Blue Girl WIP #6A and 6B

(9 x 12, Colored Pencil with watercolor underpainting)

She's got hair!

Posting two WIP's... the whole portrait to date and a close up of her face.

I've given her some hair and made some refinements to her face (they were necessary... really!). Blue Girl will have a chance to sit for a while before I work on it again ... I'll be out of town - and offline - for a few days so I hope you have a good weekend and I'll catch up with you about the middle of next week.

Newspaper column for May 2009

Sneaky Snakes and Gluttonous Guests

In recent years, as I’ve gotten older, and, I suppose, more mellow, I’ve become fascinated by the world of nature surrounding me. Though I’ve always appreciated the outdoors in terms of beautiful scenery, lately I’ve become interested enough in nature - birds in particular - to observe them regularly and even do a little research. I can actually identify a few birds now- besides the very obvious Cardinals, Blue Jays and woodpeckers.

Regularly visiting our bird feeder, besides the cardinals and one red bellied woodpecker, are a variety of other birds including the Indigo Bunting, a nuthatch, the Eastern Towhee, a Blue Grosbeak, one spectacularly colored Red Headed Woodpecker, plus a few others whose names I’ve yet to learn. Also congregating around the feeder are the softly colored Mourning Doves, at least one Brown Thrasher, and, predictably, way too many blackbirds, grackles and crows- those unwelcome and ill-mannered banquet crashers who descend in raucous cawing mobs to decimate the supply of sunflower seeds while bullying away the smaller, less aggressive birds. Darn pests!

A couple of weeks ago a male Kill Deer (yes, the male!) built a nest in the rocks of a ditch across from our house. The nest was really nothing more than a shallow, round depression in the rocks. The bird had used smaller pieces of rock to line the nest - not exactly my idea of comfortable or cozy. Nonetheless, in a few days three Kill Deer eggs were lying in their extra firm bed. Every time the hubby and I went for a walk we passed the nest, and though we tried to avoid upsetting Mama Kill Deer it was inevitable. At first sight of us she went into her famous broken wing routine. She quickly hopped off the nest, ran wildly down the road, and then while rolling over on her side and turning her wing at an awkward angle, she flapped the "broken" wing helplessly and squawked for dear life. It was, of course, an elaborate charade, designed to draw a predator’s attention away from her nest and eggs. The idea was that a predator would see an "injured" bird - an easy meal - and pursue her. When the predator got close, Mama Kill Deer made an amazing recovery and flew off! For a week we checked on the nest during our evening walks. After a few days, she began to relax a little- enough so that if we stayed on the far side of the road she didn’t leave the nest, although she watched us intently as we passed by. We thoroughly enjoyed watching her and hoped that she’d successfully raise her young. But we were doubtful. Last year we lost three broods of baby Bluebirds to snakes. The Kill Deer eggs, in their out-in-the open location, were easy pickings for snakes and other predators. So we continued to watch and hope for the best. One day we went to check the nest, and as we approached there was no sound or movement. Not a good sign. We were disappointed to see an empty, abandoned nest. I looked around carefully... no signs of any disturbance or broken egg shells... probably the clean work of a snake. Darn snake. What a struggle life is for birds... it seems that only a minority of them actually hatch and grow to adulthood. The next week another Kill Deer made a nest in our side yard. The nest soon had three speckled eggs clustered in the center. We watched. After a few days the eggs were devoured by a predator. Again, no signs of disturbance around the nest. Darn sneaky snake. I began to harbor exceedingly malevolent thoughts about this persistent and efficient predator, and considered ways to bring about his untimely end should he be so unfortunate as to be spotted by me. Thus far, he’s been more successful in eluding me than his helpless victims were in eluding him.

The Kill Deer are not alone in living this everyday struggle that is their life. At the same time the Kill Deer were nursing their eggs, we also had baby bluebirds in the bluebird house; a three egg nest in my tall butterfly bush (I haven’t seen the mother fly off the nest and not sure what kind of eggs they are); and one superbly built nest in the domed cover of the gauge on the propane gas tank in the back yard (photo above). From doing a little reading, I think the eggs under the gas tank gauge cover belong to a Carolina Chickadee. Chickadees usually lay between five and seven eggs, white with reddish brown markings. Bingo! We have six eggs fitting that description. For such a small bird the nest is quite impressive. Sturdily built, it slopes down from a high side on one end to a taper on the low end - a cornucopia-like shape. The nest cavity is quite deep and is lined with fine, soft bedding (baby Chickadees obviously have more cushy digs than baby Kill Deer). So far, so good on the Chickadees. We’re keeping our fingers crossed. As for the baby Bluebirds, I’m happy to report that the youngsters fledged and went their way into the world. The unidentified eggs in the butterfly bush did not fare so well- the next time I checked on them they were gone. Mostly likely that darn snake again.

