Mantis shriiiiiiimps
Mantis Shrimps
Tag: sketchbook
Lola
As many of you may know, my grandma passed away yesterday morning. I’ve been so fortunate in the last 5 years to have lived within driving distance of her home in Vancouver. When she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, my husband and I spent 2 weekends with her: the 1st weekend at her apartment before her condition worsened, and the 2nd weekend at the hospice. Despite being monosyllabic from the medicine, she still had an awareness about her. (She actually uttered, “Nice!” and “Beautiful” when I showed her these drawings of her.)The strong, independent woman I loved was still present.
Whenever I look at an old drawing I drew, it all comes flooding back to me – the location, the smells, the sounds. It’s psychosomatic, which is exactly why I wanted to draw my grandmother. At the time, I also brought a DSLR camera with all the fancy lenses, but she was sick: I know that was all the camera will reflect.
Drawing aids you in remembering. And really, that was all I wanted: to remember. Her tufts of hair going every which way, matching her independence. (And when did she stop dying her hair?) The slight roundness of her nose. The softness in her profile. The eyes that my aunts inherited. The curves of her arms that spent many years wrapping around family and friends alike. Her knobbed fingers that were wracked with arthritis yet she continued to play piano in defiance. She always looked so comfortable and relaxed in her clothes.
I really loved that slouch.
She looked so peaceful on her couch in her apartment, sleeping as her television went on about the afterlife, the rosary, the lives of saints. While my whole family’s world is turned upside down and everyone is scrambling in wake of the big one, the quake, here she was at ground zero, not frantic, not running away…but sitting, sleeping here waiting to be tapped on the shoulder by a gentle, familiar, friend.
May you have continued peace in the life afterwards. I love you and will forever miss you, Lola.
Fountain Pen Fun
I recently picked up my first fountain pen, a Lamy Joy. I never used a fountain pen before, so I’m still trying to get the hang of it. (I’m learning that fountain pens are tough on lefties.) I also bought 2 bottles of J. Herbin ink: Perle Noire (black) and Terre de Feu (reddish-brown).
I’m really enjoying the water soluable nature of these inks. Being able to apply a water brush over the lines to get some quick values is a fun effect! Here are some lunch doodles of my fountain pen’s maiden voyage.
On a side note: The Stillman & Birn Epsilon sketchbook is now my favorite for inks and markers. No feathering, my pen glides over the pages, and not much buckling or bleeding.
Honolulu Sketches
Last July, we went to Hawaii for our friends’ wedding and then stayed the week to celebrate my birthday. My sister, who lives in Honolulu, is an amazing hostess and planned a very memorable birthday for me. We hiked up Diamond Head where the park stamp my sketchbook with the “Summit Finisher” stamp. I didn’t finish the sketch of Diamond Head Crater until yesterday (shame on me) though, using reference I photographed while we hiked there.
The 2nd drawing is of Lanikai beach which I did sketch on my birthday. It’s of the mokes (2 islands) and the little reef inbetween where we snorkeled.
The 3rd drawing was drawn at Waimanalo Beach where my husband and I spent the whole day. My sister recommended it as it was quiet and located in a small neighborhood. I saw 2 boats in the sand and thought it would be a fun challenge. The real the challenge, however, was the humidity that made both inking and watercoloring difficult.
The 4th drawing was at the Dole Pineapple Plantation. I learned so much about pineapples. I especially had no idea how they looked out in the wild or the fact there were so many kinds.