March Sketches!

Here I am at the end of March after drawing a sketch-a-day for 365 days! When I began this challenge last April 1, I thought I would sketch until the danger of COVID-19 had passed. Little did we all know that this pandemic would continue to haunt us a year later. 

Thankfully we have had our two shots of vaccine and are feeling a little safer, but mask-wearing and precautions are still in place and look to be for months to come. 

Last week I was looking ahead to April and felt two things: proud of myself that I was able to stick to the daily sketches for an entire year; relieved and sad that they are completed. What now? I went on line and found a list of '365 Words to inspire.' I think I will choose a word now and then - not everyday - and continue to sketch. After all, I have 3/4 of a sketchbook to fill!

So, on to the March sketches! I'm looking at each page and trying to see how the two images relate to one another...

March 1 - Stop or Go  I first thought of a traffic light. Then went with the figure. (the other sketch on this page was February so I don't have to try to relate this to anything! Maybe the stop and go relate to finishing a year of images and looking ahead at a new year.

Gate and Path - Picket fences are fun to paint. I love open gates that invite me in. A stone path leading into a woods was also inviting. I guess I could have done one painting of a gate leading to a path into the woods!

Destination and Lost - This first one had me thinking for a bit. We are so dependent on our GPS these days.  Siri (or whoever) tells me when I reach my destination. Does anyone use a real map anymore? Even with GPS, we can get lost! There are confusing signs everywhere...  My granddaughter turned a 10 hour trip into a 13 hour trip by following her GPS! Wish she had had a REAL map.

Storm and Sunrise - I worked hard on the storm. My sketchbook is not watercolor paper and I was trying to paint lightning. I finally got out my titanium white paint (a no-no for true watercolorists). Our house faces the wrong direction for a dramatic sunrise, but it is lovely to watch the sun come up through the woods. These both have to do with weather...ahhh, to watch the sunrise after the nighttime storm.

Quarter and Turquoise - I really didn't want to just draw a quarter...but a quarter of a pie was something else. I don't think I have ever eaten a whole quarter of a pie - at least not in one sitting. I guess I could have gotten out some turquoise paint and just painted a blob, but I wanted more of a challenge, so I tried to paint a turquoise rock. I enjoyed working on the shadows. Now, how do these go together? Maybe you could wear your turquoise jewelry while you eat some pie. 

Sandy and Shell - Of course, when I saw the word sandy, I thought of a beach. I did not want to sketch sand...but then I remembered Sandy, Orphan Annie's dog! I used to read the cartoons in the paper and follow her story with Sandy. Oh my, the next day was shell. Maybe I should have drawn a beach after all then it would have been easy to relate the two. The story now has to be Annie and Sandy walking on the beach and finding a shell...

Penguin and Cold - This first one should be easy, but my husband has told me stories about sailing a penguin sailboat as a kid. I think it's under the category 'the good ole days'. The temperature around here in March is still cold, but not this cold. And, here again, I could have made an easy relationship if I had drawn the bird! Maybe, you wouldn't want to go sailing if it was this cold... actually, the water would be frozen!

South Pole and Stripes - I looked up South Pole to find the shape of Antartica. I fear it is changing shape as we face more global warming and glaciers break off. I have been curious about animal stripes. The markings on zebras and tigers seem more interesting that just painting lines. I do not think you would find any zebras or tigers in Antarctica!

Red and White and Stary Night - Red and white screamed picnic tablecloth to me, but I was looking for something a little different. Ahhh, wine! I thought Stary Night was spelled with 2r's, but it has to be Van Gogh! Trying to copy just a piece of Starry Night was quite a challenge... maybe if I had drunk some of the red or white before I tried tp paint it, it would look more Van Gogh-ish!

Van Gogh and Sunflower - There seems to be a theme going here. Here is my attempt at one of the self portraits of Van Gogh. I like it a little better than Starry Night. And, of course, Sunflower... gotta be Van Gogh again.

Beard and Hat - These two words were on the page next to the last two and would have easily transitioned to more Van Gogh, but...  My Vermont farmer son has a beard so he gets equal time. I grew up at a time that little girls wore hats to church, especially at Easter. The straw hat with a ribbon is a favorite to draw. You must know that these two do not go together - my son would not be caught in this hat!

Round and Pointy - A circle or an apple would be much too easy for round. I went in another direction. When I showed this to my art group, they didn't get it... Have you ever sung Row, row, row your boat as a round? You sing that phrase and then the next group begins. As you may remember, I have been working on drawing hands during this past year. So, pointy just had to be like the old 'Uncle Sam wants you' poster. Foreshortening is so challenging. I tried this several times to get it. Relationship? Whoever is leading the song could point at the next group to begin. 

Sharp and Forest - Coming right after pointy, sharp probably should have been a knife. A musical sharp if much more fun than a knife. We live in a pine forest. I love the tall trees, the sound of the wind blowing through, the smells of pine.... not so much all the pollen and the pine 'flowers' that that turn my house and car yellow-green in the spring. But, what about using my musical sharps and singing a song in the forest?

Wolf and Teddy Bear - A wolf howling at the moon comes to mind. This wolf doesn't look very fierce, though. Who doesn't love hugging a teddy bear? Interesting that these two would be on the same page. They seem so different! Maybe this wolf is singing the teddy bear to sleep.

Picnic and dinosaur - It's spring and time to begin thinking about picnics! Might as well begin with a little wine, cheese and bread. Dinosaur, really? He is not invited to this picnic!

We finish up the month - and the year - with

Ostrich and Feather - When I looked up ostrich, I saw wonderful pictures of their faces and considered just doing that...or putting a head in the sand! But, settled for one running! Feather was just a simple image to end with...I could have struggled with an ostrich plume... Thinking a simple, soft ending to the year long project!

Art surprises coming soon...