I look back and am surprised that until recent years I was fairly oblivious to the life and death struggle and everyday adventures going on all around me. It’s been an eye-opener and source of wonder to stop and really observe nature. It may sound corny, but each season is now fresh and new, and every baby bird, newly opened flower, and spectacular sky is a mini miracle. Albert Einstein said, "There are two ways to live your life; one is as though nothing is a miracle, and the other is as though everything is a miracle". In my younger years I was in the first category, with a little age and perhaps a little wisdom I’m happy to now find myself in the latter category.

Blue Girl WIP #5

I meant to post another WIP before I got quite this far along, but art is so intoxicating that when I get into it I forget about everything else... including taking photos for WIPS!

Most of her face is about finished, and I've lightly drawn in some basic hair shapes. Her hair will be the next thing to do. I want to lighten up her skin a little on the areas of her face that reflect the most light- the watercolor underpainting gave quite a bit of color and needs toning down in some areas. This is fairly easily accomplished and I've liked having that initial layer down before starting with cp's. Will probably go that route again on with some other portraits.

"Blue Girl" has been the most enjoyable portrait to date. I've been much more relaxed, have had very little re-do's, and have looked forward to working on it. I'd like to think that has something to do with the hours I've spent practicing, experimenting, reading about and studying portraiture - enough so that some of the info has gelled and I can begin to focus a little more on how I want to interpret a portrait rather than how do I achieve this effect or that effect. I've got little scrap pieces of various types of art paper scattered around my art table where I've tried out different techniques and colors. This "playing around" has been a tremendous help, and I save these labeled experiments to refer to as needed.

Something else that's making a difference in my work process... I've begun to develop a basic palette that I'm comfortable with when painting skin, eyes and mouths. My palette may change as I continue to experiment, but knowing ahead of time what colors to use to get the effect I'm after saves a lot of what my mother would call "dithering around". So far the pencils and colors that I "must have" are: Prismacolor: white, cream, jasmine, light peach, beige, peach, goldenrod, blush pink, rosy beige, clay rose, carmine red, henna, raspberry, light umber and dark umber; Lyra: light flesh, raw umber, cinnamon; Polychromos: light flesh, light yellow ochre, burnt ochre; Caran d'ache: light ochre, venetian red, sanguine. It should be noted that I've fairly recently started using Polychromos and Caran d'ache, so I only have a few colors as a trial and am still getting acquainted with them. So far I'm very impressed with both brands...and I'm particularly in love with Venetian Red by Caran d'ache... a wonderful color for subtle shading on faces! Other colors (for irises, hair, etc) I use as needed and haven't settled down with any particular favorites yet.

Blue Girl WIP #4

9x12, Colored Pencil on Stonehenge with watercolor underpainting.

Made some progress on the Blue Girl. Added a little more detail to her hat and got quite a bit done on the eyes, although I'll add more modeling around the eye area as I model other areas of the face. I've also put three very light cp layers down on her face, covering the initial watercolor wash. I like the look of smooth, soft skin (especially on young children) so I'll be paying particular attention to very gradual color changes as I introduce the shadows and highlights that will bring dimension to the face. Although it doesn't look like I've done that much since the last WIP, there's actually quite a bit of time involved in those light layers and careful painting of the eyes. I took my time doing her eyes as I'm determined to work as often as I can by Laure's motto of "Get in, get it down, get out!".... in other words, as little re-doing as possible.

A Special Post for Jeanne!

This post is in honor of Jeanne (visit her blog here). It's her birthday today! It's a special birthday... one of those milestone days... but be it far from me to reveal any numeric details.

Jeanne was one of the first people that I really got to know through blogging. Though we've never met in person (we live on opposite sides of the US... she all the way over to the west in California, and me all the way over to the east in North Carolina- 3,000 miles apart) we've developed a special friendship that includes regular emails interspersed with entertainingly chatty phone calls. Jeanne is a joy to know. She has a wonderful, quirky sense of humor, makes charming and colorful art, and is just a delight.

And now, Jeanne, you may not be aware of this, but I'm known to write [appallingly corny] poems. So, in honor of your birthday, is one such [appallingly corny] poem written just for you:

She loves chocolate and cookies,
TV and art;
Bill, Penny and Friday,
and sketching in the park.

