Self Portrait, watercolor on 140 lb hot press Arches (5″ x 9″), 4/19/2009
I came home from my trip to Snow Farm last night, happy to sleep in my own (king size) bed. I have to say that it was a nice little getaway and a very productive time for me. I thought they ran a good operation, having a great staff and really caring about their students. The class itself was pretty low pressure and I feel like I really got a lot out of it. It was a great opportunity to practice and get helpful critiques, as well as meet some new art friends. I am brimming with ideas, both for new projects that I want to undertake and for new artists that I want to look up. I feel a bit overloaded right now, with a lot of information to process. I will write more about it and show more artworks when I am able to think clearly. There are funny stories too.
My mother and father came to the fund raiser auction at the end to see my work, and also to deliver some news. My grandmother died last week, which isn’t a shock, but very sad all the same. They didn’t tell me about it when I was away, not wanting to spoil my class. It is a bit of a mental shock to come home to a house full of people discussing funeral arrangements and debating which priest and cantor should officiate the service. I was just having my morning tea and I suddenly remembered a lot of things about her that I buried away in my mind somewhere. I don’t quite know what to do with myself today.
A note on the image:
I did this self portrait on Wednesday morning during my class. It was the first time I did a portrait in watercolor and also the first time I tried hot press paper. There are a lot of things I would change about it of course, but I think it was a good first attempt. I will definitely be trying some more watercolor portraits soon.
I often come to work early because the place is quiet and I can get myself situated. Sometimes I write in my journal; sometimes I sketch the contents of my cube. If you can’t tell what the contents are, the are (from left to right): my pop up pen holder that I got in India, mouse cord, stapler, heart shaped post it notes, a triangular shaped box that a pen came in, and a bag of hazelnut coffee. I really need to clean up my cube.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
These are some sketches that I’ve done at Panera, on different occasions. I am going to have to find another weekend sketching spot pretty soon. The staff is starting to recognize me and I need to change things up. However, there are no independently run coffee shops, only chain stores like Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts or McDonald’s. I’m considering my options, and which places have the most comfortable chairs.
It was a rainy Friday afternoon and I had come home from work to an empty house, relieved that the workweek was through but uncomfortable that I had nothing to do that weekend. I sat in my kitchen and sketched this while listening to Pink Moon by Nick Drake and generally feeling very melancholy. Nick Drake would probably make anyone feel melancholy though!
Here is another (unfinished) sketch of Justin. I was concentrating on the mouth and nose here. I’m starting to wonder if I’m avoiding doing the final piece because I enjoy sketching it so much.
Backyard Tree Sketch, pen and colored pencil in moleskine, 4/24/09
On Friday I went down to Jerry’s Artarama and picked up some supplies for my class this week. When I got home I couldn’t resist trying them out. I was using my new Staedtler pigment liners and trying my new pencil sharpener on some colored pencils. It was nice outside so it felt good to do some sketching outdoors.
Today I’m getting all packed and ready to head out for my class at Snow Farm. I will meet some new art friends, confront some of my biggest art fears (figures and watercolor) and not have my computer to distract me. I am looking forward to it. For this week, I have prescheduled a few posts to publish which feature some random sketches that I’ve done this month but never posted. I’m sure I will have a lot to talk about when I get back.
Cathy Johnson invited me to be a contributor to her new group blog, Sketching in Nature. You can read my introductory post here. Go check it out — there are a lot of really talented artists featured. I can’t wait to get started!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Rhododendron Bud, graphite in sketchbook, April 2009
I saw the photo for the Virtual Sketch Date this month and immediately wanted to draw this in graphite. I was attracted to the details in the petals and I thought this would be really fun to capture in pencil — even though I have been trying to get more colorful lately. The color of the flower is so intense and it would have looked gorgeous in watercolor. I ran out of time however, as all of my energies this week are going into prepping for my upcoming class on portraits and figures in watercolor. I really need to practice!
Sketch of Three Red Eggs, colored pencil in sketchbook, 4/19/2009
Today is Orthodox Easter, or Pascha, as it is called in Greek. The meaning behind it is the same as regular Easter, but the Orthodox calendar is different, that’s all. I always loved that because it meant that I got to have Easter twice. This morning my Papou (grandfather) was on the phone with all kinds of relatives wishing them Happy Easter. We cracked red eggs together and I ate Greek pastry and sweet bread for breakfast.
I’ve always sung this song since I was a kid, but I never knew what the words meant until I looked them up. Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and to those in the tombs, granting life. What a truly beautiful song!
Swan Sketch #2, colored pencil in sketchbook, 4/13/09
Swan Sketch #1, colored pencil in sketchbook, 4/5/09
These are some sketches I made from some photos that a
friend took for me. I did both of these in colored pencil and I tried to keep my color selection to a minimum. I did enjoy myself and I felt free and expressive. Drawing the water was the most fun. I’m considering doing a version of one of these in watercolor.
I had the urge to go out shopping and buy colorful skirts and new sandals today, but I decided to stay in (to save money). I depend on myself these days and I need to be responsible. When doing the cost benefit analysis, I tend to think that the money would be better spent on some tubes of
gouache or some
high tech crayons. Making art is way more important to me these days than fashion. I’m not letting myself go entirely though. I’m going to the gym and eating better. So even if my clothes are not in style, I will look good without any on!
