sketches and underpainting studies...

I'm trying to get back into the habit of sketching everyday or at least 5 times a week!
Here are a couple of studies that I'm working on...I'm hoping to paint them larger, that's if, these small studies turn out the way I want them too.

petunia laid her first egg!

We moved Petunia, Penelope and Mildred to the hen house Saturday morning after DH processed Fugly and 5 red hens. We now have 13 chickens total...all hens. The chicken coop will stay empty until October, when we order our next batch of Cornish Cross day old chicks (meat birds). Petunia made herself right at home Saturday afternoon checking out the nesting boxes and roosting post in the hen house. Petunia and Mildred were both investigating an egg laid by one of the reds Sunday afternoon and a couple of hours later Petunia laid her first egg! It could be any day now that Penelope and Mildred lay their first egg...they are 19 weeks and most chickens start laying around 20 weeks. Petunia and Penelope are Leghorns, so they lay white eggs. Mildred will lay a brown egg, like the reds.

last day

This is Fugly...I thought he was a hen, but a few days after DH processed the Dominique roosters, Fugly "showed himself." I don't know what kind of chicken he is, but he has the prettiest feathers. I wanted him to be a hen, so that we could keep him. He is constantly going under the construction fencing and trying to mate with the red hens...they can't stand him. He caught one of the reds feasting on a bug this morning and was able to get on her back. As soon as he got off, she started pecking him and then screaming and chasing him. He paced back and forth trying to get back with the one Dominique hen and two Leghorn hens. I went in there and told him, "You get what you deserve for wandering over here with the reds, when you know that don't like you!" I picked him up and took him back to the hens that tolerate him. He'll be taking an ice bath tomorrow. Mildred, Penelope, and Petunia will be joining the reds tomorrow...that should be interesting.

doodling at panera

I had a doctors appointment today, so after I finally got out of there, I treated myself to Panera. I haven't eaten there in about 6 months. I quickly did this sketch and added a little color when I got home. I should have used watercolors...Kris has most of my markers in cs, so I only had a few to use. The Greek salad wasn't as good as it usually is...Olive Gardens is so much better.

dreaming...

I decided to take a break from all the cleaning and purging today. I keep asking DH, "Are you sure you can't transfer to Colorado?" I have lived here in this heat infested place all my life...I need a change of scenery. I think the heat is getting to my brain, as soon as I saw these snow boots online, I felt a need to sketch them.

taking a break...

It's been two weeks since my last post. I've been cleaning out closets, cabinets, and drawers. I'm trying to simplify and get rid of anything we no longer use or want. I'm hoping that by getting rid of all unnecessary items, it will make our move in a few years much easier. Besides, it will definitely make my daily cleaning a lot easier.