She lives in California,
where the Beverly Hillbillies went to,
Though I'm not a hillbilly,
I send this greeting from the South to you.

Celebrate this milestone birthday-
may it be a wonderful year,
Filled with all the things you love:
Family, friends, doggies
blogging, art and good cheer!

Happy Birthday my friend.... wishing you a Special Day and a Wonderful Year!

Blue Girl WIP and other ramblings.....

After a short but happy fling with oils and landscapes, I'm back to colored pencil and a portrait. Truthfully, I'm still surprised that I like colored pencil as much as I do... but since I keep answering the siren call of those beguiling sticks of color I guess I'm officially hooked. 'Course, I really like the Artisan oils too so I plan to continue working with them as well. Nice to switch back and forth between two refreshingly different mediums.

I'm posting the reference for the latest portrait and a couple of WIPs. Since I love to experiment I approached this portrait a little differently... I did a detailed drawing first. I usually just start with basic outlines and "draw" as I paint. Only problem with that is with portraits there's little to no fudge room and if something has to be re-done (not that I would ever do a thing like that) it's a hassle getting several layers of color off... whereas if there's a problem with the initial pencil drawing... ha! my trusty eraser will make it vanish faster than you can say "Hey, Presto!".

I'm also trying a watercolor underpainting. I'm doing this primarily for speed (because it will put a fast layer of light color down where I don't want the white of the paper showing, thus saving me a layer or two of painstaking pencil "washes"). That's the general idea anyway... whether or not it works to my satisfaction- I'll get back to you on that!

Lastly, if you're reading this and I normally read your blog ... don't give up on me yet! I've had a lot going on with family commitments the last couple of weeks (one son and his fiancee flying off to Costa Rica for a two week wedding/honeymoon/beach and surfing vacation, the other graduating from NC State... Go Wolfpack!) so I've had little time on the computer. Tomorrow I'll have access to a computer with high speed internet (thanks, Dad!) and plan to catch up then... in what will be record time for me (since I'm still on dial up... which should be called TurtleNet).

Have a great weekend!

BTW - the reference photo came from WetCanvas - thank you to the generous person who uploaded it.

Maine Cove

A couple of years ago we vacationed in Maine. Wow...what a take-your-breath-away gorgeous place! (Would love to live there provided I had a reliable heating system, a snow blower and a home office/studio!). I took lots of photos to use as references for paintings.... but this is the first painting of Maine that I've done.

I used the Artisan oils again and imposed two conditions on myself for this mini painting (it's an ACEO):

1. Spend no more than 30 minutes on the painting from initial sketch to last stroke of paint

2. No re-doing.... for any reason whatsoever

I actually managed to abide by both conditions. I do see some things I'd like to change (no surprise there :-), but I left it alone and will try to keep those things in mind on the next painting.

Newspaper column for April 2009

The Cure for Sea Fever

Sea-Fever by John Masefield

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking,
And a gray mist on the sea’s face and a gray dawn breaking.

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again to the vagrant gypsy life.
To the gull’s way and the whale’s way where the wind’s like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And a quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over.

I had a nagging case of sea fever; possibly caused by the confinement of winter months, or perhaps by the siren song of spring that beckoned me to like a child begging an adult to "come and see what I made". And so, ignoring the disapproval of chores that needed to be done, errands that waited to be run and a dozen other "should-do’s" that snatched greedily at my time, I turned a deaf ear and listened instead to the call of the sea.

A light picnic was packed to suffice as an evening meal and mid-afternoon the hubby and I took off for the beach. It was the right decision. A lovely spring day awaited us with storybook blue skies and scudding white clouds. On the ride down, I turned my head from side to side, looking, unwilling to miss anything. Dogwoods, tulip trees, early azaleas, late narcissus and clusters of little wildflowers all bloomed exuberantly and I silently applauded their show.

Arriving at the beach, we climbed steps that rose over a dune, and at the top, stood still. After winter's pale stillness, there’s magic in that first glance at the lilting sea, resplendent in myriad shades of blue and green and capped with white at the shoreline. I took a deep, slow breath, reveling in the salty air and the sound of the sea. My eyes followed the waves that curled, crested and then, relaxed, rolled gently onto the beach. Time fell away, the "should-do’s" ceased to exist, and a peaceful feeling of belonging seeped in.

There were few beach-goers this early in April. I was glad. Glad to listen only to the lulling waves and cries of the gulls. Life at the shore is reduced to simpler elements, and simpler felt good, felt lighter. Like losing ten pounds; not in body, but in spirit.

