Two weeks ago today, I went to three different pet shops to try to find a female guinea pig. Females have fewer heath problems as they get older, because of biological differences. The last shop I went to, an independent pet store with a great reputation, had only males, but told me that not all males developed impactions and it was entirely possible that my next pet wouldn't. There was a brown one who put his paws up on the cage wires like Dora used to do. That seemed to be a sign. They let me cuddle him for awhile, which is a great sales technique, and he was very mellow and affectionate. So I took the plunge and bought him home.
Since I'd been planning on a female, I didn't have any boy names selected. But after setting him up in his new home, I watched him for awhile and a couple suggested themselves to me. Then I went to the grocery store to get him veggies and decided on one of them while I was shopping. I named him Rollo, because on one side of his face, he has a little mustache which makes him look dashing and Rollo sounds like a very European and adventurous name.

My sister saw him the next day and pointed out how his coloration is very similar to a collie, from certain angles, he also reminds me of a squirrel or rabbit. He's a bit more skittish here at home than he was at the pet shop, which worries me that I might be doing something wrong to make him nervous. But he's gradually trusting me more all the time. I'm looking forward to when he feels completely comfortable and settled in.

For the final week of #INKtober, I did a rabbit at twilight. The sky and light green ground was painted with acrylic wash, but everything else was done in various types of pens and art markers.In fact, I used more kinds of pens in this one than previous drawings. Outlining everything in black and the flat colors was an attempt to get a story book feel in this piece.

I'm happy that I was able to meet the challenge of doing all 5 drawings over the month for my first time in INKtober.I learned a lot and am pleased that I have more small pictures than expected for the upcoming craft shows. Now that I know this is a yearly project, next year I hope to be prepared ahead of time, with prelims done & transferred, instead of doing everything in a rush. But all in all, it was a satisfying experience!

My project for this week is a mountain goat, which lives in herds, mainly in the Rockies of North America. Their feet are similar to suction cups to enable them to keep their footing on the cliffs and ledges of their mountain homes. The sky is an acrylic wash, but the rest is done with Micron pens and art markers on 5"x7" Bristol board. I haven't drawn one of these goats in awhile, so it was interesting working with the different shapes.

My drawing for the third week is a profile of a black rhino on grey toned paper. Though I've used the paper with pastels & pencils, I didn't know if ink would would work or if the lines would blur. But there was enough sizing in the paper to keep the marks crisp, which was a pleasant surprise. I think I overdid all the lines in trying to show the wrinkly skin, so I hope it didn't ruin the picture.

My second INKtober project came out a bit darker than intended. It's a grey squirrel running through a forest in early spring, before the leaves have appeared on the trees. There's a few mistakes that I had to fix, which added to the time it took to do. I've drawn squirrels in this same common pose before, but it's interesting to put different elements in the background and change the seasons. Squirrels are one of my favorite animals, so it's always a treat to draw them. As before, this was done with Micron pens and art markers on 5"x7" Bristol Board.

Yesterday, while reading one of the art blogs I subscribe to, I saw that there's an art project that is similar to NaNoWriMo, the writing challenge that many published & unpublished authors take part in every November, where the goal is to write so many words per day, with the object of having written most of a novel by month's end. The one for artists began in 2009 and focuses on creating a certain number of ink drawings during the month of October and is called INKtober. There are several speeds one can do according to the official rules, which are based on running terms. The top category is to do a drawing every day, which is way out of my league. The half marathon is to do a drawing every other day, which is still more than I can handle with my arthritis and stamina. The 5K is more my speed, which is to do a drawing every week, ending up with 5 at the end of the month. I decided to try doing that and will be posting my projects every weekend until the deadline. All of my drawings will be small, 5" x 7", larger sizes would take me much longer, so this is more practical.
This is the drawing for Week #1, a young polar bear done in Micron pens, with the background design, which is intended to resemble wind whisps, made of grey felt tip art markers. It's done on Bristol board, a thick drawing paper that is my favorite surface for ink and mixed media.

