A Moment to Regroup and Redirect...

I really don't have any pressing projects. The "class" that I started the painting series for is almost over and I'm nowhere near done (of course, I knew that would be the case - I've planned about 10 illustrations for a 6-meeting class). It's more of a personal project, so it's "to be continued" at my leisure. But, since I haven't exactly made friends with acrylics, sometimes I just don't feel like working on it. I'd rather draw something "for fun" right now.

I've been thinking about a lot of things that have been competing for my time and trying to prioritize. I'll have to start putting together our next year's homeschooling plan VERY soon and get various co-ops in motion that I'm involved in. I think it's safe to say that I probably won't be posting more than once or twice a week (which is more than enough anyway).

I mentioned that there were possibilities for more hours and greater responsibility at work, but that's an area that's going to have to give. Soccer season will be starting very soon and I'll have 3 kids on 3 different teams - adding hours to my work schedule might push me over the edge of sanity and will make me less flexible for those things.

Besides, as much as I like my workplace, my plan is to ultimately move into freelance illustration - definitely what I would like to do as a career and more workable around family needs. I'm not going to quit the bookstore or anything at this point, I'm just not going to increase that load - in fact, I'm going to cut back to 4 nights right now. I think my family would appreciate it as well.

So, I've been browsing online portfolios and have been blessed by advice from a couple working illustrators. I think for starters, I'll finally join the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators - a valuable support network for writers and illustrators (published and unpublished). Along with that, I'll check into some of the free online portfolios. Later, as I'm able to add more work to my portfolio, then I'll look into some of the online porfolios that require an annual fee (but will boost visibility to get my work "out there").

Mainly, I'm reminded of the fact that I can't do EVERYTHING! There just aren't enough hours in the day and, now and then, I realize that I don't have unlimited energy (gasp!).

The picture posted above is obviously from the sketchbook (which is almost full!) - it's a return to the animal field guide studies at breaktime that I haven't done in a while. I'm becoming much more comfortable with rapid observation and rendering - I can work pretty quickly on those 10 minute breaks.

I also decided to do a detailed drawing starting from a random doodle - another thing I haven't done in a while (that's my "for fun" thing). I look forward to sharing that soon. It's always a surprise and a joy to see what comes out of those!

Slowing Down This Week...

It's come to my attention that I'm TIRED! I had planned on taking some much needed time to rest and relax this week. And, although there's no such thing as a whole week without commitments (I still had to work, had one meeting to attend - that went all day -, and a beach day with friends), I was able to take a nap here and there. And, obviously, I haven't been drawing and posting very much.

This morning, I took my youngest in to the doctor to have her cast removed. I did take my sketchbook, though. We weren't long in the waiting room, so I only sketched a couple of the people waiting. Then I sketched my daughter as she waited for the nurse to come in with the power tool used to cut it off (she looks a little apprehensive, doesn't she?).

I Guess My Art is "For the Birds..."

I've been flipping through some of my old sketchbooks that I have from back in my college days (these ones date from 1988 to 1992). It's funny because I would never have remembered some of those pictures if I hadn't seen them again. However, once I see them I can remember where I was, who my friends were at the time, etc. For some of them, a lot more memories come flooding back - where I was at the very time I drew them. Some were studies for college assignments (most meaningless) that came and went and I never saved. I even found the recipe for an oil varnish mixture that I used and wondered what I did with. However, I guess it really doesn't matter now because I'm trying to work with acrylics now.

Anyway, I've noticed that when it comes to doodling and just playing around in my sketchbook, birds seem to come through over and over. I'm not sure why. I've never considered myself a "bird" person - maybe it's just something about their features. Or, perhaps it's the variety of birds that is sort of freeing - you can get very creative, ornamental, or abstract and still end up with a bird.

Here is a drawing done in ballpoint pen from back in '88. Apparently, I did several sketches with this tool back then (it was always handy), but until I saw Andrea Joseph's work, I don't think I ever took it seriously as a medium (check out her stuff and prepare to be dazzled). With the variety of colors available in ballpoint these days...

