It seems that house hunting is cramping my art style.
Here are a couple drawings I did yesterday. They were sketches to possibly be used for our church's next sermon series. Our pastor asked me to go in a different direction, so I'll have to do that today instead. You can check out the drawings in the meantime, and let me know what you think...
I have only worked on quick sketches, because I haven't had much energy the last few days. I'm fighting a miserable cold.
I started feeling crummy last thursday.
Then, I've gotten considerably worse each day, with an extremely stuffy head and sleeping on the couch for the past 2 days.
Today, the symptoms have become an annoying cough, but at least I have some energy to get things done.
Here are some sketches I did in the last week or 2...
This time, it was done at a church we visited. The Covenant Live Church.
I drew a couple people but this is my favorite of the sketches.
This kinda thing has been the extent of my work lately.
Nothing finished til today([more about that on the next post].
But I get little drawings in here and there.
I imagine with our move, the drawings and painting will dwindle down as I pack instead.
I've also been working toward my own personal artist/illustrator website, and will make that public very soon. Thanks to my wonderful husband and his awesome programming skills!
I sketched Phoenix the other day, while he was doing his homework. It turned out to be a pretty good drawing session for me.
I was reminded of how good it is to draw from a "live" model, and one that moves as much as him makes for some pretty short poses, and some pretty challenging angles, and that is always nice to incorporate, plus it helps me capture a moment in time because "Everyday Matters" as I've learned form Danny Gregory.
Willik,, I drew the day after.
He was in trouble, and therefore sitting on his own, quietly. It was easier to draw, though I don't think it was as good of a drawing. when out of trouble, and he went and drew too.
Journaling my boys with sketches is a great gift I've been given, and I need to do it more often!
I've been doing stuff, but I've got nothing much to post yet...
I've been working on a scratchboard. It's tedious, as all scratchboards are, and I'm enjoying it. I've been working on it mostly at night, for the past week or so.
Also, about a week ago, I went to a new diner while my mother-in-law was visiting, and since it was so cool on the inside, I just had to draw it.
Yesterday I worked on a bridge painting I've shown here before, but I still have to put in a couple more hours into it before it's finished.
Thanks for checking in, leave me comments. That's the only way I know people are reading, and it helps me to keep on posting.
The other day, I started drawing, without looking at anything, or trying to do anything other than what came from my imagination.
This is what emerged.
I called him Dietrich. He's a strange fellow, I know. But I like him.
I used a new sketch and wash pencil., but I haven't tried the wash part yet.
Any advice on drawing from imagination?
Okay, here's my plan for 2008...
Our good friends, The Goubrans, are taking a month's sabbatical starting this week.
I'm glad I captured them, minus Steven who was in the nursery, while in church last sunday.
Guys, hope you have an enjoyable month off. Relax, learn, and come back to us refreshed!
Last sunday, it was my sister's birthday. We had a surprise party for her.
Lots of people were there, from my parents' church. After a while, I decided to sketch, and I did this one.
The ladies looking at my sisters new-ish apple macbook.
I think I saw them looking at a picture of some guy.
pitt brush pen on moleskine
I have been working on a bigger scale project, but I've managed to make a few drawings or sketches here and there.
This one was done at some friends' house, when we were over for dinner.
It was really fun trying to capture the reflections on the glass.
Watercolor and pen on watercolor moleskine.
Despite my failures in the november project, I push on ahead, instead of looking back,
The journey to make art, successful and pleasing to God, is interesting. It us also what I seek to do with my life, so I've been trying to make those 2 parts of my life become one. My life is about "Seeking the Muse" not just my art, or my blog.
While seeking, it occurred to me what would be a great project for December. That is, to paint 4 moments from the Christmas story.
Painting from stories in the Bible has always been something I've wanted to do, and this was just an extension of that.
So I've been praying and seeking to figure out what those might be.
My goal is to have 4 paintings by the end of the month.
I'm having to do a bit more research than has been the case of late, so this might be a bit of a challenge at first.
