Today is a good day...
... the sun is finally shining, and while the wind is cold, it isn't bitterly cold (for Central CA).
I actually took a 25 minute walk with my daughter right before her nap time. While I had to walk slowly compared to what I prefer to do, it was good, leisurely, and with minimal issues with said girl-child. She just loved when I growled and barked at the two yapper dogs that were annoying us (oh, such tough little doggies they were), and she had fun jumping into nearly every mud puddle there was (ugh). But it was good for me to get out of the house and enjoy the sunshine for awhile, even as we both continued to cough a bit.
Yesterday I managed to get several hours away from both children, enjoying a small break at a library table with rwfranz doing up the outline of another illumination. I've been sick for almost a week now, so it was nice to have something of a break indoors, without dealing with the bitter cold winds that hurt my lungs on Saturday when I picked up docryder from the game store (whose owner doesn't understand that cigarette smoke smell in his store is going to keep me away permanently unless he does something about it). I had to wait outside for a bit while he shopped, and that hurt to breathe in the cold air. So I spent it in the car or at Dragon's Treasure instead.
Anyways, I had made the beginnings of a scroll at the last Scriptorium, which was where I picked up my first official assignment for the KIngdom. Unfortunately, I can't find another example to work from that is similar in design, so I found a few more choices to do up. This new one is again bar and ivy, with scrolling acanthus leaves added in.
I am understanding something about the ivy; that it may be better to not pen in the outlines of them, but to paint the thicker lines on by brush, then add the line of white down the middle with a liner brush. I am going to try that with this one, and see if it helps any. Last time, I couldn't really paint the thicker lines as the gouache wouldn't stick to pen ink, so it looked odd compared to the original image.
And Lady Teleri has asked me, ME, to create a scroll for HER??!! For those who don't know Lady Teleri, I drool, DROOL over her beautiful artistic illuminations. She really is an artist whose work, from illuminations to embroideries (or nui -- oh, my!) are just stunning to me. She's taught a few illumation classes in the area, and has won several A&S awards for her various art pieces. So, for her to ask me is ... well, an incredible honor, and an incredible challenge! Ok, now I am making myself nervous thinking about it, and I shouldn't. I know she is trying to encourage me, and this will be a good chance to challenge myself with something ... better than I would have simply accepted before.
Well, now that Cam's had his fun on my keyboard, it's time to get back to doing some more housecleaning, and whatever else I need to do offline.
I actually took a 25 minute walk with my daughter right before her nap time. While I had to walk slowly compared to what I prefer to do, it was good, leisurely, and with minimal issues with said girl-child. She just loved when I growled and barked at the two yapper dogs that were annoying us (oh, such tough little doggies they were), and she had fun jumping into nearly every mud puddle there was (ugh). But it was good for me to get out of the house and enjoy the sunshine for awhile, even as we both continued to cough a bit.
Yesterday I managed to get several hours away from both children, enjoying a small break at a library table with rwfranz doing up the outline of another illumination. I've been sick for almost a week now, so it was nice to have something of a break indoors, without dealing with the bitter cold winds that hurt my lungs on Saturday when I picked up docryder from the game store (whose owner doesn't understand that cigarette smoke smell in his store is going to keep me away permanently unless he does something about it). I had to wait outside for a bit while he shopped, and that hurt to breathe in the cold air. So I spent it in the car or at Dragon's Treasure instead.
Anyways, I had made the beginnings of a scroll at the last Scriptorium, which was where I picked up my first official assignment for the KIngdom. Unfortunately, I can't find another example to work from that is similar in design, so I found a few more choices to do up. This new one is again bar and ivy, with scrolling acanthus leaves added in.
I am understanding something about the ivy; that it may be better to not pen in the outlines of them, but to paint the thicker lines on by brush, then add the line of white down the middle with a liner brush. I am going to try that with this one, and see if it helps any. Last time, I couldn't really paint the thicker lines as the gouache wouldn't stick to pen ink, so it looked odd compared to the original image.
And Lady Teleri has asked me, ME, to create a scroll for HER??!! For those who don't know Lady Teleri, I drool, DROOL over her beautiful artistic illuminations. She really is an artist whose work, from illuminations to embroideries (or nui -- oh, my!) are just stunning to me. She's taught a few illumation classes in the area, and has won several A&S awards for her various art pieces. So, for her to ask me is ... well, an incredible honor, and an incredible challenge! Ok, now I am making myself nervous thinking about it, and I shouldn't. I know she is trying to encourage me, and this will be a good chance to challenge myself with something ... better than I would have simply accepted before.
Well, now that Cam's had his fun on my keyboard, it's time to get back to doing some more housecleaning, and whatever else I need to do offline.