Eating Chocolate, Drawing Chocolate

Today I am looking for joy and lightness of spirit. The weekend and current election climate and the high level of negativity and pain are weighing heavily on me.
I could stay buried under the covers eating chocolate all day, but not sure how much that would accomplish. 

Instead I am up, painting and preparing to sketch and paint chocolate! Which will bring me longer lasting happiness, and no guilt!

And hopefully shift my overall mood. It also serves to ease me into a productive day. What will you do today to bring joy?

It is all very well to copy what one sees, but it is far better to draw what one now only sees in one's memory. That is a transformation in which imagination collaborates with memory.
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/transformation.html

You can view my more of my work in my Etsy shop Erin Go Paint. Or take a peek at my recent 100 Day Project on Instagram

Mushrooms in the Grass, Daily Sketch

 I start my day with an early walk or run, during which I get my thoughts in order.  Foremost in my daily planning is a sketch idea for the day... for me and for my drawing students.
There is no substitute for daily practice of your art. By applying, and challenging, yourself every day there is growth. 

"You can never do too much drawing." 
~Jacopo Tintoretto (Venetian Painter)

Today's drawing idea prompt is to find something that is normally overlooked. Something small and possibly mundane and bring it into the light, and life - on your page.
During my walk yesterday on a murky grey morning I spied 2 mushrooms growing in the grass along the sidewalk. After seeing them, I spotted another dozen mushrooms all along the way.  Taking the time to notice the first 2 triggered all the rest!

I had fun using creative license to create my little mushroom village.  What can you bring to light and life today?

It is all very well to copy what one sees, but it is far better to draw what one now only sees in one's memory. That is a transformation in which imagination collaborates with memory.
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/transformation.html

You can view my more of my work in my Etsy shop Erin Go Paint. Or take a peek at my recent 100 Day Project on Instagram

Halfway to 100 Days - of watercolor illustrations

I was enamored with the idea of the 100 Days Project after seeing a friend, and fellow artist, Brooklyn Blue Day posting daily on Instagram.
So I made a decision to create a watercolor illustration for 100 days in a row... The process has had a tremendous impact on my art - and my life, and I will be sharing what I have learned soon.

                           Day 50 - Fresh Juicy Watermelon

Yesterday I celebrated the 50 Day mark!  It went SO fast and yet there were days that I struggled to make the time - or find the inspiration. But each day I persevered, and am looking forward to what comes up over the next 50 days.

Here are some of the crowd favorites from the first fifty....

 You can follow my daily progress on instagram at Erin Go Paint
And you can view my online portfolio at ErinRogersPickering.com

Daily Drawing - ginger root

"You can't do sketches enough. Sketch everything and keep your curiosity fresh."   ~John Singer Sargent


May your curiosity, and your ginger, always be fresh!  
Love the knobby, woody crazy shapes of ginger roots.  
Oh, and that divine aroma.
The best cure for the stomach that ails you.

To view my online portfolio visit ErinRogersPickering.com
To view my shop please visit Erin Go Paint 

Daily Drawing - Fresh Limes

"I have learned that what I have not drawn, I have not really seen."
~ Frederick Franck

Limes - fresh, tart, juicy, and bright... using the wedges as I sketch.


To view my online portfolio visit ErinRogersPickering.com
To view my shop  please visit ErinGoPaint

Kitchen Nook illustration

A cozy kitchen breakfast nook, accented with red!
I was not finding the room templates I wanted to show my paintings and prints on the wall of a room... so I am creating my own.  Sketching and designing rooms that I love.

Sketching Romaine

"romaine lettuce studies" watercolor sketch 9"x12"

As I struggle through an allergic haze today, precious little has been accomplished!  And, in passing moments of clarity I am frustrated by this as I have a pile of art assignments needing my time and attention.

So instead of staring blankly at a wall (or FB) I cracked open my trusty sketchbook and painted before I ate lunch... focusing on the romaine leaves as they were an infinitely more interesting subject than the tuna salad!  

Happily, this shook me out of my haze long enough to get a few things done.