The Everything Project

Moving day!

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Adsett) — Mon, 03 Mar 2014 22:20:00 +0000

I've moved this blog - and most of the posts, some of them updated and revised, over to my new website, www.susanadsett.com - join me there!

mojitos

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Adsett) — Tue, 11 May 2010 16:15:00 +0000

Summer means mojitos. Well, it does for me. And oh, look, I have a special jug just the right size for making mojitos.

Do you want to know how to make mojitos? Of course you do!

Add a large-ish handful of mint leaves to your mojito jug.

Add equal amounts of powdered sugar and lime juice (2-3 tbsps, depending on whether you remembered to buy powdered sugar or not).

muddle.

add 8 oz white rum (you can use dark rum, but it will look rather alarmingly like swamp water)

muddle.

add a few ice cubes.

muddle

pour your mojitos through a strainer into an old-fashioned glass filled with ice. Top with club soda. Or not, depending on how your day is going.

Makes 2 to 8. Depending on how your day is going.

Water bottle - sort of

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Adsett) — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 15:39:00 +0000

It's a glass water bottle that we're using for mouthwash. Because I couldn't find a mouthwash bottle.

I can find lotion dispensers, toothbrush holders, cotton ball containers, soap dishes - but no mouthwash bottles.

Seriously. What are people doing with their mouthwash? Are they actually taking the time to squeeze the lotion out of the tube and into a lotion dispenser - but just plopping the ugly mouthwash bottle on the side of the sink and going "whatever"?

And, yes, we broke the glass stopper for the glass water bottle and are now using a cork instead. Glass and porcelain don't mix.

Don't get me started on the liquor bottles.

It's not quite spring...

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Adsett) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 03:45:00 +0000

...but here's another birdhouse from Brian Curtis' "Drawing from Observation" (exercise 11.8). And that's the last of the birdhouses - next week, it's on to biomorphic forms!

Yes, you should be frightened.

Things are going slowly....

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Adsett) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 21:26:00 +0000

Especially for this guy. He's for James Gurney's "Art By Committee" of course - this months line was
"Randall's avatar was a tortoise."

I had so much fun drawing the tortoise that I never got around to Randall. The whole thing reminded me of Gérard de Nerval, a poet who used to walk his pet lobster on a blue ribbon through the Palais Royal gardens in Paris.

I would imagine that you would end up with a seriously annoyed lobster after a while. Tortoises seem a bit more easy-going.

I put the Christmas ornaments away

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Adsett) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:00:00 +0000

I mean, come on people. It's February. Yeesh.

I've got shopping bags instead! I really like these ones - they're from Shoppers Drug Mart, and they fold up into themselves, like the windbreaker I used to have when I was a kid (apparently they still make them )

For some strange reason, I've only seen these nifty shopping bags at one store, and I bought every single one they had.

Sorry.

My Mother Strikes Again

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Adsett) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 01:32:00 +0000

She made this Christmas ornament years ago - a little stuffed candle. The candle and holder are muslin, with a bit of lace at the base of the candle, and needlepointed flames. I am quite certain she saw something similar and said "I can make that".

And she did.

Like I said, she's kinda talented that way.

Christmas Ornaments

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Adsett) — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 02:50:00 +0000

Well, I didn't have time to draw them BEFORE Christmas - think of it as a really, really, really early attempt to get into the Christmas spirit.

This is a little bread dough teddy bear that I've has since I was a kid. I think my mom might have made it, but I'm not 100% sure. If she didn't make it, she definitely took one look at it, said "I can make that" and then went off and created a bunch of her own bread dough ornaments.

Yes, she actually does that. It's kinda scary how good she is at it.

somedays...

