Practice Pieces #1

app. 40"x30"

charcoal and pastel on newsprint

NFS

A number of things have came up lately showing me that I need to explore some different ways of doing what I do.  I love the little paintings, but also feel quite constrained by them.  I often feel like the time I spend on them could be better spent working on larger pieces that I could have more freedom with.  I have been needing and wanting to play more with my artwork.  I like working with the figure.  I like the "slice-of-life" subject matter.  I've spent the last few years looking at other artists work that I really admire and trying to learn what they do with their figurative paintings.  I am now trying to figure out how to branch out to see how I interpret the subjects, what comes natural to me.  So, today, I got out newsprint and taped it together until I got a sheet that was as big as I wanted to work with, some charcoal and pastels and looked at my collection of photos and just started drawing from them.  I hope to make more time for practice like this, time for working without the expectation of a saleable piece.

"At the Dog Park"

Image size:  approximately 4"x11"

Graphite Pencil on Bristol Board

$75 plus $10 domestic s/h

click here to ask to purchase this drawing through Paypal

One of the best things I do frequently is to meet a group of people who also have small dogs over at a nearby dog park.  We have a ball watching the dogs play together.  We get our laughter-therapy while they get to socialize.  Also, we get to indulge in being PPP's--Pathetic Pet People!  How many of us thought we would NEVER be those people we see in the grocery store parking lots doting on a little dog while the spouse is shopping?! 

"Walk"

Image size:  app. 6"x20"

Graphite on Bristol Board

$225 plus $10 domestic s/h

click here to ask to purchase this painting through Paypal

As I mentioned when I posted the unfinished version of this the other day, I was needing a drawing fix!  I have all these photos of people I've taken the past three years and I've been wanting to try something different besides just putting them in the context in which they "live".  I chose a group of figures that are all walking just to see what would happen.  Originally, I felt like they would be totally separate, unconnected, single figures in space.  As I drew, I couldn't resist connecting them with marks and erasures.  I think I could play with this drawing even more, diminishing some of the figures some while others stand out.  It will stay the way it is for now. . .who know what might happen?  If it changes, I'll post a new photo of it!  I like the possibilities, though, that doing this drawing has raised.  I can see exploring this idea for awhile.  Do I sense the beginning of a series?

Here are a couple of detail shots.

"Cowgirl on Her Way"

Graphite on Bristol Board

Image size: 7"x3.25"

$100 includes domestic s/h

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I didn't have time to paint today, so worked on a drawing of one of the girls in the painting. I love doing these drawings! I love just being able to focus on the figure and leave the space around it empty. Maybe I should have titled this drawing "Into the Unknown". It's so like life! What difficulties and what gifts, what blessings the next moment may bring, we just don't know. . . always an adventure.

"The New Moon Beckons"

app. 15"x20"

prismacolor and pastel on bristol board

$425 includes US s/h

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I've been working on illustrations the past two days, so haven't really done anything to post--and then I remembered this drawing! It was done about 4 1/2 years ago in a style I have worked in off and on for many years. I really like drawing like this, love the shading, love getting nuances. This drawing is a reflection of the mystery that nighttime, outside and alone, holds for me. Did you notice the figure in the upper left? (Alot of people miss that!)

"Mo"

18"x11"

graphite on bristol board

sold

Let me introduce you to my good friend, Mo! She is going to model for a figure drawing class I am teaching next month and she was kind enough to sit for me today. I am inspired by watching the documentary about Alice Neel (I think I mentioned that awhile back). Her portraits show the spirit of the sitter, truly amazing. There really is a magical quality about portraiture. I worked about 40 minutes on this drawing, but for much of it I was thinking that I just wasn't going to get a likeness. And then it happens--suddenly something comes together and the person shows themselves on the paper. Truly a gift. Not an "Alice Neel", but I can keep on working!

Bucking Bronc Shakes It Up!

Image size: 8"x7"

Graphite on Bristol Board

$150 included domestic s/h

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While working at the gallery today, I managed to sneak in this drawing. As I was doing it, the song, "Shake It Up" kept going through my mind, so that's the title!

"High Desert Country"

App. 13"x10"

Color Pencil and Pastel on Bristol Board

$200 includes domestic s/h

email me if you're interested in purchasing this drawing

As mentioned in my previous post, the last few days have been full of teaching and illustration work. I just finished this drawing and two others to illustrate an article for the December issue of the magazine St. Anthony Messenger. The article by Kathy Coffey is on Advent and part of it incorporates a desert theme. It was nice to be able to use the desert that I know living here on the edge of the Great Basin as my inspiration for "desert". During Advent, we are called to go into our own "deserts" and prepare for the new life being offered to us---a season to shake off the dust and discouragement and to open up to renewal.

"Art Appreciation"

Image size: 7.75" high x 4.875" wide

Graphite on Bristol Board

$150 includes domestic s/h

click here to ask about purchasing this drawing through Paypal

OR

go to www.dailypainters.com to purchase

This drawing is of a fellow I saw at our monthly First Friday gallery walk. It always seems sort of miraculous to me when people love looking at artwork and truly pay attention and put effort into appreciating it. I am so grateful for them! They complete the process for those of us who put it out there.

