Every Day in August Ends, ED in September Begins, and I Still Go to Starbucks to Draw!

I thought I'd get your attention with this "Imaginary Animal" I drew for Every Day in August! Don't be afraid, she doesn't bite!

I'm really enjoying this new hand made accordion art journal a friend made for me. The pages are white and square, which I thought might limit me, but since it's accordion style I can just keep going beyond those parameters as you can probably make out, and add people as I go ...

For Every Day in August again, we were to draw a cartoon/story artist's work we liked and I am a big fan of Lynda Barry's work. I have several of her books, this was taken from "Big Ideas" and I got a kick out of realizing that she wrote it when she was 27 in 1968, which makes her exactly MY AGE today! What a hoot!

My doctor sent me for a Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine! Have you had yours yet? I drew these people waiting for injections in the same area before my name was called!

Meanwhile back in the accordion art journal people were waiting in line at Starbucks to get coffee and tea I imagine on Saturday ...

and I show you this one so you can see the continuation of the first page in this book from my #2 picture shown to you today!

Again, Every Day in August asked for a favorite Holiday Memory! I loved Halloween as a kid. Patty's mom always dressed up as a witch and made wonderful parties for us. She made carmel apples, popcorn balls, and we got to bob for apples in a bucket of water, and even try to catch some in our teeth hanging from strings from the ceiling (the apples, not us)! It was great fun.

But when I took my own child to her house on Halloween when he was just four and the witch answered our knock she scared him to pieces! That was the last time I knocked on her door for Trick o Treat!

We went to lunch in Benicia last week and happened on to a Jazz ensemble to enjoy while eating and drawing there. They didn't seem to mind that I was drawing them. Maybe they were too into their own zone of music that they didn't even notice me.

The final prompt for Every Day in August was to draw in the style of Lowry. I had never heard of this artist so I looked him up. He draws skinny long people dressed mostly in black. And they rarely if ever smile. Every one in the group thought I captured his essence in my drawing. I think I got the dog right!

This was the day Fred ran in for coffee-to-go and I drew from our car. See the steering wheel in the lower left corner! The guy in red was alone at first and seemed rather uncomfortable. I don't think I had anything to do with that. I was just starring at him! But he made a call and shortly thereafter a young woman came to sit with him and he was very happy to see her. Obviously he felt safe again.

The other couple came later and sat on his other side, but they fit better on my page here. They chatted away with great abandon and were not aware of me drawing them from my car.

Continuing along in the accordion book on yet another day at Starbucks, these folks were all very busy in what they were doing and none noticed me at my table across the way drawing them. I keep stressing this so those of you who think about drawing in public, but haven't yet got up the courage to do so, will realize that most times no one has a clue you are drawing them. They could care less, really!

Same day, just further down the page, as new folks came to take the chairs of those who had left before them. Again, you can see just how focused they are on what they are doing! They will not know YOU are there! Go draw them at YOUR Starbucks!

And last but not least #2 prompt for Every Day in September, was "Bling"! I am such NOT a bling person at all. I do not own a diamond. My wedding band is a $12 silver band bought in a craft store at the mall all those many years ago, because when we married we were poor as church mice!
These are drawings of jewelry I own and like. The top is a pendant I wear on a silver chain containing turquoise and a few other gem stones, given to me by my best friend, Patty, made by an artist.

The earring is one of a pair I found at a flea market years ago. They are delicate silver and a blue gem stone. I like wearing them.

If you think you'd like to draw EVERYDAY of the month using prompts set up by a group leader you can find Every Day in September in Facebook. We just started so you will have no trouble catching up at all.
Plus there is no pressure to do them all. You can start on day 2 today or wait until tomorrow, but don't wait too long, I'd love to see YOUR ART there!

Thanks for stopping by, your visits and comments mean a lot to me, they keep me drawing for sure!

Wishing you a Creative Week!

