Summer Break

This feels like it has been a very long summer. Mostly spent indoors, fixing this and that. My friend finally dragged me to check out a artsy kind of store filled with all kinds of odds and ends ~ including a RICKSHAW outside their door! One thing that really caught my attention inside the store was a basket made from sea kelp pods! Yep, you read it right! And so below I have a sketch of the inside of the store and a partial view of the "kelp basket" . Funny thing was the shop person didn't know what the basket was made of~my friend had to research it! However, this short trip and sketch session turned out to be quite a fun day! Sometimes, you just have to let go, aimlessly and you will find the most interesting things amongst the ordinary!! 

I have a block!

I have no excuse, so my sincere apologies for neglecting to write for so long! Hand slap! So, let's see, what's been happening since I last wrote ~ March, April and May!!!! Nope didn't really draw spring stuff, my problem was I got a block! The sketchbook I was working in, was almost filled, and I usually start a new sketchbook while I still have space in the old one. This somehow helps me with the transition from old to new. You know what I'm taking about, new sketchbook, blank pages and somehow nothing connects. I tried, but after fiddling through two new sketchbooks (I turned one into a note book), I stopped. I just did not want to draw in the sketchbook that I had ~ we just didn't get along! Then just recently, a few weeks ago, I decided to force draw. I drew something I enjoyed drawing in the past, I knew how to, and it is always in my head. I made a castle imaginary scene. Imagination, what a strong element we have! And so much of it, but sometimes we forget we have it! So having played around bit, and also practicing some basic skills, helped me to sort of wake up again to continue to draw again. Now, I have also joined another group of sketchers, which I am very excited about!! We are about 7 or so, and in different parts of the world. We discuss, chat, analyze, critique, share and enjoy everything about sketching and drawing! We communicate through Skype and have a group page to share our work. This new adventure has awoken me up totally!! All my senses are awake and my fingers have been drawing away! I am definitely inspired!! Here's a few sketches I have done recently ~ 

Advantages of an Art Educator

As an artist it is very important for me to practice drawing from a live model, to keep my observation skills honed. However, being an art educator, makes it difficult for me to attend the figure labs near me during regular days. So when the school does a one day "Jump Rope for Heart" day, I am overwhelmed with joy! I don't teach a regular class that day, but help monitor the kids as they " jump rope"~ we gather in the gym and I bring along my sketch book to practice my quick & fast gesture drawings!!! 

This year I brought along my water refillable brush and a sketch and wash pencil by "General" , some manilla paper and some loose strathmore paper out of an old sketch book. I was set. 

The trick to making action drawings is in your skill to observe and record with your eye and subconscious mind. Watching consistently makes you see the rhythm of movement being created by the model. In my case, jumping rope. It doesn't matter if the model you are observing moves away while you are drawing. The next jumper who comes across your line of vision may be doing the same movements. Your eyes must linger on the contour of the figure ( model) being observed, every fraction of movement being followed by your pupil is like drawing with your eyes. Don't think about the pencil in your hand. The hand moves automatically with the eyes, following the contour and gesture. Very quick, scratches, dashes, dots and squiggles. Now move on to the next drawing. Each drawing taking only seconds to draw. A most exhilarating feeling! Try it, as an art educator, you have no shortage of models, for the rest of you, go visit the local playground, watch a sport on TV, go to the zoo. 

Now I am thinking of using white pastels to do some highlights on the Manila paper - later, I want to share these right now! 

Joan's Place

Once in a while it so happens you walk into a place and WHAM! You are hit by this huge haven of compositional delight! Everywhere you turn there is a fascinating composition calling out to you, to be laid out on paper or canvas, to be inked and colored ~ and nothing gets in the way. The ink, lead or color become alive, and pull you on to create, create and create! I draw every day, but this sudden unstoppable desire ~ that you MUST draw a particular image comes around in waves ~ when it does ~ drop everything and draw like there's no tomorrow! 

I visited a friends house recently and everything around her house ( inside & outside) was piled with composition, I enjoyed drawing and haven't stopped yet, I guess it will end being a series with the same name as the title of this post.:)

A bit of reality a bit of imagination!

So I have been drawing / sketching people off an on for quite sometime now!! And I always wonder what they are thinking about? Sometimes I create my own stories about them. The sketch below was done while I was waiting at a local restaurant for some friends. What fascinated me was her hat. It was quite warm inside but she was totally immersed in her coffee and had not taken off her coat nor her hat. I wondered what she was thinking of and so after a quick sketch of her I just decided to draw a city scape in pencil behind her as if her thoughts. The two mediums worked out great to show the now and the dream~world.  The city scape is purely from my imagination. I like this new style of portraying my drawing. I think this is going to be the first of many more to come in this style as a series. 

The many pauses of life!

My life is becoming a tad tiresome! I'm going through menopause, my husbands going through man-oh-pause and my car through mechanicalpause!! Needless to say, I'm spending a lot of time at the local garage and I feel like I live there! Good thing I have my sketchbook with me at all times, so that helps pass the time!