It is fun feeling scared while drawing …. a wolverine’s skull
November 30, 2014 § Leave a comment
Scared, no, terrified! I’ve been thinking about what I could draw as a metaphor for what is lost in our culture? Recently I watched a Discovery Channel program about scientists finding skeletal bones of a dinosaur even larger than a T-Rex. It was amazing how much effort many designers, artists and scientists spent creating computer models and sizing missing skeletal parts to complete the entire dinosaur model. It walked the earth and now it’s disappeared, lost to our culture. Searching my computer I found photographs taken at the Alaskan Sea Life Discovery Center, a wonderful experience. I think that this one is a wolverine. More bone drawings to come.
Fascinating Neutrals
November 16, 2014 § Leave a comment
I knew that this would be challenging to paint. I was fascinated by the papery outer shells surrounding each of the small tomatoes. When I researched these on the web, I learned that tomatillos are green but the ones I saw at the market were subtle shades of greens, yellows, browns and even more. I realize that neutrals are a broad group of colors.
take photographs whenever you’re inspired…to use as reference material for your artwork
November 7, 2014 § Leave a comment
I had a pair of skates just like these when I was a child. Inspired by the memory, I took a snapshot years ago. When I looked for something to draw, I researched my digital photo library and retrieved this photo. Sometimes the work in my sketchbook is about the drawing, not the painting so I’ve added just a painted leather strap. When you’re inspired by the subject of your work, it is a work from your heart and the effort is with passion because you care about the imagery.
When are pears just like apples?
November 7, 2014 § Leave a comment
I painted a red pear, fighting off the instinct to overwork it and challenged by how difficult it seemed when I had an aha moment and then clarity …..pears are just like apples in watercolor! In my first (and only) watercolor class in 2010, I learned to paint a highlight layer using new gamboge, then two shades of red on the dried layers for the medium and darkest values. I realized that my vision has matured and objects have many values and hues. My “glorious pears” were easier and a lot more fun than just one red pear. I drew the shapes first, wet the pears one by one, starting with a light, warm yellow, cadmium pale yellow and while still wet, I painted reds and greens in the values I saw in the fruit under the spotlights. I mixed the paint before I started and worked quickly on the wet paper allowing for a more spontaneous painting experience and fun! It was fast!