisions, revisions. How on earth can it take so long to make one little picture book? It's a mystery to me, too, so I'm going to explore that theme for the next few weeks: Why It Takes So Long.

Reason number one: I make a lot of mistakes. I'll show you some examples tomorrow. Oy-vey! Please stay tuned.

My Small Books

2011-05-04T19:53:00.008-04:00

After a bit of a family crisis and a nice little virus, I'm back in business. Now it's time to tackle a project that's been on my desk for more than a decade. I'll be painting up a storm--thirty pictures in a dozen weeks! I hope you'll follow me through the mayhem.

Meanwhile, I've stashed the "small books" from this blog on their very own website, for safekeeping. Please click here to see them, and to see how they were made. I can hardly wait to start working on them again.

I'll post photos of the new project as it progresses, so please stay tuned. And thanks for stepping through the journey with me. You inspire me!

Punctuation Mark

2011-04-07T21:59:00.005-04:00

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Congratulations to those of you who guessed Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star for yesterday's picture. You are correcto-mundo! Well done! Please pretend that truckloads of fabulous prizes are rolling down the highway toward your houses. Tomorrow I'll start telling you about another project I've been working on, but in the meantime, here's a punctuation mark. It's not a period or an exclamation point--more like a comma or semi-colon. (A floral one!) More soon....

Singable Rhymes 5/5

2011-04-05T21:49:00.003-04:00

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Did you get the right answer for Saturday's singable rhyme? It was "Yankee Doodle Went to Town. . .he stuck a feather in his hat and called it macaroni." But I liked my mom's answer even better than the real answer. She guessed "Ride a cock horse to Banbury Cross to see a fine lady upon a white horse." That was such a good guess I may have to paint it! Meanwhile, here's a new version of a picture I've tackled a couple of times before. Do you know this one?

Singable Rhymes 4/5

2011-04-02T22:35:00.006-04:00

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Wednesday's picture stumped a couple of people (heh-heh.) It was "Mr. Frog Went a-Courtin. . .he did ride, aha, aha." Now, what about today's picture--do you know it? Hint: that's not a chicken sitting on his head!

Singable Rhymes 3/5

2011-03-30T20:05:00.004-04:00

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Did you guess "Baa Baa Black Sheep" for Monday's blog entry? If so--yahoo and congratulations! This one's a little bit harder. If you know it, you'll know it. And if you don't, you won't. If you know what I mean. (Either way, please stay tuned! I'll tell you tomorrow.)

Singable Rhymes 2/5

2011-03-28T20:08:00.003-04:00

Here's another singable nursery rhyme. I was going to post the text here, but I think you already know what it is. Don't you? I thought so! More tomorrow.

Singable Rhymes 1/5

2011-03-27T18:21:00.003-04:00

I know you know which rhyme this is. For one thing, I've tried to paint it a few times before. I think this is my favourite attempt so far, even though I spent a lot more time and effort on the others. Tomorrow I'll show you another singable rhyme. Please stay tuned!

Royal Visit 1919 5/5

2011-03-07T21:56:00.004-05:00

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Thanks for following along. I'll post another episode soon. Cheers!

photo of the train station as it looks now

The Royal Visit 1919 4/5

2011-03-05T20:31:00.005-05:00

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Some things never change, eh? I'll post the end of this brief story tomorrow. I'm sending good wishes to those of you who are travelling this weekend--both near and far!

The Royal Visit 1919 3/5

2011-03-02T21:40:00.002-05:00

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The Royal Visit 1919 2/5

2011-02-27T22:17:00.003-05:00

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More tomorrow! Did you watch the Oscars?

The Royal Visit 1919

2011-02-26T15:52:00.005-05:00

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A couple of years ago, I came across this story in an old newspaper, and I've been wanting to share it ever since. It happened right across the street from my apartment. Seventeen years after this royal visit, the Prince would abdicate and marry Mrs. Simpson. (If you've seen the movie The King's Speech, you know about this.) More tomorrow!

