Today in class we worked with flat, man made surfaces.  The students returned this week with their wonderful pen and ink drawings of a wooden bench.  I meant to take photos but I forgot.  Their work was beautiful and all three were very different. That's what I love about art, everyone is different with the emphasis on what they like or think is important.

One of the ladies bought me a gift today (and the other students).  It's an ink bottle holder to prevent spills. Her husband makes them. It's not a pretty thing to watch when you spill permanent, waterproof ink all over yourself, the carpet or the person sitting next to you. Let alone your artwork. I was so tickled to get it and it has a rubber bottom so it won't slip even on a slanted drawing table.  I did get a photo of the ink holder. Photos below

I did get a little painting done on the watercolor but not much. I hope to work on it tomorrow.  I posted a photo but I don't think you can tell much difference from what I did yesterday. 

I met with my artist friends today in Clarksville and we are helping with the planning for a Paint Out in Clarksville this Fall. I hope to have more information about the event in another month. Clarksville is a beautiful area with the Cumberland River and the Red River.  We have Dunbar Cave, Ft. Defiance, old downtown, old architecture, it's a great place to paint.  

When I returned to the studio, I found David putting the new faucets on the utility sink in the classroom area just in time for my Pen and Ink class tomorrow.

When he finished, I worked a little bit on the book cover for Ann Hagler. Tomorrow I teach class in the morning, lunch, paint, physical therapy and back to paint.  Today was a really good day and I think tomorrow will be a GREAT day. We shall see. 

I got to the studio early.  I had a little bookkeeping to do and then I started painting. I have about two to three days of work before this piece is finished but I did enjoy what I got done today. On Mondays it's always so quiet in downtown Erin and today even more so, it was raining.  There was no one in town except the people that worked across the alley and me.  There were no cars in the parking spaces and no one walking around.  It was a very peaceful, quiet day with only the sounds of the rain and the rumble of thunder.

I worked on the watercolor today after teaching this morning.  I think I'm about half way there!  I removed the masking yesterday after I put in some washes and it also removed my pencil drawing underneath. So I redrew the details in the back buildings.  The blue washes on the buildings are the shadow sides.  The scene is downtown Erin in 1921.  Why, it will be a book cover for Ann Hagler's Book that will be coming out in the Fall 2014, The Settling Place.  This will be the front and back, if all goes as planned. The right side will be the front and the back is on the left.   I've read the book, and I loved it, but you will have to wait until next Fall.  

Leadership Houston County met today so no art studio for me. We explored the "Roots" in our Community.  Agriculture and Forestry.  We visited a large saw mill and a cattle farm.  I had NO IDEA what all goes on behind each.  My Dad had cattle but not like this operation, fascinating. 

After the meeting we headed to check on our son who was going in for out patient surgery on his knee.  Everything went very well and he is home recuperating. It was a busy day and a very good day.

Yes, it was a very enjoyable day.  It started early with Pen and Ink Class this morning.  I think the students enjoyed it as much as I did.  They said they learned a lot and I hope they did.  Pen and ink is still my favorite medium.  

I painted after lunch on the watercolor I'm working on.  One of our town's fine people stopped by to help me with the historical facts for the painting, Mr. Webb (Webb is his middle name) and I always enjoy Mr. Webb's recollections of this area.  Then Physical Therapy and back to paint some more.
David came by to work on the leaky sink  and it's still leaking!!!  We need a better facet.The one that same with the sink is plastic, cheap!

I'll be teaching Pen and Ink in the morning at the studio.  I had to rearrange the backroom to make a classroom for three people.  We added shelves to help get stuff off the floor and removed a small partition to make room.  I hope they have enough space.  I had David put in a sink for easier clean up but it has a leak and it won't be working tomorrow.  The photos shows how tight it is but before I only had room for 1 person at a time.  It was prettier before. We shall see how it goes.

Lauren was a student in my art class at Dacula, GA and she is a professional artist now.  Check her work out, her drawings are BIG and Beautifully done.  She always was so talented.  Here is her link http://laurenalyssahoward.com/home.html

I attended a  wonderful portrait workshop at Warehouse 521 yesterday in Nashville.  The instructor was T, J. Cunningham and he is a very talented YOUNG MAN (25).  The personal (one on one) instruction after his demo was very, very helpful.The painting I did to the left isn't finished but close for a head study with the model.  AND our model was excellent.  It was a great workshop and for a one day workshop, I learned a lot.  

Today I got a lot done in the studio but not making art.  I have a pen and ink class starting Wednesday and I needed more space (floor space) for the the students to be able to work without feeling squished.  David put up shelves and moved furniture in the back room to make it a classroom, small but workable I hope.  He also added a utility sink to make clean-up easier.  We were so tired when we got home tonight.  Thanks to my wonderful husband for all his hard work.