Reflections

More Drawings

2012-01-24T14:54:00.001-08:00

We are running a mini scavenger hunt here on the base with a bunch of (very talented) young people. My Lemon Squeezer also fitted a category there and then this ‘bottle’ for the Wetcanvas hunt fitted the ‘something that smells good’ for the local hunt

Two for the price of one.

This afternoon I took a handful of items, piled them onto the table and we (the talented group of young persons mentioned above) proceeded to draw these. hehehehe what was I thinking with the items I chose? Well I know what I was thinking, but I also realized how long it has been since I’ve sat down and just sketched something like this! Much to long indeed. It was fun and really got me working to get it right. Not perfect, but I was pleased. Only I really need a large piece of paper and a fat stick of charcoal. And then some soft pastels too. And all of these needed items are currently too many miles to the north of me….sigh….

Sketching again...

2012-01-22T13:33:00.000-08:00

It's been a bit quiet again on the sketching front for me. Just not enough hours in the day. It gets depressing some times...

We picked this ball of lichen up under a tree in the forest. I should love to see this under a microscope. Must be fascinating. I tried to just capture the 'feel' of the 'plant' instead of drawing every little detail. maybe one day I'll sit down and draw it exactly as it is. In ink. That will be worth the effort I'm sure.

The latest hunt just started today over at Wetcanvas today, and here is my first (and I hope not last!) contribution. Great list of goodies to draw once more. The blue 'true light' bulb in the lamp gave this the lovely blue shadow. I like that!

Pretty little flower

2011-12-20T10:52:00.001-08:00

Back home the flowers will all be dead by now, but down here in California, this little viola is looking as sprightly as ever on the table outside. It’s friendly little face greeted me when I came back from a –short- walk with a friend.

I doubt I’ll get more done for this hunt though, tomorrow a new one starts up. It has been FUN doing it again!

On a Roll…

2011-12-17T11:40:00.001-08:00

I’m really on a roll now, but I guess I should be working on that doggie portrait too. I just find these little sketches so much fun. Half the fun is finding something to suite the ‘requirement’ and having it ready for that quick sketch during lunch break!

I need to find the name of the town where I picked the leaf up. (at the gas station) and my spelling of Hershey's Kiss…oh my I must have been more tired than I realized last night

Salt & Pepper and Baking?

2011-12-16T15:27:00.001-08:00

If you think about it, the list of goodies for the Scavenger Hunts can really be kinda ‘all over the place’ That’s part of the fun I guess?

I did the shakers last night. Took a long time as I was using water colour and with the separate areas of colour I had to wait for each to dry before I could paint the next bit! Gouache would have been a better choice!

…and then there was the morning snack of spiced pumpkin bread (not ‘spicey’ as I wrote there, duh!) which came in very handy for the ‘baked item’ on the list!

I already have the next items lined up, I just need to remember that other things may need attention too, once I start drawing I just don’t want to stop!

Scavenger Hunt...at last another one done...

2011-12-10T21:34:00.000-08:00

I was getting really restless and desperate to do something! Scavenger Hunts are great for that...and so are dried leaves. Theses were so interesting I had to pick them up (that was a month ago) and dried them. Now they are painted and I will find somewhere safe for them to 'live' :D

So this one is for the current Scavenger Hunt, running over at Wetcanvas.

Scavenger Hunts

2011-01-17T17:37:00.000-08:00

I still do the Scavenger Hunts over at Wetcanvas when I get the chance. The aim is to draw fast (take little time) draw often, draw from life and experiment. These hunts make for wonderful sketchbooks. I really enjoy looking back at previous year's entries...

Well it made it...

2010-09-22T16:33:00.000-07:00

I'm glad to say this picture made the show (only just though) ;-) now I'm really hoping for a sale. That would be very nice indeed.

Here is what it looked like framed before taking it off to the gallery.

It sure was nice to work with paint again, but my fingers itch for my pencils ;-)

At The End of The Day

2010-08-12T21:59:00.000-07:00

Several years ago a friend gave me these beautiful peachy pink dahlias..they were exquisite! I played around with them on a mirror, took a bunch of pictures...then a some point I started a painting (water colour) but never finished it. I recently dug it out and finished it up. It will be going for jurying for an upcoming local show. I hope it makes it, I'd love to show in this particular gallery.

Some bits I like...some bits still make me grind my teeth ;-) I called it "At The End of The Day" as the flower was beginning to loose petals, like it was just taking the turn from top form to...well the way you feel at the end of the day...

