indigo

indigo dyed flags from little coyote

it's no secret to those who know me that i love all things blue. turquoise, cobalt, cyan, prussian blue, navy, ultramarine, and indigo name a few of the hue. my firstborn is named blue.




bill cunningham from the sartorialist

i really enjoyed 'bill cunningham new york' when it appeared on netflix. working on a sewing project and covered head to toe in fuschia feathers, i was struck by the practicality of mr. cunningham's uniform of a blue french utility work jacket. 

blue smock apron from bookhou



but i like my arms to be free and my legs covered. how happy i was to find arounna's lovely blue aprons are in her shop again. perfect for any work -  be it sewing feathers onto a costume or rolling out pastry dough.

and my own contribution to making something blue. reversible tote made of navy and cream cotton canvas with a blue and white striped denim lining. the strap is a piece of vintage japanese indigo cotton with cream woven details. the bag has both an exterior pocket and a pocket on the inside with a 'katemakes' label.

sketchbook project

last summer i started keeping a sketchbook and learning to draw. the two younger kids have embraced it too. we are all a little more creative with our spare time without cable tv.

for christmas a couple of years ago my mom gave me some art supplies, a sketchbook, and an illustrated life by danny gregory. it was so inspiring and led me some of his other books such as The Creative License, Everyday Matters, and An Illustrated Journey. and so i started just drawing without worrying about how badly i drew. i find it very relaxing to draw some ordinary object while watching movies on the computer.

my little guy (who is 5) draws a lot of robots and battle scenes and does so every day. but today he sat down and drew ordinary objects in our kitchen (see the lower right-hand picture). 1. Vitamix blender. 2. Ice cream maker. 3. Dehydrator. it was so gratifying to see him enjoying doing what i do. i couldn't be more proud of him.

just a small list of the drawing books i can recommend from personal experience (in addition to the links to the danny gregory books above):

• Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, by Betty Edwards
• Drawing with Children, by Mona Brookes
• Artist's Journal Workshop, by Cathy Johnson
• The Art of Urban Sketching, by Gabriel Campanario
• The Complete Decorated Journal, by Gwen Diehn

anybody can learn to draw - it just takes doing it.

 







start where you are.

use what you have.

do what you can.

           - arthur ashe