I had brought a heavy jacket, expecting a cold and cutting wind. But the day was benevolent and I was comfortable wearing jeans and a shirt. Spring’s gentle sun dropped sparkling highlights on the waves and shimmered on the wet sand. Along the tideline the sand was studded with shells; mostly broken, but still beautiful in their variety and color. Wet, they glistened, jewels against a velvet cloth, and I picked up the gems I thought beautiful and dropped them safely into a bag. A good subject for a painting, perhaps.

The hubby loves to feed the sea gulls, so we came prepared with a whole loaf of bread. After the quiet months of winter the gulls were cautious. As the season wore on they would once again accustom themselves to the beach crowds that annually invade their realm. But at the moment they were skittish. The small bread chunks thrown out to them rolled to a standstill where they lay untouched as the gulls, tempted, stared, started forward, then thought better of it and stepped back. So the hubby threw the bread farther out and finally the boldest among them claimed his prize. Then another stepped forward, and another, until soon we were surrounded by a gaggle of gulls all vying for the morsels flying across the sand. They were comical, reminding me of children squabbling and scuffling for the best piece of candy. When one grabbed a piece of bread, another one close by would squawk loudly in protest. Sometimes two or three gulls dived after the same bit of bread and when one caught it, the unsuccessful gulls set off a clamorous chorus of disgruntled and envious complaining. We spent several minutes watching and enjoying the gulls while they enjoyed the food. Eventually, the bread was gone and we expected them to leave immediately. Instead they stood around, looking at us expectantly as if to say, "We’re waiting". They were quiet now, and their fears allayed by the food, had come within a few feet of us. They stood regarding us with an open and patient gaze. We started walking back to the steps over the dune and for a few feet we had company. Then, realizing that meal time was over, one by one the gulls left, circling out over the sea in search of more food.

It was a good evening. There was time to be quiet, time to talk, time to rest. We wondered why we didn’t do this more often. There wasn’t any reason not to. It didn’t require a week, or even a whole day. Just a couple of hours at the beach had gone a long way to curing sea fever. The wind and waves had done their work - as I knew they would. And that night I slept the quiet sleep with the sweet dreams of those who go down to the seas.

New Paints! ... Artisan Oils

(2.5 x 3.5 on gesso primed canvas paper)

I spent about an hour and a half trying out my new Artisan Oil Paints. They're made by Winsor & Newton and are water mixable. I was curious to see if the fumes bothered me, as traditional oils do. So far, no fume problems!

The subject is a Roundhouse in Cornwall, England - and it was LOTS of fun to paint! I think I'll like these paints (I'm hoping that fume problems won't develop later down the line) and plan to work with them again.

Have a good weekend!

Flowergirl WIP 4

More work done on the little flowergirl. I think I've finished the dress (will have to let it sit a while to find out for sure) and started on the background.

As always, constructive criticism welcome!

Updates on Flowergirl

The fates have conspired against me in trying to post this week! I was caregiver for an invalid parent (MIL) on Monday, and Tuesday we had severe thunderstorms on and off most of the day... and I usually unplug my computer just to be on the safe side. So today we have two WIPs! Lighting on photos not too good - sorry - natural lighting was low yesterday due to the storms and I didn't want to use a flash and blow out the details.

I'm fairly pleased with how the flowergirl is coming along, although I guess I'm never really satisfied. Not too many re-do's- thanks mostly to keeping a light touch and deciding ahead of time what I'm trying to accomplish BEFORE I put color down! I once read that Sargeant would dip his brush in paint and then hold it above his canvas, hovering, while he considered the effect the next brush stroke would have. If Sargeant hovered, then I'm quite sure I need to get into the habit of hovering too!

Flowergirl - A New Work

Where do the days fly away to? Seems like there's never enough hours in the day or days in the week to get everything accomplished!

Ah well, today is not the day for such serious musings as the brevity of our days. I've started a new project that I'm really excited about. I'm excited because I think some of my experimenting and ongoing study of art is beginning to pay off, and because I have a vision in my head of where I want to go with this portrait - and I hope that I can keep that vision fresh and constant until I'm finished. (Reference from Wet Canvas RIL - thank you to the generous person who posted this gorgeous photo).

I decided to start with the face first this time. In the past I've waited to do the face until last. Not really sure why - possibly because I'm impatient to jump in with all those yummy colors and like to get warmed up on the less important parts of a picture. But this time I wanted to get the face in first and see how that affected the work process.

