EDiM: 31

Eggs

These are brown widow spider egg sacks...  We find them everywhere in our back yard.

The completed page

xoxo
Char

EDiM: 30

A bird feeder or a birdhouse

This is a vintage inspired glass hummingbird feeder.  I love this thing so much I've given them as gifts to a couple people in Seattle.  I'm glad we found another one when we moved to San Diego. We are never short of hummers here.

xoxo
Char

EDiM: 29

A faucet.

This is the wacky faucet that is outside of my front door.    It's functional, but the looks of these pipes reminds me of something I built playing "Waterworks" during rainy day recess in elementary school.

xoxo
Char

EDiM: 28

A yard ornament or statuary

I don't have any "real" yard ornaments, but I do have a little ceramic mushroom that I stuck into the bark of my jacaranda tree.  It's been mistaken for a real mushroom quite a few times over the last few years.

I made succulent terrarium centerpieces for each table at my wedding reception.  Along with the plants rocks and sticks that sat in each terrarium I decorated them with some ceramic mushrooms for a bit of "whimsy".  The terrariums didn't make the move to Japan, then to San Diego, but the ceramic mushrooms did.

xoxo
Char

EDiM: 26

A sign

This is the street I live on.

xoxo
Char

EDiM: 25

An apron or something you wear as a cover during messy activities.

I was excited for this prompt because I own many aprons.  The apron I chose to draw is one that my aunt made me (I have a couple she made).  She is a seamstress by trade and when not sewing for members of high society in Japan, she comes up with little projects like this apron she made for me.  

The apron is made out of a lovely yellow cotton with a French print.  There is a snap on terry cloth towel for drying hands, little ones tears, or keeping my ever growing belly dry when washing dishes!  I love it because it is so functional and cute.  There are even 2 pockets, and pockets make just about any wearable thing better. 

The completed page.

I also wanted to share this sweet little poem.  My husband's grandmother (the one who crochets the dish rags) gifted me a beautiful apron at my bridal shower.  She also included this poem which I've kept in the front of my cookbook of family recipes (and marriage advice) that my sister in law put together for me <3 .="" div="" nbsp="">

xoxo

Char

EDiM: 24

Some keys

I don't think I have anything too terribly interesting to say about my keys.  I have a mail box key, my house key, and a churchkey (bottle opener) that doesn't get much use these days, but came in handy in my 20's.  It's from the Brooklyn Brewery where I spend much of my mid 20's drinking Brooklyn Brown Ales, eating pizza, and hanging out with friends.  Ah, the memories.

My car key is on a ring by itself (not illustrated) because often times I leave the car running while checking the mail box on my way home from outings.

The page progression.

xoxo
Char

EDiM: 23

An interesting detail of a building.

I was planning on drawing a skylight in a hallway my house, or a snail that has cemented himself onto the side of my house for months now because I have funny stories for both... but my thoughtful husband suggested we all go to Balboa Park after Kai's (and my) afternoon nap today so Kai can get some good playground time in and I can have the pick of many detailed buildings.  Thus commenced a family outing.

Jeff and Kai played at the playground and made some friends while I walked up to the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center.  I found a nice open bench in the shade, and in perfect view of the Science Center entrance and went to work.

And here is how the page is progressing.

xoxo
Char

EDiM 21 & 22

21: The spot you regularly sit to read.

I wish I had the time to leisure read regularly.   Currently, I make the time to read my book when I also take a hot bath.  No seriously.  It's basically my only kid-free and uninterrupted time... timed perfectly with when the kiddo is in a deep sleep :).  I never multi-tasked so much until I had a kid!

22: Something that hangs from or is attached to a wall in your home.

Another Christmas gift; this was from my parents.  It's a Swiss Mondaine wall clock that has changed my life.  Theoretically, I don't need to carry my phone with me into the living room or kitchenette to know what time it is anymore.  I've been putting effort into being less "connected" to my phone/the web.  This page in the sketchbook will also include the sketches for the 23rd, 24th and 25th!

xoxo
Char

EDiM 20

Your wallet

I believe it was Christmas 2013 that my husband got me this cute little card case.  It's made out of leather and some kind of wood veneer.  It's helped me streamline what I carry with me.  In the three slots on one side are my driver's license & my military ID.  I used to also carry my zoo membership card on the same side, but that third slot has remained empty since the membership expired in February.  Boo hoo.  The other side also has 3 slots which hold a credit card, a debit card, and my costco card.  The top of the card case also is a pocket which my library card (and any cash I may have) fits nicely in.