Hanging Milo

2010-05-06T16:46:00.000-07:00

At least it sounds dramatic.....

I'm pleased that Milo made it into the Arrowsmith Chapter (FCA) show for June 2010

Now all I need is for someone to see it and to want a pet protrait! ;-)

Pet Peeve

2009-05-13T15:50:00.000-07:00

Colour pencil pet peeve....say that fast 10 times. Ugh...when you're nicely layering along...you know, all zoned out and all that....and suddenly a piece of grit appears, from seemingly, nowhere...oh how I hate that! grrrr! that is enough to make me save all those gritty pencils and then put them to work on a nice piece of sanded paper.

Cranky artist revenge....or something like that. HA!

This is what I'm working on, and the picture isn't good...I had to meet the school bus! but it is at least prove I am working. The first question just about anybody asks me when we meet is 'how's the art going?'

Well...now you know LOL

C = Cup of Cocoa

2009-03-25T20:28:00.000-07:00

Well I just had to do another one...and sadly realized just how much of a 'touch' I had lost due to not drawing daily...or at least 6/7! Ugh!

But there is always hope for those who realize their mistakes, right?

By the time I got to the end of this next drawing, the cocoa was 'ice' cold and I was not going to delay any longer drinking it....and yes, those elipses were tricky, to me they always are.

Drawn in ArtRage, with chalk (pastel) on paper.

I'm thinking of revisiting some concepts I explored a few years ago, and then last week, I was looking through a sketchbook and was inspired by some notes and thumbnail sketches I had made...it would be good to work with those I think...too many ideas...too little time!

Follow my own advice.

2009-03-21T15:45:00.000-07:00

Well if the advice is truly good...then follow it!

I thought the idea of drawing something for the Scavenger Hunt was good advice, so I set about it promptly, over a lunchtime cup of tea..ok late lunchtime cup of tea...

Now remember the idea of the hunts is to get you drawing daily...and not perfectly. Ususally we say how long it takes to draw, but I usually forget to check the clock. Still as soon as I feel I have captured the essence of whtaever I'm working on, I stop and move on to something else.

I thought I had reached that point in this quick sketch and fixing it to be perfect would mean redoing a lot etc etc. And defeat my purpose.

I should have scaled the canvas texture down a bit so it would not be so rough, but that is part of the process of learning about your tools and media.

I used the chalk (aka pastel) in ArtRage and the original line drawing is done in pencil, although I have covered most of that with the pastel.

That was fun...but now I really need to follow the rest of my advice and clean the house!

ArtRage gets water colour???

2009-03-21T13:45:00.000-07:00

Last night I thought I had fainted and woke up in ArtRage heaven! I was browsing the ArtRage forums you see when I heard :

It seems the new upgrade is in the final stages and we impatient folks won't have to wait toooooo long anymore. What excited me most was that they've added water colours! wooooohooooo. I hope it'll be super splendid, terrific....just like the current software!

YAY!

And just in case you have no idea what I'm talking about : ArtRage is the most amazingly intuitive virtual art making software available. Small download (well currently, i think the upgrade will be heftier), easy to run and amazing to work with.

A trial version is available...I had mine for only a few hours when I went ahead and bought the full programme...at $25.00 an amazing deal!

Show you what I mean : I was just doodling here, playing with the new presets for canvasses that I had downloaded. hence the notes re the paper on the sketches This was back in January, as you can see.

and closer :

and a bit closer...

Not bad for a virtual set-up....I'm soooo looking forward to trying their water colour, I'm like a kid waiting for a birthday.

BTW, these two drawing were a part of my Scavenger Hunt over at Wetcanvas. I really like doing those even if I'm quite pathetic to post my parts....which is really what you should do...but there is only so many hours in the day right? However I think I'm going to try and do just one Hunt a month...I'm sure I must be able to do that?!?

Time will tell I guess.... I dare you : download ArtRage trial and let's do a Hunt together!

Better late than never?

2009-03-19T12:36:00.001-07:00

I think so...anyway, life happens too, right? Norma and daughter Lori, managed to take a selection of candid pictures of me...as animated in conversation as -probably- only I can be....sigh...LOL
But among them all was this one...that I'm pleased enough with! At this stage I've only cropped these, I have not tried to improve/work on them in Photoshop yet!

Norma figured nobody would believe it if I did post a 'straight faced' picture of her, so she opted for this one with Lori! (remember her painting is called 'Orchids for me Lori?!?)

