Memory Lane Always Has Its Surprises

One of my daughters is involved in a group of girls putting together a dance for an upcoming Fine Arts Night for homeschool families.  Today was the first day that I was able to sit in for the hour that they meet - I usually have art classes going on.  It was a great opportunity to do some gesture sketches - something that I'm not particularly good at.  Unfortunately, I had to be off to the side and it wasn't the best vantage point, but I got a few things down.

Last night I flipped through sketchbooks that I have going back 24 years to my college days.  Sad to say that I only have 7 complete sketchbooks for all of those years - testament to how I really dropped out of art for a significant period of time, with only occasional drawings between 1993 and 2007 (albeit I was doing stained glass through much of that time - something I'd love to get back to one day).

I had expected to come face-to-face with an artist who was very different than the one who is sitting here typing this.  In many ways - socially, politically, spiritually, etc. - I am very different.  However, I came across about 10 pages of writing from 1989 where I outlined my approach and artistic philosophy that was pretty much identical to what I do now - beginning with doodles and responding to them, the desire for balance, the need to work representationally... things like that.  I remember doing most of the drawings and why, but a lot of it was pretty bad and would never go anywhere.  Overall, they were very dark and angry, advertising the lowest point in my life that those directionless years embodied.

This is one of those experimental drawings that I did in 1989 when I first started exploring my
doodle method of drawing.  It would be one of the last times I felt good about what I was doing
creatively (in drawing/painting) for the the next 18 years

I referenced some drawings that I'd forgotten about (and I still have a few of them tucked away).  Those were probably the best that I'd done from that time period, but I had never really had the time to follow-up with them because of the demands of the classes I was taking for my degree.  It makes me wonder what would have happened if I would have continued on along that route back then.  Instead, I guess I picked it up again - refreshed - in about 2007.

Page one of the sketchbook I started keeping in 2007 where I was determined
to draw "for fun" - I used the same doodle method I'd forgotten about

I guess I've picked up where I left off and it's exciting.

Slumber...

It's been forever since I've been able to pick up a pencil and doodle something for fun.  It was my turn to work in the Town Center Gallery which gave me a rare moment with my sketchbook, a little music, surrounded by art.  So, I started with a doodle - as I always do - to get the juices flowing.  Unfortunately, the camera that I usually use to photograph my drawings is no longer working.  I was forced to scan this on my basic scanner/printer and I don't like the quality at all.  But, what can ya do...?

Slumber

And, regarding the mural, the city will be sending a couple guys to come and pick it up on Friday.  When that happens, I'll be getting a photo of the whole thing put together.

Revisiting the Old, Tweaking and Refining

Current Work in Progress

I've reached a new and exciting milestone on my path to actually being more of a participant in the art field!  I've finally had some work made into giclee prints that I hope to be able to sell!  In fact, I will go and pick them up today!  Can't wait to post them...

Anyway, while I was going through what I had to choose from, a couple of issues came to mind.  One was that illustration doesn't just fit in any house, so my selections were limited.  Of course,most of my work would probably work best in a child's room.  The other thing was that, upon closer inspection,  many of the things I had considered "done" really weren't up to the "DONE and ready to present to people" level. 

As a result, I started to consider some redo's on some of my favorites.  I'll post some of these upgrades as they happen starting with this one:

Original "doodle" from the sketchbook

Actually, the original of this one had been a doodle and nothing I would have thought to be portfolio worthy.  I guess I always new that if this drawing were to go anywhere, it would be redone - the doodle was just a "brainstorm."  But, redoing this one sparked an idea to make a series of it - all 4 seasons that I would release as a print on the first day of that season.

A Productive Christmas...So Far...

The cookies are baked, the presents wrapped (and now opened), and as the holiday chaos winds down I've actually been able to work on a new project.

A little doodle

Out of the many doodles in my sketchbook, I'm not sure why this child in a raincoat suddlenly caught my attention.  But, I've been trying to think of some designs (past, present, and future) that I could have made into prints this spring.

Ink with a little cloud - works alright with this drawing
but didn't hold much weight in color

Once I figured out the initial composition, I did a couple of studies.   I could picture many things so, at first, I really wasn't sure if I was going to do a moody pen and ink, tried-n-true ink with watercolor wash, or ???  Originally, I didn't have a background at all, but I felt that the child needed to be looking "at" something. The cloud started off small, but once I saw it in color, the cloud needed to be more substantial.  I can't decide if it's too big now, but it seems to work.

The end result in gouache and color pencil

But, as I've learned in the past few years, a drawing or painting will let me know what it needs - what materials are best suited for it and what direction it will move in.  It reminds me of what I need to do day-to-day when it comes to "listening" to God - I may have one vision of how my life should unfold, but if I take care to observe and address the situations that arise each day, then I tend to encounter the unexpected on my way to a beautiful outcome.  Sometimes (a lot of the time) it's scary, aggravating, or delightful, but always worth it.

