MSED: Bird a Day #88 Dreaming Garden

Black and white tangle sketch, bird weirdness. Now I have to buy new micron pens. :)

Progress Day

Even though I may not post a bird every day, I am usually working on at least one. I won't have a finished bird today but I wanted to share with you that I am making progress.

Penguin Penata
We'll see is this turns out at all 

Tee-shirt/sticker design for Redbubble

 And all that I am doing does not involve birds :) There must be a balance to life.

Mystery Knitting

Dinner - Seafood Chowder ala Sarah

Here's to finding your balance!

MSED: Bird a Day #87 Gloomy Fall Day Bird

In an attempt to create a little faster I give you the candle wax drawn bird. I drew the outline of the bird with a white candle on white paper. Not recommended if you are trying to be precise as you cannot see the marks you have made. Any way I drew the bird and then watercolor-ed over to expose the wax outline then used pen over the top. I think the mood of this piece matches the weather outside today.

MSED: Bird a Day #86 What Little Birds Are Made Of

Working with words is today's prompt. I started this one two days ago thinking it would be a quick one but alas, at this rate it may take me two and a half years to complete my one year project. I see lots on this one that I would like to do differently maybe rework the whole thing and add some color, but for right now I am done looking at it.

MSED: Bird a Day #85 Hooty Hoos for Sarah

Is this cheating? I made this owl sweater a while back for my daughter, Sarah. She reminded me of it the other day when I was struggling to come up with a bird. I still need to sew on buttons for the eyes and maybe after that I will post  it again! And no, it is not snowing here in Michigan...yet...that will be next week, ha ha.

Let me tell you how proud I am of this young lady. I get to because she is my daughter and this is my blog :). She is really smart, a great organizer and a self starter and never lets anything keep her from her goals. She may get knocked down from time to time but she gets right back up, ready to go again. And she makes one hell of a good strawberry cheese cake. You go girl!

enough pictures already!

MSED: Bird a Day #84 Bird Brain

Here's another artist trading card. I pretty much have birds on the brain every day I just don't manage to execute one everyday. I should be on bird #104. Do you think I should try to catch up so my bird a day project lasts one year or just plug away as I have been until I get to bird #365?

Color Pencil and pen on bristol board

Also, I wanted to mention that I sold a print on my Redbubble site! whoot woo! It was Courtship Under the Bower. I would love to know who bought it so I can thank them properly.

MSED: Bird a Day #83 Geese Can Wear White After Labor Day...

...or Birds of a Sweater Sock Together... I know, groan. You knew I had to get knitting in this blog somewhere. When I'm not drawing, painting, blogging, or surfing, I am knitting. Ok, I do other stuff too but I have the most fun doing these things.

MSED: Bird a Day #82 Perched Upon Linda's Hollyhocks

I have a friend, one that I have never met in person. She lives on the opposite side of the Atlantic ocean from me. She was one of the first followers on Marika Makes (if not the first). So she holds a special place in my heart. She likes to garden and grows her own vegetables and has the most lovely hollyhocks (in a secret garden). Recently she told me that she retired from her job this year after 25 years of service. So Linda, this card is for you. May the blue bird of happiness sing perched upon your hollyhocks forevermore.

Ink pad and gel pen on card stock

If you would like to check out what Linda has been up to here's a link to her blog http://lindawilksart.blogspot.com/

MSED: Bird a Day #81 Kneaded Eraser Penguin

I feel a bit sorry for this little guy as he was left quite alone to take care of junior for the winter.

Also he is not very attractive and his mate may not return

My old kneaded eraser

MSED: Bird a Day #80 "Tie Dyed" Peacock

Now for something completely different.
I followed the instructions for making a Fireworks T-Shirt here.
http://thebutterflyjungle.blogspot.com/2010/06/fireworks-t-shirts.html
I tried my other permanent markers for more variation of color but the sharpies worked the best. I drew Mr. Peacock here on a piece of scrap paper, scanned him in and digitally put him on a photo of the t-shirt.
Making the "tie dyed" shirt is really fun and I suggest everyone give it a try. It's pretty cool watching the colors spread and mix when you drop the alcohol on it

White tee with sharpies, rubbing alcohol and pen.

Just Had to Share the News and Say Thank You

As some of you know (because of the link right over there on the right) I have a RedBubble account where I display some of my work and offer it for sale. I've had it for just about as long as I have been blogging (a few months), and I have made MY FIRST SALE! Whoot wooo! I sold 4 different greeting cards and let me tell you it put the wind in my sails! So, to who ever you are, thank you so very much for making me feel like a million bucks! xoxo

MSED: Bird a Day #79- Retirement Birds

I have a friend who is retiring after 44 years at the same job. Wow! Congrats Marj and best wishes.

Ink pad and gel pen on card stock

This looks better in person. It's sparkly!

MSED: Bird a Day #78 - Quilled Coo Coo

Ain't she sweet.

MSED: Bird a Day #77 - What A Bird Wants

For the bird in your life that has everything!

Feeling extra creative today, and a little silly.

Sketch inspired by the ear

MSED: Bird a Day #76 - Chalk Bird Welcomes You

Today I decided to use the book's prompt and use sidewalk chalk.

This is on the sidewalk right outside my front door, but never mind that it faces you as you walk out of my home. I used the camera on my phone because I sent my camera with my daughter to photograph her brother on the dirt bike track. I don't think the photo turned out too bad. The drawing on the other hand... Well, I've seen better (check this guy out http://www.impactlab.net/2006/03/09/amazing-3d-sidewalk-art-photos/)

MSED: Bird a Day #75 - Chasing After Summer

This little bird is in a panic. Where did summer go?! He's going to chase it down and try to get it back.
Seriously though wasn't it just April?! Technicaly we still have a week and some odd days of summer left. But here in Michigan its hard not to notice that some of the trees have already decided to change into their fall attire and the days are much shorter. So, my plan is to enjoy what summer there is left and fully embrace the coming Autumn!

Watercolor and pen on watercolor paper

MSED: Bird a Day #74 - Swirly Girly Peacock

At this rate it will take me a couple of years to finish my year long challenge. But I will keep plugging away. It seems that family is taking precedence over my bird thing; that, and dang! this is hard! Not so much making the birds but sharing them. Nothing is turning out the way I envision it. It's a mental thing-I'm working on it.

MSED: Bird a Day #73 - Bird's the Word

Buzz Bird has tried his hand at graffiti.

Gouache and marker on watercolor paper

MSED: Bird a Day #72 - M is for Mourning Dove

I had big plans of doing the whole alphabet with this technique but I'm not liking the dark look of the transfer, and man, what a pain to do when I'm not crazy about the result. It just seams kind of muddy. I need to find some actual transfer paper, or maybe a different medium. Has anybody else had success with this technique?

ink jet transfer, watercolor, pen on watercolor paper

MSED: Bird a Day #71 - More Scribbler Birds

I have been having so much fun with the scribbler program. Here are more of my creations.

Sea Bird, Scribbler

AND I found the Scribblertoo program. It Scribbles while you draw and has an undo feature. Really, this is so much fun, check it out!

Bird Thoughts, Scribbler Too

I'm Not Impressed, Scribbler Too 

Secretly, I think she is impressed and wants to laugh at this display of goofy affection.