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Adsett) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 01:36:00 +0000

this is my life. It's also another just-for-fun sketch for James Gurney's super duper Art By Committee sketch-a-long.

birthday ballon 1

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Adsett) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:01:00 +0000

Happy Birthday to me! OK, it was a while ago, but I still have the balloon. I want to do a more detailed color version, but I thought I'd throw this up for now - a detailed version may take a few days. Or longer. Ummm... stay tuned (or just subscribe - over there to the top right....)

imaginary bird

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Adsett) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:57:00 +0000

to go with the imaginary birdhouses, of course. Created for James Gurney's 'Art By Committee' Sketch-a-long (you really must follow his blog if you aren't already).

He's actually based on the Marabou stork of East Africa, which, standing between 3 - 4 feet tall with a wing span of over 10 feet, is already a pretty intimidating bird. I've been within a few feet of these immensely ugly birds - frankly, hippos were less alarming.

Because they are so large, they use the updrafts generated by Kampala's tallest buildings to gain altitude - which meant you could always see them gliding around the Ugandan Ministry of Revenue.

Buzzards circling a tax office seems rather symbolic...

Things are getting scary

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Adsett) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:45:00 +0000

Mostly because I'm still having problems with foreshortened circles. Another imaginary birdhouse - but it didn't look anything like a birdhouse by the time I was done with it, so I added a smirk and made him into a scarecrow head. Perhaps I can turn him into a halloween decoration.

Actually, the exercise did make me think of those 70's styrofoam ball and bead christmas ornaments. Perhaps I should draw one of those from life - it might help me get a handle on these @#$% circles.

Either that or I'm going back to the liquor bottles.

Things are getting out of control

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Adsett) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 00:59:00 +0000

Now I'm drawing imaginary things. This is an imaginary birdhouse (another one of Brian Curtis' exercises).

Looks a little like an olive on a swizzle stick.

I told you all these foreshortened circles would drive me to drink.

back to things

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Adsett) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 16:38:00 +0000

and back to Brian Curtis' "Drawing From Observation". This is exercise 11. 4 on foreshortened circles. I am not good at drawing foreshortened circles. I do not enjoy drawing foreshortened circles. And I have been reading the excellent book "Talent is Overrated" by Geoff Colvin, which states that best way to excel in a given field is to engage in deliberate practice: "activity designed specifically to improve performance, often with a teacher's help: it can be repeated a lot; feedback on results is continuously available; it's highly demanding mentally; and it isn't much fun."

Which means I'm going to be spending the rest of the week drawing foreshortened circles.

These circles are a liquor bottle, a martini shaker, and a couple of shot glasses.

I can see those coming in handy.

Don't be silly

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Adsett) — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 00:50:00 +0000

OBVIOUSLY, I don't own this guy. Ignoring the legal and moral implications, even if I did, you can see that he's escaping, so I wouldn't own him any longer.

Sometimes, I don't make sense even to myself.

Anyway, this is my submission to the monthly "Art By Committee" communal sketch-along hosted by the wonderfully informative, generous, and astonishingly talented James Gurney (what!?! you haven't been to his blog yet? GO, already!)

Now, back to less animated things.

Bigger things!

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Adsett) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:24:00 +0000

Ok, this is getting silly - if I keep scaling up the stuff I'm drawing, I'm going to have to move to aerial shots of the neighbourhood next.This is my house. It's the biggest thing I own (well, I don't really own it, J. and I co-own it with the bank. But we're responsible for it. I don't see the bank manager over here weeding the garden).

Back to our regularly scheduled things tomorrow. Promise.

big things!

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Adsett) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 01:00:00 +0000

Well, bigger than usual. As big as a... chair. Underneath a striped sheet. It's another drawing exercise - I'm really pleased with how it turned out. It's charcoal on bond paper, and took about 6 hours.

I've come to the conclusion that I am a "slow draw-er" (kinda like "slow food" only fewer calories).

I think I'll do some more things like this. They may not be my things, though. Perhaps I need to change this blog to "drawing everything I can get my hands on"?

Continuing the drawing exercises.

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Adsett) — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 03:13:00 +0000

I've spent the past couple of weeks working my way through the drawing exercises from "Drawing From Observation" - but none of the drawings have involved my things. Until now...

yep, it's my thermometer.

