Category: Animals
Drawing Whimsical Animals
Recently I had the opportunity to take a two-session class on drawing whimsical animals. Seeing as I can’t even draw a good stick figure, I felt a “whimsical” class would suit me better than taking a “realistic” animal drawing class. Besides, I feel whimsical animals are better suited to my mixed media pieces than realistic animals.
We worked on the basics like eye placement and how changing the eyes and eye brows can totally affect the mood portrayed by the animal.
Testing out eye placement and eyebrows.
After copying different animals the instructor provided, we worked on our first mixed media piece. The teacher asked that we include at least two animals and there be some kind of story between them. This is what I came up with.
My first attempt at drawing whimsical animals.
Putting clothes on animals is a sure way to add whimsy. I even gave my rabbit red boots to wear with her flowered dress.
We had a week between classes so I practiced drawing all kinds of whimsical animals. Here are some of my practice pieces.
This skyward looking bunny actually started out as and owl.
Kitties
Owls
More owls
And yet another owl.
Whimsical donkeys
The second session had us copying one of the instructors pictures. The funny thing was, I thought her animal was a deer and my other classmate thought it was a rabbit. The teacher said it was actually a peacock. Since only the head was showing, we all saw it a different way. So our instruction was to copy her picture, but make the animal into what we wanted it to be. Here is just the head shot of my funny deer.
My whimsical deer.
I had a lot of fun in that class and I am quickly filling up a journal with funny animal doodles. My goal is to create several animals in a style that is completely my own.
If you are in the Fredericksburg, Virginia area. You can find the drawing whimsical animals class at Lord and Lilly’s, 611 Caroline Street, 540-371-1333.
Drawing whimsical animals or people is an ideal outlet for those of us who are stick-figure challenged!
A Special Visit
On Sundays I really like to take it easy. Staying a home on Sundays is difficult for me though, as there is always work to be done around the house or for Mossy Cottage. Therefore I am trying to go out on Sundays to avoid the temptation to work. I had a meeting to go to this past Sunday evening so that didn’t leave me a lot of time to nap and go out. So I decided to take a little trip about 6 miles away to visit some new friends. Let me introduce you to Clementine and Jacob.
Yes, they are miniature donkeys! Their owners parents go to church with me and have recently moved to Caroline County from Arkansas. So far they have brought four horses, two donkeys and two miniature donkeys. Clementine and Jacob arrived here this past Saturday. See the red paint on their rears? That is where their little bottoms were rubbing the red paint on the trailer that brought them here.
Despite the long hot trip, they were not showing any signs of stress at being in this new environment. In fact they already seem at home here.
They have such sweet faces with so many spots to scratch and kiss! It was easy for me to make friends with them as I broke the ice with a baggy full of cut up carrots. Oh, and there was someone else I met. Meet Coco…
She wanted her picture taken too, but she passed on the carrots. I had a fun little outing Sunday afternoon and plan to go back with more goodies for all the animals. But by far, the miniature donkeys are my favorites!
Here is page from my art journal that was inspired by Jacob and Clementine.
The Big Meet and Greet
By now most of my readers know who this is….
But do you know who this is?
This is Louie our new cat rescue. We got him from the Caroline County Humane Society. He is 4 years old and his previous owner had to go into a nursing home. We got Louie for Holly because she really needs someone to play with and to keep her company when we’re gone all day. We had him upstairs for a couple of days to get used to us and his new house. Friday afternoon we felt it was time to introduce Holly and Louie.
Here they are checking each other out for the first time.
Louie ran behind the door and Holly followed him. You can just see his little nose sticking out from behind the door.
Then she followed him back out.
Louie went back in and started checking out her litter box. This is probably the cat equivalent of people looking in other people’s medicine cabinets.
Then Holly watched Louie.
And Louie watched Holly.
After a while they ended up in the sun room “tolerating” each other. And they all lived happily ever after……NOT!
Yesterday morning, just when we thought they were getting used to each other, they got into an all out scuffle with claws and scratching and hissing and me becoming a nervous wreck. Everyone says, “Oh, they’re just figuring out whose boss” etc…And things like, “It will only take a couple of days, or months, or years for them to establish the pecking order”. Huh? We got Louie to be a friend for Holly to play with and cuddle. What I got is a bad case of nerves. I am walking on egg shells hoping they don’t run into each other. At this point I’d be happy if Louie just stayed upstairs where he seems happiest and Holly stayed downstairs where she is happiest. Holly is scared now and stays hidden. Louie comes downstairs, walks around once and goes right back upstairs. Somehow this is not what I pictured getting another cat would be like.
What I need is my dear readers to reassure me that 1) this is totally normal. 2) this will end tomorrow and 3) they will fall deeply in love and we will all live happily ever after!!!!
glitteronmyface 