My OTHER blog

Those of you who follow me here are probably doing so because you're interested in ART—drawing, painting, urban sketching, etc. But it occurs to me that some of you (as I am) may also be READERS, and if you are, I would like to invite you to follow my OTHER blog, where I am known as The Book Adept. You see, I was a librarian for about 11 years, and have been a reader for [my age minus three years], and there's almost nothing I love better than talking about books with other readers, recommending books I have discovered, or finding just the right book for someone who doesn't know what to read, or what to read NEXT.

If those categories include you, please check out my book blog! It's https://bookadept.com/blog.

I read and blog about an eclectic mix of fiction, including my favorites (fantasy, science fiction and mystery) as well as the occasional thriller, mainstream and literary fiction, and sometimes romance or "chick lit." And I throw in some young adult fiction, since I was a teen librarian for 11 years and still enjoy keeping up with that category. (Also, I teach Young Adult Literature at UCLA in the library masters program, so I need to be current!)

   

If you happen to be a librarian, and believe that your library staff could benefit from some instruction on readers' advisory or book-talking, please also check out the main website, which is https://bookadept.com, where I offer seminars and workshops on both those topics, and mention me to your administrators!

Artsy people, thanks for bearing with this blatant self-promotion! (I did make the above drawing/painting, so there's a little art here...)

An Urban Sketcher in Amsterdam

No, it's not me, I didn't go to this year's Urban Sketchers' Symposium in Amsterdam. And judging from the reports of extreme heat that rivaled or surpassed that of SoCal last week, I'm kind of glad! But I have been enjoying all the sketches of windmills, quaint houses, strangely shaped public buildings, and canal boats with which Amsterdam is rife.

One of the first days of the symposium (or maybe during the pre-conference), I opened Facebook and this photo of this cute, rosy-cheeked Urban Sketcher popped up in my feed. "Look at you!" I said, "with your little pursed-up mouth!" and she replied, "I'M HOT." I saved the photo because I loved her face juxtaposed on the USk Amsterdam logo painted on a window, and today I decided to paint a portrait.

Problem is, I didn't write down her name! I've scrolled all the way back through July 25 in vain. Maybe someone will recognize and identify her?

"Purselips"

9x8 inches, in the sketchbook...

Uniball pen, Paul Jackson signature watercolors, Escoda brush