Ultimately, this image called for the softness of gouache washes and the detail that could be achieved with color pencil.  I don't know how I could have envisioned it any other way.

Something New for This Summer!

The bulk of our schoolwork is done for the year and now I'm just tying up loose ends to close out the year.  I've got some plans for some art projects over break - finishing some portfolio pieces started over Christmas and reworking something for a juried art show this fall.  But, first and foremost, I'll be working on my first commissioned project - a wall mural in a friend's home!  So, my creative thoughts are turning to theTuscan countryside for a while.

In the meantime, I'm still doodling here and there and "taking notes" at church in the form of illustrations.  I've included last Sunday's notes as it was a fun one to illustrate.  While the story of Moses and Pharaoh is very familiar to me, it was a fun one to put in pictures.  I worked on it some more last night, adding color.

Illustration Friday: "Trail"

Lots going on this week and I didn't think I would be able to get anything done.  But, then I remembered I had this bear drawing from a couple years ago - PERFECT!

Found the Colored Pencils

Easter Vaction and I finally dug through a couple boxes for my colored pencils.

These guys were a quick 2 minute doodle done a while back that I added some color to.

I doodled the picture on the left first and had no plans to do anything else. However, I do need to do some studies that show one particular character in different moods or actions. This isn't for the portfolio or anything, but it's good practice. I wanted to make sure I could recreate the same character from a different angle. I think I duplicated her shape and features well enough. But, I need to take a look at some other artists and see how they handle hair in this medium. I'm not a big fan of how I did it here.

Post-Disney Doodles

Just trying to keep the momentum going with the drawing. I really wasn't able to do any drawing at Disneyland like I thought I might. But, I never really had the chance (even waiting with the baby for others to get off of rides). So, I took a bunch of pictures of interesting shapes and architecture to have fun with at a later date.

I did get a couple marks on a page once before being interrupted, so I just came home and doodled with them. Here's the result...fun stuff.

Illustration Friday: "Crunchy"

"FEE-FI-FO-FUM- I smell the blood of an Englishman" (Mmmmm! Nice and crunchy they are, too!)

This happened to be a doodle that I'd recently started and it worked out quite nicely. But, since it started as a random doodle, there're some things that I would do differently - better center the image so it fits on the page, mainly. I think I'd like to redo this one for the portfolio and maybe add a watercolor wash.

I didn't think I would have time to really work on this. But in the warm comfort of my car during the soccer tournament this weekend as the baby napped for over an hour, I was able to make a lot of progress. Gotta love those long naps!

Illustration Friday: "Blur"

"...what happened next was just a blur."

This was another doodle from the sketchbook that I was playing with at the soccer field last weekend. Although I wasn't going for a repeat of an earlier picture, once I had the worm image developing, it only seemed logical to put in a bird. So, I'm re-posting the other - more whimsical - worm/bird picture called "An Invitation to Dinner." As you can see, the new one is a bit more ominous.

I like to see different approaches to similar ideas. In fact, that would be a fun exercise.

Illustration Friday: "Skinny"

YEAH! It just so happened that the IF theme worked well with the doodle I'd started weeks ago. It gave me the motivation to get it finished.

It will be impossible to be "skinny" with these super-sized helpings!

Checking in Again...

Well, here it is - the dreaded post without an illustration to go with it (gasp). I had high hopes for lots of art time over summer, but that hasn't been the case. Any free time has gone to selling the house and related home improvements and, now, sorting through things and moving to the new house next month. Oh well...

But, I wanted to check in and let you know I'm still here. And, I'm determined to do something in the sketchbook. I'll be back with a visual soon!

Ok ok! I just can't leave this without an image. So, here's a little something from the past. I just love the way the texture from the paper gave the cloak such weight in this drawing. It was an unexpected discovery. Overall, a fun doodle when I was doing it.

Illustration Friday: "Adapt"

As it is with many things, flying insects have had to adapt or risk becoming obsolete. This outdated model is rarely seen in the wild anymore, unlike the more modern models.


Also, since this drawing started as a doodle, I had to adapt to the lines and shapes that were present in the beginning.

Illustration Friday: "Cracked"

The baby's sleep patterns are more regular now and several school year obligations have ended. That means I have a teensy bit more time to draw than I used to. So, here's a little something for Illustration Friday (sure to creep-out young children and others with clown phobias).

This started as a doodle. The clown character came through pretty quick. But, then I saw the IF theme and took it in that direction.

It's funny how certain flaws are obvious when you are looking at an uploaded picture! Since it was doodle - not planned out - his closest arm looks shorter in proportion in my attempt to fit it all on the page. I hate cutting off hands; a carry-over from my art education. (The next bit of info should be a new paragraph. HOWEVER, for some reason, Blogger refuses to recognize the multiple times I hit the ENTER key to create space - don't know if anyone else has this problem, but it drives me nuts).

Still in the midst of trying to sell our house and get a 4 bedroom. We have an offer on one which would actually have a detached bachelor house in the backyard that could be used as a studio!!! Don't know if we'll get it...here's hoping.

