Male Portrait

ok now, the guy in the picture is handsome, my guy looks like a hoodlum or a fisherman. My shadows for the beard are too much like the shadows of the skin. My drawing, the guys shoulders are more rounded and sunken down like he is standing and he has low shoulders. The guy in the photo looks like he is sitting down and leaning over a bit.

Practice: shadow, facial hair, overall line angles.

Portraits-Faces-Drawing

Drawing Portraits

I always dreamed of drawing portraits. Art school did not teach me so recently, after taking classes in drawing and painting cute little girls faces and angels, and fairies, I started reaching out last year to the pencil and paper, to the picture of someone I thought was fun to draw from. I drew a little boy in a picture with freckles, I drew my grandson and now a year later, I have cut out pictures from magazines and catalogues and am in the process of making a face book from Face2Face by Motley Soul. Then in cutting out pictures, I decided, try it, different faces, and "Don't be afraid if it doesn't look exactly like the person. Just do it". Yes, that is what I said to myself. So last night I drew one girl, and today I did another and tonight maybe a guys face. I figure, if I keep it up, I may get good at it someday. So here above is one of the examples. Oh yes, I see the errors, the nose is not long enough, the girl in the picture is prettier than my drawing, perhaps the shadows are too sharp, but you know what, I did it and am getting over my fear. Yes, artists do have fear.

The drawings are done with a graphite pencil-woodless, and marker paper. The paper is slippery, but not to the degree that the pencil won't leave a mark on it. I am quite surprised about that actually. Michaels has a place in the front of the store with a rolling rack that they sell clearance items for cheap and the marker paper was $3.00 for the pad of paper. It is wonderful drawing the faces on it. The graphite erases beautifully and you can smudge it with your finger to get a soft subtle shadow. The graphite gets really dark on the paper and the paper does not rip or get ruined by erasing.

Art Jobs

I have a BFA from the early 1980's. I have done various small jobs since-graphics jobs, restoring nativity statues for a church restorer, have taught children of all ages in my home how to draw. I have private tutored a student who was going to college to draw in her home. Always seeking different opportunities to use my talents to earn income or to just plain enjoy myself.

I have been taking a class by Motley Soul in drawing portraits and faces. The more I practice, the better it is getting. It is hard to believe there is so math and measuring in the face.

I am preparing to do collage and paintings for a hookah lounge/cigar shop and I met a gal who owns her own business selling whitty type of art and artsy fartsy stuff.
She and I are going to get together and pull our imaginations together. She collects junk and so do I so we are going to see what we can make. The items will be on consignment, but it is a step in an awesome direction. A bit of new technique added to my collages-encaustic!

I found on craigslist a place near by giving away all kinds of stuff. So off I went with my daughter today and picked up an old chest and small cabinet. I found a statue that has a broken hand which I can mend of a seaman/captain which is ironic that for the fall I am decorating my living room with an old world look sea theme. There was also an old clock that is not working with all the clock pieces in it. It is so pretty. I don't know if it can be fixed or if I will use it for my class in Artbundance for "Creating Time" with Marney. I will be posting pictures so stand by.

Covered Bridge in Maine

I have always wanted to do a google search of all covered bridges in New England, and on our day off which is Mondays, just travel to the various states, and photograph the bridges. The weather from the winter I have heard is hurting the bridges.

When I visited this bridge, I just thought about what it would be like riding a horse and buggy over it, with my long to the floor skirt and high necked white blouse, hair in a bun, perhaps a wrap around my shoulders and listening to the hoof beats of the horse pulling my buggy.

The patterns in the wood were awesome, calling me to ponder what I could create that would mimic this weaving pattern.

The day I took these photos was a day of excruciating heat and the bridge just created a coolness that I did not want to leave. The image in the background was my husband walking towards me to say we needed to go. That was disappointing news.

Drawing and Illusions

Practice drawing, make marks with your pencils and paints. Drawing and painting are illusions of what is real. Each mark you put down is a symbol for what you see or are thinking of in your immagination. A little mark can be a shadow, a persons head, a seagull in the background.

Art Supplies Painting Drawing and the Beach

I am getting used to the weight of my pocketbook, because most of the time I have a elastic band filled with pencils, a watercolor paint brush and a notebook to take notes. I carry a watercolor notebook in the van. I am trying to get into the habit of painting plein air at the beach, not to worry if anyone notices, and to practice practice practice because I will tell you what. That ocean, the sky and sand changes all of the time.

Graphite Pencils and Watercolor pencils

I am convinced that I do not care much for these pencils. A lady walked by as I was taking a picture of this drawing, and she was very interested in purchasing it. I was so embarrassed that I did not tell her I would sell it to her. I just said thank you, we chatted a bit and she went off. But I did get her email address. I have framed it and boy a frame can make something look great. It finishes it off.

I now have taken my palletes of water color paints with me and am working on color.

I am in the process of looking for a coupon for Michaels or AC Moores for 50% off and I am going to buy a really nice pallette with a cover. I will put the colors in it that I want to take with me. The pencils do not do a vibrant color. Perhaps it is the brand and they are good for the reason of drawing fast.

I was thrilled that lady stopped to talk to me. She lives on the beach, and loves collecting works that are from what she would call "her beach".:)

New England Beach and Vacation

The week of vacation after the lightening storm hit our home. We finally had some rest and beautiful weather. Just a few glimpses of what I saw during that week.

Lightening and vacation

Our first day of vacation....our house struck by lightening, along with two of our children. One child went to the emergency award and the other was ok even though he was flung across his room and the room is on the other side of our home. A friend of my sons just left the house, stepped out on the small set of stairs we have, he came running in, needing a hug. I said to him "honey, whether you believe or not, I am going to tell you, God protected you". Our water was affected, our house was melted in one corner, and we lost various articles in the home. Now when there is a storm, we have a little unsettleness, but I need to trust my Lord because he did protect us and at least we were able to have our daughter checked out to make sure her heart was ok.

Believe me, if there is lightening and a storm, please do not stand near a window, do not go to turn off something while it is in the process of lightening.

In the other photos, you will see that a neighbor lost a tree and the men were there very quickly to get it out of the road. They that lost their tree and our house were the only houses affected as almost there was some sort of special storm, tornadoe, whirlwind that just hit our homes. So greatful to be safe. We did get to go somewhere the following day.

Rusty Objects can be beautiful too

So What do you THINK

Do we look alike?

Portraits-Mother and Daughter

Traci Batista and My hand dyed papers

What a great project to work on, to experience what it feels like to have each paper be different. Use all of your inks, stamps, brushes and all the supplies you have. Try everything. You can never be bored because everything is an experiment and everything can be used. There is negative space and positive space all around you, items laying around your kitchen, your bathroom, your garage, your cellar, the outdoors.

Lay an item down and spray around it with ink. Take a stick, dip it into your paint and draw lines with it. Just try it.