March 24, 2013 March 25, 2013

More drawing with my watercolor crayons…for this piece I used warm and cool versions of the primary colors and wound up with a warm patchwork of earthtones.

Primary Colors Study 1

When I saw the results I immediately thought of the hills, trees and rocky ravines in southern Indiana. I have sanguine and sepia drawing pens so I decided to do an ink drawing over my study. Indiana is a state that has very flat farm country in the north and hills and deep ravines in the south. During the last ice age a glacier stopped its southern movement in the southern part of the state. This (again) is on my 5″ X 7″ Liquid paper.

Primary Color Study – Landscape

 

 

January 19, 2013 January 20, 2013

I mentioned in my last post that I wanted to focus my attention on improving my ability to paint realistically. Over the last two years I have been consistently impressed by the teaching, paintings and generosity of Barry Coombs. He posts his lessons and examples from his classes on his blog (see my Blogroll). I have always thought I would benefit from trying the exercises he teaches in class. Well, the time is now and he has just recently started a new term. Here is the link for week one.  I started by making a series of compositional sketches using Barry’s “set up”. His compositions literally glow with vibrant color so I was itching to move on but I made myself THINK as I did my sketches.

Compositional Sketches – Barry Coombs Week One

I thought the final two compositions were the best so I darkened the basic outlines and moved on.  Next I completed color sketches using the last two compositions.  These were done in a Bee sketchbook that handles watermedia (although not like WC paper). These are not meant to be finished paintings but were helpful as I determined my color scheme. I decided to use Barry’s original color scheme with a very dark background that is primarily brown. I hope I get started on the painting today. The pile of shoes he used for week two is beckoning!

Color Sketch 2

Color Sketch 1

 

January 13, 2013 January 13, 2013

Another page of sketches from Gulf Shores. I was amazed at the color diversity I saw looking at Heather’s shell collection this year. I have never seen a green shell when collecting in the past. I also have never seen the fragile beauty of the tiny shell with the purplish stripes. The green, purple and pinkish/gray shells were all tiny, fragile things – obviously not drawn to scale. I was just trying to capture the general shape, color and direction of the stripes and blotches. I really mangled the purple stripes which were a delicate purple/magenta color much lighter than shown. Oh well – I was on vacation… I’m always too hard on myself. It’s our nature, isn’t it?

Just a quick note about the BP Oil spill. Workers were on the beach two days during our visit searching for and cleaning small blobs of oil from the beach. This activity ended while we were visiting Gulf Shores. I did not see any oil in evidence but my son-in-law saw two small blobs. The birds and fish and dolphins appear to have recovered but I thought you would find it interesting to know that BP continued to fund clean-up until January 2 or 3, 2013 and that it has now stopped. I hope the municipal areas continue to monitor the situation since this was such a massive environmental disaster. Again, I must be honest – I didn’t see any problem during my visit. Here are my shells:

Gulf Shores Shells

January 11, 2013 January 11, 2013

I took my three daughters and their familes to Gulf Shores for the holidays. Ken and I loved Gulf Shores. When I worked on my MBA, Ken would pick me up after my last final in December and we would start the 12 hour drive to the sandy beaches. Our anniversary is in mid-December so we used these vacations as a time to celebrate. The most interesting story I have from our time there was about the native’s reaction to snow. One December we were staying at the State Park in Gulf Shores (buildings destroyed but hurricane Ivan, I think) and they had their first snowfall in 15 years. The response to less than an inch of snow was very dramatic…schools closed, servers sent home, road crews responded…for someone from the snowy north pretty extreme stuff. I’m not making fun but we did enjoy the reaction – after we found somewhere to eat dinner!

My daughter, Heather, was the shell collector on this trip. She walked on the beach every morning looking for specimens that she did not already have. I have never found crabs on the beach before but she found three whole, unviolated specimens. The birds had not had time to peck them to pieces yet. I used one of her finds for this sheet of sketches. The page includes gestural, contour and colored pencil sketches. Very fun to do.

Sketches and colored pencil drawing – Gulf Shores

October 19, 2012 October 20, 2012

The maple leaves are falling fast and soon they will gone. So sad because this time of year is absolutely beautiful in Indiana.  I have finished two more maple leaf ATC’s. It has been fun to play with the compositions and to choose a new leaf for each piece. These are on watercolor paper and are a combination of both watercolor and colored pencil. Such fun! I will have to explore the neighborhood to see if the oaks have much color this year. Some years they have beautiful, rich greens and reds and purples but they don’t have the glow and fire of the maples. Enjoy this slice of an Indiana Fall.

Maple Leaf 4 – ATC

Maple Leaf 3 – ATC

October 18, 2012 October 18, 2012

Hi! Indiana apples are here! I was able to complete two more ATC’s for the collection that I send to friends and relatives at Christmas. Yesterday’s leaves were on vellum finish bristol board and I used colored pencils. The apples are on watercolor paper and I used primarily watercolor with some colored pencil. Making progress! Only about 10 more to go. The maple leaves are falling fast so I may have to use pears and oak leaves – or my imagination!!??

Apple 2- ATC

Apple 1 – ATC

September 17, 2012 September 19, 2012

I am in the middle of a watercolor workshop with Cheng Khee Chee so I may have some watercolors to post soon. I did finish another face. This one is inspired by the artist Ai Wei Wei. Once again the eyes grabbed me – old eyes, strong and wise. Once again tweeked – I start with a contour drawing from a photograph and then do the rest from my imagination and in response to what happens during the drawing process.

Bearded Man Drawing

September 15, 2012 September 15, 2012

After I finshed preparing for the State Fair I was sort of like a ballon deflating. I felt a strong need to take a rest and regroup. Now, like a bad penny, I’m back, a little shinier after spending several weeks reading, thinking and resting. I am ready to get back to painting, drawing and doodling. I started by immersing myself in faces. My old friends know that I love to find a face that fascinates me and then I change it to make it my own. I’ve noticed that it is usually the eyes that hook me. I put my toe back in the water and here’s the result…a face depraved and with the potential for evil. Wonder what that means!

Gangsta Man

The drawing was done with a set of warm gray markers and is about 10″ X 12″. I made the eyes green. I wanted them to glint like emeralds.

June 30, 2012 July 1, 2012

I love to draw and I try to enter drawings in the Indiana State Fair each year. I just completed (at least I think its complete!) a drawing so I thought I would share it. We have a giant oak tree in our neighborhood and it is really magnificent. It has a huge circumference and the branches swoop down and almost touch the ground. They feel like arms trying to embrace me as I walk by with Baxter and Buffy. Here is my drawing and I don’t think I’ve really communicated the LARGENESS of the tree but I know what I’m going to correct in a watercolor I’m going to attempt. Enjoy the shade on this HOT day!

The Giant

 

May 24, 2012 May 25, 2012

This is my final sketch from my trip to New York City. I made this one in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is graphite in my little Bee sketchbook. This sketchbook allows wet media but that is too much weight to lug around NYC – even using aquabrushes!

Temple of Dendur

This piece of history is displayed in a huge light filled room. I have barely hinted at the texture and carving in the huge old stones.