Wee Ceramic Doll

Posted on February 22, 2014 by The Timid Artist

This sweet-faced dolly actually has a little plastic pencil sharpener inserted in the back of it which makes it utilitarian as well and cute as heck. She’s about two and a half inches tall. Painted ceramic, I think. I thought she looked like Mexican folk art or possibly European but I did a search online and the only vintage pencil sharpeners that had a similar look were from China. So there ya go. Probably had a sticker at one time which is gone. I used colored pencils on tinted pastel paper. I like the warmth and not having to apologize for a muddy background wash!

Snow Day

Posted on February 14, 2014 by The Timid Artist

Valentine greetings from our house to yours! We’ve gotten about a foot of snow since yesterday–so beautiful and blizzardy. Schools are closed–lucky kids to have a snow day on Friday! Time to strap the snowshoes on. This Valentine card was too pale for the scanner to pick up the colors. It completely washed out–so I had to photograph it instead which explains the shadowy corners. And I used the auto correct feature which kind of changes everything but you get the idea. Can’t chat now, got snow angels to make! Stay cozy and love to you all.

Valentine Necklace

Posted on February 11, 2014 by The Timid Artist

Seeing as how Valentine’s Day is coming up, thought I’d post something all hearts and flowers. This is a necklace of polymer clay hearts I made years ago laid out on a charming little painted thrift store tray. I love all the amazing jewelry people make with polymer clay–things that look like carved ivory or museum pieces. So I bought some how-to books and the clay…but I quickly learned that polymer clay jewelry was not going to be my forte. It’s good to find out these things so you can get on with your life, right? So many things I don’t have the patience for. But I like drawing. And I like you. This is a valentine to you.

Bamboo House

Posted on February 6, 2014 by The Timid Artist

Another nifty night light. This one is about 9 inches tall, woven bamboo from the Philippines I believe. Had a hard time making it look like there is a light on inside. It needs a shadowy setting. It needs me to take more time with it.

Year Of The Horse

Posted on January 31, 2014 by The Timid Artist

According to the Chinese astrological calendar, today is the first day of the Lunar New Year. And it’s the year of the horse. Another reason to celebrate besides the fact that it’s Friday. As if you needed more reasons. I thought I’d draw a cute little foal in honor of the occasion. Spence called to wish me a happy new year in Vietnamese and said that I shouldn’t do any cleaning today in order to not sweep away good luck. I can’t tell you how happy I was to hear that! Maybe I shouldn’t cook either. Good thing it’s pizza night! Wishing you all the best–health, happiness and abundant blessings.

Turtle Lamp

Posted on January 26, 2014 by The Timid Artist

Another sweet little lamp. I’ve had two similar turtle lamps I bought years ago but they had molded amber glass shells–also quite lovely. One got broken in Sam’s college dorm room. Not a surprise. The other is still going strong in his current apartment. This one has a beautiful stained glass shell which is so striking when lit. Perfect night light…you can’t help but smile when you see this little guy lighting your way in the dark.

Black Knight

Posted on January 19, 2014 by The Timid Artist

And voila– here he is. I used a black Sharpie marker and did a very quick sketch on a thin piece of cardboard from some packaging, then added highlights with a white Uni-ball pen. I like the plain old cardboard for a background. I love that the knights are on rearing horses. It’s what first drew me in when I saw this chess set. Hmm… what should I draw for you now?

White Queen

Posted on January 16, 2014 by The Timid Artist

I found this medieval style chess set at a thrift store–what a score! It made for a fun Christmas gift for son number two. It’s plastic but the pieces are substantial–the queen is about four and a half inches tall and so elegant, don’t you think? Love her hat (crown). Tuyen had a college art professor, Mark Grote, who did a series of sculptures of medieval hats inspired by the quirky hats in various paintings by Renaissance artist Piero Della Francesca from the 1400s. What a fun project! Grote’s hats are big like the size of car tires. I think they are paper mache but not positive. You can see them at his website http://www.markgrote.com –just click on projects and then on hats. If you are curious. My queen was drawn with colored pencil on tinted pastel paper which is really too textured for a small drawing like this. It’s more sketchy than I planned. I think I’ll stick to smooth paper for the next one. The black knight!

New Dreams-Chelsea’s Tray

Posted on January 3, 2014 by The Timid Artist

I woke up this morning from a dream in which I was dusting. Which irked me. I thought, “Really? DUSTING?” Pathetic. I mean I know my house needs some cleaning but what the heck kind of message is that for the new year? Looks like I need some new dreams. Maybe that could be a new art subject. This collage tray (I think one of my best efforts) evokes a dreamlike sense of beauty and mystery. Fantasy. Where is that dang glass slipper?

Winter Greetings

Posted on December 23, 2013 by The Timid Artist

Yep, I’m still alive! And I feel bad that I’ve abandoned you. Just caught up in the holiday hubbub. Anyway, it’s wonderful having the family all together which is always the greatest gift, really. The weather outside is frightful– we had a nice big snow last week and then it’s been dripping rain and/or ice for the past few days…quite foggy and atmospheric. Can you tell I’m trying to be cheerful about it? It’s the new me. This image is a collage I made for Valentine’s day a few years ago but I thought it was suitably wintry and cheery and a little mysterious. The message could be–See ya later–I’m outta here! OR Let’s all get along despite our differences. I choose the latter. Have a great Christmas you guys!

theTimidArtist

Jodi Horchler's sketch blog

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