I'm working lighter, both in terms of pencil pressure and color. I'm using lighter colors and darkening ever-so-gradually to avoid re-do's. I'm trying to abdicate the throne as The Queen of Re-do. One title up for grabs... any takers? ;-)

I'm posting a couple of WIP's - sorry, not great pics. The first one is the pencil sketch and it's so light that, except for the face, it may not show up on the monitor. On the second WIP I've started on the face, getting the basics in and working gradually on modeling the features. I've found two things that have helped me a lot: first is to work as far away from the paper as is comfortable. Since cp is done on a desk (as opposed to an oil painter standing in front of an easel) it's all too easy to pore over the piece, working very close to it. For me this is not good - I tend to bog down in minor detail and lose sight of the big picture. It works better for me to get up close for critical features such as eyes, mouth and nose; and then sit back and put a little distance between me and the paper. The distance helps me to more clearly see the masses, shapes and tonal ranges and when working on the face it's easier to keep in mind the entire facial expression, not just one feature. The second thing that helps a lot is..... walk away! Take a coffee break, put a load of laundry in the washer, go for a walk, catch up on your blogging (I'm on a painting break to do this post). It's amazing how the errors jump out at you when you've been away for a little while, and it's nice to catch problems early... before there are several layers of color to remove in order to correct something.

As an aside, after being gently but persistently nudged by Jeanne and Jo's dedicated sketching habits I decided if you can't beat 'em, join 'em! So, I purchased a sketchbook (a size that's easy to carry - I had several of the large sketchbooks but they're too big to carry around) and have started sketching somewhat regularly. I have also purchased (credit for this purchase also goes to Jo - see her posts here using this medium) a beginner set of the Winsor & Newton Artisan water mixable oil paints. It's little box of five tubes of paint... but enough for me to find out if I can tolerate these oils. I hope I can - I love oil paint but can't stand the nauseating fumes. So - this should be interesting!

Why Colored Pencil?

Laure of Painted Thoughts Blog left a comment and a question in response to my last blog post detailing some cp experiments. Laure's question was:

"Not being a CP girl, I guess I'm a little confused. It seems from your conclusions that you are leaning towards the results that look the least like CP . . . . If this is the case, why not just use the acrylics to paint the skin tones? What am I missing?"

Good question! After letting the question sit in my subconscious for a few days, here's the surprisingly simple answer: It feels good! It really feels more like cp picked me, than I picked cp. For some time I'd seen really great cp work on various blogs and though I liked the artwork, frankly, the idea of painting with painstakingly slow pencils that have a point about as big as the end of a toothpick did not appeal to me at all. I think in the end curiosity got the better of me. I just had to give it a try, and when I did I was really quite surprised to find out that I loved the medium. Of course there are times I wish it wasn't such slow going, but most of the time I find the slowness almost meditative and when I settle into a cp piece the world goes away and I'm doing what I was made to do.

I like the fact that with cp the color goes directly onto the support. There's no mixing, no selecting a particular brush, no dipping in water.... just pick up a yummy color that's conveniently housed in a handy pencil and go to it! There's no mess to clean up (I love the look of pastels but dislike the dust and the mess), no fumes that make me queasy (oils), and no brushes to wash up. You don't have to wait for it to dry, nor worry about your painting becoming too dry while you're making up your mind. Plus, if you're afflicted with the "detail bug", cp excels in that area.

Having said all that, even though I love using cp, I don't want to be limited in the finishes and effects that I can achieve. I love an expanse of rich smooth color. I also don't want people to look at my art and say (usually in a dismissive way), "Oh, that's colored pencil"- as if it's somehow inferior to other mediums. I'm convinced that cp is as capable as any other medium of delivering art that can make a viewer's eyes pop and their emotions stir.

If you'd like to see some really great cp art, here's a link to Ann Kullberg's website where you can find a cp art gallery guaranteed to wow you:

http://www.annkullberg.com/gallery.php


Well, that was fun! Thanks, Laure, for asking - I've enjoyed thinking it over and now I'm even more excited about my next cp piece!

Colored Pencils: In search of smooth skin...

Top color swatches: Colorfix

Bottom swatches: Arches, underpainted on left, plain on right

After taking some time to play around with my new Chroma Atelier Acrylics (the results of which ended up in the trash can - guess I need to play some more) I decided to do some colored pencil experiments to try and come up with a better technique for skin. Specifically, achieving a smooth blend between skin's lights, darks and halftones, and getting smooth even coverage. Though I don't always want a smooth look, when I do want it I want to know how to get it.

To that end, I made some tiny little color samples on two different supports: Colorfix and Arches Hot Press watercolor paper. I didn't include Stonehenge because I've already experimented with it quite a bit and though I like it, there are times it doesn't fit the bill.

