Experimenting en Plein Air Drawing/Paintings

This was really an experiment. I sat outside (en plein air) at the Pure Grain Bakery to draw on Thursday last. There was a swarm of mom's and babes I could have drawn, but I was drawn instead to the beautifully blooming purple bushes to my left!

I drew them quickly with my black ink pen, then I took my colored pencils and colored them in.

I used my water glass and straw to drop droplets of water into the colored places and then used my napkin to spread the color around. It became my paint brush. Eventually I realized that I had an actual paint brush that comes with my art journal with me, so I used it some too.

On Friday I had the urge to do more plein air so I went to Buck Avenue where the old Victorians are and with my little three legged chair, pens, pad, paints and water I set up across the street from this old Vic. It's the same one I drew last year in far greater detail that  now hangs framed in our living room. But it was fun to see her again, fleetingly, adding a few brush strokes of lightly watered down gauche paint over the ink.

I had two passersby who stopped to look and chat. Always a bit daunting when that happens. The guy was very pleasant and personable. He wanted to know if I was taking classes or just doing this on my own. (On my own) and where was I from? (Here. People sometimes think I am from New York, which I find hysterical, as I am a 3rd generation Californian. But something in my voice makes them wonder that!)

 painted on the spot

Then I hopped over to Tacos Jalisco for a late lunch. The place was jumping with people. Packed.
I just decided to draw quickly for some reason fitting as many people into my page as I could from all over the room.

painted later at home that night



After I finished the first page I got up and went to the opposite side of my table and sat so I had a different view and got Carlos' aunt behind the counter, the cook in back, one woman who changed places and looks like she's talking to herself here on the right, another woman with her back to me waiting for a take out order, and the back of Carlos wearing his new T-Shirt with the new logo he created for them. He's quite the artist! His head is not in the picture, as he was so busy I couldn't catch him standing still long enough to draw him. I'll go paint them now and post them later.

I'm linking this to Sunday Sketchers, catch the other artists there via the link on my side bar! You will be happy you did!!!

Have a great week! We are enjoying wonderful sunny warm weather perfect for drawing outdoors!

Okay, it's supposed to rain this week, and we need it, but it will only be a few days and then we'll be plein air painters again!

Thank you for your comments, they are a source of life force for me!