The Promise of Potential

 

Yesterday’s reality – snow!  So I started the potential -- a still life with tulips started in my sketchbook.

This one is an experiment – how can I make the vase look like Uncle John’s crystalline vase.  I’ve seen other crystalline vases recently and the potter has said it’s their discovery.  This one I inherited from my grandmother; she died in 1958.  The one she got was an experiment.  He did perfect his glaze and his formula is at the DIA.

I’ve tried still lifes a few times but never really worked at it.  Time to try; awhile back my spouse decided we needed to get rid of things so our son didn’t have to go through everything.  To me everything is a memory of my life before Ed and our life since.  I had decided to start sketching the things with the thought that I would put them in paintings. The vase was one.   Our son has since told us he didn’t want us to get rid of anything – hooray!  But the still life idea is still percolating.

Another quick sketch today is a potential.  This time I was trying colors thinking of something else to put in a still life with the vase in an actual painting.  And another piece by Uncle John, his sugar bowl. Another from my grandmother and this represents the first time I knew I had an Uncle John.

 

I often stayed a few days with my grandmother and after she closed her shop she would take me to a movie downtown Detroit.  One such evening after the movie we were walking to the streetcar stop and she stopped to look at some pottery in a gallery window.  The gallery owner came out and began to explain to her that the pottery was by John Foster and it is going to be featured at the Worlds Fair in Brussels.  She said she knew, “he’s my brother-in-law.”  That’s the first time I knew that I had an uncle that was an artist. I don’t recall how old I was, not very. I was over the moon to think there was a real artist in the family.

Back to my week, the rest of it – a few more sketches.  I decided my 100 days didn’t need to be consistent, I’m not going to worry about losing a day or doing more than one in a day to make it up which I did this week. Here are a few more that I did get done.

 

I'm happy with some of them but not beating myself about what I don't like, it's all learning.

 

Changing Direction

 I'm still doing the #the100dayproject but I've changed it up a bit.  Since this was to be a learning experience, experimenting with different media and techniques I decided to work in a sketchbook instead of doing a painting every day.  The painting a day meant a lot of good paper wasted.  

It's spring and my daffodils will soon be blossoming so I decided to try some different views working from a photograph.  These are not intended to be a design, just trying out different views of the flower and also thinking of ways to put them together in a design which will also first be tried in the sketchbook.  I don't think the full on view will make the cut but the others have promise.  We shall see when I finish them.

A few others were done before I decided on the sketchbook.  

 

The sketchbook I'm working in is one I made using all watercolor paper for the pages so it works for this project.  It's not the best paper but that simply tells me that if it's decent on this paper it will be better on good watercolor paper.

Already on Day 16 of #thehundreddayproject.

And I’ve been good about doing a small painting every day but --- I’m feeling like I need to change things up a bit.  The small paintings have been more like sketches and they are great fun to do so I’ll be doing more of them.  Here are a couple of them --

 

I’ve also done a couple non-representational pieces – collage and painted --

 

 And yesterday while working on one of the Art Tribe collaborative pieces I played a bit with paper and fabric which lead me to my stash of fabric scraps and today I think I’ll do a stitched collage. I know I want to do more of the florals.  Some turned out well, some not so good.  Practice –

 

But there are other things I want to do as well.  Last week I saw a video Roben-Marie Smith did making a small journal using an old book.  She used the cover, cut it up into three small journals.  I’m a collector of old stuff – I have old books and as I moved from my laptop into the studio there on a shelf was an old book cover ready to do something with.  I did –

I didn’t consider this part of my 100 Day Project but I have a drawer full of similar journals that I’ve made to be used as Art Journals that never got used as such. I'm not a bookmaker but I enjoy making books.  This is one that's been in the drawer for a couple years. 

 

I think I'm going to add Art Journaling to my project.  And stitching.  For a long time I've done a quick graphite sketch every morning, something that took 5 minutes or less. For this project I want to do something everyday, something that takes a little more time and effort that gets my creative juices flowing.  So my theme has changed -- but not too much.

 

 

I'm going to do the 100 Day Project again

 I'm changing the way I do the 100 Day Project this year. I can’t believe it’s the middle of February already and almost time for the Project to start. Yes, I still do a a quick sketch every day but that isn't what I think the 100 Day Project is about, at least not for me.