I also wanted to see how underpainting affected the appearance of colored pencil on Arches, so I painted a light peach colored swatch on Arches (I used the Chroma Acrylic paint but diluted it to the point that it looked like watercolor). I then made three color samples on the plain Arches, the painted Arches and the Colorfix.

In each swatch group pictured above...
- The top squares are simply layers of colored pencil.
- On the middle squares a solvent was used in between every color.
- On the bottom squares, the color was burnished in between each layer.

The results were interesting...

1. The two swatches that looked the most promising for smooth skin tones were the simple layers swatch (no solvent, no burnish) on the Colorfix paper, and the simple layers swatch (again, no solvent, no burnish) on the Arches that was underpainted.
2. I was surprised to see the layered swatch on Arches that was underpainted was substantially smoother and softer in appearance than the layered swatch on the plain Arches. The underpainting made a difference.
3. Burnishing significantly inhibits the application of additional color layers. On the top sample swatch pictured, note the difference in saturation between the top two color squares and the bottom square which was burnished. I didn't try doing all the layers and then burnishing once after the last application because when I'm working I never know which application will be my last!
4. For the purposes of smooth color, my two least favorites were the burnished swatches on the Arches without the underpainting and the Colorfix.
5. All three swatches on the underpainted Arches were significantly smoother than the three swatches on the plain Arches.

6. The swatch that showed the least amount of pencil strokes was the layered swatch on the Colorfix (and the way it was eating my pencils it SHOULD be smooth!)

Conclusion: If we take time to play and experiment with our chosen medium(s), we acquire valuable information that can be used when painting a real project.... when time counts and you want predictable results.

Gracie

Gracie ..... finished?

Possibly. I'm going to let it sit for a day or two and see. The scan makes her skin look kind of grainy, but it's actually much smoother than it appears onscreen.

As usual, comments and constructive criticism welcome!

I'm 6:49 a.m.

Rosie over at Corners of My Mind had a link to a little quiz that tells you what time of day you are based on your personality. Turns out I'm 6:49 am (as was Rosie) even though most mornings I'm usually up between 5:00 - 6:00 am. Yes, I'm one of those disgustingly cheerful morning persons! Below, in italics, is how I was summarized by the quiz. It's surprisingly accurate.

You're the time of day right around sunrise, when the sky is still a pale bluish gray. The streets are empty, and the grass and leaves are a little bit sparkly with dew. You are the sound of a few chirpy birds outside the window. You are quiet, peaceful, and contemplative. If you move slowly, it's not because you're lazy, it's because you know there's no reason to rush. You move like a relaxed cat, pausing for deep stretches that make your muscles feel alive. You are long sips of tea or coffee (out of a mug that's held with both hands) that slowly warm your insides just as the sun is brightening the sky.

I wonder what time of day you are?

Shapes, Teresa, SHAPES!

A quick post for the day. I'm working on the portrait of Gracie and another artsy light bulb has gone on. (Amazing that the more I paint, the more I learn - fancy that!).

I've almost completed Gracie's mouth, and when I stepped back to view the entire portrait I realized I had some overall tweaking to do. As mentioned in an earlier post, I knew the eyes needed adjusting and I've taken my time doing that because I want to get good results with as little re-doing as possible. As I carefully studied what was in front of me and what I wanted to see in front of me, I wanted to know why I didn't get it exactly right the first time. I looked from the ref photo to my painting a dozen times, analyzing the differences. I looked again at my previous blog post where the problem showed up clearly after I posted the fourth WIP. Then it hit me. I had painted what I thought I saw and not what I actually saw. How many times have I been warned of that very thing in art books? There are tips to keep a painter from doing that. Things like... turning your painting upside down so you see it as shapes, rather than as a person; squinting to see basic shapes without detail distracting you; thinking in terms of colors and shapes. Shapes, shapes, shapes. Not eyes, but shapes.

Ah ha! I needed to get the stereotypical appearance of an eye out of my head and simply paint what I saw. I needed to remember that I'm not painting an eye, I'm painting a shape. And that holds true for whatever I'm painting.

So now I'm trying to subdue into silence the analytical, logical side of me and let the artist rule the roost. I'm happy that this light bulb came on- forewarned is forearmed!

Newspaper column for March 2009

Wisdom of the ages: ancient advice on an age-old obstacle

When I find myself waiting for inspiration before writing or painting I think of a favorite quote: "The muse comes to the moving pen."

