Not in MY Backyard

Nothing much is happening in my backyard today, nor the front yard or at the sides. There is a thickly overcast sky ‘round these parts, and I doubt I’ll get any garden/entrance construction done today. I’d hate to get all my tools and saws out and have it cut loose and downpour on me. However yesterday, we were able to install the two 6x6 posts in the ground



Again, thanks to Hubbs, father-in-law, and the Bobcat, it was a relatively painless task. This is the first step that will tie into the existing fence posts bordering the garden entrance for reinforcement. It’s called a knee support. That should stabilize my somewhat heavy entryway. I've chosen an asymmetric plan so the posts aren't level with each other. The slanting ground played into my decision, and as an after thought, I now plan to add another stair-stepped second post to the right side that is less for support, but more about aesthetics. So thanks guys, for your help! Now the rest is up to me.

But for now, I might as well take advantage of the weather and shift over to an indoor sport. I'd love to crawl in bed with a knitting project, but there are more pressing projects at the moment. I’m finishing up a few small 5x 5 inch drawings. I drew this pair of pears about a year ago and quickly started a couple more just like it.

This is made with a watercolor base wash, then shaded with Prismacolor pencils and topped off with graphite pencil shading on the pears. The background is mostly acrylic paint. After completing the first version of these pears, I dabbled at Version #2 and #3, here and there, now and then, throughout the next few months, but I kept letting a lot of other projects interrupt. Now, with focused attention, they are basically done, short of mounting them for display, and I’ve gotten underway on another series of 5x5’s. This time, I’m working in graphite pencils alone, rendering a simple metal picture hook, nailed in the wall. I haven’t decided on the background or whether it will get a ‘color’. I decided to do those in multiples as well, since I’ll donate one to a gallery fundraiser (see below), and a couple others are committed to other people. I’d certainly like to keep one for myself too.

This 5x5 gallery event happens every May and I have donated a piece for many years. For more information, click here: http://www.tacgallery.org/tac-events.htm

Here are a couple of my past years’ donations.

So I’m going to settle in to my chair with a cup of hot peppermint tea, and draw the rest of the day away. I'll hopefully show you some finely-drawn picture hooks very soon.

Cheers!