This is the end of the month long art challenge put on by Opus Art Supplies in B.C. I really enjoyed this challenge and am happy I completed each daily prompt. Having the list, I it was fun to keep my eyes open for what would work with the day's prompt. I look forward to next year's event, thanks #opusdailypractice!

Top left - Day 25 "Preservation" is capturing a moment with art instead of a photo. I was amazed how many people I saw walking looking down when it was such a beautiful vista. Top right - Day 26 "Growth" Just before sunset, teenage boys would gather to perfect their skim board agility which was really exciting to watch. A sport for the young with bendable bones. Bottom left - Day 27 "Sustain". We were lucky enough to buy tickets for a sailing parade and morning sail. The price paid was to help sustain the local school's upkeep and supplies. It was a wonderful adventure! Bottom right - Day 28 "Energize" is over two pages in my hand made watercolour sketch book. I enrolled in Kara Bullock's "Let's Face It 2022" course and this week was a demo by Emma Petitt. Although I did not have the fast drying acrylic and Sharpie China marker, I did the best with watercolours and pencil. It was very fun and energizing! I love her style of art and teaching. Thank you Opus Art Supplies for an inspiring month of sketchbook fun!

Still working on the #OpusDailyPractice art challenge for February. Happy to say I have been able to complete each day's sketch with the suggested word prompt. Day 21 " Together", Day 22 "Discover", Day 23 "Transformation", Day 24 "Nature"

Day 21 "Together" kind of cracked me up as I was looking to see if anything fit. I was leaning on an outdoor counter that these were all nested together on - the old phrase "Can't see the forest for the trees" came to mind!  Day 22 "Discover" for me was a discovery of a new artist - Nadyia Duff that taught this class in "Let's Face It 2022". I did not have the tools, such as coloured pens, felt pens, acrylic paints but did my rendition with what I had in my travel case. She used a lot of layers and a lot of "hatching" marks, really fun. Day 23 "Transformative" was done on location at the Ancora beach bar early in the morning. This site is filled with sculptures made out of drift wood. People walking the beach wanted their photo's taken in the heart, beautiful. Day 24 "Nature" was not hard to find. The lovely home we are staying in has flowering pots around the courtyard filled with interesting shapes and colours.

Still working on the February Challenge put on by Opus Art Stores in B.C. They have given a prompt word for each day or you can use your own to draw, sketch or paint daily. Below are mine for Days 17 through 20. #opusdailypractice

Day 17 "Progress" is a small sketch of a vendor making a sale of mangos freshly cut in an intricate design. Day 18 "Uniqueness" (top right) is the wild looking flowering bushes that are in every boulevard and most yards, some trimmed nicely and others in ragged despair, Day 19 "Present" is a sketch of our neighbour's home that is having some difficulties and the construction has taken a forced break. Day 20 "Heritage" is of a relative new planting of banana trees which hopefully will be a heritage for a farmer's family. 

Continuing with the Opus Daily Challenge for the month of February. These are the sketches for these 4 days. Day 13 - Self Love, Day 14 - Connection, Day 15 - Blossom, Day 16 - Delicate

Top left - Day 13 "Self Love" included fresh toenail polish and a cup of fresh hot coffee, ahhhhh- Top right - Day 14 "Connection" is an overview of the pickleball court on my paddle. This game and the wonderful people we have met has been a highlight and gave us a real sense of connection., Bottom left - Day 15 "Blossom" some of the flowering bushes outside the brightly coloured cement walls, Bottom Right - Day 16 "Delicate" is a closeup of one of the many flowers that are in boulevards and outside houses. 

As the month long challenge by Opus Art Supplies continue, so have my sketches. I have been fortunate to be able to travel to Mexico so my daily sketches are something in my surroundings as that is usually my inspiration - the view, item and feeling. Having a sketchbook while travelling is such a great visual diary. I often glue things that mean something to me or a ticket receipt, travel boarding pass etc. I find few words are needed. Here are the next four sketches in my homemade watercolour paper sketchbook.

Top left- Day 9 "Daybreak" a sunrise view; top right- Day 10 "Glow" Looking up at the spinnaker sail on the beautiful Catatude catamaran; Bottom left - Day 11 "Play" I happily joined a sketching group that go out every Friday, yup, a play date. This is a view of the lagoon side and the dry hills behind; Bottom right - Day 12 "Ethereal" is a view of one of the amazing driftwood sculptures in the Ancora beach club. We were here the night before and there were lights on the driftwood sculptures with the Mexican band Musica Verde playing - absolutely magical or ethereal.

As the #OpusDailyPractice continues. I had completed the following four. Day 5 "Evolve", Day 6 "Collaboration", Day 7 "Indulge", and Day 8 "Balance"

Day 5 "Evolve" is a sketchbook page that I pasted bits of receipts, beer label, toilet paper roll cover and advertisements in Spanish down first and let this dry. Then I painted the early morning sunrise beach scene overtop in watercolour. A fun note, the fisherman piled up some sand, put his flip flops on top and under his pedal - a perfect kickstand! Day 6 prompt "Collaboration" came to mind as I watched these fisherman put this little boat in the water at sunrise to catch small "bait fish". Day 7 prompt "Indulge" was the perfect descriptor for the extra large cappuccino I ordered and enjoyed at Fer Latte Café. Day 8 prompt is "Balance". The vendors selling fruit from a tray carried on their head always amazes me as they walk in the deep sand.

Opus Art Supplies has art stores in B.C. They are very art community minded and have everything from free demos, outdoor plein air celebrations, and this challenge to name a few. Art supplies are often in random draws during these events and art at every level is encouraged. The #OpusDailyChallenge is for the month of February and they have supplied a list of suggested "prompts" but if those don't interest you, you can do your own. Again, art at any level is encouraged to be put on Facebook or Instagram with that hashtag. The four below are: Day 1 - Action, Day 2 - Dawn, Day 3 - Curiosity and Day 4 - Power

The top left prompt was "Action". The vendors on the beach are in constant action, walking the hot beach, talking to everyone in the hope of a sale and greeting other vendors. Day 2 (top right) prompt was "Dawn". and this sketch is of an early morning. watching the sun rise and all the people busy fishing. Day 3 (bottom left) prompt was "Curiosity" and I am always curious as to the vendor's conversations as they greet each other on the beach. Day 4 (bottom right) prompt is "Power" and the power of words came to mind in this colourful and wordy sketch.