More progress

Well this is the progress thus far for the landscape. I was initially very uninspired to continue it to it's conclusion. I rather wanted to start another figure painting full of blues and greys and dark purple skin tones...Oh...I can't wait. But...it's always good to finish what you start and I had fun of course pushing through the empty spaces and throwing caution to the wind. Seems it helped pull this painting through to a point where it may be finished next session.

Very interesting side note. An older woman in my class with beautiful sparkly eyes is doing a self portrait. Her initial sketch is stunning. It shows her in such a beautiful way...really highlighting her positives. I'm inspired...I'm going to finish my pencil self portrait...and maybe even pull out the initial one for completion!

Second Attempt

This is a second attempt at my son's face from a previous picture. My art instructor was very kind and said I must frame it however I'm still not satisfied that it looks like my 6 year old son. I'm not being a perfectionist but it bears little resemblance to my son. There a quite a few "quirky" places. I'm very happy with the over shape of the sketch and I'm going to try it again and again till I am happy. I'm also going to try other faces. This is the toughest part for me. I am really keen to be able to do figures and forms. I also realize that it is as tough as getting correct perspective with technical drawings. If everything isn't just so...

Progress point

Here is the landscape picture... It's funny because. I started with the trees - very tight brush strokes and marks of leaves etc. (It is a cell phone picture but at least you have something to look at!) Then today (this is from the end of session two), I was filling in the sky part...very baby blue...WAY WAY WAY to blue. I knew. Then I worked it down with white of course. Now I fooled about sooo much that in the end I had lots of paint and wanted to use it up. So...out comes the big brush and swirly girly zoom I painted the forground colour in and I played with the trees a bit. I told my teacher the painting is finished. She didn't believe me. You can see why -I'm sure. There is actually quite a lot of work left....the posts, much more tree - don't you love the green fluffy clouds? and the best bit...the barbed wire and high lights!

Amazing!

Ah...you have to giggle...nothing from me for long stretches and then WOW... what's this? Okay so this is my youngest sone searching among the rocks for crabs. I think my next painting attempt will be this one. It's going to be a trick for me to make it bigger than 9"x11" but I will give it a go. Then I've set it in my mind that this lends itself to an impressionistic style...although I love contemporary realism (what ever that exactly means?). So let's see what happens and WHEN!

I'm working on a landscape painting...about A3 sizeish. It's very funny...I will post a cell phone picture of it tomorrow or Thursday. Life is busy and I squeeze all the time I can out of little moments for my artistic passions. Sometimes fatigue wins...sometimes Passion!

Figure drawing?

This was my subject today. My son doing one of the things he does best...climbing. I would also love to paint this picture as the expression of focus on his face combined with the soft glowing grasses behind him (which I excluded for reasons of simplicity) is stunning to me. I didn't manage to capture his face or much else very well. I think I tried to keep it too small (5"x7") and between my pencils, my eraser and my skill level I really struggled. But I kept at it and I will be proud to have my art instructor critique it on Tuesday.

That brings me to a QUICK point. I've been noticing people say they are self-taught. I even tried it (note blurb under my name above) but in reality we need assitance and guidance and critique from a mentor/teacher etc. So this is a note of thanks to all my teachers. Thank you for you patience and wisdom. (not that many will see this...the last two didn't even own a computer.)

Sketches of Tanya

The first sketch is charcoal and it's on about 80cm square newsprint. I worked on it for ...about 2.5 hours. The second sketch was the first one and I might have worked about an hour on it..in my 9" by 11" sketch book. For some reason the sketch book version got really big. I'm happy with most all of it except that I couldn't fit the whole picture in. I am working on proportions and the drawing what I see lessons. I must see things really weird. I like to magnify my favorite portions and minimize or leave out those bits I'm not drawn too...(funny pun hey?). I'd really like to capture her face however my first, second and third attempts left me with the distinct understanding that I need some assitance from an expert. I'm hoping to continue on this until it's conclusion. I'd love to make a painting of this as I adore the feeling of the pose.

