Copyright ©2022 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
February I was in the mood to dig out my paints and try some online tutorials. Here are two finished watercolor paintings, a study of trees, and one pen and ink line drawing.




My favorites are the horse painting and the pen and ink drawing. I did that drawing by hand no tracing! It’s wonky but it’s not bad for me. 🤣
I bought a new book on Urban Sketching for beginners by Liron Yanconsky so far so good. It was his book that motivated me to try to draw the Clark Administrative Bldg from an image I made of it. I’m not ready to go out with my pad and pen and try drawing on site yet, but I hope to one day. In the meantime I’ll be working my way through this book this month.
My week-end away birding with friends was so fun and we saw so many Bald Eagles! I’ll be sharing images from that trip soon.
We firmed up plans Monday to have #1 Grandson here for part of his Spring break…not Littlest though. Baby Girl isn’t ready for that yet, but we’ll take what we can get! 😀I’m making plans for trips to the zoo and looking at other things to do with him while he’s here. We’re excited! That’s all that’s new here.
I hope you all are having a good week!
more to come…
Excellent!!! They are all great. I majored in Illustration and worked as an Illustrator/Graphic Designer before retiring. I haven’t done anything other than some digital illustration since moving here. Recently I was thinking I should pull out my paints. What you can learn online is amazing. I was watching some mixed-media videos the other day by an artist here, whose work I admire.
Thank you so much, Denise!! Yes, get out your paints and paint! I love YouTube for tutorial and inspiration. You can draw! I’m still learning how to do that I’m getting better, but I still can’t draw a lot of angles correctly. My brain sees it and I try, but I usually get it wrong. I need rulers or my pencil acting as one to get them right.
Hi – I enjoyed this post earlier this week – and the barn is my fav of the post – but I enjoy seeing all of your work – (I do not follow too many artists and so it is nice to see watercolors and sketches in posts – but if I only had that flooding my reader it might not be so fresh, ya know? )
Thank you so much especially about liking my wonky barn the most. You made my day! 😍
🙂 (and wonky is such a fun word – hahah)
LOL!! It is isn’t it!
well not too wonky to me – and please don’t cringe when I say this – but it reminds me a bit of Cezanne and his raw and unedited work. His still life works were not exact representations and not always in line – and that is what gave us flair and filter.
so wonky was not what I saw – I could feel a bit of easy energy …
I haven’t seen his unedited works. I’ll have to do a search online to see some. I don’t think I’ll ever learn how to draw a straight line, but art teachers keep taking away my ruler, so I keep trying to draw freehand and wonky is what I always get. 🤣
Do you draw and paint? Besides photography what is your creative outlet?
wel I think his finished works were just that – a bit unedited and not formal – and Picasso and others said that because of this different approach – and a no no-nonsense vibe about being formal and all that – is what modeled much for them (something like that)
Hi – I have humanities and arts in my background and sometimes draw and paint – but have to be in the mood – and I haven’t been for years
I get it! I have to be in “the mood” as well. When I’m not I pack it all up and put it away as I paint in a corner of my kitchen counter.
😊☀️
Good for you. Sketching really helps one to see better. Love the horse.
Thank you so much, Robert! I hope it helps me to “see” better and I hope I get better at sketching too. 😀
These are delightful! I hope you get out your sketch books again and soon.
Thank you so much, Susan!! I am practicing flowers now. 😀
Nice work.
Thank you, John!
Very nice! I especially like the studies of the trees. Keep it up!
Thank you so much for your encouragement, Janis!! 😀
You are quite good, Deborah! My favorite is the cabin.
Thank you so much, Jennie! 🥰
My pleasure!
😀
Ooo, the horse is magnificent! And I love the house and the arch too. I say go out and draw on site! You’re ready. 🙂
Thank you so much, Manja! I’ve only drawn on site once or twice and both times were with teachers present way back in my 30’s!
Truly impressive drawings, Deborah. I’m impressed that you structured the month, gathered up educational tools and art supplies and sat yourself down and did it. Watercolors are tricky, and you did so wonderfully. Cheers!
