Some beautiful flowers have started cropping up in the garden. (I would really love to do a colored pencil or watercolor of some of these violas.) I was happy to see the bees were out as well.
©2013 Carolyn A Pappas, Early Spring Photographs.
March was a slow month for me in terms of output, although I feel like I’ve made progress in other ways. The other night I just happened to pick up my two framed paintings at the same time that the shop owner was holding an artist critique group in the store. I joined in and I think I will make it a regular appointment every other week — it would be a definite positive for me. The group is friendly and I appreciate their aesthetic from what I saw of their work so far.
©2013 Carolyn A Pappas, Rose Sketch (3-28-13 sketchbook). Graphite in 8.5 x 11 inch sketchbook.
I made this sketch one evening last week when I succeeded in fighting my urge to decompress online. The first minute felt like work, but then I noticed that I began to feel energized. I went to bed that night feeling satisfied with myself for doing something active and creative, even if it was only a half hour pencil sketch.
It’s finally starting to feel a little like spring here. This winter was especially tough and I’m hopeful that the cold weather will be leaving us soon. Happy Easter to all my readers who observe it. For me, it is becoming more special every year.
Bunny. Photograph ©2013 Carolyn A Pappas.
Shoots. Photograph ©2013 Carolyn A Pappas.
Here are some photos I took while working on Mini View #2. I painted on one big sheet of watercolor paper and then sliced it up to form the different images. It was fun to experiment with different compositions and I also got ideas for some abstract drawings that I would like to make in the future.
©2013 Carolyn A Pappas, Mini View #2 Process Photos. Watercolor.
Over the weekend I finished up Mini View #2 and I just made my first copies. I painted it in watercolor, which is different than my last issue which was pen and ink. It is made up of a series of abstract images painted in different shades of blue – I’ve been more drawn to abstracts lately and this was a good chance to experiment. It was fun to see how the images translated into black and white. In my next post I will show you some close up progress photos which are pretty interesting.
©2013 Carolyn A Pappas, Mini View #2. Mini art zine on one sheet of photocopied paper.
If you would like a free copy, please email me with your name and address by March 24, 2013 and I will place one in the mail to you (US only please). My contact information can be found here.
I’ve been sick deathly ill for over three weeks now with a bad head cold and now a sore throat, ear and jaw pain that won’t go away. I am hoping that the antibiotics I am taking start to kick in. Unfortunately, my art progress has stood at a standstill except for a few sketches and some sewing.
I did, however, get to drop off two pieces to get framed yesterday. I had never been to this particular shop before and I was expecting the staff to be really pushy trying to upsell, but it was a really good experience in the end. They even took the time to explain things and not push me over my budget. I will not be intimidated next time I go to the frame shop!
©2013 Carolyn A Pappas, Rose Sketches (3-9-13). Graphite in sketchbook.
One morning after a snow the night before, I was leaving for work and it was so beautiful out that I ran back inside to grab my camera.
Delicate Morning. Photograph ©2013 Carolyn A Pappas.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Last Saturday I had the pleasure of attending a hands-on product demo of Golden acrylic products with instructor Adria Arch who is a member of the GOLDEN Working Artist Program. CPSA District Chapter 112 had arranged for this event and this is the first time I have attended anything organized by the chapter. I am so glad that I went!
The demo itself was very informational. I knew that Golden is a very innovative company and makes high quality products, but I have to say that I was hesitant to experiment as their product line really confused me. Adria really spelled things out in terms of technical details and definitions, and I learned a lot of new things about acrylics.
She also spent a lot of time discussing the different mediums and grounds, some of which can be used as a ground for colored pencil work. I was intrigued by Micaceous Iron Oxide, which is one of their paint colors, but it can also be used to create a dark, shimmery finish similar to a sanded paper (see below). I was also excited by fiber paste, which I could see myself using as a ground for watercolor.
We were given prepared boards to work on. Here, I used my colored pencils to sketch some tropical leaves as a test.
I would definitely recommend attending one of these workshops if you get the chance. It gives you an opportunity to try the products before you buy them, which can really be helpful as Golden is quite pricy.
The biggest reason why I am glad I attended was because I have been isolated in my artwork for so long and it was a breath of fresh air to meet some local artists in the flesh. I knew I had to get out there for some time now, so I am proud of myself for actually doing it.