I've also realized that the pages in my watercolor sketchbook are going to run out before the end of the month, so I'm starting to split the pages to do mini sketches in order to avoid painting on the back of the pages.... which I may have done a couple times already by accident...

xoxo
Char

EDiM: 19

A cupcake

So, my house has been full of treats since Mothers Day... from 13 mini pastries from Whole Foods, to brownies I made when I hosted toddler art group, and cupcakes from the baby shower my friend threw for me...  I just gave the last cupcake to Kai yesterday without knowing what today's prompt was.  So instead of having Jeff do an emergency run to the store to get me MORE sweets, I decided to draw the absence of cupcakes in my house with this lone empty cupcake wrapper.  I'm ready to detox from my sugar binge.

Since my wrapper was so plain, I decided to go fancy with the lettering.  I found a circus font to mimic on the web because it reminded me of birthday parties, but after penciling it in I noticed it was WAY over to the right of the page... and I didn't want to redo it, so I added a border to take away from the off centering.  I like how it turned out!  Next time I'll draft a line for the letters so they don't end up floating but I don't think it's bad for such a quick go. :)

xoxo
Char

EDiM: 18

Lipstick or lip gloss.

I don't wear a lot of makeup.  I would hate to become dependent on it, nor would I want for my husband or child to be frightened of me in my natural state (he he he).  I came to this conclusion after seeing my mom's dependency on hair dye.  It took a long time for her to toss the dyes since she greyed early, but once she did I think she became more natural and beautiful (not older), and her hair became more healthy.  The older I get the less I feel the need to keep up appearances (or care what others think of me), and for many years I've been completely comfortable with how my genes have come together to make me as I am.   So, most of the time, all I do is focus on keeping my skin clean moisturized and sun blocked.

A while ago, as an attempt to pamper myself, I had a monthly "makeup" sample subscription, and most of the time the products were spot on.  Since I stated on my style survey that I like the natural look I received a lot of hair and skin care products along with make-up in muted colors that were just barely noticeable on.  One day however, I received this BRIGHT RED lipstick (illustrated above) amongst my samples. I was a little shocked, but I naively thought "maybe it's sheer?" so I opened it and tried it on instead of passing it on to my fashionably trendy friends.  WELL it wasn't sheer so instead of wearing it, or giving my cooties to my girlfriends, my husband and I started using it to take turns writing sweet little notes to each other on our bathroom mirror.  AWWWW.


xoxo
Char

EDiM: 15 16 & 17

After catching a bit of a cold and having a busy few days, I decided to not push myself to complete the everyday aspect of this challenge and decided to do 1 catch up session today.

Day 15: Something you could throw away.
My throat drop wrapper(s).

Day 16: Ingredients for a favorite recipe.
Relaxation: Some hot tea, dark chocolate, and a HOT bath.  Just what I needed for all the aches.

Day 17: Something used for measuring.
Some fish shaped measuring cups that my sister got for me several years ago.  They are almost too beautiful to use, but they're actually quite functional and accurate.  We use them every chance we get.

I used the shimmer pen as an accent in each of the sketches.

xoxo
Char

EDiM: 14

Something you use everyday.

Two things.  My hot water pot and these wonderful little crocheted cotton dish towels that Jeff's grandmother Judy makes for the whole family (the pot is currently sitting on one of the dish towels).

I use AT LEAST a couple dish towels a day.  They're great for cleaning everything, and once used it goes straight into the kitchen towel/cloth napkin bucket to be washed, otherwise they get funky fast....  having toddlers makes for frequent washings as does our very limited paper product usage.