These other 2 were more recent doodles.

Of course, I've already posted the chicken drawing and the "Invitation to Dinner" (dialogue with bird and worm).

And there's a couple birds in the doodles of about 5 posts back (I think you can handle the scrolling).

Illustration Friday - "Enough"

At first I wasn't sure what I'd do for this, but the first thing that popped into my mind was a song called "Enough." Then I remembered a sketch I'd done about 4 years ago - I was doing a lot of stained glass back then and it was a design for a glass panel (entitled "Ascension"). It also reminded me of one main aspect of my faith - that Christ's death and resurrection were "enough." The debt is paid in full.

When designing for stained glass, you have to consider things like how to divide up the picture into pieces that aren't too impossible to cut out of glass (which prefers to break in a straight line). In this drawing, I was able to disregard some of those restrictions, such as allowing the hand to extend beyond the frame. Being a religious theme, however, I thought it appropriate to keep the stained glass design quality in the shapes.

I never got a chance to make the panel, but I would like to someday. I did not add any color because I intend to use different textures of clear glass or very subtle colors. Maybe some day...

"Lure" Color Study

I spent some time working on the painted study for "Lure." While I'm not completely comfortable with acrylics, it was a much more pleasant experience this time. There's still a lot of "discovery" in regards to color - I don't feel like I'm totally in control of that aspect.

But, brushwork is coming a little more easily - it's more enjoyable.

Next in the Series...

As I mentioned before, I'm taking an illustration "class" at the local city college. There's not really instruction - it's more about pursuing our own projects and bouncing ideas off of each other.

The paintings I shared recently were studies done for my project. Part of my goal is to practice working with acrylics while creating a sort of memoir. The idea sprung from the fact that my oldest just turned 13, which made me think of when I was that age...and the series of decisions (good and poor) that followed. Through the illustration of single words, the series will reflect where I was around that age, the various stages and struggles that I passed through the following years, and will end at the point I am fast approaching - when my own child will have to step out and face those same struggles and decisions. You hope they won't make the same mistakes!

One neat thing is that I went through some old drawings from my late teens (early college days) and found a couple that would be great for some of the words I chose to illustrate (shown above). I like that I can take something from the actual time period I want to represent. The picture shown here was done over 20 years ago (obviously before I started working with a much wider tonal range). I will pull from it and tweak it a bit to illustrate the next word/stage - "Lure."

Long Time - No See

Hi Folks! I'm back from the CHEA convention. I thought I'd be able to post something before I left, but I just ran out of time.

Overall, it was a GREAT time - 4 of us made the drive down to Long Beach. I lived there for about 7 years during college and it's changed A LOT! I moved away from there sometime around 1993. However, while I was down there I stopped at Lyon Supply Company where I used to shop during those years and the owner remembered me! WOW!

My friend Kerie and I only attended the leadership day of the convention and it was so nice to see several of the people that I'd known from homeschooling in Torrance. We saw some wonderful speakers including Mike Farris (note the parentalrights.org link in the sidebar - please sign the petition).

The 2nd day, however, we went to the Long Beach Museum of Art. It's a beautiful museum - an older craftsman style building overlooking the Pacific, but with a modern art collection. However, I can safely say that we were not impressed the new work of art looming in front of it, visible over the wall.

I know art can be many things to many people, it comes in many forms, it doesn't always have to be beautiful, yadda, yadda, yadda. But there were many things on display that left us scratching our heads, wondering how some of this stuff makes it into museums while others don't! Well, some are on loan from private collections in some cases. In other cases, I think if you can market yourself, convince others that there's some intellectually "deep" about your work, then...

I'm sure there was no shortage of artists doing any variety of work who would love to have something placed in the gardens of this museum. To each, his own.

On a more positive note, I enjoyed a lot of the Gord Peteran work exhibited, however.

"Green" - as promised...

As I mentioned before, I did another study in acrylics that I'm sharing here.

