All the colors are gone

Winter has set in this past week. The mercury has been rolling up and down the thermometer but mostly down. We are expecting snow tonight. I miss the fall colors so much. Once the mounds of snow have rolled in, I will be looking for the shadow colors but until then, all is renlentlessly gray on these gray days. foutuneatly, I live near 2 consevatories and they are my oasis of green.

Everyday Matters ceramic challenge

I've been drawing this tea pot for years with greater or lesser success. This time around, I used an HB pencil to work the whole thing up. When I woke up this morning I could see the darks needed a whole lot more emphasis. I used a 9B pencil to darken the shadows. I think using only HB made the drawing look overworked. I should have used a range of pencils and then I could have worked up my darks much sooner. The various B pencils do really make a difference.

"Painting Wildlife in Watercolor" by Peggy Macnamara

“Paint what you love,”saysPeggy Macnamara , artist in residence at the Field Museum for the last 20 years and author of the book Painting Wildlife in Watercolor. Her book is very logically laid out and includes a discussion on what a where to draw/paint, color design, watercolor basics and her own particular painting process called “Peggy’s No-Fear Painting Process”. Other chapters detail information about rendering texture, pattern, planes and habitat.

For Peggy, drawing from life, museum displays and photography all present the artist with a rich visual record to start from. Each has it’s own merits and limitations. The discussion on how to capture wild life outdoors is really useful. With a minimum of tools she lays out her approach: do a gesture first, then measure the head as a guide for overall proportions, then drop grid lines where needed. When I saw the examples of her drawings with grid lines, I was reminded of Degas’s dancer drawings. But where his grid is more formal and even, Peggy’s gird design follows the placement lines for specific features. These grids map out the animals particular features and markings. For example, surrounding the eye with a box allows the artist to easily figure out the angle and shape of the eye and lid. The use of the grid allows Macnamara to keep her lines fluid AND accurate.

If you are interested in learning about glazing, her chapter on “No-Fear Painting Process” lays out all the information in a clear concise way. She mixed up big juicy puddles of color and used them to glaze her colors on one at a time. This yields a really beautiful glowing sense of color to the paintings. The other benefit of glazing it the glowing neutrals she blends this way.

I recommend this book for anyone interested in capturing animals in line and color. After seeing so many beautiful journal entries on Roz's site, I felt inspired but unsure how to start drawing animals and this book is a big help.

This is my copy of one of her drawings. I started using her gid methood and found it especially helpful.

Amtrak people

I had occasion to spend a good long time in the Amtrak station over the holiday weekend. So many interesting people to draw.

An Apple A Day

I have been looking at more and more oil paintings on line lately. Some of them are soooo rich and juicy, with luminous colors. Although I do not have the time to drag out my oil paints, I've been working in oil pastels. Its quicker and cleaner than the real thing.
Has anyone worked with water based oil paints? Are they worth the money? I'd appreciate any advice.

Autumn Garden

It's getting really cold now. Yesterday Craig and I washed the windows and put away the hose. The garden is officially tucked in for winter. Our choke cherry bushes are sheltered from the North wind and still get a fair amount of sun during the day so many leaves are still green. The dark purple berries supply the birds with a late fall meal. These last leaves of the season have me feeling wistful. Everywhere bare branches and gray dominate now. I miss both the light and the color.
This drawing was done on 140 lbs. watercolor paper with watercolors and pastel pencil for high light.

Here is the same subject matter in dip pen. I love dip pen and am working on a way to make it more convenient to take out into the field. It feels so wonderful gliding that pen across the surface of the paper. It is very unlike any ball point or fountain pen. And much less trouble than a technical pen: simpler technology.

Mantle Clock

I've been seduced by the voluptuousness of oil paits. It's been years since I've painted in them and the luminous quality of the color infuses me with joy. However, I'm not really prepared to haul out all the stuff necessary to paint in oil. Oil pastels are the next best thing. Not as juicy but mushy non the less.

Shopping

Shopping presents so many wonderful drawing opportunities. Here are some jeans in the junior department I found when Kelsey and I were out this morning. Today she asked me what Craig and I would do when she goes to school. She's been through the transition the three of us made when Derek left. I honestly had to say I'd be winging it because I could not possibly guess what is ahead. Most definitely more drawing.

Everyday Matters Folds challenge

This was a really fun challenge. The first 20 minutes of drawing, I really hated this drawing. But I just stuck with it and I really started seeing the shading in the folds.