So, below are 2 quick sketches of to help me with placement of ideas for the final paintings...
joseph's dream
the shepherds are terrified
Any comments, thoughts or questions are always appreciated.
I came across this in Ryan's blog. It's a tool that lets you draw directly within your browser, with your mouse, and it records your strokes.
So now, you can see my drawing take shape.
Nothing spectacular, but fun nonetheless.
Hopefully, with practice, I can get better at it...
What do you think?
This is a sketch, and not a finished piece, but this is my face for today.
Some might say there's not much of a face, but I think the whole point for me, is doing interesting angles, and unusual, styles. I think this drawing has both.
Of course, it's another drawing from church, as you might notice the small quote up at the top.
I didn't have my regular moleskine with me, so I drew this inside my journal, and I like the lines going thru it.
What do you think?
I know, I'm still 2 behind, but I'll get there!
Thanks for looking.
Drawing well takes practice. I've always known that, and when I was in school, especially the first 2 years of college, we had several classes in which we would draw from the model, or draw from still life set-ups.
These days, I have to make sure I'm getting practice.
Drawing at church, or some other meeting or training sessions, works out for me as one of the best times to practice. And many times, these drawings can become part of a bigger project.
Not only that, but if I have sketchbook in hand, and I can jot a few notes down, it heps me to
remember more of what the sermon, or meeting was about.
Even if you don't draw regularly, you should try keeping a sketchbook with you at all times. You never know when you might find a chance to sketch. And just taking the time to really look will make each of us better artists!
Let me know what you're drawing!
A quick pen drawing of an old high school friend, drawn while I had coffee at Starbucks.
It was my first time in about 6 weeks to have a quiet drawing moment at Starbucks. Now that the boys are back in school, I should have these kinda drawings more often.
Pitt pens on moleskine.
On saturday, my everyday in may activity consisted of sketching throughout my day, in order to participate in the 14th Sketchcrawl, to help raise money for Emergency (an organization that provides life support for war victims).
Juggling between laundry, parents' duties, helping with the cooking at my parents' house; finding time for sketching was a bit tough, but I managed to squeeze some time in. I think I raised slightly over $100 and I'll be sending that in soon. (Those of you reading this, who sponsored me and haven't given me money, I'll be collecting this sunday!)
So I sketched around the house, and the boys and I went to Barnes & Noble and sat at their Starbucks cafe and sketched people there. It was really fun to capture people before they
moved. I also managed to do some pen sketches in my new watercolor moleskine, and put color in later.
All in all, a very fun day, and it just reminds me of how much I love to do this, and how I should be doing more of it!
You can see the rest of my sketches here.
For the first time today, I chaperoned in Willik's class, for a trip to Colden Center, at Queens College, for a play of Max & Ruby.
It was just a short walk from his school, with just the 2 kindergarten classes.
While we waited for the play to start, I took the opportunity to draw this very animated and talkative lady, who I believe was a teacher from some other school.
It definitely wasn't a thorough drawing, but I felt good that I took the opportunity to do so.
So here's that quick drawing.
The everyday sketching, which I continue to try to do, is one of the most effective and joyous parts of my artistic life. I love it that I'm really journaling for the first time in my life, keeping an acurate and memorable account of my life as I really live it.
Previous attempts at journaling always started with great emphasis, only to be terminated by the reality that I'm not much of a writer, and just wasn't very good at keeping the habit. This kinda visual journaling means so much more, and is so effortless, that my only hindrance is how I spend my time, or sometimes being afraid of not doing it "right".
This may be a bit hard to see, but it's a self-portrait sketch I did last night, on a canvas I intend to paint.
It's a bit of a challenge I'm giving myself, to paint it in an hour, much like the painting I did in church a few weeks ago. I want to see what I can accomplish in an hour. After all, if I could paint that large painting in 45 minutes, the 12x14 or so canvas should be doable. The issue is, when you go smaller, the details are smaller, and somewaht more time consuming. It's kinda strange.
Anyway, it's also a chance to record my new haircut.
Stay tuned for the progress.
Colored pencil on canvas