I've been working on this because (1) I need practice with the acrylics, and (2) it's part of the project I'm working on for my Saturday Community College Illustration Class. I won't go into too much detail about it at the moment, but I'll give you a little insight.

The project is sort of a memoir of illustrations based on several single words that I've chosen to represent different time periods. It took a lot of thought, a dictionary, and a thesaurus to pick the best word to describe each period. It's kind of an Illustration Friday approach to a project.

The word that inspired this particular study is "Green" - definitions used: not mature or ripe; young; lacking training, conditioning, or experience; undisciplined; unschooled.

I hope the nurturing adult, a child at the moment of discovery and wonder, and the springtime colors have captured the idea. The previous study used the same image, but the colors were darker - it didn't express the more joyous and carefree nature of youth very well. Instead, it seemed more solemn and dreary.

This was a challenging word to do. Again, I'm trying to loosen up and explore a more painterly style with the acrylics.

Peace at last...and a few doodles

I'm on the verge of Monday - although most of the world is already there. The kids are all in bed, I've got tunes from my Pandora station playing in my headphones - ahhhhhhhhhh bliss.

It was Soccer Sunday at the "Y" and I played again...well, for a little while anyway. I strained a muscle or something up the front of my thigh. Since it seemed to get worse, I decided it would be in my best interest to stop. The sad thing is that I first strained it while warming up! Sheesh! Oh well...

I did spend a little time in the studio this evening - haven't been able to get in there all weekend. I'm furthering my study in acrylic paint, doing another version of the study I shared a few posts back. But, since it's night and I still don't have a scanner, I knew I would get a good photo. So, I'll have to wait to share.

Instead, I have a sketchbook page-o-doodles that I like a lot. Yes, I love doodles. They're great to look back on and pull from for something more.

Happy 4th of July!

Well, I haven't posted in a few days, so how about twice in one day?

We had a nice family day today celebrating the 4th of July in a slightly less than "traditional" way. Let's see, how does it go? - America is baseball, hot dogs, and apple pie. Well, we're a "futbol" family, so we watched the LA Galaxy soccer game.

We grilled shark and salmon - not so traditional, but YUM! One of my kids did opt for hot dogs, though. And, we couldn't pass up the apple pie.










And, of course, no 4th of July is complete without a trip to one of the many fireworks stands that spring up in parking lots all over town. We don't usually attend any of the big firework shows - not a big fan of the crowds. I have to say - sparklers just ain't what they used to be! (The picture below is obviously not a sparkler - they weren't even worth photographing).

How about a Studio Tour...

I'm always impressed by some people's studio photos that I've seen posted - gorgeous rooms with beautiful paint jobs, and nice (sometimes coordinated) furniture and organizing systems. They're picture perfect.

My space, however, is in a corner of the garage since there's no extra space in the house for one. So, it's the only place I can get away from the distractions of family and television. It's nothing fancy (to say the least). And, obviously, I didn't bother to tidy up what I took time out to snap this shot.



As you can see, the garage is wallpapered with my husband's prized punk band flyer collection from back in the day. If you were to pan left, you'd see the parking place for the lawnmower and the recycling bins. To the right, I have a small table with my glass cutting supplies (I went through a period of doing stained glass - would still like to, but there's no time).
Also to the right is a nice north-facing window which gives me some wonderful light.



So, it's a studio shared with the washer and dryer, assorted bikes and sports equipment, my husbands bass guitar and amp, boxes of holiday decorations, etc. etc. It would probably be nice to have a "swan" studio rather than an "ugly duckling." More shelves, drawers, or flat files would certainly be nice. Heating in the winter would be a plus (I have a space heater), but at least I live in a mild climate. This works. When I've got the music on and I'm involved in a project, I really don't notice what's around me.

By the way, despite how it is in the picture, I am well aware of the dangers of setting my coffee mug next to my paint brush water cup.

Illustration Friday - "Fierce"

The wind was blowin' somethin' fierce!