Sketchbook

Haven't had much time to post.  I've been spending most of my time either in drawing class or working on sketchbook assignment items.  I'll try to post some of these as soon as I get my car back from the shop (camera's in the trunk) and get back from San Francisco.   We did a really neat activity yesterday in class.  It was called the Exquisite Corpse - based on a parlor game that Surrealist artists used to play with both words and artwork.  We listened to the reading of a poem.  Then, we drew a detailed ink picture to fill the top one-third of the page.  We covered this third except for about an inch at the bottom.  Then, we moved to another drawing board, listened to a poem, filled in the next third, etc.  At the end of the class, we posted the drawings - very, very interesting.  My sister who is a teacher says that she has done this with students (first person writes an adjective, passes the paper, next person writes a noun, passes the paper, next person writes a verb.....etc.   or one person begins a story, next person adds an event, etc.) 

Drawing class at Queens

I'm taking Drawing I at Queens University.  It meets twice a week - Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:40 until 4:20.  I'm amazed at how challenging it is for me.  I, of course, am the oldest person (by about forty years) in the class.  It's fun to see the young people and to hear their comments!  Great!  Jayne Johnson is our teacher, and she is very good.  She gives some really helpful content-specific feedback.  The picture above is a drawing of a piece of canvas.    Hard to believe that it took me two class periods to complete this.

Twice a week goal

I'm trying to write and publish a picture on my blog twice a week.  That means sometimes I have to pull from older paintings.  This painting is one that I started while in France with Connie Winters in 2009.  I then finished it a few months ago from the photograph.  The building is across the street from the hotel where we stayed! (Based on the crookedness of the photo (frame), maybe I need to take a photography class, too.)

Portrait Struggles

I had an old portrait sketch from a class practice.  I decided to try and make it more "complete."  This has proved to be such a challenge.  I'm posting my progress - still can't get the eyes and side of the face.  Maybe by posting it, I will be inspired to finish it.  I'm using  a wig stand with upper left lighting to try to get the values of the light and shadow.....quite a challenge!  However, it is really a good learning exercise!

Snow week

Well, I totally frittered away Monday through Wednesday.  They would have been great days to paint, but I was stuck inside due to the snow.  It just reinforced to me how much I "need" my studio. 

Yesterday, I went over to Tony Griffith's studio to sketch from the live model he hires each week.  I'm posting a couple of my sketches - just remember, these are twenty-minute poses.  I also started my drawing class at Queens.  I'm really excited about it, and I will try to post some drawings as the semester progresses.    

Happy New Year

Not a masterpiece, but the best I can do for now!

Hands can be a challenge

Ears are hard

I started the new year by finishing a painting that I started over a year ago.  I'm smart enough to know that it's not great - but I did learn a lot from the attempt!  Ears, hands, lighting.....well, they are all challenges for a new artist.   Sometimes it's just time to STOP and move on to a different challenge.   Speaking of challenges - trying to figure out how to place pictures and text in a blog is another one! 

Holidays

It's hard to find time to get to paint during the rush of the holidays!  Yesterday, I spent six hours at my studio going through and organizing photos for future paintings.  I ought to be off to a good start of averaging one painting a week in 2011! 

Here are a couple of quotes to start off the new year:
"Success doesn't come with painting one picture.  It is building step by step against great odds." Georgia O'Keefe
It's how you find, every day, joy in expressing what you think and feel, as you try to create that most magical of things - a work of art.
"The true use of art is, first, to cultivate the artist's own spiritual nature - No artist need fear that his work will not find sympathy if only he works earnestly and lovingly."  George Inness (1825-1894)

Here's one of my pastels that was sold to a very special friend.

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to all!