Portland Oregon Trip: Part 2 and Home Sweet Home AGAIN

While we were in Portland a week or so ago now, we went to the Tulip  Festival in Woodburn, Oregon. The shoe maker came round to see what I was doing, said he knew I was drawing him, and when I asked if he'd sign the picture he did! Fun personalization!

I walked out to the tulip fields with my little fold up stool and sat and drew this old tractor in the midst of all the beautiful, colorful flowers. It felt magical to be there.

Later, back at the entrance where there is  a gift shop and places for people to sit and chat I drew the folks I saw there. You know, my favorite thing to do!

Everyone seemed quite settled, except the girl in white, who I had to draw hoping out of her chair.

We tried to go to Crater Lake afterwards, one of our most favorite wonders of the world to visit, but unfortunately the gate we came to was closed and then it got too late to go to the other entrance ... so next time! I did a selfie in the car instead.

We spent the night in Yreka, CA. We ate at another beer brewery. Funny, as neither of us drink beer, but the burgers and veggie burger are okay there. I drew the people around us. Our waiter saw me doing it and came by to chat about it. He told me his mom did this too. But she was shy about drawing people in public. So I of course told him about Sketchbook Skool and my book about when I challenged myself to draw in public. He took it all down to give it to his mom. I asked him to sign the page in my art journal. His name was Israel.
I wonder if he'll see this.

On the Monday we got back we had an appointment to see the Tax Agent to have our taxes done.
We stopped at Barnes & Noble first so Fred could get coffee and I could draw.

This guy sat down with a stack of cook books! I hope he went home to make something good. Dinosaur stew maybe?

She got up just as I got started! It happens. He was very pensive. Maybe he was getting his taxes done today too!

These folks could have been doing their own taxes on their lap tops sitting across from each other on opposite ends of the tall seats outside the area where we were sitting. I had paper left over so filled it with signs over the book shelves there.

What was really fun and funny about getting our taxes done this year was that I was able to draw our tax agent, Sherri, without her knowing  was doing it (art journal on my lap behind her big desk, and later paints on the desk but out of her line of vision as she was SO FOCUSED on what she was doing at her computer and desk with papers.

Afterwards, I asked her to sign it.
She wanted to rip it out of my art journal.
But I sent her a copy instead!
One just NOT rip drawings OUT of an Art Journal! It's not done!

You know life is back to normal when I start drawing at Tacos Jalisco again!

 

 

April 1 was our 30th Wedding Anniversary. I gave it its own blog post ( two right before this one) scroll down to see it if you missed it) ... but our friends, Jutta Wenz and Heidi Likar, who we met through Sketchbook Skool, then in their home in Austria when we were there last September, sent us this wonderful portrait of our younger selves. Jutta drew and painted it. I think it deserves to be seen here! Thank you again Jutta and Heidi for your gifts, friendship and well wishes! They and you are so appreciated.

And the week continued with me eating and drawing at Tacos Jalisco ...

I drew so much more, but this post is getting really heavy with drawings. I will save the rest for next week, when we had Passover with family. More Starbucks draw outs, and more. Wait and see. You have to come back then.

In the meantime enjoy others art via the icons on my sidebar for Paint, Party Friday and Sunday Sketchers.
Join us drawing at Paper, Paint, Pencils & Pens, where we are drawing landscapes this week.

Have a wonderfully creative week! Be well and Be Happy! Thanks for stopping by.

MuChO ArT tHis WeEK bY lYnN cOhEn

...  the saga of my life continues; since I post on my blog anew, mid week, the first drawings are often done the previous mid week, this time at Tacos Jalisco for starters, over a grilled vegetable burrito bowl with rice & beans, no dairy, vegan style!

 This is the week I drew fifty six (56) people!

Two pictures are posted to get the guys at each end into it, as my scanner cuts them off!

And we can't have anyone feeling left out!