Bet you didn't guess that one!

More Owls!

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Adsett) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 17:44:00 +0000

Secret evil plan underway. watch this space.

actually, only two of the charms are owls - the one on the top left is a sort of abstract thingy from T. in Ireland... but it looked kinda owl-like, so I included it.

work with me, people.

www.susanadsett.com

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Adsett) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 14:26:00 +0000

Hi there! If you picked up one of my business cards at the port credit art show, and are wondering where the heck my paintings are - they are at my main site, www.susanadsett.com.

Of course, you're welcome to hang out here for a bit too! My favorite posts are on the list to the left, that's a great place to start.

And don't forget to go to the main site to sign up for my newsletter and get your free heat transfer print of "A Small Adventure".

Tea for one

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Adsett) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 01:19:00 +0000

So I've finally started to bring the elements from this blog and my website (www.susanadsett.com) together - I've done an oil painting of something I own, and will be selling it at the Port Credit Outdoor Art Show this weekend. Come on down and check it out!

Friday: 4pm to 9pm
Saturday: 11am to 8pm
Sunday: noon to 5pm

Unfortunately the photo doesn't really do the painting credit - I had to use my camera phone, as the digital camera is sulking.

Anyone have a used Canon Rebel or Nikon D60 for sale?

Bottled Up

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Adsett) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 19:34:00 +0000

I may not have many irregular objects, but I do have some cylindrical objects, which is what I needed for the next exercise from the book "Drawing From Observation"

In fact, these are all containers for various types of alcohol.

hmmmm.

Anyway, we've got a couple of cans of Strongbow, a large red wine bottle, a smaller white wine bottle, and a small bottle of Kahlua, which is great in the winter, but not so good for hot weather drinks. Instead, I've been drinking gin based cocktails - I even made up my own. Do you want the recipe? Of course you do!

Simple Suzeeee
1 oz gin
1/2 oz simple syrup
splash lime
Add to a pint glass filled with ice. Top with 1 can of club soda. Sip slowly while watching the local rednecks test out their new dirt bike by towing it behind their truck... with a rope.

More Borrowed Things

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Adsett) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 19:20:00 +0000

Thankfully, this drawing assignment only had three sections - otherwise, I would have to go buy things to draw, which strikes me as slightly ridiculous.

More from J. - an essential oil diffuser on the left, a candle holder on the right, and in the middle - miniature bagpipes.

This exercise works better with things people are actually used to seeing.

Borrowed things

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Adsett) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 19:19:00 +0000

As mentioned in the previous posting - I seem to have a shortage of irregularly shaped objects. I never really thought of myself as... symmetrical... before. But objects don't lie - I had to borrow stuff from J. to create the next two series of illustrations.

This one starts off with a stuffed bagpipe player (a gift to J. from my Aunt), and a silver deer (another gift, from his friend R.) And the strange triangle shape in the middle?

A baseball glove.

What, you couldn't tell?

Oh, and the deer's head hasn't exploded - he's wearing a large evergreen wreath.

Perhaps I need to find some things that are a bit LESS irregular.

I'll see what else J. has. Apparently all I have are books, and that's a completely different drawing exercise.

Shadow Story

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Adsett) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 19:18:00 +0000

So, continuing on with the exercises from the Brian Curtis book - this one was to draw a lineup of objects "with distinct and irregular shapes, such as toys, plants, lamps".

It's been a while since I played around with silhouettes, and this was kind of fun - I went back over the drawing (originally done in newsprint ) in Photoshop to turn it into something that was truly black and white.

From left to right - a carved giraffe from Uganda, a red velvet Buddha bank (which I've drawn before), "Spike" the mascot of the Guelph Storm hockey team (the only mascot in the OHL with dreads!), an oil lamp that I've also drawn before, and another table lamp.

The reason I'm redrawing stuff? Apparently, I have very few "irregularly shaped" objects.

And I have two more set-ups to go... eeek.