I is for Ice Cream

Hello! I have been kind of bad about posting lately! I have started two online masters classes (I get to blog a lot on the class forums....good thing I have lots of experience on here!) so I have been super busy and unable to do any art or to write much of anything on here! I am still working on my 10 minute sketches...they are my little indulgences right now! I will post some soon. Right now all I am thinking about is summer or spring for that matter...I am DONE with this cold! I am posting one of my illustrations that I am doing for my children's book I mentioned a while back. I am slowly but surely still working on it! I am hoping in the summer to have a lot of time to work!

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

10 minute sketch: Pink Heels

Here is today's 10 minute sketch. It is of one of my favorite spring shoes. These are cute pink heels I got at Banana Republic a couple of years ago and they never seem to go out of style (at least to me they don't!) The only thing is that they are not the most comfortable shoes if you have to be on your feet all day! I did this sketch with a green colored pencil and some watercolors.

I also have some swatches of paper and fabric that I found recently that have really inspired me. Here is a piece of fabric I found in an old box of fabric we have at school. I just love the colors and the flower shapes. I will definitely be using these flower shapes in my artwork sometime soon!


Here is some beautiful paper that I got when I was in Venice about 2 years ago. I bought some jewelry at a boutique there and it came wrapped in this paper. I just love the paisleys and the floral pattern.


What inspires you?

10 minute sketch: Crazy electrical socket

Here is today's 10 minute sketch. It is of a crazy electrical socket in my Grandma's basement. Every Tuesday I go to my Grandma's house to paint, draw...basically anything art related. I love this so much! I completed today's sketch using a blue pen (not waterproof!) and watercolor.

10 minute sketch: Clothes for tomorrow

Here is today's 10 minute sketch. It was done in blue pen and with watercolor. It is of some of my clothes that I have laid out to wear tomorrow for school. They are hanging from a door knob. I am such a dork and try to plan what I am wearing in advance each night. I know the sketch is a little rough...I definitely rushed through it tonight (I am stressed with work and my 2 masters classes!) so the 10 minute sketches are getting pushed to the back burner...*sigh*

Mental Vacation

Michigan City sunset painting


My camera is unfortunately dead. The battery needs to be recharged and of course the charger is at school. So...no 10 minute sketch for today. I am going to do one and post it for tomorrow along with Monday's 10 minute sketch. So I thought that since I am in a very cold, snowy place, I would take a fun little mental vacation. I am going to post some fun pictures I took when I was in Indiana in August. Two of my aunts who live in Chicago have summer cottages on Lake Michigan and I have been visiting every summer since I was 9. It is one of my most favorite places to go. It has a beautiful sandy beach, grassy dunes and a great outlet mall. What more could you ask for?

Here is the back of one of my aunt's cottage. It is right across from Lake Michigan and reminds me of a quaint English cottage. Those are my brothers on the back porch.


This is my aunt's lovely little garden


Close up


This painting was actually inspired by my aunt's angel statue in her garden. It is one of my favorite little paintings that I have done. It is something I would never sell, it is very meaningful to me.


Here is the beach and all of the beautiful dune grass

More beach...I just love the red and white umbrella!


Painting inspired by the dunes...I always feel so inspired when I am in Michigan City


Painting of boats on the beach



Ok, I feel better. I really needed that mental vacation. I am so sick of the snow! Hope everyone is staying warm!

10 minute sketch: Nomad's Dream and Mascara

Here is today's 10 minute sketch. It is of two of my favorite beauty items: OPI nail polish in Nomad's Dream (very subtle color that looks great always!) and my mascara. I drew this with black pen and then used my Chartpak markers on top for color. I have decided I like colored sketches more than just black and white.

Intro to Art Projects

Here are some of my Intro to Art students' early exam projects. At my school the art department is allowed to give a project to students for their exams. If the students finish the project they do not have to come in during the exam period. It works really well to motivate students to work!

For the early exam project students were to draw a collection of 7 items from observation. They could use their favorite medium or combination of media (we previously worked with all different kind of media such as paint, charcoal, pencil, pen, oil pastels and colored pencils on other projects.) I had in class a box of wooden shapes, a collection of glass bottles, a box of shoes and fake flowers. If they wanted to bring in their own collection they could. My main objective was to have students draw from observation and to shade the objects to make them appear 3-D. I will be posting this lesson to my educator page if you want to check back for it.



Shapes done with pencil


Shapes done in ink on a light gray painted background


There is always one really creative student! This was done with oil pastels on a painted background.


My bulletin board of shapes (this was a popular item to draw apparently!)


Art supplies done with ink on a painted background


Perfume bottles done with a charcoal pencil on a painted background

10 minute sketch: Water and apple...so boring

Here is today's 10 minute sketch. Actually it probably was more like a 5 minute sketch...but I got it done at least! Doing something quick is better than nothing! It is a boring one...I am pressed for time so I drew 2 things on my kitchen table: an apple and a glass of water. I only used pen to see if I liked black and white sketches opposed to my colored ones. I am still deciding...what do you think..colored or just plain black and white?

I actually just started a blog for my art classes and I will be posting artwork on there as soon as I get a second! Hope everyone has a great Friday!

10 minute sketch: My favorite boots

Today's 10 minute sketch is of one of my favorite pair of boots. I bought these boots at Target (one of my favorite stores!) I live in Ohio so therefore I wear lots of boots throughout the winter. These are comfortable, cute, affordable and have 3 buckles! In my book, that is a good boot! Oh and yes the foot on the boot is that small...I wear a 5 1/2 which is freakishly small I know! I rarely can find cool shoes in my size! This sketch was done with watercolor and ink.

Hope everyone is staying warm tonight...it is supposed to be -15 to -20. Usually we would have school canceled for tomorrow but since it is a teacher workday I will be forced to brave the cold!

I will be posting some fun new art projects my students did tomorrow so please stay tuned!

Happy Weekend Eve!

10 minute sketch: Perfume Bottle

Here is today's 10 minute sketch. I drew my favorite perfume. I love Juicy Couture perfume but the bottle is ridiculous. It is so big and and it cracks me up. So of course I drew it:) I used blue pen and watercolor.

I am so tired tonight...it is not even 9 pm and I am pretty sure I am going to go to bed already! Hope you are having a great week...the weekend is so close!