Sketchbook Messy

It’s a sketchbook… it should have sketchy elements… correct??? When I sketch, it’s not pretty… it’s scribbly… lines over lines… items sketch over other items… it’s about placement… it’s about fitting key objects within the drawing… very a perfect, clean drawing… pencil… ink outline… erase… or not to erase… that is the question when creating in my sketchbook… lately, I have not erased much and I’ve allowed mistakes to remain… it’s my sketchbook… it’s my learning book… it’s for fun… leave it in, I say… let the process show through lighter paint or pencil…

 Today’s sketch is extremely messy… you can click on the photos to see them larger…

PAINTED… you don’t see a lot of the before messiness… I used watercolor pencils for most of this painting… I don’t think I really like the set I purchased or maybe I don’t like this media… although they are easy to use when not in my art studio…

This is the original photo prompt…

Back to another sketch from the other day… lots of lines and there will probably be more… I haven’t figure out my background or tabletop pattern… sorry about the lighting… photographing while in bed is not ideal for quality… lol

This last one was erased and it was messy… especially that little wooden thingy for honey… I struggled with the size and then the angled and the honey pot jar is still wonky… lol… I never claim to be logical in my drawing skills or perspective… just draw… just colorize: paint, pencil, whatever… fun fun fun or forget it…

I am about halfway through my original MOCA sketchbook… might have to film me flipping the pages… a peek into my colorful world of learning… of experimenting… of hopefully improving…

Sooooo… expect more messy sketches… it’s a SKETCHbook!

Home Improvement Projects

Something a little different today… sharing an ongoing home project… 26 years ago we purchased our home… a 1930 California bungalow cottage with craftsman built-in characteristics… soooo charming… 18 years ago we either needed to move to a larger home or add-on to our home… an addition was my plan from the beginning… hubby thought we’d move… I talked him into my way of thinking to stay in our neighborhood which I adored… fast forward… we love our home and garden and we are still making improvements… such as painting all of our exterior doors black (originally only our front door was black)…

Love the way these French doors turned out… and though not photographed, the interior side of the doors are black as well… soooo happy… 

Anddddd this is the last door to be painted… I’m hoping hubby does it next weekend…

Not sure what hubby will work on next… maybe baseboards… maybe my black and white harlequin patterned tile entry and hallway… or something else we have on our to do list…

Three in One Mashup

I mashed together three art challenges from one of my art challenge groups…

Today’s challenge… lemons and architecture…

Last week’s challenge…

A couple week’s prior to last week…

Lemons… cake… daisies… I made them work on my table… on my wallpaper and outside my French doors… FUN to collect photos and put them together to make a whole new composition… the Fifi way… rebellious artist!

 

Working from Bed

Feeling under the weather—nasty head cold—has hampered my production somewhat since I can’t easily paint in my bed; too messy! I can sketch and I can write when my head-fog is lifted… I had expected to finish my NEW NOVEL: WRONGED last week but I’m a little behind… next week works too… I would like to release it for New Year’s Eve-ish… 

So here is what I have accomplished… sketches in my sketchbook…

I have jotted some notes on my iPad… I actually have written all of my books on my iPad device thanks to it fitting in to a hard keyboard case making it like a laptop…

Yessssss… I have self-published (25) books!!! My first romance book published TEN YEARS AGO…WOW! It STILL amazes me every time I see them in print on my bookshelves and online in bookstores—currently ONLY on AMAZON: MY AUTHOR PAGE

Hoping to have (27) published by my birthday February 9th, 2024… I can do it!

Contemporary Romance: Laugh. Smile. Swoon.

 

Lily Pink Striped Pottery

This art challenge brightened my day—sick with a head cold—before I crawled back into my bed… love flowers… love stripes…

I even managed to film my paint process…

Here is the art challenge photo prompt…

I actually painted things pretty close to the original photo this time… simple and cute is what I needed…

Painting is AVAILABLE: EMAIL FOR MORE INFORMATION

 

Book World… Art World

My worlds often collide… 

I like to write what I know—easiest to be real even writing FICTION. Soooo my characters usual (no Navy Seal experience but I research a lot) have professions I’ve been associated with or done. I have a few artists and galleries in the mix too… I JUST realized MOST or ALL of them are MEN… I’m not sure… ohhhhh no I did have a female artist, the reclusive Constance Chiani, one my main character interviewed in Reclining Nude in Chicago (FYI the title is based on a painting)…

This was my original cover for the book and this painting by ME, Fifi Flowers, was supposed to be a painting by one of main characters: Emerson York, famous artist created by me. Ohhhhh, I remember another female painter/photographer character—Lily LaSalle—in my very first book and I used “her” artwork for the original cover ALSO painted by me, Fifi Flowers… 

Both these books are AVAILABLE and FREE with Kindle Unlimited HERE

They are BOTH on the STEAMY side of contemporary romance… here are the latest covers…

FUN! that I get to me Fifi the artist and Fifi the author…

BEST when I combine the two worlds in books and sometimes art as I paint self-portraits, sketch scenes for book writing and even paint typewriters. 

Life is Good!

First Book in my Foolish Hearts series

This is the first book in my Foolish Hearts (standalone) series… Each book has some characters that may show up in other books. I LOVE to use my made-up characters in other books in other series or totally standalone books. I’ve created my own universe: with my own famous people, my own products, my own places… Soooo FUN… If you haven’t read any of my books, maybe start with this one and it is FREE with Kindle Unlimited.

                                Book Cover design: LKO Designs

Book blurb…

Ireland Dumont loved her life—single with not a care in the world, running her own online concierge company. On the edge of ultimate success, her parents stepped in and arranged a proper groom for her to marry. Giving over to their request, she heads to Vegas to celebrate her last days of freedom.

Meeting a handsome stranger was not on her agenda.
Accepting his marriage proposal was the perfect addendum to her agenda.

Jensen Callum needed a wife for his new business venture with a company that prided themselves on being a family-owned operation. His old playboy status was about to be nipped in the bud by his parents when he returned home from his business trip to an arranged marriage of their doing.

What will happen when Ireland and Jensen’s families find out that they arranged their own marriage venture that wasn’t in the grand scheme of things?

PURCHASE LINK

Hot Pink Flowers Black and White Mug

A new sketchbook entry…

 This is the art challenge prompt… 

You can see I reversed the wall and table patterns… and here is the process…

I LOVE filming… kind of feels like I’m doing another thing I went to school for… I’m what doing production design or filming a feature film but I paint scenes and I film the process… laugh out loud… yes, I went to film school but I did not finish…

Do what you like to do… be creative… be happy! Make others happy too!

I hope I bring a smile to your face!

Sunday Art Studio

I painted my sketch and I looked at my art studio for inspiration…

 My art studio… don’t look at the mess… giggles wildly!!!

Photo inspiration…

Here is the painting process…

I film right on the black mat on my desk… I have bendable tripod attached to my desk and when needed a ring light to light the space… fun! I LOVE my little art studio loft…  it’s where I make art and write books most of the time…

Be creative! Have FUN!