Christmas is coming...

...but you wouldn't guess it from my sketchbook. I've been busy wrapping and sending gifts and cards and haven't made time to actually draw anything Christmassy. The following sketches are all I've managed in the last couple of weeks. Elaine napping and some more anatomy sketches (copied from the library book I was meant to take back today...sigh...another errand to add to the list. Only one more week to get everything organized!

 

Snow, trees, mountains

This past weekend we had a work event - the AGM and Christmas 'do' of a hairdressing association, Intercoiffeur. Fortunately it didn't feel like a work event at all because it was at one of the loveliest hotels in Bavaria - the Schlossanger Alp. It's a family run hotel located near the top of a mountain on ground which used to be the family's cowshed and summer pasture for their herd. It's only a 10 minute drive (up a rather scary one track road) from civilisation but round about are only mountains and forest. And it snowed just in time for the first advent. Stupidly, I haven't yet progressed to putting my phone photos onto this blog but you can check the website or use your imagination while looking at these somewhat abstract sketches of the two views from our room:

What looks like a sandcastle is the tower of the ruined castle Falkenstein. King Ludwig (who built the famous fairy tale castle, Neuschwanstein) planned to build his 4th castle here but died before it could happen.

 In the afternoon I sat (ok, hid) in the gallery area of the lounge area and, looking down on fellow guests tried to sketch some. Unfortunately I seem to have forgotten everything I learnt in the motion sketching workshop I took a while back. Still, practice is practice.

Just say....yes...maybe...well, actually - no!

I'm trying to improve my basics so I've started copying a few drawings from an anatomy for artists book borrowed from the local library. This one was done on tracing paper (well, greaseproof paper from the kitchen, actually):

 and underneath is the skeleton with some muscles.

At the weekend I managed to put together a festive toddler outfit using a pattern from the book Simple sewing for Baby by Lotta Jansdotter. The gorgeous polar bear fabric is Brrr! (Laurie Wisbrun for Robert Kaufmann) and the red is a recyled t-shirt of mine which I found deep in the back of the wardrobe. If I have time this week I may make a tiny polar bear friend to fit in the pocket.

Not going to win any tailoring prizes but I'm slowly getting more sewing confidence.

 

In the hospital

This drawing was done from a snap taken in the hospital about a month ago now. This was the morning after. Drip still attached to forehead but she'd got her appetite back. The brown thing in her hand is a bit of 'Breze' - bread pretzel - which she guzzled down. The drawing isn't great but it's representative in that she didn't look herself at that point - still dehydrated. All back to normal now, though :)

Photo round up

My Blogtoberfest ended with more of a whimper than a bang as the combination of my parents being there, preparing for E's birthday and general disorganization meant that I didn't get any drawing done in the last days of October. It was quite a relief not feeling obliged to do something every day but the feeling of freedom has now changed to disappointment in my procrastinating self as I haven't done any sketching for the last 2 weeks.

I put on the lego car for scale. Only occured to me that I just could have used a tape measure. Duh. The backing is just the same Kona purple as the binding.

I've not been totally lazy though. Mum helped me add the binding to my small quilt (it's maybe pram/small crib size) in the first picture and I added the backing, quilted and bound the 2nd, somewhat larger quilt. If it survives a machine wash it's going to be my sister-in-law's birthday present. Once again a massive thank you to Sarah who gave me the fabric for both of the tops. She's lovely :) The final photo shows the first zippy bag I've ever attempted. It's meant to be an Xmas gift for a friend but the upper corners have somehow 'disappeared'. Hmm..still, adds to the charm.





I'll stop now and promise to draw something for the next post. I'll leave you with a glimpse of Elaine's birthday:

What a difference a week makes

Above:Today (view from balcony). Below: One week ago, T-shirt weather. (Not view from balcony, but not too far away!)

 Haven't posted for a few days as we had a health scare. We took baby Elaine to the hospital on Friday night as she'd been lethargic and apathetic all day (adjectives I'd never normally use to describe her) and her stomach had got hard. Turned out she had a bowel infection which also prevented her from passing urine. The poor thing had to get a catheter, and some other unpleasant things including a drip attached to her forehead (apparently it hurts less in that position at her age). We had to stay overnight but she slept really well and recovered so well that we were able to go home in the afternoon. She's back to her usual chirpy self again now. Phew...feeling very thankful.

The view

 

Christoph, Dad and Mum admiring the view across to Rottach Lake and Kempten.