Hot water.  I would die without my hot water pot.  No, seriously, the whole house would burn down.  I've been known to leave the kettle on the stove (while on) a couple of times after getting absorbed in a project or forgetting that I wanted a cup of tea before bed, ask my college roommates.  I'm a fire hazard, we are also a microwave free home, and we are avid tea and coffee drinkers which makes our 3 liter hot water pot VERY handy.

xoxo
Char

EDiM: 13

The last thing you bought


I'm really excited that I have something other than groceries to post, because I don't self indulge in retail therapy very often.  In fact, I can talk myself out of buying ANYTHING when it comes to things for myself.  Luckily for me my talented designer friend Rebekah of Rebekah J Designs had a new website discount promotion going on, and since my birthday is just around the corner I self indulged over the weekend and bought myself a gift!  I've been wanting more of Rebekah's jewelry ever since she made matching wedding bands for me and Jeff.  The timing was perfect for today's challenge... now to wait patiently for it to arrive in the mail!

ELLA

xoxo
Char

EDiM: 12

Some stairs or steps


Well, we live in a rambler, and the foundation of the house is one step above the driveway...  Not much of a step and all concrete and quite boring.  Plus there would be no shade for me to sit in on that side of the house during drawing time.

I thought and thought and even looked through photographs of places I've been with plentiful stairs/steps which I wasn't thrilled about, until it dawned on me that Kai's slide has some steps!  Hooray!  I was so relieved.  It's really funny how I've grown accustomed to and a lot more comfortable drawing from real life than drawing from an existing 2 dimensional image.  I can remember not too long ago when it was easier to draw from a flat image because it was so safe and a lot easier to replicate scale etc..

hooray for growth

xoxo
Char

EDiM: 11

A hat a cap or other headgear


I chose to draw my husband's broken in ball cap.  Maybe someday I'll go back to it and add color, however, tonight is nearly tomorrow and it's time for me to turn in!

Go Hawks

xoxo
Char

EDiM: 10

Something you can turn on/off.

I chose to sketch my phone today because it's always on.  Today's exercise was a good reminder that it can actually be switched OFF.

It's more likely that I will put it on the charger in my bathroom if I don't want to be bothered by it, but I should use the off switch more often to actually turn it off rather than only for restarting it when an app goes wonky.

xoxo
Char

EDiM: 9

Something with an interesting label.

This is a Japanese sweet treat to have along with tea.  My friend Aya in Tokyo sent this and other goodies in a care package to me recently.  It's made with walnuts, hence the squirrels.  I think the packaging is so cute and I can't wait to dig in because I know whatever is inside is delicious.

the inner packaging is adorable too!

xoxo
Char

EDiM: 8

Something with a handle

I struggled and struggled today...  At first, I was inspired by today's rain and was determined to draw the umbrella that Kai was using when I took him out in the yard to experience it.  Then I fell asleep through my normal "art time" and woke up incapable of creating what I envisioned in my head.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get a result I liked.  I started with the underside of the umbrella, then I tried a sketch of the top of the umbrella instead.  Ugh. They were both awful.

ew.

Nearly two hours later, after being suggested a few times by the hubs,  I settled on my favorite chopping knife.  It's a Japanese chopping knife.  It's incredibly thin, light and sharp.  I still wasn't really thrilled with the sketch since the handle went off the page, but it's 7:30 pm and I'm ready to be finished with day 8.  Tomorrow is a new day.

xoxo
Char

EDiM: 7

An envelope(s)

I stayed true to my desires yesterday after my Day 6 rendering, and I totally went loosey goosey today by doing my sketch in an etegami style.

Part of my reason for picking up these daily creativity and drawing practices has a lot to do with my first pregnancy.  During my first pregnancy, I discovered Etegami and soon after became a part of a beautiful international community of Etegami mail artists.  I received so many sincere and beautiful pieces of artwork many which decorate my home.  During that time I was extremely productive at making art, and creating Etegami was my daily creative practice.  I truly believed that the euphoria from creating and receiving etegami had a lot to do with giving birth to such a happy healthy baby.

I've thought many times that my current pregnancy is just SO DIFFERENT than my first.  Aside from being responsible for an existing little human, I've had so much pain, stress, and discomfort associated with this pregnancy to the point where I started worrying "How is my mental state going to affect baby 2?!  I don't want Rosemary's baby!!".  No worries, I've completely avoided the raw meat cravings.

Fast forward, upon completing the #CreativeSprint 30 day challenge, I learned of the Every Day in May sketch challenge and I'm into my second month of creative euphoria and a considerably less amount of stress.  Thank you Art.  Thank you Rachel!

