Taken from a moving car in Newport, RI. It was a sunny day and both the streets and water were crowded.
Newport Tree. Photograph ©2013 Carolyn A Pappas.
From reviewing my sketchbook recently, my interests are apparent.
©2013 Carolyn A Pappas, Weeds (6-11-13). Gray Ink in 6.5 x 9 inch sketchbook.
I’ve noticed that I have a very distinctive style when sketching foliage and weeds. I am not trying to draw every last leaf, but I am drawn to the various shapes of the leaves.
©2013 Carolyn A Pappas, Weeds (6-14-13). Gray Ink in 6.5 x 9 inch sketchbook.
With this sketch of the pansies, I was working quickly using the pen upside down to get the very thin lines.
©2013 Carolyn A Pappas, Pansies (6-14-13). Gray Ink in 6.5 x 9 inch sketchbook.
I have been making lots of sketches, although not all of them are worth showing anyone, and I am finding it easy to put off scanning and posting. I am still loving my new pens and my gray ink. I’ve started writing with my pens too, keeping written journals again. It’s a nice change. Reading about the NSA internet monitoring has made me think about how I really want to spend less time on the computer/internet. I’ve been experimenting with little projects to take up my time — working with my hands and keeping my mind active. One of these days I want to take two hours straight and make a detailed pen drawing in my sketchbook. It’s been so long!
©2013 Carolyn A Pappas, Outdoor Sketch (6-1-13). Gray Ink in 6.5 x 9 inch sketchbook.
Chive Blossom. Photograph ©2013 Carolyn A Pappas.
©2013 Carolyn A Pappas, Cloud Sketch. Gray Ink in 6.5 x 9 inch sketchbook.
I’ve been a bit slow in scanning by sketchbook, but I do have some pen and ink sketches to post soon from my recent drawing experiment. Here is a small ink and watercolor that I completed not long ago, and mailed off to Germany for a swap. I got mine in the mail yesterday, which made me think to post this. This is a scene inspired by my recent day trip to Hardwick, Massachusetts. It was a cloudy and windy day, and a lovely time.
©2013 Carolyn A Pappas, Hardwick View. Ink and Watercolor, apx 4 x 6 inches.
If you would like to swap a small piece of original art with me (4 x 6ish), send me an email with your mailing address.
Greek Bells. Photograph ©2013 Carolyn A Pappas.
The sound of the bells reminds me of my Yiayia and Papou’s house.
I’ve been putting off my artwork lately, mainly because I am too tired at the end of the day to do anything. The general lack of energy is bothering me, so I am focusing on improving my nutrition in general.
Also, I have decided to pare down my immediate art goals. This month I am going to take some time off from anything too structured and focus on sketching and drawing only. I have put away all of my watercolor stuff and colored pencils and generally cleaned up my space. I am going to try to post more frequently throughout this month, to show you my progress.
©2013 Carolyn A Pappas, 5-18-13 Garden Sketch (detail). Blue and gray Ink in 6.5 x 9 inch sketchbook.
The above sketch was done with my new Lamy Safari EF nib, filled with Lexington gray ink. You can see some variation in the color because I had blue ink in that nib previously and I did not rinse it out when I changed colors. I was a little worried about the converter but filling it was easy. It also lasts much longer than the Noodler Flex Nib pen does. I have been using it consistently all week and it still does not need to be refilled.
The swans were by our shoreline for over four hours, finding little bites to eat in our little cove. A family of seven!
Big Stretch. Photograph ©2013 Carolyn A Pappas.
Swan Family. Photograph ©2013 Carolyn A Pappas.
My colored pencil paintings Birthday Sunset, Orange Sunset and A Mild Winter will be on display at the Spring Bull Gallery in Newport, RI from June 1-30. I’m so excited!
I decided to join the CPSA on a whim last year and I am so glad that I did. Already I have met a number of amazing artists through the group. My biggest personal goal for myself this year was to enrich my “art life” and get out of my shell a bit — I’m counting that goal a success not even halfway through the year.
Last week my sister and I had the opportunity to take an afternoon watercolor class taught by artist Kara K. Bigda. It was held at the Hardwick Winery and the class was combined with a wine tasting. I had a great time and it was also a fun day with my sister (going out for breakfast, taking photos, etc.). If you are familiar with Massachusetts you will know that this area has some of the most beautiful scenery in the state.
The winery is in a historic barn.
Even though I love watercolor, I have never taken a class before until now. This experience really opened my eyes about how much I have taught myself over the years through trial and error, as well as the instruction I got from reading a lot of art books and from various online sources. It also makes me wish that I took a basic watercolor class years ago to avoid some of the frustration.
My biggest take home thoughts were:
- I have to take the time to make a color chart for both watercolor and colored pencil. Kara gave us a little color mixing “cheat sheet” and it was so valuable even with a limited palette.
- I also really admire the way Kara markets herself as an artist. Her biggest marketing tool is definitely her friendly personality!
The vineyards.
