Something a little different

This week I spent a little time every day working on a face.  At one time I did these often and usually in a recycled book that I had made into a journal.  This one is one a plain page in a sketchbook.

The image is from a wetcanvas weekend drawing event and I think I've done a drawing of him once before but that was a long time ago. He was fun but I prefer doing this type of drawing in an altered book sketchbook.  I may think about going back to it one of these days.

Meanwhile, I continue to work on the clutter clearing and am making good progress.  As I work on that and see different things in the studio I'm really wanting the space clear so I can get on to another project.  Three quarters of the way home!

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.

 

Catching Up

I am working at collage most days but every now and then something pops up that gets me going in another direction.  Such was the case a couple weeks ago when my wetcanvas.com friend Kay posted an old fella that I just had to draw.  I got out my grunge journal and here he is....

I realized when I did him that I was at the end of that journal so I've started getting another one ready.  I do have one done that is a larger size but I don't like it as well as this size so I'm back to gluing pages together and gessoing.

I'm also beginning to think about Christmas.  I usually make a new holiday table runner but so far haven't been inspired to do that.  I did start working on a new centerpiece though.  A small scene... home, trees, potting shed.... snow.  Nothing firm yet, still in the thinking stages.

And thinking about 2019... new word, new goals, look back at old goals and see what I got done and what I no longer care about doing.  Something I haven't done in many years is a Vision Board, I was in my studio on Lake Avenue when I last did one and that was several years back... my 40 year old son was still in college back then, in undergraduate school.  I've begun tearing images out of magazines... not all will make it to the board but it's a start.

I've also done a few more of my 4x4 collages... here's another one...

Thoughts & My Daily

While I watched the inauguration my thoughts were on how wonderful it is that we can do this, that our country can do this, peacefully; transfer power from one president to the next.  No matter which side you are on, today is special.  You can go back to disagreeing tomorrow, and we will.

As I watched I sketched my bag of embroidery floss that was sitting on the table.  That's my drawing/painting for today.

Zen and Art

I’m reading the “Zen of Seeing” by Frederick Franck.  Very interesting;however, slow going.  It is handwritten and his handwriting isn’t all that easy to read.  His concept is a good one… go slow, concentrate and really see what you are drawing.
It’s rather like art as prayer in that one gets lost in the process.  I’ve always felt that way; however, I don’t always work slowly and really look so I decided to give it a try.  That’s what my dailies have been this week and so far I’m liking them. 
The berries above were the first ones I concentrated on.  Day 2  and 3 -- just ink, no color, from a juniper bush.  The big one the first day, the smaller piece the 2nd day.

Today my Tuesday Group painted at the library and I did a couple branches from a bush that was just out the front window. 

This is so totally different than my usual practice which is a quick sketch, usually in pencil, then ink and color.  These are done with ink, no pencil first, then If I’m adding color it’s last.  The first one, day 1, I used my Inktense pencils for the color.  Today I used my watercolors.  I like the result so I think I’ll keep going.