Aloha from Hawaii

Yes, my sister Nancy and I were warming our bones in February! We stayed with great friends, Mark and Cristi, in Kailua on Oahu. In ten days I only managed these two pages, but we had a fabulous time.

We swam, snorkeled with dolphins, walked the beach, watched turtles and whales and ate many a fine meal. One day after a storm we drove to the North Shore to see the big waves. We stopped and did a little beach combing and found these interesting seed pods.

Robert Bateman 6" x 9" Sketchbook

Pen and Watercolor

Black and White

These are some more pages from the Sketchbook Project. I thought I would post all black and whites this week. Though the scans have some yellow from the sketchbook pages. A Zentangled Faberge Egg seemed like a good combo.

This one is my version of a beta fish minus the lovely colors.

He needed a little more so I added the bands of Zens.

On this page I traced two of the zentangle 3.5 squares and did the more traditional Zentangle format. These little guys are so fun and you can see I have started breaking the borders which I am so fond of doing.

Pen in Moleskine Sketchbook

Sketchbook Project Finished!

Yes, 30 pages completed! I really enjoyed this project though at times I was a little stressed about it and getting it done. Thought I would share a few more pages. This cork from a special dinner with daughter and her husband is actually stamped with "dedicated to the art" Sarah said I had to keep this one.

Don't remember how this page got started but when you draw one caterpillar you just have to keep going. They are such fascinating little things, destructive I know, but fascinating just the same. I like this page a lot.

A local artist does these Spirit Keeper dolls. I have always loved them and so decided to sketch a few of my own. Maybe someday I will actually construct one. They are always so calm and serene to me. Comforting.

Sketchbook Project

Pen and Watercolor

Sketchbook Project

Yes, I too got involved with the Sketchbook Project with the Brooklyn Art Library. It's getting down to the deadline date and I am still working on it but thought I would take time to share a few pages with you. Who doesn't like a blue mannikin?

I have also been seduced by Zentangles! Grids and Zentangles, why it seemed like a perfect match to me.

These little whimsical hangy things just came to mind. Just little pieces of colors and shapes. Wood, glass, plastic, ceramic... I don't know, I'll let you decide.

Sketchbook Project Moleskine

Pen and Watercolor

The Last of 2010

I am starting 2011 by finishing 2010. These are some sketches that I never posted. I went with my sister, Nancy to her friend, Paige's home and sketched around the house while they had their meeting.

My other sister, Lynette and I went sketching with an other sketching friend, Sydney. We ended up at the Treasure Barn which had some cool stuff but really had a lot of junk. We did managed to find something to sketch, Mari would be proud.

http://www.artraveljournals.com/

In June a group of us went back to the Fullerton Arboretum, our favorite summer haunt. I love all the great flowers, fruits and veggies. It is always a great relaxing day with good friends.

On this day a man was picking some blackberries in his patch and we told him we were the official berry tasters. He had a bumper crop this year and gave us a big bag of the juiciest berries! I dabbed my page with the juice from the bag. A surprise addition to our sack lunches.

Robert Bateman 5" x 7" Sketchbook

Pen and Watercolor

Last of the China Sketches

This page is from temples, restaurants, museums and what not. The horse and rider was a large brush painting and I added color to the flower which was a stone block. The orange shape is a carrot garnish from lunch.

We went up the mountain to the Kumbum Tibetan Monastery. No cameras but I was ready to sketch. My favorites are the door knocker with the silk scarves, the cubbies holding the prayer scrolls and the monk's

"Happy Face" kneeling rug, no really!

Then we went to the Tibetan Medicinal Museum which was quite interesting. There were walls of dried plant displays. The red silk banners and colorful tassels were hanging around most of the room.

Next was the Tea House in Mei Jia Wu village. Only the top two leaves with a little growth at the top are picked for the emperor's tea. The more mature the leaves the lower quality of tea. Then on to West Lake for a stroll and boat ride.

In Hangzhou after the lake we visited the Lingyin Temple. Yin and Yang, incense, pagodas, and lots of lotus and bats designs. I am amazed I only sketched 13 pages in 21 days. Not quite up to par for me but a grand trip and memory.

Robert Bateman 6" x 9" sketchbook

Pen and Watercolor

China Sketches

Here are some bits and pieces from displays at the Xinjiang Museum in Urumqui. From musical instruments, jewelry, flint and a colorful tobacco bag. It was great to see all the cultural influences.

These images are from the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes. There were all these amazing rooms with statues, carvings and walls full of frescos. Buddhas, buddhas everywhere. And look, I found the post office all by myself and somehow walked out with two cancel stamps.

Just another crazy white lady.

The Gobi desert was very interesting. We walked on the sand to an oasis with a beautiful pagoda and then took a short, thank goodness, camel ride. This section of the great wall is mud and reeds and is thousands of years old. I saved my camel ride ticket. Camel #317

The bus helped me paint the Yadan landform. The bumpy ride was great for uneven colors. The rest of the images are sections of the walls, roofs, pagodas and tiles of places we visited. This was a real "sketchwalk", I had to sketch while I walked to keep up.

Robert Bateman Sketchbook 6" x 9"

Pen and Watercolor

China Sketches

I took a trip to China with a great group of people this last October. A little behind in my posting...okay a lot behind! We were there for three weeks and followed part of the Silk Road from Beijing to Shanghai. It was quite a trip.

We did a quick walk around the Olympic Venue in Beijing and then on to the Great Wall. I admit I didn't climb very high but it was amazing. The locks are placed on a chain on the wall by lovers. Many of them are engraved and don't have a key hole. Now, that's commitment.

These are some antique hairpins, a sketch of Heavenly Lake and a building from the ancient city of Jiaohe. While I was doing the building a Chinese tour came by and took lots of photos with me and gave me "Thumbs up".

This is me sketching Heavenly Lake. I actually got to sit and sketch for a few minutes. Most of the time we were on the move and going in one way and out another so sketching was a challenge.

There is a large well irrigation system in Turpan. These were objects on display in Karez. The bird sketch is a fresco in the Astana Tomb. There were four different birds but I only managed to capture one of them.

Robert Bateman Sketchbook 6" x 9"

Pen and Watercolor