Illustration Friday: "Theater"

This is actually several things - it's the result of the bird-like doodle I posted previously, and I had planned to fit it into last week's IF topic of "impossibility." However, it was an impossibility for me to finish it before the end of the week. But, when I saw the theme for this week, I thought it would fit well enough.

I actually struggled a lot with the values in this as I did it. I'm still not sure I'm happy with it - I wonder what it would be like to switch and make the darker flowers light, and the lighter flowers in the foreground darker. But, that will never happen - I was lucky to find the time to do this as it is. It's also not the best quality photograph. One of these days I'll have to hook up the scanner again and see if it still works.

Sneak Preview...What Will It Be?

It's spring break this week, and it was a goal of mine to try and open the sketchbook if I could. Of course, finding the time is difficult. Well, actually, if I could find a way to set-up the sketchbook in a workable position while nursing the baby, I'd have lots of time (she eats all the time).

But, I did start a doodle - something I haven't done in a while. I wrote in the past about how birds often come out of these doodles. As you can see by what I've shown here, some sort of bird seems to be coming through...or is it? I definitely was pursuing the beak and eyeball. However, the fun thing about doing these doodles is that - if I just take my time, playing with lines, shapes, and values - other surprises often materialize. I actually started to see other possibilities that I'd like to explore.

So, I will post the finished product as soon as I can string together some drawing time. You'll just have to check back later and see what became of it.

Goodbye to Christmas - Hello New Year!

The cookies have been baked (and consumed), the presents have been opened (and assembled), and the stockings are now empty (no matter how hopeful the little guy up top may be). And now, I have a day or two that I can do a little bit in the sketchbook before I have to think about school again.

I had the forethought to take my drawing stuff to the doctor's office yesterday as the waiting room was packed and I was able to start the above drawing. I didn't know what it was going to be - it started as a doodle. But, it turned out to be very appropriate for the time of year and my feelings about the season at the moment (funny how those things can come through when you're not actually conscious of it). Christmas was sort of a blur - here and gone - and I feel like I hardly had time to enjoy it. However, I'm ready to put it all away and try again next year. In the meantime, 2009 ought to be interesting - full of changes!

This drawing is a little different for me in that I never do such minimal eyes - little more than dots. I usually draw more detail in the face in general. I'm happy that I came up with the appropriate age - often, my young children look older than I intend them to. I think I achieved the right amount of squat pugginess for a toddler.

This blog needed a little punch of color, too!

Project for an Upcoming Kids Art Event

Here's a little side project that I've been doing for our homeschool group's Fine Arts Festival (art show and talent show) that's coming up soon. This is the design for the program cover. It's a doodle from waaaaayyyyy back - about a year ago - that I thought would be appropriate for the event. Different parents have always done the cover, but I think starting next year, we're going to hold a design contest for the kids. Winning design gets to be the cover.

I'm pretty happy with it except for the 8 in 2008 - but, it's done in ink. Maybe I can make an adjustment with white paint. White-out certainly makes things worse (tried that before - yikes!). I suppose that's the downside of not working on the computer. Oh well, maybe I just won't worry about it. I'm certain the audience won't care, but it's that bit of perfectionism that comes through when I'm working on a project.

This design will run on white paper and be inset on red or black cardstock (the colors of the event are red and black). If it's on black card, it will have red ribbon; if it's on red card, it will have red ribbon (on the spine).

The hazards of drawing while sick...

I started work on a doodle that I was liking at first...now I can't stand it. I've come to the conclusion that I really don't like this style. So, it will forever remain unfinished - no hands on the clock, figures not complete, etc.

I've also been sick to my stomach this past week (literally). You know how when you eat something when you're sick, and then it sort of ruins that food for you? You associate that flavor with nausea for a long time after. I was wondering if the same thing can happen visually. Whenever I go back to this drawing, I notice my stomach feeling bad. Maybe that's part of my dislike for this picture.

Anyway, I need to pursue styles of working that aren't sooooooo tedious. This style of work is actually similar as several of my favorite drawings - the owl, the clown-like figures, the tiger I use for my avatar - but, I tend not to like things that are flat. Doing the figures in line obviously makes them very flat. At first I thought it would be interesting to combine line with shaded areas. But, I'm really not liking it here.

Oh well, back to the drawing board. Hope no one else gets sick looking at this (ha ha).

More studio fun...

While the house is still a bit cluttered with leftover school year stuff, I'm enjoying FINALLY having studio time! I can't quite bring myself to face the stacks of papers and books...I'll do it tomorrow (famous last words).

Anyway, I went through the last few months of sketchbook doodles to see if anything spoke up. A little bird did - and I'm back to ink (watercolor will follow). It's changed only slightly. I call it "A Dinner Invitation."

The inspiration for this was a small doodle (shown below) tucked away on a page full of "random musings" done in ink and posted several weeks back. It was hard to notice it among all of the other stuff on the page, but I liked it and it's been calling me.