Thanksgiving!

What started out as a nuisance snowstorm the day before Thanksgiving, turned out to be a long, cold ordeal for a lot of people in our area of New Hampshire.

We lost power on Wednesday night around 7pm and didn't get it back on until Friday night around 11:00 pm. We weren't the only ones, as about 200,00 customers were in the dark at the peak of the blackout. Anyway, our Thanksgiving plans were adjusted, and we headed off to my sister-in-law's house about 45 minutes south of us. Everyone gathered there for a fun afternoon of feasting and celebration in a warm toasty location!

We had hoped for restored power that night, but instead slept in multi-layers under multiple quilts.
When the lights finally came on the next night,while we were bundled up again in bed, it was a wonderful thing!! You really appreciate the things one takes for granted when they are gone!

I took a few pictures today of the river while walking about town this afternoon.

Now that I'm back on the grid, I can share one of the new projects I've been working on. I've finished the first layer of a new reduction block print of marbles in a Ball jar, and am currently carving away the gray layer in preparation for the next color.

I may have to simplify some of the colors, but I hope to be able to create the illusion of the glass jar and the shiny marbles within.

Wishing everyone a merry week ahead!

Thanksgiving Theatre

Tried to finish this up in time to post on Illustration Friday this past week. I'll squeeze it in under the deadline tonight, as a new word comes out tomorrow.

Brrr, feels like winter around here---thankfully no snow yet! Enjoy your  weekend and stay warm!

"Paper" for Illustration Friday

For this week's IF prompt "paper",  I drew an illustration of a girl making a sheet of handmade paper using a mold and deckle. In the water is the shredded cotton pulp that she is scooping up.

Here are a few examples of high school student work involving molds and paper pulp.

The students make low relief sculptures out of plastercine clay. Then they cast the sculptures using plaster of paris. After peeling out the clay, they press sheets of damp handmade paper into the plaster molds, and allow the paper to dry. These raised paper designs are painted and attached to the fronts of their handmade books.

Illustration Friday "smooth"

The IF word for the week is "smooth".  I was thinking about the smooth flat stones needed for skimming across water when I drew this little guy. You've got to get the right shape of rock, and the right flip of the wrist, to make a successful series of skips. Hopefully I've captured this tricky pose.

the Sketchbook Project continues...

I've been working on new illustrations for this year's sketchbook, which has to be mailed in by January 15th. This is the 4th year that I've signed up for the Sketchbook Project, and while I've always made the deadline, it's usually a race at the end. Guess that's what makes it fun and exciting!

I used colored pencil and pastel on this one.

                                               Still working on the next two drawings  

Looking forward to adding color to this one

Halloween came and went without too many "trick or treaters" at the door, which means leftover candy in the house. At work, there were door decorating contests, as well as faculty and student costume awards. Our costumes weren't super exciting but we had a good time with it in the art wing.