The Blue Pot

 Removing the faults in a stage-coach may produce a prefect stage-coach, but it is unlikely to produce the first motor car.
                                                                         Edward de Bono

            Well, as promised here is a painting in the beginning stages.  Its a small painting ~ 8 X 10 ~ so I was able to get a lot done in just two sittings.  First I did the background and the table and today I worked on the pot.  Not quite sure where I will go from here ~ that's a no-no as supposedly it is much better to have a plan for the entire composition before setting out.  While I did have something in mind I didn't realize that the size of the canvas was going to play such a big part in the final overall look.  Because it is so small I don't want to add a lot of clutter.  The background and the pot are busy enough.  Actually, though, I'm not really sorry I am tackling this piece by piece ~ trying to be more personally creative in my work for a change.  Now I've got some homework to do.

Pinks

Consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative.

                         Oscar Wilde

I love this quote simply because it fits me to a T.   I procrastinate so much about putting my work on this blog.  While I have every intent of posting photos of my progress on each project I never seem to get around to it.  Anyway, this is the second in the series of six cross stitch patterns of bouquets.  The patterns don't include a border so I am having a great time designing my own ~ guess I do have a little imagination! 

Jennifer

Beauty, the adjustment of all parts proportionately so that one cannot add or subtract or change without impairing the harmony of the whole.

                                          Leon Battista Alberti

          Well, Jennifer's neck has grown considerably.  We have spent a fair amount of time together since my return from Seattle.  I think her proportions are perfect ~ God's work, not mine.  A little more attention to some shadows and highlights will bring her forward a little.  I have been spending a bit of time studying the works of Caravaggio and realize how important subtle changes can be.  While I have left the background empty on the recent animal drawings I am seriously considering adding some foliage to this one to better accentuate her size and shape.  Maybe.

Another Look At Jennifer

In the creative state a man is taken out of himself.  He lets down as it were a bucket into his subconscious, and draws up something which is normally beyond his reach.  He mixes this thing with his normal experiences and out of the mixture he makes a work of art.

                                                E. M. Forster

              Well, I have been spending some evenings with Jennifer and she seems to be coming along.  I am still surprised at how many colors I am able to see in her.  Even the smooth surface of her neck fur hide multiple colors among the light and dark browns.  E. M. Forster's quote above really spoke to me ~ putting into words what I find so frustrating (or enticing) about making art.  Most days I can't even find the bucket let alone lower it into the well.  Why is is that young children are so adept at scraping the bottom of the creative well ~ and just joyously let their findings spill out?  They don't meditate first, or feel the need to have special music or lighting or brushes or supplies or shoes.  They don't worry about critics or patrons.  They don't overdo or underdo their work.  They do, however, believe strongly in their own capabilities.  They do find a great deal of pleasure in the process.  And they do, beyond anything else, love their accomplishments.  Good things!   

Miniature Bouquet

Man needs, for his happiness, not only the enjoyment of this or that, but hope and enterprise and change.
                                                     Bertrand Russell

 OK, I will admit it ~ I am a Pinterest junkie.  I can fall down one black hole after the next ~ finding new crafts and new techniques and new patterns and new tutorials and new ideas.  Well, you get the idea ~ tread into Pinterest carefully.  Anyway, I found these cross stitch patterns online for miniature bouquets and decided it would be a nice change from drawing.   Now that I have stitched this first one up I have decided it looks a little old fashioned.  But I love it.  There are five more in the series.  No rush to get them all done but they definitely moved to the top of the list (for now).

Jennifer the Giraffe

Art does not reproduce the visible; rather it makes it visible.

                                                 Paul Klee

           Since doing the drawing of the steer (see last post) I am spending a lot more time looking at my subject before I put my pencil to paper.  The one most important thing an aspiring artist should learn, in my opinion, is how to see.  We are all always in such a rush to do something that we miss countless opportunities to actually see something.  So far in Jennifer's face I have used various shades of green, orange, red, purple, blue, black, white, yellow and brown.  Who knew Jennifer was such a "painted lady?"  This time I am working from a photograph not a painting so it is a little more difficult to see all the colors ~ but they are definitely there!  I find that I am enjoying the search for them ~ delighted when I find a new one.  Try it.