In other words, don’t wait for inspiration; begin, and inspiration will follow. A guarantee of sorts... action brings inspiration.

In practice, the quote appears to hit the mark. I’ve noticed more times than one, as I sit expectantly at my computer staring at an empty white page, a kernel of an article does indeed present itself to me. Then, as I make a tentative beginning, somehow, from somewhere, the first few words are joined by others until, to my surprise, a full article appears.

This makes me wonder: how many articles have I not written, and how many pictures have I not painted because logic would seem to dictate that inspiration must come first and the beginning second. And why did I have to grow as old as I am now for this to sink in? (I hope I’m not the only one who’s taken their sweet time assimilating this little gem of truth). So now, after following the advice of this quote, I not only have a subject for my column (which Gary, my always time-conscious editor, will surely appreciate) but also a new truth to ponder.

Of course this is not, by a long shot, the first time I’ve heard this principle. Taped to my monitor is an impressive quote that reads, " Boldness has genius, power and magic. Engage, and the mind grows heated. Begin, and the work will be completed." This comes from a gentleman named Goethe who lived from 1749 to 1832. If Mr. Goethe knew this truth a couple of centuries ago, why do I, and apparently many others, still wrestle with its implementation today? Continuing on the same subject comes another quote: "The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step." (Chinese philosopher, around 531 B.C.).

So, here we have Mr. Goethe, from a couple of hundred years ago, and an ancient Chinese philosopher from a couple of thousand years ago telling us the same thing: Don’t wait for inspiration! Get off your butt and get started! Do something! Modern day psychologists and those in the success coaching industry agree that if there is one universal human failing it’s procrastination. And procrastinate we do, on the stuff of our dreams, the implementing of our goals, because, at least in part, in the back of our minds many of us still think we don’t have the green light until we get that heady rush of inspiration.

Part and package of the begin now, don’t procrastinate doctrine is the underlying idea of a deadline. A literal deadline. At some point we will be exactly that: dead. Dust, kaput, finished, done for, pushing up daisies, kicked the bucket (whether we finished The List or not), curled up our toes, bought the farm, and all of the other euphemisms that tell us the deadline has arrived, we have run out of time. Not the most enjoyable or pleasant of subjects, but realistic and potentially motivating: Time is limited! Get started!

Think of the Biblical parable of the landowner who, before leaving for a long journey, gave out talents (money) to his servants, various amounts according to their ability. Each man used his money differently, and each made a profit, except one, who, afraid, buried it. Today we’d say that he let fear of failure keep him from taking the first step. So the talent remained unused. A sad waste. Better a failed attempt than no attempt.

A can-do approach, like that of past president Theodore Roosevelt (someone well worth reading about) could be our most valuable asset.

Among the quotes Roosevelt left us is this jewel:

"Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell ‘em, ‘certainly I can!’ - and get busy and find out how to do it."

This no-procrastinate, get-started-now approach is also backed up by the renowned philosopher Aristotle who said, "For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them."

That’s all the green light we need.


Copyright Teresa Houston, March 2009.

Gracie: WIP #4 - A Book Review - Top Five Art Books List

Okay, here's the fourth WIP of Gracie. Making progress on the face, but since posting this WIP I see some changes necessary in the shape of the eyes. Wonder why it is that when you post your work onscreen, errors jump out with wild screaming abandon? While working on this portrait I'm trying to keep in mind things that I've learned from previous portraits, tips and techniques generously shared by other bloggers and valuable pointers gleaned from art books.... that's a lot to keep in mind! I've also been mulling over the background while working. This was a night time shot so I'm considering a medium to dark blue sky... but not a heavy, saturated blue. I'd like something that is light in saturation... something almost dreamy (like a watercolor effect)? As always, comments and constructive criticism welcome! (I'm also posting the original reference photo for comparison).

The biggest thing I'm trying to do with this portrait is to not re-do! I'm squinting a lot to check the masses and basic shapes and help keep me away from details. I want a fresher look - a touch of alla prima if you will. So, I'm working and spending time figuring out... how to be spontaneous! :-) I have a feeling it takes a lot of knowledge and many hours of practice to achieve that kind of spontaneity and still turn out a great portrait..... so I know I have many hours of studying, drawing and painting ahead of me... which is not a bad thing at all... in fact, it sounds very satisfying.

Over breakfast (Honey Nut Cheerios and 1% milk!) I read back over part of a book I bought a year or two ago. When I first read it, I read it thoroughly, highlighting the things I felt were important. I was amazed this morning to re-read over some of the text and it was as if I'd never read the book! Some things that didn't click the first time did click this time. There were things I'd read that I knew were important, but at that point it was theory, not practical knowledge. After struggling with that very thing and then reading some timely advice on how to correct it, the knowledge moved from theoretical to practical..... where I could use it.

