April - Sketch a day

Several years ago I discovered Marion Boddy-Evans, an artist who posts from Scotland. A few weeks ago she included 'Monthly Word Prompts' in her blog. She said, "I hope my free printable word prompt charts from a couple of years ago ... might be an enjoyable distraction amidst all the uncertainty and social distancing." She offered blank calendars from 2018. As you can see, on each day there is a word or two to prompt a drawing. 

I printed out the April calendar, but I thought the space was a little confining - so I got out one of my small sketchbooks.

Here is the first week of April:

I am hoping that I can discipline myself to keep up with this for a month or two. It is an uncertain time. I think this structure will help with some of this virus anxiety! 

You can find out more about Marion Boddy-Evans here. https://marion.scot/ 

Within/without 6 feet

This past week our Tuesday group assigned ourselves the task of sketching/painting the 'stuff' we see around us. Much of it is ordinary and overlooked. Subject matter for artwork, really?

I had started some sketches the last time we met as a group. I looked around the paint studio where we usually gather. There were rolls of paper towels, a coffee mug and two egg cartons (one of our painters has chickens and brings us eggs!)

Looking around my house, I found a lot of stuff...

Here's a split leaf philodendron which I have had for 30 years... it gets overlooked a lot - probably because it's been part of the scenery for so long.

Then there is the toothbrush holder and a fun mug that holds a lot of pens and pencils.

I've always loved this little frog that keeps the door from slamming shut.

Oh, and then there are tools! I was a woodworker before I discovered painting. Here's my drill press. The perspective is not quite right, but it was a fun challenge to draw.

It was a fun project  - and I will probably continue to do some more looking around with a renewed appreciation for the 'stuff.'   

Tuesday morning it was good to have a Zoom critique and see what everyone else had done. We are so different in our painting styles, but all grateful to be together and to share our stories.

Daffodils

This weekend was supposed to be 'Daffodil Days' in St. Michaels. Thousands of bulbs have been planted in the past couple of years. There is yellow everywhere. Store keepers and homeowners were encouraged to decorate  - prizes were to be given for the best displays. In the past, there was a parade showing off specially decorated hats and dressed up dogs...

Many of our art league plein air painters were poised and ready to paint all around town during the festivities on Saturday. And then came... COVID-19! So many people are disappointed...and frightened.

My Tuesday painting group hasn't met for awhile (we have been social distancing for a few weeks) and have been feeling disconnected. One of our group suggested that we all focus on a common subject and then share our work on line. Our theme for this week was daffodils.

Tuesday morning came and there was a flood of emails and texts. Some of us were posting one place and trying to join in critiques. Others were texting and my computer was pinging with conversations. It was a little crazy, but fun to be connected.

For future critiques, we are exploring some other options of being together.

It was interesting to see how differently each of us had treated our assignment. Lots of vases of flowers or a single blossom.

I was working on being connected so I offered a bunch of daffodils...  This is called "For you"

Next week's suggestion is to look around us - we are observing the 6' rule. Draw, sketch, paint what you see close by. Someone commented that we might better appreciate the things we take for granted.

Group project

Last fall one of the women in my "Tuesday Painters" group presented us with an idea for a project. (an aside - this group was formerly "Barbara's class." Our 96 year old instructor had died and we decided to stay together and continue to paint and support one another. Not knowing what to call my painting mornings on my calendar, I just now type in "Tuesday Painters".)

This proposed project involved painting in accordion sketchbooks.

We had never heard of accordion sketchbooks. It turns out that they are small (pocket size) books that have pages that are not turned like a 'normal' book. They fold back and forth so that you can hold the front and back cover and stretch the book out like an accordion.

The idea is that we would each have a book. We would begin by writing 'something meaningful' on a page along with our name and date. Then we would paint something.

Our painting group meets weekly on Tuesday mornings. At the beginning of the first month we would pass our book on to another group member and receive a book from someone else. We would take a few weeks to paint in the book we receive and then the next month, pass it on and receive another book. There are eight of us. So, at the end of eight months (or longer depending on vacations, etc) we would receive our own book back again and everyone in the group would have painted in it!

We all thought that would be fun. The originator of the idea ordered the books and we passed them out in December. Then decided we wouldn't start passing them on until after the holidays...

Well, a good idea, but what would I paint?