The Steer

In creating the only hard thing's to begin; A grass blade's no easier to make than an oak.
                                                  James Russell Lowell

 Teresa Elliott painted this steer and I fell in love with it the moment I saw it.  The above is my colored pencil attempt at capturing his charm.  As usual with my drawings I started out with a simple sketch and then worked from the top left corner across and down.  While I was pleased with the horns I must admit that the mop of hair on the top of his head gave me lots of problems.  The bottom line, however, is that I just don't care for his hairdo.  I finally convinced myself to move on and when I reached the bottom left hand corner I was much more pleased with his tail.  Google Teresa Elliott ~ her work is amazing.

Inspiration could be called inhaling the memory of an act never experienced.

                                                           Ned Rorem

 My initial intention when I started this blog was to show my works as I progressed.  This one was pretty far along when my patrone reminded me of this original objective.  So here we go! There is just a quick underpainting on the leaves and the pot so far ~ lots of glazing still left to be done.  Also, since this is a pretty simple composition I am tempted to put something else in it.  And, as usual, I will attempt to keep some of my strokes loose.  Already I can see myself tightening up on the leaves ~ small progress on the pot.  Relax, relax, relax. 

Jasper

                              Dogs come when they are called; cats take a message and get back to you.
                                                                
                                                                          Mary Bly

        Well, as I stated in my last post I was getting tired of drawing flowers so here is Jasper.  Jasper and I have never met ~ this is done from a photograph I found on-line.  We only had one dog ~ her name was Maggie.  But if we ever get a dog again (very doubtful) I hope he looks just like this guy and I am going to name him Jasper (or Sotheby).  Anyway, I am still learning lots of things about using colored pencils.  They are more like watercolor than I thought ~ very difficult to blend and very difficult to cover over dark colors.  In other words, you need to plan ahead.  Oil paint will always be my favorite medium.  If you're not happy with your work, wait one day and paint over it!  That said, I hope to always have at least one colored pencil work in progress on my drawing board.  It has been a real pleasure having a dog in my life again for a few weeks!

Much Ado

I hear and I forget.  I see and I remember.  I do and I understand.

                                                      Chinese proverb

      Well, this is the third in my series of Art Deco colored pencil drawings.  I am slowly learning how the pencils work ~ new terms like burnishing and overlaying are part of my vocabulary now.  I am also picking up new techniques like laying my work on a heating pad so the color spreads more easily, using Q-tips to blend colors, filling my shadows with a light dusting of indigo blue.  I must admit, however, that I am getting a bit tired of flowers.  One more floral drawing is already in the works but am now thinking of moving on to art deco patterns.  Anyway, I highly recommend this medium to anyone who is considering trying their hand at art.  It allows for a lot of control ~ so unlike watercolor! 

Golden Ribbon

Success for the striver washes away the effort of striving.

                                                    Pindar

     Well, finally, here is my second colored pencil art deco drawing.  I am still trying to figure out all the nuances of using colored pencil but am really enjoying the process.  Working from the top left corner down across to the bottom right I complete a small section at a time.  When the work is completely finished I start over again at the top again going across and down finely tuning each section.  Some may find this process tedious, others may find it meditative.  Either way the end result, I think, is worth the effort.  If you like the drawing above then check out William Morris.  He has long been a favorite artist of mine.  A master of design, his work is so intricate it is almost hypnotizing. 

Five Tulips

Flowers have an expression of countenance as much as men or animals.  some seem to smile, some have a sad expression, some are pensive and diffident, others again are plain, honest and upright.

                                      Henry Ward Beecher

 Well, now I know why the coloring book craze has taken over!  What a joy to work with colored pencils ~ they enable such control over line and shading.  I am going to try my hand at one more of these using a much wider palette.  It could be that I find this method so enjoyable because it doesn't call for any "looseness" at all ~ this is about as tight as it gets!

Dawn

The eyes are not responsible when the mind does the seeing.

                   Publilius Syrus

 This is sixth drawing in the series of women with red.  I have learned a lot about shading and value doing these drawings.  It is my intention to do six more in the next several months.  For now, though, I have become interested in working with colored pencil.  My experience with this medium is very limited but I have enjoyed working on the red parts of these drawings.  Currently on my drawing board is an art deco flower composition.  I am using a limited palette of red, green and blue.  Next time I will post it even if it's not finished.  In this particular drawing above I really tried to broaden the value range from the whitest white to the blackest black I could achieve.  She is definitely my favorite ~ probably because I can see some progress in my technique.  I also walked away from this one earlier than I did the others.  It is my tendency to overwork my drawings, I think ~ always aiming to be a little looser.  That's not so easy, though, as I always see room for improvement.  Like the saying goes though, artists don't finish their works, they just abandon them.