Art Quilts and Dailies

 

This is a work in process.  It’s a small  quilt, about 9 x 12 right now but still need to add it to a background.  I’m off to the fabric store today because in spite of having almost every color imaginable, I don’t have the exact color I want for this background.  Any excuse to buy more fabric.

And more of my dailies…. this month, windows.  And all of the squares with Zentangles…. beginning to think beyond the obvious.

I haven’t done anything with them yet but in the process of clearing some space in my studio I came across papers I had used to do gelatin plate prints on tags for Christmas gifts.  Perfect windows so I’ll do some collage with them.

Serendipity, Windows and the Dailies

 

This week my Tuesday Morning Painters group went to our Loutit Library to paint.  My sketch was looking out one of the many windows at the courtyard.  I didn’t get what I had intended but that’s okay, I had fun with the branches on this bush….

And now for the serendipity…. while I was there I realized it’s time for the Snowbound Readers challenge, 10 books by the end of March and there is a cute soup cup to get if one meets the challenge.  Time to check out a book and there was one I had been looking at… The Sketchbook Challenge. 

Back home I read the book, it’s a quick read.  And the suggestion for the challenge was to pick a theme.  That’s often a challenge for artists, most of us work that way but beyond doing it daily I don’t have a theme for my sketchbooks.  Something to think about.

Then while I was checking other things on line that evening I decided to check out the Sketchbook Challenge blog.  Hmmmmm, a different theme every month and this month it’s windows.  Maybe but I’m also thinking everyday objects or circles.

Later I went into my studio and there, sitting on a coffee table I made from a print tray my son gave me for a birthday (he does come up with good gifts) was another book I had been meaning to read but hadn’t gotten to…. Windows Into The Soul.  On the way out, another book, this time a reference book for colors but … Painted Ladies has some really interesting windows.

And then I remembered an exchange I did with a group from wetcanvas.com … windows.  I took a ton of photos of windows for that exchange.

Seems someone was trying to tell me something so….  my theme for the rest of this month is WINDOWS.  I’m not sure where it will take me but I’m ready for the journey….

I know I’ve missed posting several because of problems getting them to my computer… it’s the operator, not the computer.  I was going to go back and try but decided I’d rather not spend the time.  If, every now and then I can get one on here I will.  I don’t think anyone cares if they are out of sequence and if they do…. I’m sorry.  From now on I’m going to download a different way, it worked on yesterdays and todays.

This is one of the dailies I’ve been having trouble with.  I can’t open it in Photoshop to adjust the contrast so it’s hard to see.  Not a real good likeness but note, he made the W because he recognized himself, probably because he was the only kid in the house at the time. 

A give away of sorts…..

One of the art bloggers I follow, Karen Musgrave, is doing this and invited her blog followers to do the same.  I did it last year on my Facebook page and have those ready to send out finally… my year on that one is up the end of this month. 

So now I’m ready to do Pay It Forward 2014

I will send a small piece of artwork, sometime in 2014, to the first 5 people who comment on this, saying they are in. In return, you must post this on your Facebook page or blog, and send a piece of artwork whatever number you decide. You don't send to me, unless I comment on your post as you have done on mine.

It may be something quite small, like a postcard or trading card size. Or you may send a piece as large as you like. The only rules are: 

1. You must post a Pay it Forward on your own Facebook page and/or blog

2. You must send a a piece of artwork during the year. 

3. And you must send me a link to your post.

Remember, you must tell me you are in! Any other comment doesn't count. I will need your address (send by email so it's private).

Doesn't this sound like fun? Are you in?

About dailies and other stuff

I spent a lot of time downloading and resizing my dailies but for some reason even though I saved them as j-pegs, Photoshop doesn’t recognize them and I can’t open again.  Sooooooo, I’m posting a photo of two of my favorite guys…. Warner’s first ride on a chairlift.

He loved it… Ed and our boys had a good time on the slopes, I stayed home with my sprained ankle.