I then realized that, by no means, did I fully appreciate the value of this book until I had struggled for some time by myself. The book is "Portraits from Life" by John Howard Sanden. I noticed before I bought the book that a couple of reviewers on Amazon had taken issue with the fact that Sanden promotes his own line of portrait oil paints in the book - but he does so tastefully and offers equivalents for those working with other brands of oils. The fact that he uses his own line of paints does not in any way detract from the wonderful advice written for the portrait painter. I'm using colored pencils for my portraits. His advice transcends medium; the basics are still the basics regardless of what type of binder you choose to carry your pigment.

In the section on drawing he begins by saying,

"I don't differentiate between drawing and painting. To me, these are part of the same process. Each time I place a brushstroke I am in fact painting and drawing. The preliminary marks I use to begin a painting of the head are like a map rather than a full-scale drawing. I advise against a full-scale drawing in preparing a portrait not only because it's quickly obliterated, but also because it's too confining." (page 22)

I like that. I guess everybody has to find their own way, but I never understood the need for a detailed drawing showing every shape of every shadow on the face when it will all be covered by the first couple of layers of color that I put down for the skin. All that careful drawing and now it's covered up and of no use to me whatsoever! I like idea of starting with a basic outline and going from there.

For the portrait painter, this book is a treasure trove of wisdom. The book is arranged as follows:

Part One: Studio Essentials and Supplies
Part Two: The Elements of Painting (Drawing, Values and Color)
Part Three: Premier Coup Techniques (Premier Coup is the same as Alla Prima) and his Nine Principles of Premier Coup are:

1. Start with a white, untoned canvas

2. Establish Your Goal

3. Make Every Stroke Count

4. Be Deliberate and Decisive

5. Focus on the Larger Masses

6. Maintain the Drawing

7. Work with Speed

8.Treat Your Edges Softly

9. Overcome the Fear of Failure

Part Four: Two full step by step demos accompanied by lots of photos of the work in progress to illustrate the particular technique he's explaining.
Part Five: A Gallery of Commissioned Portraits

For me, Parts Two and Three are especially helpful.

While writing this review I thought of another must-have, can't-do-without book.... "Eternal Truths for Every Artist" by Harley Brown. Then I thought of a couple of others that are becoming dog-eared and have Post-It notes on various pages to denote important info; the books that don't seem to make it back to the bookshelf because I regularly refer to them and keep them handy. So I thought I'd list my Top Five Most Helpful Art Books, and I'd love it if you would do the same. Would be fun to compare lists and see what everybody's reading that's impacting their art. Do join in!

Here's my Top Five Art Books (in random order)

1. Eternal Truths for Every Artist by Harley Brown
2. Drawing People by Barbara Bradley
3. Drawing with Your Artist's Brain by Carl Purcell
4. Colored Pencil Portraits by Ann Kullberg
5. Portraits from Life by John Howard Sanden

There are lots more books I have that I love, but these are the ones that have the most influence on my art.

Tomorrow morning I'll be back into Portraits from Life to glean more advice - over a bowl of Cheerios of course!

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!

And I did!

Did a quick ATC using mostly colored pencils with a touch of pastel. I wanted to try out a different support for cp's so, having various colors of Mi Teintes on hand (left over from last year's experimental sessions with pastels) I selected a blue and went for it.

The only thing I drew was a quick horizon line, then got out the cp's and played with color. Was quite relaxing, I learned a few things, and, got an ATC out of it too!

Here's what I learned:

1. I don't care for Mi Teintes as a support for cp's. The paper texture is too difficult to cover.

2. Next time I use a colored support, I'll choose the color based on what would work best for emphasizing the focal point of the piece, not the overall tone. In this piece the focal point was the setting sun and the glorious yellow-orange-red haze it created in the sky. Problem was, with a blue/grey background it was difficult to get a vivid yellow for the sun (that's where I caved and pulled out the pastels). I had hoped that a white cp base for the sun would give enough opaque coverage that I could get the intensity I was looking for, but that was not the case. Knowing cp's are translucent (evidently my brain was on hiatus at that point) I should have known better. Lesson learned!

3. Occasionally it's good for me to set aside a demanding piece (i.e. a portrait) and let my inner kid just "color"! Sometimes this girl just wants to have fun.... and if I learn a couple of things in the process that's even better.