Fred's Early Memory 5/5

2011-02-19T21:07:00.003-05:00

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That's the end of this little sequence, but I'm already busy on a new one. I'll post it for you, soon. In the meantime, I hope you are all well and happy. Stay cozy!

Fred's Early Memory 4/5

2011-02-17T21:51:00.004-05:00

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By the way (thanks for your lovely comment, Deb!) the text for this little story is taken from a memoir by E.F. Benson called Our Family Affairs. He grew up to be a scholar, a bestselling author, a champion figure skater, and mayor of the town of Rye in England. He had the most beautiful way of describing childhood incidents--so vivid and full of feeling. This is one of his earliest memories.

Fred's Early Memory 3/5

2011-02-16T21:45:00.004-05:00

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More soon. Meanwhile, stay warm! (Oh, and if you're wondering what a calceolaria is, click here.)

Fred's Early Memory 2/5

2011-02-14T18:06:00.003-05:00

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I'm not sure why I like these Benson Family memoirs so much. I just do! There's something so vivid and "real" about them. I hope you like them, too. More tomorrow!

Fred's Early Memory 1/5

2011-02-12T18:47:00.004-05:00

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Here's another "small book" for you--another true story about the Benson family. Hope you like it! More tomorrow.

The Oyster Girl 5/5

2011-01-30T18:18:00.003-05:00

Hmmmm....!

The Oyster Girl 4/5

2011-01-28T20:52:00.003-05:00

Ooo! Don't let your noddle get clewed, eh? More tomorrow....

The Oyster Girl 3/5

2011-01-25T21:59:00.003-05:00

Click to enlarge, if you like. More tomorrow!

The Oyster Girl 2/5

2011-01-24T21:26:00.002-05:00

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More tomorrow!

The Oyster Girl 1/5

2011-01-23T17:36:00.003-05:00

Here's a little folk song for you. I wanted you to be able to hear the tune, but the closest I can get is this YouTube version, played in an Irish pub in Hong Kong, complete with Chinese girl dancing a jig in the background. I'm not even sure if it's the right music, but how could I resist? Hee hee! More tomorrow.

The Carlotta Video

2011-01-16T15:40:00.012-05:00

Tah-dah! Here's the finished sketchbook, along with a little video of the whole thing. In addition to the stories I've already shared with you, it includes some text about how the balloons were launched, steered and landed, plus some recipes from the Atlanta Woman's Club Cook Book (1921.)

Why recipes? Around 1910, Carlotta and her husband moved to Atlanta to live with their daughter Bessie, who had married a businessman named Newton C. Wing. If you click on the link above and browse through the cookbook, you'll see why I decided to include recipes--not just Bessie's, but some of Carlotta's favourites as well:

Johnny Cake - page 43
Mixed Mustard Pickle - page 88
Clam Chowder - page 136
Succotash - page 165
Cauliflower - page 166
Escalloped Ham and Eggs en Casserole - page 244

If the embedded video doesn't work, you can view it here.

It is deliciously true that Bessie's middle name was Aerial--so her married name was Elizabeth Aerial Wing. Isn't that just perfect?

Carlotta and the Toboggan

2011-01-15T20:48:00.005-05:00

A few months later, she would celebrate her 60th birthday.

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Tomorrow I'll show you the finished sketchbook. Meanwhile, stay warm! It's snowy out there.

Carlotta in New York City 5/5

2011-01-14T22:16:00.003-05:00

That's the last page of the Carlotta stories. I have one more tidbit to share with you tomorrow, along with some pictures of the finished sketchbook. I mailed it today and will be watching the Sketchbook Project website over the next few weeks. I hope they'll post some photos of their mail room. More than 28,000 sketchers took part! I'm so glad I was able to join them. I loved it.

Carlotta in New York City 4/5

2011-01-13T21:54:00.003-05:00

Click to enlarge, eh? More tomorrow!

Carlotta in New York City 3/5

2011-01-12T22:35:00.002-05:00

Doh! I forgot to post this yesterday. I left Carlotta hanging in mid-air. Hahaha. More tomorrow.