My learning experience has revealed GRAND figure drawing subjects abounding all around me. I've got four children who are in constant motion and since it's summer are usually au natural. Also my friend (sketched above...), her family and my husband all give fabulous body shapes and sizes. They practice sports, dance and martial arts...ahhh! I wish I could draw and paint and mature faster!

Hang on to your Hat!

WOW...big shifts, big shifts. Above is a charcoal sketch of my feet and an apple. I know - I'm learning. This is my artist childhood remember? I was really disgusted by this actually so I put it up above my fireplace (not to burn it...it's Summer here in the Southern Hemisphere) but to put it someplace I had to look at it. Something to encourage me to practice because at least it LOOKS like feet. So then I tried sketching from a black and white photo in a book on massage the first sketch. I haven't finished it as I also got disgusted with it. I worked on it for maybe two hours.

Okay...why am I going on? (besides because I do...) I've been having a major breakdown about this story about becoming an artist. I tried to share it with my art teacher (but she changed the subject and from that I took that I need to just get on with it!), then I tried another 3 people...they also blipped out...so I really took it to heart to just get on with it. And then again I was still really stripped because when I was looking for inspiration over the weekend what I found was a blog from a woman who was doing exactly what I'm doing...baking or knitting or otherwise avoiding getting on with it!

Tonight...I've started getting on with it. I'm so excited. I will share in drips so as not to bore or overwhelm. So the blog I found tonight is from an American University where the students post works in progress etc. SO absolutely all I needed!

I have more sketches but...I can't find them! hahaha. I will hunt them down the weekend and also dig in for more!

Kodak Camera

I must let you know that some things never change. My Kodak digital camera that was replaced last year with a new version... is now also giving me trouble. So...no new posts at present. I will be taking it to the shop tomorrow and I'm hoping it's something simple.

Out of the chrysalis

I'm back into a new art class and this instructor has previous "technical" teaching experience. She's assisted me in unblocking my drawing fear and now I am drawing every chance I get! These are two of my most recent that I'm very happy with. I've got a few more but this is the time I've got now!

More later. Thank you for visiting...there should be more movement from here forward. Big things coming and changing and moving on all fronts. Stay posted for updates!

Growings Pains

I should be painting two to three times a week. I know. I should...paint daily. I know. I shouldn't should all over myself - but there you go. What I am doing is planting and harvesting. I've got my garden going full blast and the fuller it get's the more amazing it is. I'm also getting the children involved (part of homeschooling) and that's been an extra-ordinary journey in the meaing of LOVE, Patience. Acceptance. Surrender. The other fabulous part of the children being involved is that they are even more readily eating "new" veggies. Dragon tongue bush beans from the shop would be snubbed but from our garden...they chow it down.

I'm working on getting them to have a daily tea from the herbs. I've got so many...Lemon Balm, basil, thyme, rosemary, lavender, cilantro...I could go on. I also spoiled myself with the African Daisys to border our driveway.
Yeah...okay about painting. I got my birthday present.... My Father-in-law built me a beautiful shadow box frame. I finally had took the time to use it last weekend when my dear hubby took the children out for the day to his parents. It was so wonderful to use. I actually wanted to paint another painting but I was worried everyone would return before I got finished so I finished in the garden instead. Little did I know that they would still be HOURS returning! Bummer.

I've also been horribly distracted by food. I've gone vegetarian again...not strict more out of a lack of interest in meat than any other issues. I've found amazing recipes and food stuffs. I have even (after a very hectic experience) am able to eat nuts again! Very exciting as I LOVE nuts. I won't bore you with further discussions regarding food growing or eating.

I painted two pears...in the shadow box. I really loved my composition - the negative space between the pears was the draw for me. Unfortunately I chose the wrong colour back ground to accentuate my focal point. I'm going to have to make a do-over. Perhaps ...next week. Maybe this weekend? Given we are only expecting 5 guests! hahaha!