I had some profound thoughts on creativity, wrote them down, edited them with plans to post on my blog.  Now they are buried somewhere.  Time to regroup!  Here’s one of my dailies, done last Tuesday looking out a friend’s window.

Time to get ready for Warner, I’ll try to download again tomorrow.

Some sketches and a lesson

Keeping up with my everyday sketching pretty much…. This is one of many bags I use to carry sketching materials when I’m out and about.

I did miss two days.  One because when I woke up at 5:30 it was colder than usual and the shower water was warm but not as hot as usual, our boiler motor had died..  The same day dear husband was ill, our grandson was here and I was responsible for a major downtown event that was taking place that evening.  Sketching was the last thing on my mind when I finally had a chance to relax in our warm house (boiler repair done) at 11 that night. The next day I slept late and caught up with all the little things that didn’t get done the day before.

But back to it on Sunday morning during the sermon….

And after church we headed north to ski.  I took along my sketchbook and kept up the rest of the week….

Benford’s Wood Stove

On Chrystina’s lazy Susan

I haven’t scanned yesterdays and todays yet.

The lesson learned…. It doesn’t have anything to do with art, well, maybe the art of skiing.  We were north skiing and it was great skiing in spite of the cold.  No lift lines and a bit of powder over hardpack.  We skied hard all day.  The lesson… when one is a few weeks short of 75 and has skied hard all day, one should not make the last run a black diamond run.  Tired legs, hardpack, a tumble and a binding that didn’t release caused a slight injury, no break but I am hobbling and will be for awhile. Hopefully not too long; we do want to get up there and ski again this winter.

The daily sketches & thoughts on ways to practice

This one is from a favorite website’s weekend drawing event.  Over on wetcanvas.com there is a group that gathers on weekends to do two hour paintings. A member of the group posts 16 photos, the participants have half an hour to pick one and then two hours to work on it before posting the results. It’s a good learning tool and you will find all levels of artists from beginner to seasoned professional.  If you’re interested here’s a link to the site.  The weekend drawing event is in the forums and is titled All Media Art Events.

To be fair, not everyone takes the two hours, I spent less than an hour on this sketch. Some take longer but post at the two hour mark and then go back to finish.  And some who aren’t confident in their work yet, do the painting but don’t post.  Looking at how others treated the subject they worked on helps them to see where they are and often, that they are better than they think they are. 

I am remembering one of the artists we lost to cancer, Connie was prolific, she really worked at it and her skill level improved dramatically.  When she started there was no question, she was a rank beginner.  I have a couple of pieces she did when the group did an exchange and frankly, the first one is horrid.  However,the second one done in a later exchange is worth framing.  It was fun watching her participate and progress in her skill levels.

This is another way to practice, carry a sketchbook with you always.  No need to share what you sketch but whenever you have down time draw.  I’m one of those who everyone thinks is distracted or not paying attention because I’m doodling or sketching but it happens I hear better when my hands are busy. This one was done in church.

And this one was done when I was a few minutes early, done in less than five minutes because the others I was meeting arrived before I got any further.

Back to doing daily sketch

But not from the list, I’m just doing my own thing and doing it at various times during the day.  It suits me and so far so good.

Here are the sketches done since the 1st…

One of the gourds from a fall arrangement….

A row of clementines, my grandson lined them up….

An apple done with graphite from the set I got from a friend for Christmas…                                                         .

I’m a hat person and all of the women on Downtan Abbey wear such wonderful hats, had to sketch them….                      

When Ed and I go to dinner, just the two of us, I always sketch while we chat before dinner arrives. This time it was at the Theater Bar….

I put some Christmas away, this is now the centerpiece on our kitchen table….

Sometimes I have to quit before color is added, this time I was waiting at Panera and time ran out.

And that brings me to today, we finished the pound of coffee a friend of Ed’s had given us for Christmas…. it was delicious…

And I’m feeling pretty good about getting one done every day.  Perhaps releasing the pressure of getting a good one done every morning helped.  I know a lot of folks start a good exercise program at the Y every January but by the end of February it’s just the old faithfuls again.  Hopefully I will keep up at least almost every day.