I will let the folks speak for themselves in the drawings:

Also last week I got to meet up with some fellow artists to draw together in Napa, California. We were to meet Janice at Barnes & Nobles in Fairfield, and she would then ride in our car to Napa. We got there a bit early so I had time to draw these folks enjoying coffee and whatever they were doing on their laptops. I didn't ask!

Janice and I were meeting, Elizabeth, who was down from Ashland, Oregon, at the Ox Bow Market in Napa. I'd never been there before so had no idea what to expect! Both Elizabeth and Janice and a third artist friend from Oakland, who also came, are friends from Sketchbook Skool. I am telling you that Sketchbook Skool has all kinds of perks!

Making friends from around the world just one of them!!!!

I had no idea I'd be drawing flying goats and cows either, but I did!

Here Janice, I, and Elizabeth are saying good bye at the end of our day together.

We had so much fun!

And here they are again, plus Aikaya, who I drew there at the market sitting under the flying animals!

I also drew those people above from my vantage point sitting at a tall table on tall stools. They were sitting just next to us but down below!

And I drew this whole group of people sitting at the Oyster Bar across the room. This was a fun place to go to draw! We were there drawing, eating lunch, talking, laughing, having fun from

10 a.m. till 3:30 pm. What a day!

Meanwhile, my week continues, and I find Starbucks my standby place to draw people.

This first drawing is just one guy and his parts drawn over and over again ...

These two gals & baby were sitting at the far wall, with a nice spring day basking in sun, behind them out the windows.

Still another day, a different Starbucks, different city, this gal was all hooked up to cords and machines writing away!

These folks go with the other baby picture day, he was so interesting for his garb of earrings, multiple tattoos and brightly painted toe nails. She had tattoos too. I don't think the baby did.

Ah ha, again out of sync. These people again, all hooked up to electronics were with the first woman with the big white headset /head ear things on ... Many people seem to make Starbucks their office away from home and/or office.

And again a repeat picture to let everyone get seen at both ends of the double spread pages!

It just seems fair.

This guy, also there sitting at a high table, on a tall stool was alone on his laptop. But then ...

 

... no one is really alone with so many others there doing the same thing.

I was the only one drawing.

Meanwhile, over at our other blog, Paper, Paint, Pencils & Pens, we are still drawing our fantasy destinations until the 16th of this month when we will have a new theme to draw to.

The fantasy here is to repeat a visit we took last September when we went to Germany (and 7 other countries in Europe). I drew this picture then and again now. Or I photographed it then and drew this from my photo. The buildings were all so colorful and inviting.

And real flowers were in great abundance!

This is Weisenburg, Germany, where my husband was born to his

war bride, German mom and American soldier dad.

We (Ann Hyde from the UK and myself) are always looking for new artists to join us at Paper, Paint, Pencils & Pens, so if you want to draw and post your art to a new theme every two weeks hop over to the blog via the link here or on my side bar; see the side bar there or the tab for how to join. And come draw with us, any level artist, with other artists from all over the world.

We have fun there too!

Another day of drawing at Starbucks ... I hope these don't bore you ... I just really love drawing

people.

This weekend I will be drawing in Sausalito (near San Francisco) ... tall ships, sail boats and more people, meeting up with the San Francisco Urban Sketch group and the East Bay Sketchers group!

So be sure to come back here next week to see what I drew!

In the meantime

Check out more art and artists at:

Paint Party Friday, via the icon on my side bar.

Sunday Sketchers, via the icon on my side bar.

Sketchbookskool.com

Have A WoDeRFuLlY CrEative WEek!

If you are new to my blog and like my art feel free to scroll down as far as you want to see more ...

Also my life drawings are found via the link on my side bar near the top.

And you can join this blog at the top and via email both.

And if you want my art to hold in your hands
you can order my book
via the side bar too.

"ONE FISH TACO
&
Half an order of Guacamole
A Year of Drawing Over Lunch
at
Tacos Jalisco!"

Thanks for your visits & comments, they keep me drawing!