Inktober finale

This post is late, for which I apologize. I actually did the drawing first thing in the morning after getting the girl on the bus to school. No words today, just outline work.

Prompt was “mask.” This Noh mask is in the Chazen Museum of Art in Madison. Done with brush pen. The face is too elongated, but I’m still pretty happy with it.

Drawing:

Photo:

Never lost

I wrote more than 300 words today, adding to the beginning of Troll Tunnels, and I really like the way it’s shaping up. Signed up formally on NaNoWriMo as a NaNo Rebel, too, to finish this up, then maybe start up a novella if there’s time.

If I nap tomorrow to stay up until midnight, however, it’s so I can listen to the final episode of Steal the Stars when it drops, not to get a head start on my writing.

Today’s Inktober prompt was “found.” This tiny white flower was on I found underfoot while at Rocky Mountain National Park, although “discovered” might be a better term.

Drawing:
drawing of small flowers

Photo:
small alpine flowers

It might finally be autumn

Temperatures have been in the 60s for a few days, and it’s been raining all day. Very autumnal.

Friday was trick-or-treating, yesterday I took the boy for an eye appointment (new glasses ordered!), and today was hanging out watching my husband game. But I figured out a new opening chapter for Troll Tunnels, which will make the entire book stronger — and wrote 168 words today!

I’m behind on posting my Inktober sketches. Friday’s prompt was “climb,” Saturday’s was “fall,” and today’s was “united.” So my drawings are a pair of ring-tailed lemurs from the Henry Vilas Zoo, some shergottite originally from Mars that fell in Morocco and is currently housed in the geology museum of the Colorado School of Mines, and a mosaic from an Iowa rest stop along I-80.

Lemurs:
drawing of lemurs
photo of lemurs
Rocks:
srawing of rocks
Mars rocks
Mosaic:
drawing of mosaic
photo of mosaic

Kickoff!

Tonight was the kickoff party for the local NaNoWriMo region. It’s always amazing to see how it’s grown over the years. Nicki (and Andrew, while he was here) did a great job of breathing life into the region and started awesome traditions, like the motivational beads. Now Roxi and Jamie (and Katie, the new bead goddess) are set to do even more. It was fabulous seeing so many motivated and eager people tonight.

Dress for daughter’s costume is done. Need to tweak the wings in the morning, but she can do the costume parade at school and trick-or-treating in the evening.

No words, but did get some freelance-related stuff done.

Inktober prompt was “squeak.” If I’d had a picture of my mom’s former cat, I’d have drawn her. Alas, no. So I went with prairie dogs at the Henry Bilas Zoo in Madison instead.

Drawing:
sketch of prairie dogs
Photo:
photo of prairie dogs

Waiting for godet

Still working on my daughter’s Halloween costume, and the skirt is supposed to flare. So today I learned the difference between godets and gores. Almost done — need to get a zipper and do the hem, but it should be ready for Friday.

Listening to podcasts while I work. Today the penultimate episode of Steal the Stars came out. If you like listening to fiction, I recommend it. If you prefer to read, the novelization comes out next month. Also catching up on Writing Excuses. Lots to listen to there — judging from my saved episodes, I stopped listening sometime in 2015 (thought it was longer than that!), so I’ve still got 25 months’ worth to go.

No words today. But using different forms of creativity refreshes me, and the podcasts let me think about my work in new ways, so I’m anticipating feeling fresh and ready to go next week.

Meanwhile, today’s Inktober prompt was “ship.” I used the brush pen again to try to capture some of the strokes from Piet Mondrian’s “Waals-Eilandgracht with Bridge and Moored Tjalk Barges,” which is in the Chazen Museum of Art in Madison. Perhaps barges aren’t really ships, but close enough for me.

Drawing:
ink drawing of barges, after Mondrian
Photo:
Piet Mondrian, Waals-Eilandgracht with Bridge and Moored Tjalk Barges, 1895-6

Blind

Most of today was spent on my daughter’s Halloween costume. still more work to go, but I think it’s coming along nicely. Might be done already if she and I hadn’t both decided on alterations to the pattern (she wants appliqué; I think pockets would be good).

So no words today. Likely none before Saturday. It’s that sort of week.

Today’s Inktober prompt was “blind.” This skull sculpture (“Ancient Fishing” by Jim Dine) sits outside the Chazen Museum of Art.

Drawing:
drawing of skull sculpture by Jim Dine
Photo:
Ancient Fishing sculpture by Jim Dine

Challenge accepted

One of the first things I had to do today was deal with our son’s glasses. The rim of the right frame broke at the point where it connects to the bridge. I took the glasses to two different eyeglass shops, and they both told me the glasses weren’t fixable. So I bought a $20 soldering iron and fixed them myself.

It’s not the strongest repair job, but it’ll last until we can get him an eye appointment and some new glasses. Which is more than the pros said they could do.

Also got my newsletter mailed out! (And added maybe 3 words to Troll Tunnels as I decided on a snippet to include.)

For Inktober, the prompt was “juicy.” This glass sculpture is actually a flower, but the translucent portion reminds me of a citrus juicer, so I decided that counts. At the Chazen Museum of Art. I did not note the artist’s name this time, which is bad of me, I know.

Drawing:
drawing of flower sculpture
Photo:
glass flower sculpture

Playing catchup 

Not a lot to say about the weekend (0 words), so I’ll just give you pictures for both Saturday and Sunday prompts for Inktober: “ferocious” and “trail.” The lion is on a merry-go-round at Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison, and the trail was in a woodland garden section of a park we stopped at on our way home from vacation.

Ferocious:


Trail:

Such a headache!

Yesterday, a bit after 4, I couldn’t keep my eyes open. Laid down to nap for a bit, and when my son woke me to ask about dinner (I ordered pizza), the head hurt, I couldn’t handle light — basically, full-on migraine. After eating, went back to bed.

Today, I spent most of the day with sunglasses on, but I managed to get some work done. 

40 words yesterday, 0 today.

Didn’t draw yesterday, so used two prompts today for Inktober: “cloud” and “deep.” Lake is Sprague Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Drawing:
ink drawing of Sprague Lake
Photo:
Sprague Lake photo

Gilgamesh was a Sumer king

Of him the tablets proudly sing …

Son wanted to talk about Gilgamesh today. It was fun reading him a summary from online and snarking about it. (Like, if Gilgamesh could survive walking across the bottom of the sea with stones tied around his ankles, how can we be sure he wasn’t already immortal?) And we about the first recorded fanfic, too, “Gilgamesh, Enkidu, and the Netherworld.” That was a fun conversation.

No words today either. Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow …

Inktober prompt was “filthy.” I drew E. coli from a glass sculpture by Luke Jerram that was at the Chazen Museum of Art. The sculpture is not filthy; it’s gorgeous. But the bacterium itself tends to be found in less than clean environments, so it seemed appropriate.

Drawing:

Photo: