Art Journal: A Game Of Chess

Sometime last year, Stella learned some basic chess moves. She was 6 and totally hooked on every kind of board game she might find interesting. (She has also created some of her own, how very cute is that!) Chess is one of those board games that she enjoys. She looks forward to castling and having one of her pawns reach the end so she could take back her bishop or Queen. She and I would play together while a stew is simmering at the stove. I don't always have the time for board games, but I'd hate to disappoint my kids when they ask for play time. It's like I'm shortchanging them if I refuse. So for like two weeks, the then 6 y.o. played chess with me. Sometimes I win, sometimes she does. Of course, I do it all for love. 

I made this sketch in my vintage-themed sketchbook. It's supposed to be my entry for Day 2, but that project's on hold for now. So I thought to not write Day 2 on the title of this post. I used a drawing pen, some watercolor markers and Inktense pencils, and Portfolio water-soluble oil pastels. I just love how creamy these oil pastels are!! 

Watercolor sketch: Leaf from a Talisay tree

The Universe connects with us every time and it is up to us how we wish to respond to its prompts. Yesterday morning, after driving my little girl to preschool, I planned on doing field sketches at our parish church’s grotto. I was very eager to do so as I hadn’t done any live outdoor sketching for months already. But then, I came to think about my chores and other pressing errands for the day. So I ditched the idea and proceeded to drive home. Along the way,  a big leaf from a Talisay tree was blown by the wind and it landed on my car’s windshield. For about half a minute, I waited for it to be blown away again, but it didn’t. It got stuck on the edge of the windshield. It was then that I realized I could bring home this lovely leaf and sketch it. It is after all the leaf of a Talisay tree -- one of my favorite trees. And, you know, I've always enjoyed drawing leaves. (Ask my Botany teacher. Hee hee.)

So I stopped the car, got out, and grabbed this leaf. When I reached home, I laid it carefully on my art table and headed to the backyard to finish my laundry. The whole time I was loading the clothes and hanging them to dry, I was thinking about the leaf and how it just came to me, as if wanting to be drawn and painted. Or maybe it’s just me trying to romanticize this ordinary occurrence. Or maybe I’m just trying to find a reason to sketch. What does it matter, anyway? The important thing is, I was able to sketch that day. And I did it for the love of leaves, trees, sketchbooks, and watercolors.