Artist Blog of Cheryl Radford

Sketchbook - Part 4

4/24/2021

Six more days, six more sketches. Day 11 to day 16. Stay at home order number 3. Sketch everyday only from life, no photographic reference allowed. Sketchbook is 6 inches by 6 inches. Quick sketches. Tools include micron pen, water brushes, watercolour pencils for colour. Except for the last one... which is painted with coffee.

Sketchbook - Part 3

4/18/2021

6 days of sketches... Monday to Saturday sketches. Sketching with pencil, micron ink pen and waterbrush filled with distilled water and couple drops of india ink. Some I was just playing with watercolour pencil and waterbrush.

Sketchbook - Part 2

4/11/2021

Friday, Saturday and Sunday sketches. Daily small and quick sketches using a MICRON 05 pen, and a water brush filled with distilled water and a couple drops of india ink for grey tones in 6" x 6" sketchbook.

New Sketchbook

4/9/2021

Tis the season to get outside and sketch. It's also the 3rd wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and a new stay at home order. The small size of my new sketchbook 6" x 6" is great for location sketching. Using a MICRON 05 pen, and a water brush filled with distilled water and a couple drops of india ink for grey tones. First image is from my back yard. I did not know what the flower was so I googled it.

When you google "small purple flowers in lawn" this is what comes up:
(https://newgarden.com/notes/controlling-wild-violet-weeds-in-the-lawn#:~:text=One%20of%20the%20most%20difficult,can%20choke%20out%20your%20lawn.)
One of the most difficult weeds to control in the lawn is wild violet. This native plant may look cute and dainty, especially in the spring when it produces pretty purple flowers. But in reality it is an aggressive weed with an unusual flowering quirk that results in thick mats of leaves that can choke out your lawn. Aug. 29, 2013

When you google "wild violet native" this is what comes up:
(https://www.ediblewildfood.com/wild-violet.aspx)
Wild violets are beautiful when in bloom but as the temperatures warm up the flowers tend to wilt and die off by the heat of the summer. These flowers tend to start growing in shady areas and spread to sunnier locations should the conditions be favourable. This edible plant is not liked in many areas as it can take over a lawn. They freely self-seed to the point of being weedy in optimum growing conditions. In addition to being edible this plant has several medicinal properties as well.

Just found it interesting - first search: it's a bad weed vs second search: its an edible native plant.

BlackHorse Golf

8/23/2020

BlackHorse Golf & County Resort
Played this golf course on Friday, August 21, a sunny, hot day, perfect for golf. The number breakdown looks like this...
18 holes - 16 sketches - 2 tall boys - 4 hours, 5 minutes - 89 total
Riding in a cart while golfing, always gives more time for sketching. The "on course" sketches are very quick... I never want to be "that" golfer who holds other golfers up! So, I have learned to sketch very quickly, especially on the golf course. Sometimes, I start with some pencil lines (I was using a mechanical pencil, which I have had since college), but sometimes I go right to permanent black ink. All of these sketches were done on the course and the colour was added later.

Still an Obsession

7/25/2020

I still sketch every golf hole I play. This obsession started in the spring of 2016 and still I still have the urge to record every hole I play. If I have already sketched the holes/course, no need to do it again. Greenhills Golf Club is no longer owned by Clublink, which means I have played all of my rounds at the same course since this season started. But... while out of town last week, I got to play 2 different courses: a 12 hole course in Eagle Lake (not a typo... a 12 hole course) and an 18 hole course.

"Eagle Lake Golf, is tucked away just a short picturesque drive west of South River. A gently rolling one of a kind 12-hole course, designed to tantalize the everyday golfer yet it reminds you that accuracy is more important than distance alone." A fun course to play, needs some work, its a little rough around the edges.

"Osprey Links Golf Course. The front 9 is a traditional links style golf course with eight strategically placed ponds enhancing every hole, while the back nine is a completely different challenge. Being almost completely cut out of the forest, it features tree-bordered fairways and extreme elevations." I loved the tree lined back nine, did not like the front nine so much. .

Sketching vs Drawing

5/15/2020

I have been asked "why do I call some of my artworks - sketches and some of my artworks - drawings?"

Official Definitions
sketch: a rough drawing representing the chief features of an object or scene and often made as a preliminary study
drawing: the art or technique of representing an object or outlining a figure, plan, or sketch by means of lines

I find a "sketching" in a sketchbook fun and relaxing. There is no pressure to please other people. I am using a sketchbook, which is relatively inexpensive, (usually) acid free, 60 lb paper with a fine tooth surface. The finished product is just for me. I find my lines are freer and there is more life in the sketch when I am not concerned about exact shape, size, colour, etc.

Most of my commissions required more detail. I use a much more expensive substrate, (usually) Arches Watercolour Hot Press 140 lb, and 100% cotton paper. The challenge is always to keep the "life and character" in the finished drawing. I would say... my finished artworks fit somewhere in the grey area between a sketch and a drawing. My finished works are not exact, but they are close.

I Walk

5/8/2020

I have always enjoyed walking. Way back when I was in my 20's, it was because I did not have a vehicle, but I eventually bought a car. I lived downtown and worked downtown, so continued to walk. And I still like to walk.

First, I think its the best exercise, you don't need any special equipment, you don't need other people, you can just walk out your door and go. Oh, and it helps to wear off the beer I drink and the chocolate I eat!
Second, I find walking alone very meditative. I prefer to walk with no headphones or cell phone, and I prefer to walk by the river and get a little taste of nature in the city. Listening to the sound of the river, the birds, and the wind....
Third, I find this time great for creative ideas. Ideas pop into your head when you are relaxed.

I love to walk. I do not love to bike. I do bike once and a while but not as enjoyable. I miss the connection with nature. So when I go for a bike ride it's nice to just sit by the river and sketch. Always have a sketchbook!

Sitting by the river sketching.

Virtual Beer

4/25/2020

Combining beer tasting, sketching and chatting. I was really missing the great conversations that happen over beer! Not as good as in person, but at this time... virtual beer it is!
Last week, with a friend from out of province (Rickard's Red: full-flavoured, medium-bodied Red ale) and this week a friend from London (Sweet Potato Rye: rich, golden-hued, organic ale, made with local, organic sweet potato. from London Brewing Co-operative)
Oh sooooo good!

Make it a Positive Experience

3/29/2020

When I started my "stay at home" for 2 weeks on Wednesday of this week, I made the decision that I would make this a positive experience. Besides more time to do artwork, which is the best part... I started each day with a list of what I would do that day, then at the end of the day I revisit it and check off everything I did.
I have kept myself busy with an indoor sketch challenge from Urban Sketchers Waterloo Region, lots of drawing, reading, yoga, walking the dog and putting more of an effort into social media. Still don't love it, but seeing more benefit. It is very time consuming. No post on social media today, back to it tomorrow.