Blind Contour Friday Branch Obsession

Yesterday I was out for a walk and found this beautiful branch. I'm sure it looked mighty strange to see a person lugging a 25 pound, huge branch. But lug I did. It sits in stag like splendor on my work table. This is only part of it. I intend to do a series of drawings so look for future posts. Ah, this drawwing:a magnificent obessesion.

Spring and Fall

Spring and Fall
to a young child

Margaret, are you grieving
Over Goldengrove unleaving?
Leaves, like the things of man, you
With your fresh thoughts care for, can you?
Ah! as the heart grows older
It will come to such sights colder
By and by, nor spare a sigh
Though worlds of wanwood leafmeal lie;
And yet you will weep and know why.
Now no matter, child, the name:
Sorrow's springs are the same.
Nor mouth had, no nor mind, expressed
What heart heard of, ghost guessed:
It is the blight man was born for,
It is Margaret you mourn for.

Gerard Manley Hopkins

Cemetery

The cemetery is a really peaceful place to draw. I drove around awhile before I found this set of lions sitting sentry duty for a huge mausoleum. I'm not really happy with the watercolor part but feel very satisfied with the structure. When I first wanted to draw these two, I felt a big resistance. How would I get them to be the same size? How would I get the stairs to hit in the right place. After some initial fumbling, I decided to build them from the ground up. Once I had the foot prints set up, I just laid in some vertical plumb lines and just kept going. The "just kept going" part seems to be the most important to me.

Danny's inspired me to try Vincent Van Gogh style

Drawing like the masters is really hard! I think I could have put more darks into this drawing. VG's style was really active, energetic. Though I think the results are a little wimpy I'd like to try this again.

Chicago Sketchcrawl Crew,

Here's Lisa with her amazing clock drawing. Lisa used a water soluble graphite pencil made by prismacolor. Lisa said she had to draw with a pen mentality because she did not bring an eraser.

Here are the sketchbooks. Joyce and Lisa usually draw directly in pen with stunning results. This was Aor's first day drawing anything from real life. She usually draws fantasy stuff. We were all blown away with her natural style!

This is Joyce on the left and her Thai exchange student Aor.

Here is Lisa on the left and yours truly on the right.
We all had such a great time! Can't wait to go out again.

Chicago Sketchcrawl

Joyce, Aor ( her visiting student), Lisa and I all met up as planned on the corner of Randolph and State Street. This view of Marshall Fields clock is one we Chicago lovers wanted to draw. Macy's bought the store and who knows how many changes the new company will make. This vintage Louis Sullivan building has a grandeur that no modern building can touch. I've faked a couple of the intricate decor on this clock but go check out .Lisa's and Joyce's version.

We warmed up at the Cultural Center. By the end of the above drawing the temperature dropped about 15 degrees. After we exchanged looks at our sketchbooks (hands down, Joyce's was the tidiest and Lisa and I both agreed her pages have a lovely lay out) Lisa recommended we draw each other. Aor ( pronounced Or) is on the left and Lisa's on the right. Sorry people! You both look much better in real life!
More tomorrow. Its been a long day.


Then it was on to the rest of the Cultural Center. Wow! What splended architecture. Hard to do it justice!

I have heard that people who meditate say it is a different experience when doing it alone and in a group. Drawing in a group provides camaraderie but also a kind of shared concentration. I could tell people were interested in what we were drawing but felt cooconned by my companions. I felt a little nervous socially for awhile. I really wanted everthing to go well....and it did! I think next time we might want to meet for lunch first and get to know eachother better. You guys, the Chicago EDMers rule! We came, we saw, we sketched!

Out and About

When I visited 4th Presbyterian Church again, magnificent banners decorated the church. This quick drawing does not do them justice and I'd like to go back to draw them again. The were panels of torn canvas painted over in acrylic. Loads of gold thread connected and decorated the panels along with some kind of attached linear plastic element in gold that outlined all the Hebrew letters and dancing figures.

I remember trying to draw a house like this back in May when I was first setting up my blog and drawing again. I can see some progress!

Blind Contour Friday on Thursday

I thought I'd take a page from Niff and Sutter and try my hand at lettering. Hard to believe I can actually read what I drew blindly! I've been paying attention to lettering lately and want to get a book on calligraphy. I keep thinking I need to look at a book to get lettering ideas, but its all around me. There are several types of lettering on this box alone. Just another fine example of what happens when I really LOOK at the world around me with my drawing eyes.

Check out what others are doing on this lovely Blind Contour Friday
at Niff and Sutter's.

Salsa Anyone?

