Beauty & the Guy

When I sketch or paint a live model I feel as though pins and needles are surging through my body. It's a little uncomfortable but exciting at the same time. I love working in charcoal ~these were quick sketches that express the mood of the sitters. Though I don't think the guy was really that angry! More to come.

Degas ballerina

One of my favorite artists is Degas. This exercise was freeing yet challenging for me since I tend not to draw very loosely. I sketched this ballerina using varied techniques. I am taking this idea into my future work. My mantra of late ~ loosen up!

Little girl in chair

I was feeling nostalgic and, since I haven't produced any new work, thought I'd post this picture I did many many many years ago which I just found recently. It's behind framed glass so the image is not as crisp as it could be because I had to photograph it not scan it but, still, you get the idea. This was one of my favorites. I always loved the look on her face, sweet and dreamy. The drawing is done using colored pencils which is something I'd like to explore again. It's been ages since I've attempted a drawing like this one.

The Dot Project

I recently found these dot paintings and want to share them as an exercise in connecting paint and water with paper, using your finger as you would a paint brush. We worked on the dot project, based on the teachings of Kaji Aso, in my pure watercolor class as a means of feeling with our fingers' touch what it is to paint and really understand the pigment and water, how they react and mix together. I liked this process.

Cool as a watermelon

Love them! Wish it were summer already so I could enjoy a big juicy slice ....and paint one or two again. These were fun to experiment with and I didn't want to spend too much time on a preliminary sketch as I had on the other pieces I painted previously. These were more free form. Don't you wish you could have a slice right now?

Calla Lily

Flowers are just too wonderful for words. I love all kinds and colors but this one in particular struck me on the night I entered class. Its form was sturdy yet delicate, its color an intense purple/black (I had never seen one like it), and its scent fragrant and light. It moved me that calla lily. This is yet another piece that remains unfinished, without the deep purple tones, but one that I like just the same for its delicate form. The Calla Lilies Are In Bloom Again.

The Iris, or Fleur-de-Lis

This flower holds a special meaning for me, not just because of its beauty but also because of its symbolism as the flower of my college sorority, KKG. I was very excited to see that the instructor had brought in a bunch for us to paint. Again this is from my pure water color class. Rather than paint the whole lot of iris' in the vase, I decided to focus on just one iris, or fleur-de-lis. This is mainly because I seem to be a rather slow painter and like to focus on one thing at a time. I didn't finish the painting during the class (surprise!), but learned about its form and colors in the process of drawing and painting it. Off with their heads!

The Pear

I fondly refer to this piece as my 'turbo pear'. It's another work created in my pure watercolor class at the SMFA. As with the other pieces I am posting, I like to include my pencil sketches to see the process and progress. The pear started out being a bit delicate and subtle and then I added too dark (Payne's gray I believe) shadowing which gave it a beefy/muscular and dramatic look. Hungry?

Apples

Well, this certainly is the longest I've been away. I have since finished my last class at the SMFA in the illustration certificate program and am working on my portfolio (slowly, admittedly). The class and instructor were great and I would love to take another class with her since I feel I need much practice in this method of watercolor painting. I am going to explore mixed media and collage art over the coming months as I create a portfolio, and also rework my children's book concept/dummy that I started in last spring's children's book illustration class.

I am posting the pieces I worked on this summer in the pure watercolor class and will try to post all of them over the coming weeks. Here I selected a New Zealand apple that was very stripey (too much so). The task at hand: sketch in pencil your subject (always), paint the subject in a monotone color (in this case blue), and then paint the subject using the pure watercolor method (yellow-red-blue-green-etc ... one color at a time, as appropriate for the subject). This was a learning experience and I will go back to this striped subject again in the future and try to make it softer.

I am always looking for inspiration from established illustrators and recently discovered this children's book illustrator who has a beautiful hand at creating whimsical and interesting children's book art. Check him out: Rob Scotton. See you soon!

A Nectarine

It's been awhile since my last post I see and I'm happy to report that my first watercolor class (and last class in my illustration certificate program), Pure Watercolor Painting, started this past week. So I am showing the work from Wednesday's class here. The still life was fruit and I selected a nectarine to paint, mostly because I am very drawn to the colors in it -reds and yellows. We did a quick sketch first then later got into the painting. I did not do a sketch of the nectarine prior to painting it -I went straight into the painting. It received a positive review from the instructor, Katherine Finnegan, who by the way is just great -and I really like her painting style. She is possibly the best instructor so far from all the classes I've taken -yes, I can tell this by just one class. She is also connected to Kaji Aso Studio, which might be the next place I enroll for a painting class. Well, that's all for now. Enjoy!