Embracing my sketchbook

While shopping at one day at a fabric store, I stumbled upon the quilt book section.  I had looked for a special drawing book by Carla Sonheim entitled Drawing Lab for Mixed Media Artists.  She also teaches "The Art of Silliness" on the web, and has a studio in Seattle.  I was a part of the Art of Silliness #3 and enjoyed it very much, in fact some of my drawings are on earlier posts.  Hence the search for her book.  I do want to continue to draw and hone this skill. 

Anyway, being weary I was leaving the store, and I sensed a prompting to look at the book section in this particular store, and so I headed to that section.  Perusing through the books, I actually found one copy of this book.  "Oh rats, I forgot my coupon!"  Then I noticed a sign on the book area, "40% Off".  "Could this be?" I checked the back of the book...there was a red dot. I grabbed the book and headed for the checkout counter.  The clerk didn't think it was on sale, but I told her what I had seen.  And so the book became mine!

  I love the craziness of Carla's drawings.  I don't know that I want to draw everything in her style, but I love to draw, and drawing silly really helps take the pressure off "being perfect".  So I've been drawing cats!  I don't care for cats.  Actually I don't LIKE CATS AT ALL!  As Isabella, my first granddaughter says, "Them's kindof whiny."  I really don't, and yet if you look at my sketchbook, its full of cats.  Its all Carla's fault!  

Them's kind of whiny!

But, in looking at these again, maybe I do want to do everything in her style!  What fun!  Creative and fun seem to pour out of her drawings!  I love her light-hearted spirit.  I think I'm going to see if I can attend one of her classes!  In person!  Wouldn't that be fun! 

 And a few fish crept onto my pages as well.....

Its April!

Since my last post, my big event has come and gone.  I believe this will be a memorable birthday, not because of the age but because of all the unusual things that happened.  I said goodbye to a friend who is suffering from dementia, visited Canon Beach with a deluge of rain amidst winds gusting up to 60 miles an hour ...hmmmm....is there a theme here?  Have a wonderful dinner, enjoyed one very sunny day walking through town, walked to Haystack Rock one time.  Got to Long Beach enjoying a World Mark room to be awakened at 4.30 in the morning to a tsunami warning.  We were to pack our things and go to the bowling alley or the high school.  Her last words were "don't wait".  We ended up in Aberdeen, looking for a room.  We tried a cheap motel.  Stepped one foot into the door and it was musty and stale cigarette smoke.  Checked into a nice place, paid for two nights (as we were in the middle of one night already), ate a breakfast and went back to bed.  Very nice place.  We were able to return to Long Beach the next morning.  Blakelys came to share one night with us and we walked our legs off.  Though it was still very rainy, and warnings to stay off the beach due to aftershocks and high winds, we went to explore the two lighthouses in the area.  Sheila was having such a fun time.  I was dying for breath and my body was wondering what was going on.  Being with the Blakelys is one of my favorite things.  Such good times with such good friends.  Was it a good birthday?  Yes, very memorable.