Sunday Sketches

Hello and can you believe I've made it to another Sunday Sketches this week. It's only a little doodle I did using my new gouache paints (can you tell I am in love) and pen. A bit of fun. Also a bit ironic as we are having gorgeous spring weather here (no rain in sight) and I am posting this just before we head out to Kew Gardens for the afternoon.

I have had a lovely weekend so far and wishes for this weather to continue. It sure makes everyone happy and the world a brighter place.

Please head over to Sophia's blog to check out the other entries....I promise to as soon as I'm back from the afternoon outing.

Happy HAPPY Sunday and Happy Sunday Sketches.

Helen x

Let the ideas flow....

Since taking Tam's Art Heart and Healing class, my mind has been full of creativity. I find that I am doodling constantly, making little drawings, putting down ideas and storing them up for another day.

It's like I have finally found my groove in being creative. Her second week was interesting and although I have yet to finish watching the video's, they are making me want to try all sorts of things.

I have paintings still to finish, sketches to complete and ideas to capture, but I am really enjoying this journey.

Have a great Tuesday!

My sketch challenge

I have started the sketch challenge set up by Kelly Berkey and I chose the picture I liked the most – the one of her back. For me these poses are heaven as I love drawing the back....don’t know why, I just love the contours and shapes. When I attended my life drawing classes I always tried to move my easel so that I had this view...mainly because I struggle with faces. So here’s my first one in the challenge: I really enjoyed this and used a pencil I bought years ago called black beauty. It’s a thicker pencil and is made of bonded lead, which gives a thicker and darker line without having to press too hard.

I was going to draw this picture (and any others) on big pastel paper as when I draw a person, this is how I like to work, preferably using pastels, oils or charcoal. But this time I thought I would use my A4 sketchbook as not only will it keep all the drawings in one place and I can see my progress, but also it means that I can sit on the sofa and draw or take it to work.

I haven’t drawn in ages (I usually paint) so this is really good to do especially as art teachers have told me that as an artist, you should draw every day. Anyway, here’s what I learnt when starting this challenge:

~ If you are due to go out, then don’t pick up the sketch and carry on as it will make you late! :o)
~ This has already sharpened my observation skills
~ When I started this I wanted it to be perfect especially as I will be posting it online, but I then started worrying about it....so I took a deep breath and relaxed and worried less about the end result and enjoyed the process more
~ It’s all about the journey

I really enjoyed this and I had forgotten how much I enjoy drawing as well as painting.

Have a great day!

A sketching challenge...

Through this wonderful blogosphere I have come across the amazing work of Kelly Berkey. Her jewellery is so lovely and unique – I love it! She is also part of a community of other female artists and Kelly decided to set up a weekly sketching challenge. So she asked her partner to photograph her and she posts up one picture a week for people to draw or paint. A few people have joined in, and I have decided to dip my toe in the water and have a go.

As quite a few paintings have already been done, I decided to pick a few of the previous challenges and give it a bash. I am really hopeless at drawing faces....I never put them in my paintings if I can help it. When I did a life drawing class a few years ago, I always drew anything BUT the face....so some of these will be a real challenge for me. But I am looking forward to it and will post my offerings whether I like them or not.

On another painting note, Willowing's art class started yesterday and I am looking forward to getting stuck in :o)

Hope you are having a good day!

Helen

A creative day...

I had a super creative day yesterday. In the afternoon I spent some time doing a sketch of a lock on a cemetery gate. It was from a photo I took when Jim and I went to Cornwall. I really want to do more sketching as it improves drawing skills so much, so this is just the start of filling my little sketchbook.

Then in the evening I wanted to carry on with a mixed media collage painting I had started quite a while ago, but I couldn’t find it.....I did however find a painting of a flower that I had started some time ago which I wasn’t pleased with. So I decided to give that a bash and see how it came out. Still not totally pleased with it.

Before: After:

I then carried on working on my latest project. I have been looking at the work of Escher and am creating a series of paintings based on his work. I recently finished my version of Goriano Sicoli, Abruzzi and I am currently working on Town in Southern Italy.

My version of Goriano Sicoli, Abruzzi:

Here are the first stages of the second painting in the series (Town in Southern Italy). Not sure where I am going with this as I have left a lot out of the original picture but I wanted to get some colour on it before I made a decision.

Have a creative week!!!