Five Value Project

At Wet Canvas in the Plien Air Fourum there is a project started using 5 values, no blending. It forces you to look at what you are drawing in big shapes and bold values. It really helps me to see better. This was done on a scrap piece of mole paper so excuse the stray pencil marks.

Out Walking Today

It's hot here. It's as hot as it is usually in July! I took my sketchbook and stool out for a spin.

WC and ink

Quick Oil Pastel Sketch

I did this quick sketch in my backyard. I'm working on useing the oil pastel stick itself like a paint brush.

Sitting Near The High School

Wet Canvas All Media Event

This is more weekly fun from Wet Canvas. This week we are all working from images from the Virgin Islands.
Oil Pastel on Mi Tiens paper

Visit to the Art Institute

Yesterday, our local art league sponsored a trip to the Art Institute to view the sketchbooks of Delacoix and Cezanne. We arrived at the prints and drawing viewing room where a young man gave us the rules of the road: carry only pencils, no pointing (indicating had to be done parallel to the work surface) and no gum chewing. Indoctrination complete, we entered the hallowed halls of the Prints and Drawings Department.

With conservator gloves and a small metal spatula, our guide paged through the books while we peered, oooddd and ahhhhhed over his shoulder. It was a marvel to peek into these masters books.

Delacoix started his first 2 pages with watercolor studies but we noticed that the paper buckled.The entire rest of the book was done in graphite drawings. Someone suggested that he decided the paper was no good for watercolor and he changed media. (Just as any of us would!!) Each page of his journal documented his trips to Germany and the landscapes were wonderful. Rich in various graphite marks,rhythmic shifts in mark making and values, compositional gems, his book was a wonder.

Cezannes book was totally different. He shared pages with his young son and their drawings are shown side by side across the page spreads. There were beautiful and economical self portraits, grocery lists, torn out pages, battered covers and loads of experimental marks. His forms, weather landscape or human were all done with an economy of marks. Rather than the precise value studied of Delacoix, Cezannes drawings showed his love of line to turn forms, suggest value and create depth. His trees were an amazing collection of several parallel lines placed judiciously in the tree boundaries. His parallel lines suggested the exact shape of the shadow shapes one finds in tree leaves.

We were allowed only one hour to visit but were all given cards to make a future appointment. Apparently, they will make appointments with ANYONE who wants to study these books! Guess what I'm doing this summer? Do you live near a major art museum where they will let you view the masters sketchbooks?

Michigan's UP

Michgan's UP beauty is breathtaking and unforgiveably wild. The last time we were up there, the sever undertow in Lake Supeior swept a father and son to thier death. Some would say the country is desolate but it is one of my favorite places on our planet.

Iris Rescue

This drawing was originally done in colored pencils. They did not blend at all well on my American Journey HP paper. I was really frustrated with the whlole experience. The next day, I decided to see if I could rescue this drawing by doing oil pastels over it. The surface was really cooperative and I was able to do more blending. I use a number of tools to achieve the effects I wanted: pastel blender, credit card, dental pick (for scratched in details. I'm having so much fun with the oil pastels.

Photo References

On our trip, I also brought along 2 photo references to play with:
One of them is my daughter Kelsey.

This one is from the All Media Event at WetCanvas

Our College Kid Is Home

We just got back from a 1600 mile oddessey to pick up number one son from college. This time, I had all my art equipment along (well maybe not ALL of it). It made the trip more enjoyable! Some sketches from life.

Out and About

Watercolor sketching around town.


This irises in our neighborhood are a mass of blooms. The colors are so beautiful!

Wet Canvas All Media

Oil Pastel on Mi Tiens paper

Oil Pastel Society

Yesterday was my first outing with the Oil Pastel Society in Chicago. We were on the River Walk in Naperville. What a lovely day, great people and a good time. It was so much fun to be drawing with a committed group of people.

I learned so much doing this drawing. Reflections are something I have been a little chicken to try. Many thanks to my fellow oil pastel-ers and to Kelsey for advice!