"Walking a Fine Line"

actual image size: 6.6"x5"

graphite on bristol board

$150 includes s/h

this drawing is available through Tumalo Art Company

I saw this fellow practicing his "tightrope walking" one morning in the park and he generously let me take pics of him to paint from.

I really enjoy doing these pencil drawings as they give me a chance to focus on the subject without being concerned so much about the background/setting as I am with the paintings. Maybe I don't have to be!! Anyway, though, they give me a different way of looking at the subject. I have such a tendency to have to put everything in (context, background) and I like the way space and shape play off each other in these simpler drawings. It would be a challenge to paint that way! I suppose I could try it. . . .?

"Anticipating the Jump"

Image: 8.5"x7"

Graphite on Bristol Board

$250 includes s/h

this drawing is available through Tumalo Art Company

I was attracted to the feel of the forward movement and the light in this pose. These drawings have really been great exercises in seeing and creating values! It's almost like you can just keep going deeper and deeper into the subject and fine more variations in the values. I realized I had to finally just set a time limit and say enough!

"3pm Break"

Image Size: 15"x8"

Graphite on Bristol Board

$350 includes s/h

this drawing is available through Tumalo Art Company

She started out being a painting today, but it just wasn't working, so I decided to draw. I sometimes forget just how much I love drawing!

"Proud Fella"

Image: 15"x12"

Graphite on Bristol Board

$75 includes s/h

click here to ask about purchasing this painting through Paypal

I'm getting hooked on these roosters and hens! I'm teaching a drawing class on Thursday nights, so it's got me thinking in terms of drawing technique more than usual--just becoming aware again of marks and curiously watching how I do them. Watching people with less drawing experience has made me pay attention to things like that and wondering about the process of developing one's own "stroke". I draw in different styles depending on the purpose of the drawing, but find that when I am just drawing for myself, my lines are more vigorous and I tend to use the eraser more for texture, too.

Here's a couple of pictures from my Thursday night classes on beginning drawing. We were working on shading using charcoal and white conte crayon on a toned paper.

"Opening Poppy"

5.5"x8.5"

Mixed media drawing

$120 includes s/h

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I had this drawing I did awhile ago using the same technique described in my last post, so thought I'd put it up here just to show another example! Now--on my way to LA for a long weekend.

"lifted from the no of all nothing" (sold)

8"x6"

Mixed Media Drawing on Bristol Board

$120 includes s/h

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In yesterday's post, I explained how this drawing came to be, so today I'll talk about the technique. One of the profs I had in college, Demetrios Jameson, had created beautiful and luminous artwork using charcoal drawings that were glazed with oils on a gessoed watercolor paper. I loved how he was able to add color to his drawings and really keep the feeling of "drawing". He never really told me how he did it and so I tried to figure out a way for myself to add color to my black and white drawings while keeping the drawing intact. The thing I came up with that has worked the best for me was to do my drawing on a smooth surface with a black color pencil, fix it, rub powdered pastel colors onto it, fix that, add another layer of both black and color color pencils and keep layering in this way until I got to the desired finish. I've done alot of drawing this way, but not much since I began painting so regularly the past couple of years! I have to admit that this is NOT my best attempt!

I am going to a wedding in sunny (I hope) southern California tomorrow, so won't be posting for a few days!

"Carol" #36 in series of 50 faces (sold)

6"x6"

Graphite on Bristol Board

The more I looked at the painting I began of Carol yesterday, the less I wanted to tackle it again today! I had such a difficult time with the pose--just very hard not to have her look so stiff. I may start from scratch. Anyway, I decided to do a drawing of her from one of the photos I took--this shows her personality and spirit much more!

"Ingrid, Concentrating" #33 in a series of 50 faces

image: 6"x6"

graphite on bristol board

$50 plus $10 domestic s/h

click here to ask about purchasing this drawing

Ingrid is in one of the drawing classes I'm teaching right now and graciously allowed me to keep clicking away until I had a photo somewhat in focus that I could work from! She's been in alot of classes I've taught and it's been neat to see her grow--plus her presence is always a plus.

It is time to stop doing everything else so I can concentrate on finishing up the remainder of the drawings for the bible illustration job I've been working on since October. I have 19 more drawings to do and need to ship them on February 9th! So, I am going to stop posting here until they are off to the publisher! See you in a week and a half!

"A Monk" #32 in a series of 50 faces

image: 6"x6"

graphite on bristol board

$50 plus $10 domestic s/h

click here to ask about purchasing this drawing

This is one of the monks at Our Lady of Guadalupe Abbey in Lafayette, Oregon. A gentle soul! Proceeds from the sale of this drawing will be donated to the monastery.

"Joanna" #30 in a series of 50 faces

images: 6"x6"

graphite on bristol board

NFS

This drawing is a celebration of my mother who passed away19 years ago today. I found the photo I'm basing this drawing on after she died and it has remained one of my favorites of her. I believe it was taken sometime in the 70's, looking at her French twist and the wide collar of her blouse. I've really enjoyed doing this drawing, meditating on my mother in ways that I just don't do very often. I think that's one of the perks of doing this series--really "spending time" with the person I am portraying, getting past the quick "hi".

"Chris" #29 in a series of 50 facess

image: 6"x6"

graphite on bristol board

Chris, my niece's husband. . .works in a forge, is expecting his first child in March; a sweetheart of a guy.