Carlotta in New York City 2/5

2011-01-10T19:10:00.002-05:00

Remember...you can click to enlarge. More tomorrow!

Carlotta in New York City 1/5

2011-01-09T18:09:00.002-05:00

Here comes the last Carlotta episode. The project is due on January 15th. Almost done! More tomorrow.

Carlotta and the Devil's Punchbowl 5/5

2011-01-05T20:46:00.003-05:00

When Elizabeth Aerial grew up, she demonstrated one of her father's inventions at the St. Louis World's Fair. A bicycle seat suspended from a balloon, it was called a Sky Cycle, and she pedalled it with great skill around an indoor arena, never once bumping the walls or ceiling. But they say she never made another outdoor ascension!

Carlotta and the Devil's Punchbowl 4/5

2011-01-04T21:25:00.003-05:00

Yowza. Worse and worse. More tomorrow!

Carlotta and the Devil's Punchbowl 3/5

2011-01-03T21:09:00.003-05:00

Yiiiiiikes..! More tomorrow.

Carlotta and the Devil's Punchbowl 2/5

2011-01-02T21:10:00.004-05:00

Up, up and away! More tomorrow... (P.S. Click to enlarge.)

Carlotta and the Devil's Punchbowl 1/5

2011-01-01T18:32:00.003-05:00

The Carlotta project is almost done. My deadline is January 15th. Here's a new episode to kick off 2011. Happy New Year!

Peace on Earth

2010-12-21T06:53:00.003-05:00

I hope you are all cozy and peaceful, wherever you may be today. I'm sending good wishes out to all of you. More soon!

Mr. Woodward's Peacock 5/5

2010-12-16T19:52:00.002-05:00

That's the end of the peacock story. But there are lots more to come, you lucky things. Heh-heh. Thank you for sticking with me. I'll start another story in a few days. Meanwhile, have a good weekend!

Mr. Woodward's Peacock 4/5

2010-12-15T20:29:00.002-05:00

Ha!

Mr. Woodward's Peacock 3/5

2010-12-14T16:42:00.002-05:00

Don't forget--you can click to enlarge the picture. And I should mention that the anecdote about Mr. Woodward's peacock comes from a memoir by A.C. Benson called The House of Quiet, published in 1907. More tomorrow!

Mr. Woodward's Peacock 2/5

2010-12-13T22:20:00.002-05:00

I know you saw that coming! Poor Mr. Woodcock. More tomorrow.

Mr. Woodward's Peacock 1/5

2010-12-12T17:49:00.003-05:00

Uh-oh! Please stay tuned for the inevitable.

Carlotta and the Storm 5/5

2010-12-09T19:08:00.001-05:00

That's the end of Carlotta and the Storm, but please stay tuned for another little sequence...coming soon to an Everdello blog near you.

Carlotta and the Storm 4/5

2010-12-08T17:54:00.002-05:00

You GO, girls!

Carlotta and the Storm 3/5

2010-12-07T23:20:00.003-05:00

Yiiiiiiikes....! Don't forget, you can click to enlarge. More tomorrow!

Carlotta and the Storm 2/5

2010-12-06T16:51:00.004-05:00

Click to enlarge...and please stay tuned for Part 3!

Carlotta and the Storm 1/5

2010-12-05T21:35:00.003-05:00

Here she goes again . . . !

Maggie and the Bishops 5/5

2010-12-02T22:18:00.003-05:00

That's the end of Maggie and the Bishops, but please stay tuned for another of Carlotta's ballooning adventures. . .coming soon!

Maggie and the Bishops 4/5

2010-12-01T20:02:00.001-05:00

Maggie and the Bishops 3/5

2010-11-30T19:25:00.001-05:00

Maggie and the Bishops 2/5

2010-11-29T22:47:00.004-05:00

Are you breathlessly awaiting Part 3? Please stay tuned.

