Challenges + other news

 

Recently I learned of The Sketchbook Challenge and of course I had to sign up for it. And in case you didn't know I LOVE sketchbooks. New ones, old ones, other peoples. I love everything about them. I have several and for this challenge I have purchased a couple of new ones :) In an effort to improve my skills I have been drawing daily anyway so this just adds to the fun.

Here is the info via the site:

The sketchbook challenge is a new project launching on 1/1/2011. Follow along with us as we fill our sketchbooks based on a monthly theme that will be announced on the first of each month.

Each month we'll announce a new theme on this blog and throughout the month we'll be showing you images from our sketchbooks and talking about the intention and inspiration behind them.  Along the way we'll be sharing tips, techniques and tutorials.  We hope that by giving you a peek inside our sketchbooks and showing you how different they all are that we'll inspire you to start keeping a sketchbook of your own.  And of course if you do, we'll want to see some photos of your book too so we've designed a blog badge for you to put on your own blog to show your participation in the project.  You can download the badge here.

We encourage you to post photos of your sketchbook pages on your blog and then post a link in the comment section of the Sketchbook Challenge blog so that others can look at your pages too!  We've also set up a flickr group where you can post photos too.  You'll find the group here.

And that's not all! Thanks to the generosity of some terrific sponsors we'll be doing some givewaways and special shopping offers too!

So pick up your blog badge here, go grab a sketchbook, some pencils, pens, markers or paints and get ready to sketch with us!

Here is the list of the AMAZING artists that will be sketching along:

                                    

Jill Berry 
Sue Bleiweiss
Laura Cater-Woods
Jane Davies 
Jamie Fingal 
Judi Hurwitt
Leslie Tucker Jenison 
Lyric Kinard
Jane LaFazio
Kelli Perkins 
Carol Sloan
Carla Sonheim 
Susan Sorrell
Melanie Testa
Diana Trout
Violette

The second challenge I jumped on I found via Melanie Testa. 30 lines 30 days. She posted it on her blog awhile back and I recently found it. She (and others) have already completed it but I am doing it anyway.

Melanie recommends a ruling pen used with black paint to create 30 line drawing in 30 days. I am not using the ruling pen and have just been working with my Pitt pen.

Here are days 1-7. I am working in my moleskin book and I am not spending alot of time on them. I am really enjoying it.
 

I almost forgot to mention the other news! On my creative dream/life list has been to be published in Artful Blogging. I truly love this magazine. Just beautiful like so many of the other Stampington publications.

And while I wasn't chosen to be featured (I am still shooting for this) my blog banner will be featured in the spring issue of Artful Blogging in the Banners we love section!! I am truly honored and thankful to be included once again in a Stampington publication.