Guess Who is Interview #16?? It's Sandy Williams!

...after a bit of a hiatus in which I've been WAY too busy, we'll have Sandy's interview upcoming soon!

One of Sandy's projects is to record in her journal the flowers that bloom near her Niles, Michigan home...the profusion of blooms makes this the project of more than one season, and more than one year, of course, and her Flickr set makes you wish you could hold the book in your hands and luxuriate in those colorful pages.

Her observations on the wildlife around her are lively and interesting, and always seem to tell a story...here are two of the kinds of squirrels that feed nearby.

I often think of Sandy as the poster child for the benefits of journaling, and of courage and perseverance as well.  She developed a serious vision problem a couple of years ago, and she records in her journal the long road back.  The illustration above was done to show her doctor just what it is she sees.

I've known of Sandy's work for some time, originally on Flickr and other online sites, but later as a member artist for my book--you'll love her story there.   


In her journals she mostly works in watercolor pencil and ink, but her gouache work must be seen to be believed...it's wonderful!

Please visit her Sound of Wings Etsy shop to see these and others--what a marvelous Christmas present these would be!

So watch for Interview #16, coming soon!

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Meanwhile, be sure to check Sandy's Flickr site, her website and her STORE  there as well as her online classes on using gouache

Collections...

I'm not fond of shopping, but I was REALLY needing some new fall stuff...my experiences the last year or so avoiding shopping by ordering online hadn't been a great success, so we hit the thrift stores last weekend.

WOW, FTW!!  I got all this, plus a brown sweater and a blue velour hoodie that wouldn't fit on the page, for just over $25!

Just had to do a Liz Steel and sketch my new wardrobe by way of celebration.  BIG smile...and I'm warm and comfortable, AND they fit.

Give it a try...sketch your clothes, your shoes, a collection of ANYTHING--maybe art supplies, cooking tools, travel kits, books, gardening tools...whatever suits your fancy!

An 11.11.11 Thank You

Please click to enlarge

This shell will always have a special place on our bookshelves. It's a memento from my Dad's Basic Training days at Parris Island.

He wrote the date on the shell. I can see him walking the shoreline of Port Royal Sound and finding this treasure as he contemplated his next steps into WWII.

I've been wanting to preserve the shell as a journal sketch for the longest time. I can't think of a better day... a more special day than today... to honor it forever :)

Keeping busy...

We got a big order for one of the little history books we publish, so J. spent the weekend binding books!  I had stuck the sitcker from our red bell pepper onto that page, so just played a little having the other colors harmonize!

Taking care of health concerns; J. had a couple of moles frozen off a few weeks ago, and has a couple of others to remove surgically.  This was the first one...and hooray, it was benign!

The doctor thought it was interesting that I sketch about everything...but he was a good sport about it, and let me stay in the room.  Good thing it was minor!

Sandy Williams -- I surrender, for now!

Where did the summer go!? The time and the garden seem to have gotten away from me!

Sandy Williams , An Uninvited Guest

We recently had an uninvited guest, one who evidently followed our cat home.  Fortunately, an odiferous situation was avoided!

Yosemite Ranger Shelton Johnson

by Gay Kraeger

My business partner and I got a last minute invite to hear a presentation by Yosemite ranger Shelton Johnson. He was featured on the Ken Burns PBS special on National Parks. He certainly made history come to life for us. We were all transported back to 1903 to learn about the buffalo soldiers in Yosemite park. It was great!