Maggie and the Bishops 1/5

2010-11-28T13:21:00.002-05:00

Margaret Benson was one of the first women to study at Oxford University, and the first woman to receive official permission to excavate in Egypt.

Her father was the Archbishop of Canterbury. This letter to her partner Janet Gourlay was written from the archbishop's palace in London, England, while Maggie was between archaeological digs.

More tomorrow!

Carlotta in Ottawa 5/5

2010-11-24T20:21:00.006-05:00

That's the last page of the "Carlotta in Ottawa" episode. I'll share another story soon!

Source note: This episode is a shameless meld of phrasing from two sources--a book called Careers of Danger and Daring by Cleveland Moffett, and an article from the Ottawa Citizen (July 3, 1883). Both sources are in the public domain.

Carlotta in Ottawa 4/5

2010-11-23T21:24:00.003-05:00

Disclaimer--don't try this at home! Hahaha. More tomorrow...

Carlotta in Ottawa 3/5

2010-11-22T17:48:00.001-05:00

Ooooo! More tomorrow...

Carlotta in Ottawa 2/5

2010-11-21T19:18:00.005-05:00

You'll never believe what happens next. But it's true! More tomorrow...

Carlotta in Ottawa 1/5

2010-11-20T17:22:00.003-05:00

Please stay tuned. More tomorrow!

Maggie and the Sheep

2010-11-14T22:48:00.007-05:00

I came across this anecdote in a book about the Egyptologist Margaret Benson. It's a morsel from a letter she wrote to her mother in 1892. Nothing dramatic--just a little something to help start your day. Like a timbit.*

To enlarge, click the square icon on the bottom of the slideshow frame. If the slideshow above isn't visible in your e-mail or reader, please visit http://everdello.blogspot.com/ to view it. BYOC.** Enjoy!

* that's donut hole to you non-Canadians
** Bring Your Own Coffee

Carlotta and the Forest Fire

2010-11-07T21:14:00.007-05:00

Here she is again! Welcome to another of Lady Carlotta's true adventures. I loved working on this, but I would just like to say that smoke is not easy to paint. . .

If the slideshow below isn't visible in your e-mail or reader, please hop on over to http://everdello.blogspot.com/ to view it. Thanks!

To enlarge, click the square icon on the bottom frame of the slideshow.

Trebizond Partridge Seller

2010-11-01T22:04:00.003-04:00

I'm working on the next episode of Lady Carlotta, but in the meantime here's another little sequence for you. I came across this bit of text by accident, and couldn't resist doing some pictures for it.

If the slideshow below isn't visible in your e-mail or reader, please visit http://everdello.blogspot.com/

To enlarge, click the square icon on the bottom frame of the slideshow. Then click to turn the pages.

Lady Carlotta

2010-10-25T17:43:00.027-04:00

Just when you think sketching can't get any more fun, along comes the Sketchbook Project 2011. I couldn't resist! I signed up immediately. I chose the theme In Flight because I'm itching to share some true stories about the balloonist Carlotta Myers. Between 1880 and 1890 she made more balloon ascensions than anyone else in America. She was one of the most expert aeronauts of her time. But nowadays, few people know about her.

Here's one of her adventures. In the coming weeks, I'll share a few more with you. I hope you'll find her stories as fun and amazing as I do. This text is from her memoir Skylarking in Cloudland. Enjoy!

To enlarge, click the square icon in the bottom frame of the slideshow. If the slideshow isn't visible in your e-mail or reader, please visit http://everdello.blogspot.com/

Change of Seasons

2010-08-27T21:51:00.003-04:00

The zip of autumn was in the air today. I felt as if I was coming back to life after weeks and weeks of heat. While I was sketching, cicadas were buzzing in the trees, crickets were chirping in the grass, and Canada geese were honking on the bay: a real "Change of Seasons" Symphony.

Have You Seen the Rain?

2010-08-15T20:18:00.004-04:00

I went to see my old choir singing at the Women's Art Festival. It was great. One of their new songs is "Have You Seen the Rain?" and luckily I finished my sketch before the heavens answered yes. Umbrellas mushroomed all over the park just as the concert was ending.

