Watercolour from today

So today I did what I said I was going to, and painted a picture on 8 x 11 watercolour paper.  It went okay, and I was pretty happy with the end result.  I can't just paint because it is still pretty unfamiliar to me, so I draw it first and then paint.  I couldn't get the shadows quite right, but for the first full drawing not on a 3.5 x 2.5 inch atc card I think it came out okay.  I used an old  art cover exchange cover I had by ACE 160, Gene Berryhill to get an idea for what to draw and paint.  Anyways, here is the end result:

I still have a lot to learn about watercolours, but I'm hooked.

Distressed ATC Cards

So this has been a quiet week as far as art goes.  I've still been doodling in my art journal every night, but not been doing a whole lot of other artsy stuff.

I've always been a fan of distressed looking stuff.  I guess that is why I love old barns so much, especially the ones with the paint peeling off, big holes in the sides, etc.  My sister and I went shopping for something to put her television on a year ago.  I was loving all the faded distressed stuff.  She hated it! LOL ... She likes the bright unblemished wood colours.  I know how distressed inks look on wood, but I wanted to see what they would look like on watercolour paper.

Yesterday I got out my distressed inks and made the backgrounds for several Art Trading Cards that I'll be sending to people to finish.  I think they came out okay. It will be interesting to see what they do to them.  Part of the image got cut off by the scanner; that's why they look smaller.

Tomorrow I plan on trying a "real" watercolour picture.  I've been doing washes on small ATC cards and envelopes, and I'd like to see how it looks on real paper.  On my wish list for Christmas:  an easel so I can do a real picture justice :)  I'll do my best on the table and see what happens.  I think if I pick up the image and rotate it, I can get the wash to work.

It was fun going to Hobby Lobby this past week and helping my sister to pick out a frame for a drawing I did that my mom called dibs on for Christmas.  My half of the gift was the drawing; my sis had to frame it.  I think I got the easy end of the deal.  It came out great.  I'll take a picture of it after she opens it for Christmas.

Why the Title?

My son and I have always been a fan of Family Matters and the character Steve Urkel.  His quirky clumsiness and antics made us watch rerun after rerun and always go back for more. 

The "did I do that?" phrase has always stuck with me.  Alas, the name was taken, so I decided to stick a "really" in the middle and still be urkelized.  

I have always considered my art rather urkel-like: clumsy and the results just happen by accident.  That is not to say I do not like my art, I do.  I always want to make it perfect, and sometimes edit it so much it ends up in a rolled up paper ball being launched like a Wilt Chamberlain hook shot to the hoop.  There are some pieces I would still like to throw away like the picture my sister liked so much she had it framed much to my chagrin.  It was the first picture I had drawn trees in, and they looked awful; my opinion not hers.  I've gotten used to seeing it on her wall, and don't cringe as much as I used to. 

I love smart phones, and I will admit I am addicted to the camera, although the iPhone I used to have definitely took better shots.  I use my phone to take pictures of WIP (works in progress) which I instantly multi-send to my family.  Most of my art these days is on a 3.5 x 2.5 inch platform, but I really enjoy it.  The Art Trading Card industry has me hooked, and I don't think a day goes by, I am not dabbling something on those tiny cards.  

The intent of this blog is to keep my friends and family abreast of my latest creations as well as throwing in a few smatterings of what interests me today, and show everyone that I "really did do that!"