Happy First Birthday, Little Blog

I actually started this blog a year ago on Christmas, but that was just the setup and trying to figure out how it works. On December 29th I actually posted my first little painting. My goal was to draw more, paint more, see more, and be more grateful for my wonderful life. I'm going to call this year a success. I've painted more than I ever have, filled sketchbooks and gained enough confidence to want to take on more complicated projects. Now if I could only find a little time.

These two sketches are from earlier this month. The only things I've done this month in fact. Below is a sketch for Christmas ornaments and the only ornament I actually painted. It needs a little finishing but I lost interest. This one will go to my friend Glenda who collects mouse ornaments and gave me the idea.

Happy New Year Friends! I'm so excited to start 2012. Best year yet. Wait and see!

Merry Christmas

I've wanted to make a Christmas card for a long time. Or any card. Still do. I tried to come up with some kind of Christmasy design that wasn't too cheesy and revolting. But no luck. And then I saw a commercial with polar bears on it. (Not the Coke commercials, this was painted way back in Sept.) They were just so lovely, I wanted to make one, so I painted one in the ole' sketchbook and one on canvas paper. I did have them made into cards but the color was horrible and flat. Really disappointing but expensive so I sent them anyway. Here is my little bear. Think I may do more. He was a fun lovely afternoon.

Anyhoo, I want to wish everyone a fun holiday, full of hugs and laughter and food and family. And I hope you didn't get too tangled up in that commercial web they start setting for us in August which nearly ruins Christmas for everyone every year. I hope you remember the reason for the holiday. I hope you go to bed tonight thanking God for the many wonderful blessings in your life. I hope you tell the people you love why you love them. And I hope you have the very merriest of Christmases.

A Word About The BIrd

I posted the raven picture last night. Prematurely. I think a lot of artists fall into the habit of thinking a painting is finished and then coming back and seeing nothing but flaws. Its ok, no big thing. I worked him over again tonight, but I doubt you'll be able to see much difference. I think he's still not right.

But the post was also premature because I wanted to tell the rock and bird story but when there is a 15 year old in the house wanting to use your computer, things sometimes get rushed. I've wanted to paint a picture based on the Cowboy Junkie song Rock and Bird for years now. I tried one other time with a horrible outcome. I think I may have to try it one or two more times still. I love the Junkies, have forever. Love them when I'm happy and things are good, and especially when I'm sad and low. At first Rock and Bird sounds kind of upbeat, and then when you listen to the words, poetic, and eventually kind of sad.

So anyway...here are the lyrics that bounce around in my head when I look at this painting:

She captured both rock and bird

Tied one to the leg of the other

Kept them as prisoners

Until they knew who was master

Then she threw them to the sky.

Bird with unbarred wings disappeared

Rock with weighted heart returned

And rock became her anchor

And bird became her wings.

I'm a rock, but I've always wanted to be a bird. Maybe that's why I keep drawing the stupid creatures. I'm just looking for my wings.

Nevermore...

Stuff and Nonsense

I plan to spend my weekend with this bad boy, or a reasonable likeness of him as I try to lay it on a canvas once and for all. I'm tired of thinking about birds and rocks. Time to exorcise that particular demon. Acrylic in moleskine.

Here are a couple of mediocre and pretty silly sketches from the last week or so.

Trying to draw people. NOT my strength by any means. Poor girl has a chin for days, but I like her foot ok.

Ink and watercolor in watercolor sketchbook

Ok, another trial tonight. A little bit better but still disappointing. You know what really stinks? My sister took up sketching like a month ago and is a hundred times better at drawing faces than I am. Clearly I need some professional help. I think a figure drawing class is in order. Or at least a little more practice. Mechanical pencil in moleskine.

November sketches

From the clothes and closet sketchbook

Sketching things in my room while I was watching the tube. My sweet Gussie...

This is a badly executed sketch. Unfortunately I drew the bird in pen and had a hard time fitting the telephone pole in around him. Hey that's why I sketch things out before slapping paint on a canvas. Usually I use a pencil first and my hands-down-favorite tool, a big pink eraser. Inelegant and poo-pooed by real artists but a true friend to me.

Oh, for the Powers of Regeneration...

I'll settle for a cup of Darjeeling

There is a time for everything...

and a season for every activity under heaven... Ecc 3:1

Ahead of the Storm

Finally finished this guy. Poor thing has been moved around from one place to another while I worked on other projects, neglected, unfinished, and let's face it, unloved. This is a Western Marsh Harrier from Europe. Which has absolutely no significance other than I'm a nerd who sits around reading books about animals I've never seen. He's now on the shelf, stacked in front of all the other finished paintings, where he will go on being neglected but at least in good company.

The whole time I was painting I kept thinking how sick I was of painting feathers but I think there may be one more bird painting still rattling around in my brain. Not now. Can't face it yet, but soon.

Layers and Fossils

According to a friend's facebook post, today is World Gratitude Day. I'm all over that idea. I will say it all day, everyday; having an attitude of gratitude makes all the difference in the way you view your life. I've actually had more than a few tough days in the last week. I had to remind myself how good my life really is more than once, and it really did put my problems into perspective. Another thing that calms me down and takes away those worries for a time is painting. Without a doubt I have found my Element. I can't imagine any prescription medication could calm me down any more effectively (BTW, I HIGHLY recommend the book The Element by Sir Ken Robinson, Ph.D for anyone who has kids, teaches kids, or just feels like they haven't found their niche yet)

The painting above was done for an online painting course I'm taking. A study in layers and abstracts. Well I think that pretty well describes us all. We are all studies in layers and abstraction. I have a hard time with a pure abstract so I added some fossils; ammonites and turritellid gastropods. I guess my thinking was that here are some of the most common marine fossils and still some stand out more than others. We all leave a distinct impression on this world. Here are the progress shots:

Daily ephemera

A seahorse, a hip chick and a couple of hippos

graphite, watercolor, and colored pencils in watercolor sketchbook

Mama's eyes are not quite so pink in real life...hey it happens to the best of us.

graphite, watercolor pencil, and colored pencil in moleskine

September Sketches

The three month stretch of over 100 degree weather finally broke and when it did it came with strong winds that stirred the tinderbox that it is Texas into wildfires all over the state. We wake every morning to the smell of wood smoke and wonder how close it is to home today. Reminds me of living in Northern California. Scary. Dry and scary and we are all praying non-stop for rain.