Once we were all faced with the actual book, we got anxious about painting in someone else's book! Yeah, all the 'insecure artist' stuff surfaced. What if we messed up in a book that wasn't ours? Predictable anxiety, but, what the heck, we are all friends and are there to support each other!

So I began... I thought about my group and how we are there for each other. I started writing down words and phrases: friendship, trust, joy, playfulness, love, fun, respect...

Then out of the blue, the image of a cairn came to mind.
I wrote in my book..."Cairn: a stack of rocks...indicating a path or important landmark - balancing the spiritual side of life. Marking one's personal (or group) passage.

I think our group has turned a corner. We spent years being taught by Barbara. We are now using what we learned to teach each other with friendship, trust, joy....

Knowing that I would be away for a few weeks during the winter, I did mine right away and passed it on.

I also managed to paint in the book I received. I wanted to carry on the theme of treasuring our group.

Now, I have another book in which to paint... fortunately, I have a couple weeks to come up with another image.  Stay tuned...

Happy Valentine's Day!

Several years ago I stopped shopping for Valentine cards. They seemed too sappy or too ridiculous or...too whatever. They didn't fit what I was looking for. So, I now sketch some sort of a heart and usually hang it on a string and surprise my husband when he gets up on February 14th.

This year it is two hearts laced together... sort of zentangle-like. It's not the best photo...but, here it is.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

It's Banner time again!

Each February, St Michaels Art League (SMAL) artists submit artwork that will be scanned and printed on banner material. The banners hang along our main street from mid April until mid November. They add cheerful color and images to our town and everyone looks forward to what will be hanging each year. I heard that there are over 30 banners to be hung this year!

I began thinking about my banner months ago. The banner theme is "Celebrate St Michaels." Each year I have painted a crab doing something that represents our town. Last year the crab went shopping and showcased all the weekend festivals that happen throughout the tourist season. 

Other years "Mikey" (crab named by a friend...it's St Michaels, after all), has captained a boat, eaten an ice cream cone, hidden lanterns in trees ( that's another story), waved flags... you get the idea.

What to do this year? I occurred to me that I had never highlighted our Farmers' Market. Maybe Mickey should be a farmer this year...

My son was an organic farmer in Vermont for many years so I had lots of pictures of veggies in baskets. I looked through my picture file. Then I thought about the local markets here in Talbot County. The thing that lots of people go for first is the fresh corn. Maybe Mickey could be eating corn...

I began with a sketch on drawing paper...

I wanted to see what it might look like with color so I got out my paints. The paper wrinkles with watercolor, but it still gave me an idea of what it might look like.

An OK beginning, but he looks a little awkward. I needed to connect the crab and the basket of corn. He's grabbing another ear...

Then I needed figure out how a cartoon crab might hold an ear of corn. Two claws was not going to work if he needed to be grabbing another ear. How would it work with one claw? I actually got out some clay and tried to mold it so that could see how it might look!

After obsessing over that for awhile, I had him just holding it on the end. Then I worked on how to add his other legs.

I was finally ready to get out my watercolor paper and get it done! Final sketch...

 Beginning to paint it...

Painting completed... almost finished...

Adding final details...

Ready to go.  Discussions about title...  maybe "Ears to you!"

Happy New Year - Simplify...

Reviewing 2019 and looking toward 2020... my current goal is to simplify.

I took a course in composition this past fall. Each session we were presented with various still life arrangements. We were to draw them using graphite or charcoal. Our instructor invited us to take photos of the arrangements from different angles and do several drawings.

I often paint from photographs and find it challenging to NOT paint everything that I see. The beauty of a painting is that I can choose what I want on my paper, but it is tempting to just paint it all.

So, in class I was presented with arrangements that were filled with bits of things. This photo doesn't even show it all. There was a bird's nest and more 'stuff' over on the right. I little overwhelming...

I knew I didn't want to mess with the glass vase or get into all the nest twigs. I also didn't need to do the little stones. I just picked a couple of things. I love color, so that is what stood out for me. 

Here is the sketch...done in about 10-15 minutes (I think).

I took it home and decided to add color to it. It was done on drawing paper, but I wanted to just try watercolor on it to see if I could make it a little cheerier.

I painted the pumpkin, twig and berries and then just spattered some of the paint color that I had used. 

Some of the charcoal smeared a little with the watercolor, but I think it has a nice overall look. I left out a lot of the original arrangement. Simplify...