There are familiar places in the forests and mountains of California that I love revisiting for a reset and recover.   I fell in love with the High Sierra mountains and Tioga Pass during my first visit many years ago.  It's a place that slows me down and pushes me to work harder at the same time.  Recently, I made a marker painting from a lakeside drawing I did there.  Along with the painting, I also want to talk about swatch making, different papers for marker painting, and other accompanying tools that I use with markers on this Outside the Lines art supply review.

Continue reading Painting Yosemite with Copic Markers at InkTorrents Graphics.

I love to visit the Redwood National & State Parks during my winter break.  Even though I have visited these parks multiple times, the feeling I get while walking under these immensely tall trees never ceases to amaze me.   My husband and I walk the trails, take photos, and quietly feel the forest.  Today I want to share some of my photos, sketches, and the recent notebooks I made from one of the drawings I did there.

Continue reading On The Redwood Trail at InkTorrents Graphics.

During the past few weeks, I was very determined to shake off this lackluster feeling I have been having.   I took a few day trips to the surrounding areas with my husband.  I started working on a quilt and a knitted sweater.  I also spent happy hours binding tiny books and working on this painting of our kitty Charlie.

Continue reading Little Stories – Happy Tunes at InkTorrents Graphics.

Charlie's Adventure is a story I wrote along with a quilt I made.   Charlie is my sweet little orange kitty who, contrary to everyone’s belief, has a sweet tooth that would rival anyone.  He will do anything to get a lick of ice-cream, watermelon, sweetened cream, or anything else sweet you can think of.

One day, Charlie learned that on All Hallows Eve,  if he puts on a wizard’s hat and a bow tie and sits very very quietly amongst the Jack-O-Lanterns, magic leaves will come and carry him to the Land of the Seven Sisters who would give him lots and lots of sweets to eat.  So he came to me and asked if I would make him a hat and a bow tie.  I was happy to oblige.

Continue reading Charlie’s Adventure…and Mine at InkTorrents Graphics.