Some Like it Hot

2010-08-12T23:37:00.003-04:00

Some like it hot...but tonight the cool breeze was a welcome relief after weeks of heat-wave. Market Square was crowded with people just hanging out, greeting friends, and watching the movie. Delightful!

Ripples of Hope

2010-08-03T21:23:00.003-04:00

A few weeks ago a message came through the Illustration Friday blog, asking people to donate sketches of ocean creatures and birds. The proceeds would go to help wildlife that has been affected by the oil spill in the Gulf.

It took me a while to get my act together, but I finally sent my contribution. In the meantime, I was able to watch the Ripple blog grow from a few sketches to nearly 900. It has raised nearly $10,000, which is apparently enough money to wash the oil off a thousand birds.

I love that!

Lazy Hazy Days

2010-08-02T22:21:00.004-04:00

I sketched this one a few weeks ago, and finally got around to putting the colour on it this weekend. Check out the size of that seagull. It was begging for a bite of my muffin and I guess that made it seem larger than life. I made it the size of a goose!

Illustration Friday - Breakfast

2010-07-20T20:41:00.007-04:00

The Illustration Friday theme this week is breakfast. Too bad they couldn't have come up with one that would suit me better. Heh-heh.

Just kidding. I loved going to my usual bakery to do my usual sketching while my clothes were in the dryer at the laundromat as usual.

I was just getting ready to snap one of my usual photos of the sketch-in-progress when a woman walked into the shot. For some reason I suddenly felt self-conscious about taking the picture, so I snapped the photo quickly without actually looking at it and stuffed the camera into my bag.

I didn't see the result until I got home. Isn't it great? The mug looks so shiny! And you can see the reflection of my sketchbook in it. As for the people...um. Not so much.

Illustration Friday - Diary

2010-07-13T11:35:00.006-04:00

This one is a bit of a cheat, because I wasn't actually writing in my diary at the time. But I might have been. I might have been writing "Dear Diary: Aaauuughhh! Save me from the buskers!"

For four days each year, they set up their amplifiers and gather their screaming crowds right under my window. They are so loud that I can't listen to the radio, watch TV, sleep or think. This year they did it during a heat wave. So on Sunday I escaped to Wolfe Island and sat at a picnic table in the shade until a different kind of visitor came and joined me. This one was much quieter than the buskers--but equally determined to keep me from working!

Tiny Little Sketch Box

2010-07-04T19:58:00.006-04:00

I'm excited about my new sketchbox. Look how small it is!

I made it out of an empty mint tin and one of those plastic doo-hickies that allergy pills come in. The eye-drop bottle holds enough water for a couple of paintings, and I can get by with just one Kleenex (for wiping my brush and cleaning up afterward.) Hooray for the end of allergy season!

Canada Day, Eh?

2010-07-01T23:05:00.005-04:00

I had the most wonderful day. I felt thoroughly happy from breakfast to fireworks. I hope you felt the same way!

I took some photos and assembled them into a short slideshow. Click here to view it. Check out all those smiling faces, eh? That's the kind of day it was!

Illustration Friday - Paisley

2010-06-21T21:55:00.003-04:00

It's been ages since I did an Illustration Friday picture. It feels so good to get back to it! This week's theme is "paisley." To see everyone else's entry, visit the Illustration Friday website. But be careful! Those little thumbnails are as irresistible as popcorn--once you get clicking, it's very hard to stop.

Wolfe Island Flowers

2010-06-19T22:49:00.003-04:00

I was over to Wolfe Island this morning, for a museum-and-cemetery tour with the local branch of the genealogical society. It was fun! And as an added bonus, there was time to sketch while waiting for the ferry.

When you're on the Island, you never have to look far for a yummy sketching subject!

Time for Laundry

2010-06-11T22:09:00.002-04:00

When the cat can see over the top of the hamper, it's time to do some laundry!