This bunny started life on my work calendar last month. I think I love him. Like most calendar sketches he got pasted into a sketchbook and doctored up a bit. I've been told by several people that I need to draw whatever it is that he is smelling or leaning toward. Glad I didn't. I could tell you what it is but what fun is that. Gather your own impressions. Besides I hate when people tell me what I should add or take away from my art.

Just like it says on the journalling. I need to organize the boring parts of my life. They remain unorganized. I remain unapologetic.

Lastly, a sketch of what I wish I would get up and DO instead of just think about, turned into an impossible to do list for the mere four hours between coming home from work and getting ready for bed. Depressing. I read something today that implied that we try to do so much, accomplish so much, make our lives look so perfect because we live in a culture driven by lies and shame. Interesting theory. Which prompted me to spend this evening on the sofa with a cup of tea and mail order catalogs just to repair any damage I may have done with my list-making yesterday. Balance. Life is all about balance.

camera

Birthday present from my love. For taking pictures of my work. I hope I can live up to the incredible gift of his faith in me.

Collage of a seahorse for an online painting class. Made of letters, painted over and cut into pieces. 

Supermodels and Fashion Shows

I guess I'm thinking ravens this week. This particular raven actually. I drew it twice, once on a piece of watercolor paper and once in my watercolor sketchbook at lunch yesterday. And seriously, I think if I drew it once more I could get it right. Slight flare-up of my latent OCD tendencies. 

Here is the second version. I didn't quite plan out the placement well but we're going to keep it real here.

Both drawings are prismacolor pen on a watercolor background. Not surprisingly, the pen I used, which was brand spanking new, is now out of ink. That's a lot on lines folks.

Here's another critter I'm jazzed about these days . A quick watercolor sketch in my watercolor sketchbook.  

Kind of a compromising pose, but I chose it to study the interesting characteristics of elk. They have light-colored butts. It's just a fact, folks. 

Hey, you know this and the raven have something in common. Both are throwing that over-the-shoulder, come hither look. Just like supermodels.

Lastly, a couple of sketches from last week (or is it the week before last?), in my clothes and closet moleskine. These were extremely fun although tedious and time-consuming. Love the idea of capturing a day in time. At least what I wore. I love clothes and tend to remember what everyone was wearing when recalling a story or special memory. Only makes sense to document it.  Expect to see more of these. Ballpoint pen & colored pencil in cream-colored moleskine 

Summertime, and the living is easy...

Well it has been easy the last ten days or so. One day left of my vacation and then it's back to the real world. Thought I'd show a couple of sketches from the last few days.

To the left a pair of new obsessions. Thanks to Pete Scully's blog, I now find hydrants fascinating. 

The above was a quick, and I mean quick sketch of my childhood bike. I am taking an online class and the assignment was to paint something from your childhood that made you happy in only 2 30 minute segments of time. I did the sketch to see how long it would take to get the mechanics right (or at least bike-like). The "finished" painting is posted below. Please note that 1 hour is not long to make a painting, especially for me. I can obsess about two square inches for days. This is working outside my comfort zone. And how.

This is a bicycle that my Grandad found at a garage sale, tossed it in the back of his old brown pick-up, sanded and spray painted blue. Blue paint rubbed off on my legs for three months, and it was really too big for me for a couple of years, but it was sturdy and fast and glorious. This is love. This is seeing a kid who wanted a bike (but got glasses instead because we could only afford things we needed) and making a wish come true. Love. On two wheels.

This painting is wobbly and amateurish and I want so badly to work it over, but I'm not going to. I'm sticking to the assignment. The effect is even stronger for me. When I say Illustrated Gratitude, this is what I mean. This illustrates the gratitude I have for those wonderful people in my life who gave me the happiest of childhoods. 

Hey get outside and check out the moon tonight, it is insanely gorgeous and while you're out there see if you can still remember how to catch fireflies.

Moonflower, take 2

Finished one of the paintings that has been lying in the floor of the studio this evening. Not sure how I feel about it yet but I thought I'd better post something. My plan to post something at least once a week isn't going so well. I am sketching a bit, little things, personal, not worth showing. I have one day of vacation left so I'm going to work on the other canvas left abandoned. I have a new idea I'm eager to start on but I hate leaving projects unfinished. 

Incidentally, I missed the art show I was gathering work for. Happened when I was scheduled to be out of town, so I have a few paintings lying around sucking up space. If you know anyone who needs a goofy painting let me know. 

A few sketches

A sketch of the cover of the the DVD of Planet of the Apes. An unfortunate blend of ballpoint and colored pencils. In this case they didn't blend that well at all.

From when I took Carsen to the airport last week.  Pay no attention to the smudge on the lower right quadrant. That is actually bleed through from the ballpoint sketch of Cornelius on the other side that bled through the paper when I sprayed fixative on the colored pencil. Can't win for losing.

Last Luna Moth for a while. Promise. I actually drew it before the painting and was too tired of the subject to finish him.

This is a real car, not a toy. I'm not a technical artist. Its actually a mid-size SUV. Hard to tell I know. Scary to see how things look through my pen sometimes.

Moonflower, moonflower...