Watercolor sketches

These are watercolor sketches done directly with a brush except for the building.
I did them in my Carnet de Voyage Arches book.

Dr. Office Waiting Blues

It is a REALLY good thing I had my sketchbook with me for this dr. office visit. This drawing was done start to finish while I waited and waited and waited. But I can't really complain tooooo much. Drawing is so much fun.

Useful Head Talk

Useless head talk is, well, you don't need to hear my useless head talk. You all know your own useless, judgmental mantras.

Useful head talk:
How can I push that green back more?
What kind of blue shall I use for the sky?
What brush stoke can express this form?
Ahhhhh: the moments of complete internal SILENCE! Bliss!

What Matters

What does not matter: The right brush, the right color, the right line, perfect paper, a magic brush, waiting for the right teacher, perfect anything.
What Matters: Let the brush talk, Just respond but mostly what matters most is NOW

Dogwood

This is done from a photo reference at the sketching and drawing forum of Wet Canvas. I wanted to try to figure out why my flower watercolors are so heavy handed. I think I need to do more whites. I gritted my teeth through doing this. I don't usually like to work this detailed in graphite. I LOVE color. But I did learn something about how my shadows need to follow the forms of the petals.
Graphite on HP paper in my American Journey sketchbook

Field Museum's Red Belly Lemur

Today Craig,Kelsey and I went to the Field Museum for my birthday. Craig was kind enough to indulge us while Kelsey and I drew from the primate case. What a great experience to be drawing together. We both hit the same spot of "I hate this drawing" and managed to encourage each other to continue. We also learned first hand how each other works (really differently!) and I learned how she gets such great fur!We hope to go drawing together often this summer. She was so comfortable with her fist experience of drawing in public. We chuckled at some of the people's reactions. Someone wanted to know what we did with the drawings once we were done. Kelsey an I said....Just leave them in our books.

Kelsey said I can post her drawing when she finishes it. So stay tuned!

Madam Lambchop

Madam Lambchop is done on Mi Tiens paper with oil pastels.

I have a secret wish I have been harboring. I don't really want to be a farmer but there are aspects of farm life that appeal to me: working outdoors, being around animals, staying in tune with the seasons. Here in my urban backyard, I'd love to raise just one little hive of bees but I'm not sure I can do this with neighbors and no huge fields around. I'd also love to have chickens but DH might draw the line on indulging me in this creative outlet. Have you ever had farm eggs? If you have then you 'd know why I'd like to have egg laying hens in my backyard.

Robin N Tagged Me

Thanks Robin! I'm honored to be tagged and so for anyone who is interested in these intimate details:

5 Things in my Fridge

2 (?) bags of walnuts
feisole artichokes
an ancient bottle of Champaign (What are we waiting for?)
bag of lettuce from the farm
something I can't identify from a previous dinner (old...very very old)


5 Things in my closet

2 4lb dumb bells (why not call them smart bells?)
a music box that belonged to my Swiss grandmother
about 7 art bags (my quest for the one and only "perfect" bag!)
travel stool from target with a BACK (my husband found this for me and my back thanks him)
1 dress (I'm not kidding. Isn't this pathetic for someone who teaches fashion design?)


5 Things in my car

jumper cables &
tow cable (This is my dh's way to say he loves me!)
sketchbook and crayons
candle
canvas bags for using at the grocery if I can ever remember to BRING THEM IN

I tag Felicity and Sioux

Art Show

Yesterday I went to the Chicago Cultural Center to see a couple of art shows. One by "jewler" Keif Newlson was amazing. Using jewlery and stained glass techniques, he expressed himeself in a fine art way. One of them was a box with this little beauty. It caught my fancy and I started to draw it. In the middle of drawing this image, I cracked up! Its a perfect "male art" shape! I felt so dense!!! Art makes me laugh: now where is that husband of mine?

Prash

I love this guys'swork. Check him out! Go through to the bottom too.

Oil Pastel Rooster

Man am I having a gas with oil pastels! Here's what I learned on this one.