And if ever I attend an opening night that I enjoy...I'll.....what will I do? something silly I'm sure. I hate going to opening nights...

Chocolate or Vanilla?

2009-03-19T11:40:00.000-07:00

because I KNOW you were wondering! ROFLOL

You Are Chocolate
You are dramatic, charming, and downright addicting.
You have a strong personality, and and people are drawn to your fabulousness.

You are stimulating and exciting. It's hard to get tired of you.
You are incredibly likable and popular. You live a glorious life.
Are You Chocolate or Vanilla?

The Show is Up...

2009-03-03T17:13:00.000-08:00

Well the show is hanging and although I have not yet seen it on the walls, I did see all the pieces standing around the room and it looks like a fine show indeed!

You can see an online version of the show on the Arrowsmith Chapter website, look for the Spring Show and Sale under the 'Shows' on the menu on the left of the screen.

The official opening for the show is Friday evening, March 7th, and if I remember to take my camera...I may just manage to take a picture or two for the blog!

See you on the weekend!

Charne

2009-02-14T16:22:00.001-08:00

Your Word is "Think"

You see life as an amazing mix of possibilities, ideas, and fascinations.
And sometimes you feel like you don't have enough time to take it all in.

You love learning. Whether you're in school or not, you're probably immersed in several subjects right now.
When you're not learning, you're busy reflecting. You think a lot about the people you know and the things you've experienced.

What's" Your Word?

Norma's Orchids

2009-02-11T11:20:00.000-08:00

Here they are!

"Orchids For Me Lori" (Acrylic on Canvas; 24"x12") won "Honourable Mention" for the Spring Show.

This image is small, but I assure you it is beautiful irl! You can see more of Norma's work here

Thanks for letting me post this Norma! Now get cracking with those CP's girl!

Award of Excellence

2009-02-06T13:54:00.001-08:00

I didn't plan this...but what better way to start and art related blog, than with a fine "Award of Excellence"! I've been wanting to start a blog for a while, and this was just the push I needed!

"There is Always One..." was given this award for our upcoming show in March.
'Our' refers to the Arrowsmith Chapter of the Federation of Canadian Artists. It's going to be a beautiful show and I'm totally pleased (understatement!) with the award.

A little bit about "There is Always One..." (Coloured Pencil on Paper. 13" x 13")

When I looked at the pile of fruit I had bought at the grocery store, I was struck by the fact that only 2 pieces actually had leaves on them. I thought it rather sad, that we don't get to see how beautiful the fruit look on the trees...and my mind rambled on, rather philosophically, about that for a while. However when the time came to set up a still life to photograph, one fruit (peach) had lost it's leaf...and I thought...only one...yeah, there is always one...somehow that reminded me of myself, but that is another matter!

I set the still life up in the bright noon day sun, experimenting with different colours under the plate, moving around with the camera, and arranging and re-arranging the fruit, until I finally and after several trips in to the computer to take a look at the digital images, was happy with what I saw.

A peach in the sweet spot. The only peach, the only yellow orange, the only leaf. Boy does it ever get attention! Ha!

A triangle of red nectarines, including the peach in the triangle, there's no missing that one! And then the arrow shape of the plums, same thing...try follow that one without seeing my peach ;-)

All I needed now was an interesting background to support my little 'game'. My Mother-in-Law gave me this cake plate many years ago and it is still a favourite of mine. Though some of the edges have been damaged and points broken off over the years, I just love this plate! The glass, being older, has that delightful green colour cast to it, that, together with the white background and the colours of the fruit, created an endless variety of colours in the shadow areas. It was a wonderful journey of discovery as I tried to capture some of it's complexity on my paper. The swirls from the shadows cast by the plate added wonderful movement to the whole, and all I had to do was make sure I capture enough shadow in just one area, that breaks past the edges of my plate, to off-set some of that drama surrounding the peach.

Apart from some very faint shadows in some areas, the background remains the stark white of the paper, which is unusual for me.

As a matter of interest: here is another piece where I used this plate :

"The Red Pear" (Coloured Pencil on paper) aren't those swirling patterns just SUPER!?!

My good friend Norma Paul got an "Honourable Mention" award for her acrylic painting of orchids, submitted to the same show. I'll add the image for that as soon as I get it from Norma!

Once the show is up in the gallery (March 2nd) I will add a link to our chapter website, where you will be able to see all the pieces hanging in the show.

Till next time....

Charne