My envelope today is from an Etegami I recieved from my friend Carole in Australia back in July of 2012. She is an amazing artist, Etegamist, and stamp maker/printer. Here is a link to Carole's blog: origam-me origa-me.  The envelope is decorated with a sock monkey stamp that she carved. I've saved it, like I've saved so many wonderful envelopes, because it's just as much a piece of artwork as the Etegami itself.

xoxo
Char

Post Script
For those of you who would like to learn about Etegami, check out this informative blog post by one of the leading etegami artists of the world, Dosanko Debbie:
Review of Rules of Etegami by Dosanko Debbie

EDiM: 6

Something with bristles

Now that my husband is back home after a 5 week detachment out to sea, I wanted to commemorate his return by drawing his shaving brush... especially since he was disappointed I didn't use him as my subject for "something hot".  I also decided to stray from my micron pen and watercolor format after a conversation I had with my mom.  She, who happens to be my biggest fan, and I were talking about how a daily practice like EDiM is a good exercise in "going back to the basics".

One of the first skills that I learned that absolutely floored me was when I was taking Drawing 101 at a community college.  Our professor, Bernie Bleha, taught us how to render with pencils without the use of blending tools.  WOW.  My mind was blown.  I loved how crisp and clean pencil renderings looked.  Since the handle of the shaving brush is metal, I thought it would look nice in pencil...  Then I started drawing it in ever changing light.

I might do something loosey goosey for tomorrow's challenge since the length of the toddler's nap time is a variable and not a constant.  The renderings we worked on in that drawing class would take days, if not weeks.  I would have liked more time to lay down more detailed values today, but Kai woke up at a good time and I was ready to put my tools away before the drawing was over worked and beyond the point of no return.

 

xoxo
Char

EDiM: 5

Something hot

I went with spicy hot.  Yuzu kosho is a spicy-hot Japanese condiment that is made of chili peppers, yuzu peel and salt.  YUM.  It's good to use in marinades as well as putting a little squeeze into soups for a kick.  The heat creeps up on you in a refreshingly citrusy way.  YUM.  As you can probably tell, I really like this stuff and I'm not that into "spicy".

xoxo
Char

EDiM: 4

Bottle(s) of herbs or spices

So many to choose from, but I went with the QUEEN: Saffron.  This jar used to be twice as full and the rate at which I use it gets slower and slower because I'd hate for this saffron to run out.  My parents however, have saffron crocuses and they harvest a very small amount every year... so maybe this fall I will be lucky enough to sample some???

I don't know what possessed me to choose a glass object after yesterday's attempt at painting glass. After taking a step back, it doesn't look half bad.  I feel good about day 4.

xoxo
Char

Every Day in May: Day 3

Curtains

Since our windows have blinds, which I strongly dislike, the only curtain I have in my house is the shower curtain in Kai's bathroom... I do have a noren hanging in the kitchen, in the doorway of my laundry room, but the shape of the fabric itself is relatively flat and boring.

I removed the actual design from the curtain and decided to paint the values of the shadows...

I thought spaghetti noodles were hard to sketch, but I've found value studies are much more challenging for me!

xoxo
Char

Every Day in May: Day 2

Day 2: A nearby tree

The closest tree in proximity to me is this little ficus that Jeff and I received from our friend Holly over 6 years ago.  It's had it's rough patches in the past, but San Diego living really agrees with it.  

I love this little tree like a pet.  Although we don't see her often, it always reminds me of Holly and every now and then prompts a facebook stalking session to see what she's up to <3 .="" p="">

xoxo

Char

Every Day in May: Day 1

So after completing the #CreativeSprint 30 day challenge, I decided to start another challenge for the month of May as sort of a birthday present to myself.  It's called Every Day in May.  I love my birthday and this is one way I will celebrate everyday this month!

Day 1: A favorite food.

I love love love pasta (and so many other foods). It was so hard to narrow it down to 1 dish to draw, but I decided on Spaghetti con Vongole.  I love seafood and when done right, this dish is so wonderful.  I see it in my dreams, and I would probably choose this over dark chocolate.

xoxo
Char