Flowers at the Limestone Cafe

2010-06-06T22:59:00.003-04:00

It was such a rainy day, and the wind was blowing these flowers all over the place. I had to sketch fast!

A Bit of Bistro

2010-06-04T21:48:00.002-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, the City started putting these bistro tables in Market Square. The idea is for people to sit and relax, meet up with friends, or have a snack. Sketching wasn't mentioned in the news item, but woo-hoo! They're a sketcher's dream.

People don't seem to be flocking to them yet. Every time I sit there, at least one person stops to ask, "What's going on? Why are these tables here?" But I think word will soon get around. Then it'll be hard to find a seat!

Kayaks in Breakwater Park

2010-05-29T22:07:00.002-04:00

A local sports store was inviting people to try out canoes and kayaks in the park today, and they had a great turnout.

Everywhere I looked, people were happily paddling up and down. What a hoot!

On My Way Home from the Hardware Store

2010-05-22T21:33:00.009-04:00

Sketchers' Law #256 -- If you come across a bunch of town criers doing their thing in Market Square, you must stop whatever you're doing and draw. Click here to see them in action.

I love this sketch. I was drawing so fast that she ended up with one hand ringing the bell and two hands (!?) holding the scroll.

Where There's Smoke

2010-05-09T22:19:00.004-04:00

The traffic in our town has been going this-way-and-that for weeks--dodging construction zones and accidents and streets that are still blocked off after the parking-garage collapse. So when the power went off on Princess Street the other day, things really turned into a three-ring circus.

Some sort of transformer caught fire under the sidewalk--not just once, but twice! Things are back to normal, now. But if you take a deep breath as you come around that corner, you can still smell the smoke.

Copper Sunday

2010-05-02T22:39:00.007-04:00

This morning I stepped out of the local coffee shop into the path of a parade. Eight hundred cadets--most of them in scarlet uniforms--were marching across the bridge from the military college to attend church services in town.

This tradition has been going on for 130 years. In the old days they used to throw pennies into the collection plates, making as much noise as possible. Nowadays, they behave more decorously. But they still call it Copper Sunday!

My photos and sketches don't do it justice. Eight hundred is a lot of cadets! When they stopped in front of City Hall to receive the "freedom of the city" from the mayor, they filled the whole street, six deep. Cameras were clicking like mad and my sketching pen was going a mile a minute, trying to capture that impressive sight!

Flatter Than Pancakes

2010-04-29T22:53:00.010-04:00

Last night around supper time, I heard fire trucks screaming past my window, but I didn't pay much attention. Later I heard the news: a couple of blocks away, a hotel's parking garage had collapsed. The second level fell onto the first, squashing 20 cars "flatter than pancakes!"

Tonight, I sat on the steps of City Hall to sketch the scene. The street is still blocked off, but the passers-by, police and city workers seemed relaxed and even cheerful. I think one thought is in everybody's mind: "At least nobody was hurt!"

Digging

2010-04-26T18:56:00.005-04:00

I watched this digger from the window of the cafe where I was eating a grilled cheese sandwich today. The machine kept turning its back on me, so lunch went like this: bite, look fast!, draw one line. Bite, look fast!, draw one line, etc. It was more about memorization than observation. A good exercise!

Coast Guard Ship

2010-04-11T21:48:00.006-04:00

This ship was much bigger than the ones we usually see around here. Watching it work with the channel markers was like watching an elephant nuzzle up to a push-pin.

Isn't it funny how BIG I drew it? That's really how it looked to me at the time. When I got home and saw the photos, I laughed out loud.

Waiting

2010-04-06T22:44:00.006-04:00

I arrived at the university library twenty minutes before it opened. I didn't have time to go searching for a great sketching subject, so I just drew the view that was in front of me. Sometimes that's the best way!

Unseasonably Warm

2010-04-03T21:36:00.004-04:00

It felt almost surreal to be sitting outdoors without a jacket, drawing these spring flowers. Last week I was wearing mittens!