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.:)

Finding Cinderella

So, how does one get back to becoming inspired? To go back to drawing and sketching? I went back to the foundations. Literally, drawing the basic shapes, shading and practicing the values. Then I started to draw just about what I saw in front for the sake of practice only. I didn't worry about documentation nor story. Sometimes one just needs to draw in a vegetation mode till the ink catches on and wakes up. Then everything happens as a reflex and before you know it, you will have several pages filled with what's happening around you, along with a story to tell. So I guess the point I'm trying to make is that no matter what, don't stop drawing, even when you don't feel inspired. Practice, practice, practice- you never know when inspiration hits you. 

This sketch above was done, when I got lost downtown - trying to find a way back to the freeway. Found myself in a remote, empty, scary underpass. And then suddenly I saw it! A white carriage , Cinderella's Carriage ~ I had to draw it!! 

So what have you been doing to find inspiration?

Back to Sketching

Yes it's been a long time since I posted in my blog~ but I haven't stopped sketching. I've been drawing every chance I get, some are just line practices or calligraphy. I haven't really been anywhere, so I've done a lot of imagination drawings of imaginary scenes! And the few that I did on site, I kept forgetting to take pictures to keep up with the documentation and posting!! Many of my sketches have been around school.

Well the years coming to an end, I'm on winter break- so the family decided to go visit the West Texas family in San Angelo. Hadn't been there since papa passed away. So here are two ink sketches of my sister Mina's backyard (partial) and inside her house. I did the water color after as finishing touch back home.

My Weekend

The weekend began with taking my mom to the Dentist and not picking up after doing dishes in the kitchen. I did use every moment I got to sketch in my little sketchbook.
Like I have mentioned before ~use every moment you get to do quick sketch of life around you. I don't believe in "planning" every drawing in my sketchbook. Be spontaneous! Thats the spice of life! Same in creating art, its the unknown, the happy accidents that make the oomph!
Saturday I attended the monthly art meet with Sugar Land Area Artist and enjoyed a free pastel demo and Sunday evening spent some time at a local restaurant enjoying the ambiance.
Okay so now I am ready to go back to work for the week! :)

Pen & Ink w/ Watercolor

Drawing in pen and ink is a great way to cover mistakes when drawing direct and drawing fast, and its better when you use watercolor on top of it. So you don't have to worry if you feel your drawing isn't perfect - as long as you enjoyed making those marks. This is my sketch share for today. Hope you are doing yours too!

Lost in Downtown

So I got to use my phone GPS for the first time! I had to go downtown -(Houston) to attend area art supervisors meet at the Hobby Center. What a beautiful view from the "founders room"! Things were going fine till it was time to come back home! So I turned on the GPS and stared at this blue dot that kept blinking at me as I drove... and drove and drove. I was getting quite concerned because I had been informed previously that the "dot" moves when you do!!
But the dot just blinked back at me from the same spot! I drove some more, getting quite giddy by now, almost panicking, thinking about all those one way streets...
And then... I realized I had only been going round and round - yes I was still in the parking garage!
You think it's age?!?
Well, at least I got a nice sketch done!