With all of the health challenges and events happening to my family this year, I've not had as much time to work on my art. But I have completed 3 pictures, including these 2 drawings and was thrilled when they were accepted into the Westlake-Westshore Arts Council Juried Showthis summer. When I visited the show at a local library, I was absolutely thrilled to see I had won first and second place, a dream come true. This is a photo of them at the exhibit with their ribbons next to them. I especially liked how the blue ribbon emphasized the blue of the little bird, which is a nuthatch.The other drawing is of a cheetah under an acacia tree.
It was great having something good happen and really boosted my spirits.

Dora crossed the Rainbow Bridge this afternoon. Wednesday night the infection seemed to return & I took her to the vet yesterday, where x-rays showed a lot of stones in her system, some blocking her urinary tract. She got perkier after she was given subQ's & it seemed like she could have a few more good days with pain meds & antibiotics, but this morning she was much worse & the meds were having little effect, so I had to get brave enough to be merciful. We arrived too early for the appointment & the office was closed for lunch break, so I sat on the bench outside of their door, with her next to me, talking & crying and telling her everything I wanted to say, mostly thanks for being in my life. This is a photo of how she greeted me nearly every morning that I had her, I think I shall miss that about her most of all.

The year continues to be hectic. My sister tripped and broke her foot in early July and isn't allowed to put weight on it or drive, so I've been getting her groceries, doing errands and stuff around her house, going over there two or three times a week. She went to the dr. on Aug. 17th, but her foot wasn't healed, so she had to keep the cast on for another 4 weeks. Her next x-rays are Sept. 8th and she's hoping the cast comes off then. She's a person used to doing everything for herself and is out of the house almost everyday, so this lengthy time off has been really difficult for her.
My mother came home from the nursing home on June 3rd and promptly forgot everything she learned there, including all of her physical therapy to increase mobility. Though she had been doing steps at the home, which was part of the reason she went there, she didn't even complete the steps as she went up to out apartment, but sank down on the floor & crawled the rest of the way in. I tried to place the wheelchair under her bottom before she got down to the floor, but it almost seemed like she moved to get away from the chair. She had 2 dr. appointments soon after she came home, but had to cancel both due to the stairs. Through a newspaper story, I found out that there are services where a doctor will come to the house, so I'm planning to set something up when my sister gets rid of her cast and I'm at home more.I'd also like to arrange in-home PT to make her feel as if she can move around the apartment safely & become a bit more active. I know this isolation is worsening her depression and the lack of activity is making her stiffer and more achy, so I'm hoping that with professionals making house calls it could improve things.
Then, my little guinea pig, Dora got very sick last week and it turned out to be a severe urinary tract infection. I'm giving her pain meds and antibiotics daily as well as increasing the amount of the special food, Critical Care(a powder mixed with water to make a soupy, vitamin filled drink that she laps from a spoon). She'd been rather stable for a few months & the infection came on so suddenly and hard. She's improving, but still has a ways to go, but I'm hopeful.
With taking care of so many loved ones, I often feel quite overwhelmed. I also don't have a lot of free time and even my art production has slowed down. I would like everyone to get better again, since I don't have the stamina to keep up this level of activity, while worrying about them. It's been physically and emotionally draining. But I'm going to keep going as best I can and hope for a positive outcome for everyone.

When I was looking for holiday greetings to put on my Facebook page, I bumped into a bunch of images from antique postcards and I especially liked this one with the little Revolutionary soldier. The holiday will be a nonevent for me, as I don't go anywhere or do anything special, though I may make turkey hot dogs for supper.If it's not raining, I may go outside and make a sketch of one of the plants that my next door neighbor has in the flower bed, I don't know what it is, but I like the leaves. If I do get it drawn, I'll scan it & post the picture here. In the last couple years I've begun to enjoy drawing plants more, at least they stay still, unlike most animals. lol
I'll update about my mom after the weekend, she's come home since my last entry & I didn't realize I hadn't posted the news here. Sorry. There's been some adjustments and everything has kept me busier than expected.