Thank you so much, Jet! I’ve had artist friends tell me watercolor is the hardest I should start with acrylics, but they don’t call me. 😀🤷♀️
I agree and disagree 🙂 I agree: the horse watercolor is my favorite, too! I disagree that it looks wonky! I like it, and I love the way that the front legs of the horse make you feel that the horse is in motion, galloping away, spraying water to all sides. I think it’s LOVELY!
Thank you so much!! The horse is supposed to running in snow. I guess that’s not as obvious though. 😀 I framed it and it’s hanging in my entry hall now.
I looked again, and I don’t know how I missed it. Even foamy water would have blue in it, and yours was white as far as the eye could see. Chalk it up to my not having seen horses galloping in the snow, it is absolutely not your drawing, which clearly (I can see it now) depicts the snow. My bad, not yours!
🥰 Thank you! You’re very kind!!
What a lovely post, Deborah! I’m so glad you shared with us. It’s so very long since I’ve done any sketching or painting… and I used to always have a pencil in my hand. Keep it up. Hugs on the wing!
Thank you so much, Teagan! 🥰
The horse comes across as dynamic, which is good.
Thank you so much, Steve! 😀
Well done, you! And friends and bald eagles as well. Win-win-win!!
Thank you, Janet! ❤
I love these, Deborah! I wish I could draw. Have oodles of fun with Grandson #1, how exciting!! 🥳
Thank you so much, Donna! I wish I could draw too! I just keep plugging away at it and one day I hope it all comes together and I can draw!
We’re excited about his visit. I hope he has fun I know we will. 😀
They’re all lovely, but the horse one makes me smile every time. A grandson visit – yes! Have a blast.
Thank you so much, Judy! I’m quite happy with the horse too. We’re excited about his upcoming visit I hope he has fun here!
Wow, beautiful work, Deborah! My only medium is words. I greatly admire your ability to create art like this. 🙂
Thank you so much, Paul!! I can’t write I admire your written work and others that write. I’ve been learning to draw and paint my whole life and I’m still am learning. 😀
I think it is terrific that you are expanding your artistic endeavors to other forms. It looks like you will do well too.
Thank you so much, John!
😊
I like these a lot, Deborah, especially the two you mention.
Thank you so much, Dan!
I am especially fond of your horse and your trees! It is fun to do a little painting and drawing, isn’t it? Helps get me get through the wintertime. Your art is fabulous Deborah! I look forward to seeing more! ❤️🎨 And having #1 grandson visit shall be great fun for you and him! 😃
Thank you so much, Jill! I wish at this point in my life that I could just sit down and draw anything I want, but I just haven’t learned how to do that yet so, I keep trying. Maybe when I grow up I’ll be able to. 😀
We’re excited and so thankful that he still wants to come to our house and spend time with us. 🥰
Beautiful, Deborah! Thank you for sharing. Aren’t online tutorials great? I mean, it’s still great to get out for an actual class but for anything you might want to paint someone has already posted a step-by-step YouTube video about it. And I am loving the generosity of these artists!
Deb
Thank you so much, Deb! I love YouTube tutorials and the generous artists there! I’ve learned so much and not just about painting. 😀
You’ve created some beautiful artwork. So nice to read about your upcoming visitor. Things are good, eh?
Thank you so much, Ally! Life is pretty good for us right now. I’m counting my blessings. 😀
Nicely done, Deborah! I really like the medium of watercolour.
Thank you so much, Belinda! I love it too, but it is hard. My artists friends say it’s the hardest medium and why did I start there?!! I just love it! 😀🤣
Beautiful painting all photos , specially horse and written lines 🙏🌷♥️ so awesome 👍🏻😊grace wishes
Thank you so much for your kind words, Thattamma! 😀
Love the horse! All your work shown here is excellent.
Thank you so much, Donna! 😀
The horse looks great!
Thank you so much, Gordon! I put that one on a wall in our house.
The horse and the ink drawing are my favourites, too. You are quite an artist!
Thank you so much, Pit!! You’re very kind. I don’t feel like an artist at all. 😀