Oh The Things You Could Draw

You know how I love pumpkins.   This one is by Sandy Simpson

Shell from Pencils 201 by Justine Hennessy

Sometimes I wish I had a camera pointed at my face when I open the emails I get from my students.  Occasionally they find some of the exercises to be particularly challenging, and I feel their struggle.  But when it finally clicks and they begin to make real progress, I celebrate with them and the drawings they send to me bring big smiles to my face.

I have to brag on them sometimes because they are just so very good.  I love that they each have their own style and their own interest for drawing subjects.  I love that they are each finding their own unique creativity.

Here are some pieces done recently by a few of my students at Creative Pencils.  Now, when you look at these and are impressed - and of course, you will be impressed - remember that these students started out as beginners.  This is not the level at which they came into class.

Now, doesn't that bring a smile to your face? ....................
Yes, I thought so.....

"Chloe" by Sandra Petersen

Wind and Honey Creations

Zest-It! You're Going To Love This!

For all of you that love the look of blended Colored Pencils - Prismacolor or Derwent Colorsoft, or Faber-Castell Polychromos, or any of the other quality brands... For all of you that love it when your colored pencil looks like paint... And for all of you that have hands that ache when you are finished blending with the blending pencil...  Well, I've got great news for you!

I had read some about using solvents with colored pencils.  But my experimenting with the Prismacolor colorless blending marker yielded less than satisfying results.   And the other solvents I had read about have toxic levels that I prefer not to bring into my world.  One site said to use them with an open window.  Well, the seasonal opportunities for that where I live are very very small.  And then I found Zest-It products.  They have several products under this name including brush cleaners and oil paint mediums.  But the one I am so excited about is the colored pencil blending medium.  It is non toxic!  Well, they suggest you not drink it.  Oh.  Well, it does have a refreshing orange aroma.  But I don't think I'll be too tempted to drink it.  The other solvents I have looked at leave a residue on your drawing creating a non archival piece.  But according to the Zest-It representative, the Zest-It evaporates leaving nothing on your paper except colored pencil.  How great is that?!

Blended with a paper blending stump.

I was very pleased with the results I got when using the Zest-It and found it to be much quicker than the slow tedious process of blending with the pencil blenders.  And the icing on the cake was that my hand didn't even ache when I was through.

blended with the tortillion

I have posted my testing pieces here.  I used Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils for this experiement.  I first blended with a paper blending stump that I had touched into just a dab of the Zest-It.  It took very little for the whole project. I was pleased with the results with the blending stump.  It was smooth and filled the space well.  Then I tried it with a paper tortillion.  Although the results were not bad, it was not quite as smooth as the blending stump and it was more laborious to accomplish the blending.  Last I tried using a paint brush to dip into the Zest-It.  I expected this to be my favorite as I love using brushes with the Derwent Inktense pencils.  I love getting the color wet and then pulling it to create the effect I want with the brush.  However, I found that the color did not pull using the Zest-It with the paint brush.  It did seem to affect the overall color but did not create the smooth painted look that I prefer.  So I will stick with the blending stump, which is just fine with me.  I was quite pleased with it.  I have read the some artists like to use a Q Tip to blend it.  I think that would probably work well for large areas.  But it would not give as much control as the pointed tip of the blending stump in areas with more detail.

blended with the paint brush

I also piddled with the Zest-It with soft pastels and oil pencils and found it to work quite well with them too.

Zest-It is something I will definitely be sharing with my students.  They will love how it helps them advance more quickly in their colored pencil skills.

The only draw back for the Zest-It is that it is a company based in the United Kingdom and they do not, as of yet, have a distributor in the US.   (****See amended note below.  It is available in the US now)  The shipping I paid was a bit high.  But I ordered enough to last quite a while and decided that in the long run, it was still a good buy even after the shipping.  It took 2 weeks to get my package of Zest-It from England to Oklahoma.  Perhaps if there is enough interest shown in the US by colored pencil artists, they will establish a distributor over here.  That would be great!   Let me know if you try it or have any experience with it.  I'd love to see what you've done.

Want to learn more about drawing and creating your own pencil art?  Try out my online pencil art learning community at Wind and Honey Classes.  We are having a great time there and my students are progressing so well.   

****Note added 12-5-12   Zest-It is now available in the US.  You can see more about that in my post here.  Also I now have workshops at Wind and Honey Classes that demonstrate and teach the use of Zest-It.  Check it out.  There is usually at least one workshop current that utilizes this helpful tool.


Wind and Honey Creations

Pumpkin, Pumpkin, Whose Got the Pumpkin?

In my last post I bemoaned the late summer temperatures that were keeping the feeling of Autumn at bay.  Since I wrote that post the temperatures have dropped about 30 degrees and we've had nice soft cool rains.  The leaves are beginning to change and the days are quite pleasant.  The cats are enjoying time in the open windows of my studio.

I'm reminded of the hay rides we used to go on as kids.  With these moments and moods in mind I've created two new ACEO (Art Cards) in an Autumn theme.  An ACEO (Art Card) is always 3.5" x 2.5".  It can be made with just about any material you'd like.  I've seen them made in clay, quilted fabric, canvas, paper, and stained glass.  Both of these original cards were created digitally and then hand embellished with a variety of types of colored pencils - oil, wax, and watercolor.  And then they were finished off with a touch of India Ink.  They may both be found in my Etsy shop.  The actual cards do not have a watermark on them.

And now, just for fun, I'd like to share a recipe with you.  This is perfect for a cool Autumn breakfast or a raining afternoon snack.  Here is my own original Creamy Pumpkin Spread recipe.  For my vegan friends, a non dairy cream cheese substitute will work just fine with this.

Creamy Pumpkin Spread

8 ounces of Neufchatel cheese

1/2 Cup pumpkin 

(I used fresh that I had previously cooked.  But canned would work fine.)

4 Tablespoons Agave nectar

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon of each (Ginger, allspice, cloves)

1 teaspoon Vanilla

This creamy spread is wonderful on hot English Muffins or Bagels. I've been wondering how yummy it might be on pancakes!  Ha!  I'll have to try that!

Enjoy!

        

Wind and Honey Creations

The Frost Is On the Pumpkin

Well, actually the frost isn't on the pumpkin.  We are having an unusually warm September - low 90's.  I just thought that I might make some weather suggestions to see if it would help.  Of course, later we'll be complaining about the cold. But for now, for just this day, it would be nice to have a bit of frost for those pumpkins.

Autumn is my favorite season.  While growing up Autumn meant the football season.  I'm not such a big sports fan.  But I was in band and we were at all the games and we marched in the half time.  Plus those players on the field were my friends.  It was an exciting and fun time.  After I was married, we always took our kids on a camping trip in the Autumn season.  We had wonderful family time and have many happy memories about sitting around the campfire in the cool of the evening.    One time a raccoon shimmied down the tree right beside us and walked over to the picnic table.  He promptly picked up our entire brand new bag of marshmallows and ran off with it.  We weren't sure whether to laugh or to mourn the loss of our treat for later.

I went to my high school reunion this last weekend.  It was the (mumble mumble) year for us but the first one I had been able to attend.  What a delight it was to see my friends from those football and band days.  There were a few that were unable to attend.  But many were there.  -  Great times!

Here's a piece from my Etsy shop that reminds me of Autumn moons.  He's promising her the moon!  She's not so sure.....

Wind and Honey Creations