Our Salsa teacher, Sonny, is from West Africa. He believes, with great conviction, two things about salsa dancing:

1) Salsa should feel as natural as each person's own individual walk and

2) Salsa dancing is for everyone.

He's not kidding. He said he taught a man in a wheel chair last summer during the Dance Chicago sessions. Tall, small, thin, not, young old...he says once you move into the salsa dance, you become your best self. During our first class, he kept telling me, in his lovely accent, "Don't dance! Just walk. Be your self. Be natural." He dances the way most of us like to draw: naturally. There was no step counting, no pressure, just moving in a relaxed way. I left class feeling more relaxed than when I walked in. I also have to learn how to follow. Its a real problem if we both want to lead!

20 Things

I've been tagged!So here goes.
1) I love to make soup. I must have at least 50 recipes.
2) When I'm out in nature, I feel restored.
3) Recently, I've discovered the joy of hanging out in cafe's. I'm on a search to discover all of them in my town.
4) I'd rather ride my bike than drive a car.
5) During the course of my day, I talk to people on elevators, store clerks and people on the train. I think its fun to connect with all kinds of people.
6) I hate to shop except for fabric, art materials, groceries and books.
7) Craig and I signed up for Salsa lessons.
8) I read the New York Times every day. I was born in Rockville Center N.Y. and grew up in Huntington L.I. I've never quiet gotten over moving to the mid west 30 years ago. ( But won't move back.)
9) I love our library
10)I take mini travel adventures as often as possible. This attitude would baffle my children because they did not consider visiting a new park a few towns away an "adventure". I must be easily amused.
11) I train in a dojo 3x a week and try really hard to whip the young whipper snappers before their superior aerobic capacity overwhelms my aging bellows.
12)This sounds corny but I'm a devoted wife and mother. Marriage and motherhood were the best things that ever happened to me. I've been married 25 years. (To the same guy)
13) I had a really wild youth.
14) I want to learn French and Italian.
15) I'm passionate about foreign films.
16) Don't have cable TV and don't want it.
17) I love live music, theatre, dance and opera.
18) When I do have to shop I hate to hear that crummy canned music that stores pipe in for atmosphere. I like the sound of my own thoughts better.
19 OK I have to confess, I'm a HUGE fan of Star Trek Next Generation. When Gene Roddenberry died, I felt really sad. He brought such a hopeful view of our future. He's probably the only SF writer that envisioned our species evolving into a better future.
20) I can't believe my incredible good luck at finding Danny Gregory's book and
blog. Our Yahoo drawing group means a great deal to me. The wonderful members of this group provide support and encouragement. Danny, you done good!

Last Weeks of the Organic Farm Produce

This is a winter radish and it was so beautiful I had to draw it. Winter radish tastes like a summer radish but its color is a deep ruby red. This one is as big as my fist. Since my daughter recently completed a conte crayon drawing I decided to try too. This is done in black, white,and sanguine conte crayon.

My Shoes?

This is the last in my series of family portriats a la shoes.

BC edibles!

A delicious California Turkey Club on a wrap! Hits the spot if it doesn't give the creeps looking at the BC version!

Ticketcrawl

Craig and I are planning a family event. We are taking the kids to their first opera. Our chosen opera is Magic Flute and so I decided to turn my trip down town to get the tickets into a mini crawl.

My first stop was Minou's. A cafe modeled after its owner's trips to Paris, Minou's is a perfect starting point:charming decor, wonderful coffee and the owner trained as a professional pastry chief in Paris. Her tiny petifores pack a whollop despite their size. Just enough to go with my cappuchino.

The Lyric Opera building sits near the Chicago River. I noted for future reference all the tiny hidden spots with benches right on the river. There is a Starbucks near by too.
On the train ride home, I felt warmed up and ready to try drawing people! This is a little unnerving and I have to be careful. I arranged my face in the most benign look possible and drew people who were not near by me. One gentleman got up and moved when I saw what I was doing. The kind of looking we do to draw is very intense and unsettles people.

Peace and Quiet

Yesterday afternoon I found I had 45 free minutes on Michigan Ave. The door to Fourth Presbyterian church was open and inviting. Its a beautiful old church with lovely stained glass windows and a huge vaulted ceiling in the nave. The gardens are lovely but I did not have time to explore.

Not too happy with this hurried drawing. Why did I think colored pencils would be easier to use than watercolors? It's a new media for me. Ah well. What I did enjoy was the peace and quiet: a lovely gift from the architect for a church located on a busy street.