I’ve been giving a lot of thought to what I want to do this year.  In the past I’ve done repeats of the same thing, flowers but a different one every day, collages but a different one every day – you get the picture.  It’s hard to stick to past 60 or 70 days. I'm easily bored.

One of my objectives is to get in a habit so you can keep doing it and maybe have some good pieces of art when I'm done. If I can’t stick to it past 60 or 70 the habit hasn’t formed.  I do make some sort of art every day but I’m not consistent, sometimes I work on a couple paintings, sometimes I sketch, sometimes I draw, sometimes I just dust in the studio. This year I am going to try something different, complete a small painting every day. And work on doing it without overthinking.

Yes, a painting every day but not always the same medium, substrate or subject and not always the same size – just small, anywhere from 4x4 to 10x10 and anything in between.  Some of them will be watercolor because I’ve been getting back to that, some will be collage and/or mixed media because I enjoy doing them.  And if I can make the 100 days I will continue working toward a years worth of small paintings.  Some may even be worth showing at the gallery.  We shall see.

I plan to post what I’ve done on Instagram and here on the blog. What I haven’t decided is if I will post daily or weekly.  I’m leaning towards daily Instagram and weekly blog post.  It’s too easy to slide if I don’t post somewhere daily, I know me.

That’s it for now, I’m off to prepare some supports for my project.  It starts February 18. Stay tuned.

Wow! It's Almost February

 Time keeps moving faster all the time.  But I'm trying not to waste it.  I'm still doing my morning quick sketches and I've vowed to do more with Urban Sketchers West Michigan.  It usually gathers on Wednesday afternoons which doesn't work for me; however, it does do other days and this past week was one of those times.  We met in Rockford at Herman's Boy.  Fun place and lots to sketch. This is mine --

It's going to be back to Wednesday but it will be in Spring Lake and I can leave anytime.  Wednesday afternoons my grandson is here and yes, he is old enough to be by himself but I like being here when he is.  There are also weekend gatherings which I can usually get to.  I hope to do more.

Another major happening here in my studio.  

This table may never be this clear again!  

The overhead light in the studio went out just before the pandemic lockdown.  I got new bulbs and put them in but it still wasn't working properly.  Eventually I gave up but the pandemic meant no electricians available.  And after the pandemic they were all too busy to spend time on this little job.  I have some Ott Lights so I've placed those around and I have track lighting on one wall so I could work, just not at night. Recently we've had a few more electrical issues for reasons I don't need to go into.  Finally, an electrician is coming and my dear husband bought me a new overhead fixture -- guaranteed for 45 years.  I plan on living awhile longer but not 45 years.

So why is the table so clear you ask -- it doesn't move and the light is right above it.  Standing on the table is how one gets to it.  And once the light is in I think a new coat of paint is in order.  And I've had room to spread out for another project that can easily move when the electrician arrives.  I'm so looking forward to being able to pop in here at night and do a few things.

New Year and a Renewed Practice

It's been awhile since I did quick morning sketches regularly.  I'm trying to do better in 2024.  I started Jan 3 and so far so good.  It helps that I have some fun twigs from my friend Ann Trowbridge.

 

and I have some of my own branches and pinecones

I'm still working on improving my brushstrokes in watercolor.  I saw a video of a unicorn and had to try it. It would have helped if I knew horses better but not too bad considering.  It's just going in the trash but what fun it was to try. 

Happy New Year!

This little piece done in a sketchbook and clutter free work surfaces is how I started the new year.  Another sketch done this morning with Tuesday Painters but I haven't taken a photo of that yet; I will post it on my website sometime this month. I also delivered 4 pieces to the Gallery for

Evolution VIII 

 which opens Friday, January 6, for a First Friday Reception 5:30 to 7:30PM.  Several of the gallery artists are showing work that is a little different than what you normally see them do.  For me it's watercolors and in a different way than what I was doing back when watercolor was my primary medium.  Back then my work was a series of masks and pours, the only brush work was putting the masking fluid on before pouring the paint.  Now I'm actually using a brush and washes for my watercolors.  Here is one of the pieces in the show.

You can see the difference between brushwork and poured in my last post.  The doves were poured, only the darkest darks where showing when I finished painting, the rest was covered in masking fluid which had to be removed to reveal what I got.  On the other hand the poinsettia is brushwork, I could see what I was getting every step of the way.  I hope you can make it to the exhibit, it's fun seeing what new things the artists are working on and you can do some comparisons.  What you normally see from each of us is still there on our walls at the gallery.