Reserve the whites and lights first with a layer of op. Then when you need to scrape into this area, the lights will show up under the darker top layer

Use a colored pencil or oil pencil (still waiting for these babies) to get some detail

Use a blender to smooth things together.

Don't use white if I can help it. It completely flattens the forms. Use a color to blend things

Be generous with the media. Work in think layers first and keep piling on the media. The more the better.

Columbine WC

This time in watercolors. R don't tell m but this is arrving as a card to her.

Columbine

Colored pencil in my large moleskine

Bragging about Kelsey

Kelsey won a scholarship to study art at the Art Institute this summer. These are her two drawings that earned her the scholarship. Yea Kelsey! We are so proud of her. And she's going to have a great time this summer!

Our Spat

Well, we've had our differences. He was jealous; I impatient. We've kissed and made up and we still love each other. Watercolor and I are still an "item".

Karen Winter said "Nothing is wasted.( see link at right) My time spent with Oil Pastel has been very valuable. Working in an opaque media allows me to really see how to use color to turn the form, describe texture ect.



This one is in gousche. I'd like to do one in oil pastel too.

Donkey

First a cow and now a donkey. I'm going to the dogs...I mean the donkey's. More oil pastel. I'm still trying to feel my way through this media. This time I think I layered a few too many colors and the whole thing looks a little flat to me. I used a single edge razor, a dental scalar and a tortillion to manipulate the media. Loads of fun and this image is from the Library at Wet Paint

Wet Canvas All Media Event

This is oil pastel on Arches watercolor block. When I look st this drawing and the oil pastel of the green bottle below, I can see certai similarities: fuzzy line, rich color ect. I still feel a little giddy with the media and I'm trying not to reign myself in.

It's was a cold and dark day here and the photo references for this game were very welcome!

Wet Canvas All Media Event

watercolors on Arches block

watercolors and goushe on Arches block


These two images are from the Wet Canvas All Media Event. The rules of the game are that the images are posted at a certain time and participants are given 1/2 hour to gather materials and 2 hours to execute a piece based on one or more of the photos given. I can't post the Magnolia one because it took more than 2 hours to complete. But the smaller tulip one was done in the space while the other dried. This was fun. If you'd like to participate click here for more information.

Lilacs

Last Saturday it rained all day here. Fortunately, I have a wonderful view of my neighbors lilacs from our kitchen window. I set up my big watercolors and plunged in. All day I tried to do a decent wc of these beautiful flowers. I really had very little that I was pleased with. However,after sleeping on all my "looking" I returned on Sunday morning and found that sleep does indeed foster learning.


Pen and Ink with watercolor wash in my Aquabee sketchbook

Only one of the many attempts to render these lilac's in watercolor.

Working in oil pastel came as a huge relief!

Green Glass

This post is dedicated to my brother-in-law Sir Richard. Sir, we are in your debt and consider us both vassals of your kingdom. We vow to fight compute crashes everywhere. THANK YOU!

Also, big thanks to my DH how spend HOURS on the phone and email with HP to get our scanner working.

This is done in oil pastel on my aquabee sketchbook. Wow did I have fun. Watercolor was getting me a little frustrated. With oil pastels, the color is so vivid and much easier to control. I'm going to try something on sand paper next. The adventure continues!!

Wet Canvas

Since I'm not able to post my images yet, I thought I'd share some of the places I've been hanging out. Wet Canvas is an incredible site for all of us creative types. You can find a forum for any conceivable art interest.

After spending several really frustrating days with my watercolors, I have begun working in oil pastels again. Ahhhhhh the relief of an opaque media! Wet Canvas has an oil pastel forum where in I received two really wonderful tips. Use an ordinary blending stump to "lock" the edges of color together and use Sennelier white's to pull out a high light. Sennelier is the most opaque of all whites in any brand. Go check it out for your self. Its free!

Computer Crash

I haven't been able to post for a few days because our computer crashed. Unfortunately, we did not back everything up. It was one of those things we kept meaning to get around to but never did. I'll post images when I have a fully functioning computer. Meanwhile, I have plenty of time to draw more.