awesome mechanical pencil

Derwent Coloursoft

I ordered the full 72 pencil set of Derwent's Coloursoft pencils yesterday, just because I was so impressed with the images in their art gallery. :)

I usually use CP as a quick sketching tool, just to decide how I want a painting to look. Lightfastness issues stop me from doing much more with them -I have a real obsession with making sure everything "serious" I do will last without fading or changing color over time. Also, fears of being unable to replace a favorite color without buying a whole new set tend to keep me buying cheapies instead of investing in something nice.

But when I decided to take the plunge, I thought I would naturally choose Prismacolor's lightfast set. But...I tried one of those "sampler" packs, and didn't like them much at all. :(

I know I like Derwent's Inktense, so I decided to go ahead and purchase the Coloursoft.

Lured away (again) by the Art Supply Siren

Nothing says "inspiration" like shopping!

Today, I purchased:

Berkeley Classic Drafting Set Black Base
140 lb Acquerello Hot Press Watercolor Block - 20 Sheets - 14X20"
Arches Bright White 140 lb Cold Press Watercolor Paper - 10 Sheets - 22 X 30"
Canson Tracing Pad 19X24
Strathmore 300 Series Watercolor Pad - 9x12"
Strathmore 400 Series Watercolor Pad 5.5x8.5"
Strathmore Aquarius Watercolor Pad - 11x15"
Island Arts Lucky Journals Curry - 6.5X8.5"
Conte Studio Sketch Set
Derwent Coloursoft 72 Tin
Cretacolor Drawing Leads Travel Set
Ceramic Watercolor Flower Dish
Koh-I-Noor Pencil Lengtheners - Set of 3
LUKAS Aquarell 1862 Watercolors (24 ml Tube) Manganese Blue
Rembrandt Watercolors #7 20ml Cadmium Yellow Lemon
Rembrandt Watercolors #7 20ml Sepia
Winsor & Newton Artist Watercolors #5 French Ultramarine

Total spent: $325.00 and change....

Yes; I know. I feel like I've lost my mind spending that much money. But, I've found nifty ways to rationalize it. :) First, this will count as my birthday present, my Mother's day present (to myself), and probably be the last stuff I buy -other than cheapie sketchbooks or #2 pencils- all year.

But mostly, I want to start using my nifty stuff. But I suffer from paranoia about 'wasting' it. My Dad used to yell at me if I "wasted" ten cents worth of writing paper by scribbling on it or writing nonsense or misspelling too many words. And I still carry the shame of it.... The idea that I may make a mistake and turn a $2.00 piece of paper into trash bothers me so badly I become paralyzed and unable to touch it. My perfectionistic self combined with our constant financial battles keeps me in blank paper that will always be...blank. The fear of using it up without producing anything worthy of even stowing in a dark box under the bed is probably the strongest deterrent to my creativity in my life.

I'm hoping to be able to overcome this through sheer weight. Being able to reassure myself by looking into a closet full of nice paper and say to myself "Go ahead and wreck this one -I have plenty more."

But, also...I bought the Berkeley drafting set because another deterrent is my lack of a real where for me to paint. I either have to use the kitchen table -a rotten choice for several reasons, or I have to use the end of my sewing table. And I just about faint at the idea of any water within 3 feet of Neo (my sewing machine). If anything happens to him, I'll cry!!! But sitting on the sofa with a notebook just doesn't cut it. My desk is hidden under two computers, so it's out.... I know I should spend more time outside sketching but I don't live in an area filled with inspiring sights, so it seems kinda pointless to brave the heat, wind, insects and local criminal masterminds just to make a few sketches of rusty utility boxes or native cacti.

The song even added a new term to the American lexicon: "Whistling 'Dixie'" is a slang expression meaning "[engaging] in unrealistically rosy fantasizing".[62] For example, "Don't just sit there whistling 'Dixie'!" is a reprimand against inaction, and "You ain't just whistling 'Dixie'!" indicates that the addressee is serious about the matter at hand.

Molten Chocolate Cake...yum... ;)

I must try this! :)

http://www.latartinegourmande.com/2006/04/18/gateau-au-chocolat-mi-cuit-numero-2-molten-chocolate-cake-2/

Molten Chocolate Cake

(for 6 small cakes)

You need:

4 oz dark chocolate
4 oz butter
2 large eggs
6 tablespoons flour
6 tablespoons sugar
Grated extra chocolate (or cut in small pieces)
Fleur de sel (French sea salt)

Steps:

Preheat your oven at 400 F (200C).
Melt the chocolate and butter using a double boiler.
Greased 6 individual molds (silicone or large muffin pan).
Use an electric mixer to mix together the eggs with the sugar, until your preparation has a nice light white colour.
Add the flour and mix well.
Add the melted chocolate and mix.
Pour in the molds and add the extra pieces of crushed chocolate in the preparation.
Place in the oven for about 12-13 min and take out.
Let cool down a bit before unmolding.
Sprinkle with fleur de sel before eating. :)

My last finished painting

I'm proud of it. But...I want to redo it again because the elipse on my coffee cup is out of whack.

The sketchbag followed me home from a flea market several months ago. I've filled it to the brim with art supplies -in fact, I had so much stuffed in there at a watercolor workshop I took that people were really surprised. It seemed everytime someone needed something they'd forgotten, I had..."Sure, I have tracing paper" or "Oh, you need a french curve?" to "You've run out of tape? Of course I have some...." And it's such a lovely bag, made in Italy with hand stitching. Built to last a lifetime, and I just couldn't be happier with it.

The little orange calcite? onyx? demitasse cup and saucer are part of a set I picked up at yard sale. I just couldn't resist -I think they may be my favorite dishes. Ever. Honestly, I want to buy more stuff just like them but haven't seen any. Most of the stone dishes I've seen just haven't had the character.

The tiger eye stones have been here awhile, tumbling around in my desk. As soon as I pulled them out for my drawing, my cat went bonkers. He kept jumping up on the table to steal a stone, then playing with it 'till he lost it under the sofa or behind the appliances, then he would come grab another one. I started out with a handful, and by the time the drawing was complete there was only one left. :) He had a blast, though, so I certainly don't begrudge him a few little pebbles...whatever makes him happy.

I really love Rembrandt sepia paint (much nicer than W&N)...but I wish the drying shift was less dramatic. Wet, it has beautiful golden tones that almost disappear once it's dry.

I intend to try this again in the next couple of weeks.

I'm the DragonLady. 'Nuff said, I guess. ;) Hope you enjoy reading whatever I happen to have to say.... :)

I'm beginning to suspect I'm the poster child for the Renaissance Soul.... Have so many directions I want to go that I can't just pick one. That leaves me scattered, disorganized, and in a perpetual state of panic. If I paint all day, I don't wash the dishes...if I get the housework done I'm irritated because I haven't done any work on my websites. If I get my sewing machine out the day flies by and I fail to work on my garden....