Butterfly

“Butterfly”   Mixed Media  Watercolor and Ink on Bristol Smooth

from photo taken by V. Welsh

 

This is from a photo taken by my sister-in-law, and I hope she doesn’t mind me drawing or posting this.  I have drawn this before in colored pencil and had to scrap it because I chopped the background.  Thank goodness I saved the drawing. 

     I wanted to experiment with watercolor and to paint something that I couldn’t mess up.  I think it turned out nice, but it looks more like a tattoo than a drawing.   It would be pretty cool as a tattoo wouldn’t it?  Note to hubby: Don’t worry I’ll save my art for paper and canvas; not my skin.

      Anyway, This was really fun and quick, but the drawback to watercolor and ink is that if you mess it up,  it is difficult to impossible to fix.  I wish I could stick with one medium and learn it well. But I really don’t know what my favorite is yet, and possibilities are endless.  It may take me a while.

Abstract and Oil Pastels

“Fire and Ice” Oil Pastel on Bristol Smooth

     I thought I had lost these two pieces, I was really happy to find them and thought I’d post them.  They aren’t anything spectacular but I like the colors.

      Abstract Art basically means that it doesn’t try to look like something.  Instead, the color and form are the subject of the painting and represents something that isn’t seen,  such as emotion, sound or spiritual experience.  (To read more on Abstract Art go to about.com)

     Now with that being said, I didn’t feel a thing when I did these two pieces or with “Driftwood.”  I just picked out blues and reds and then started smearing colors.  I really don’t know if the intent is to evoke the senses of the artist or the person viewing the art.  I do find abstract to be much more difficult than I ever imagined.  Although Abstract Art is representational; the color, consistency and the flow has to make sense, sort of like order out of chaos. 

Maybe I’ll do better next time.

Corn Shuck Rose

Graphite on Sketch

This rose was drawn from an arrangement made by my late grandmother.  The roses are made from dried corn shucks.  I was lucky enough to be able to watch her make them.   I really do miss her, but I feel blessed to have her for as long as I did.

“GROOOOOOOOOOOVEY”

Graphite on Sketch

    EDM #2 – Draw a desk lamp, or any other lamp.

This drawing is for my Everyday Matters group.   It’s my daughter’s lava lamp.  She loves this thing…..I don’t…. burns way too many bulbs.  This was really fun to draw.  My copy isn’t very good.  My husband bought me this great camera, but I don’t quite know how to use it yet. 

And speaking of daughters:

She is in the sixth grade and plays violin. Her orchestra  class competed in “Music in the Parks 2008” last weekend, and they were really really good. Anyway, they received 1st place with the whole group and the Advanced Orchestra (she’s not in) got 2nd place. Her dad and I are really proud of her.   

May Color Still Life Challenges

 Colored Pencil on 60lb. sketch

5 minutes    Dandelion – 5 minutes                  plant – 23 minutes

 Tomato- 45 minuites

These are drawing challenges from Wet Canvas for the month of May.   I am missing a garden tool.  I am afraid if I pull out a shovel my husband’s eyes might light up in hope that I will do yard work, and I don’t want that to happen.  The drawings look okay I guess.  The urgency that is placed on doing these sketches and my lack of knowledge of  colored pencil makes these look a bit cartoonish.  But that’s okay with me,  I can tell already that I can draw better and faster.  It will take time.                     

       

Mother’s Day

5 x 7 Faber Castell colored pencil on Stonehenge and Bristol Smooth . The tulip is from a photo taken by stalksthedawn at W/C.

      

Okay.  I haven’t posted anything in a while because I haven’t really drawn, sketched, or painted.  I haven’t even so much smeared ketsup and mustard.  I read a couple of blogs faithfully, and they are interesting and funny, and mine is BORING!!  It’s not that I have nothing to say. . . Well, actually…. I will have to think of something to make it more interesting.  

 My sister-in-law makes these fabric cards that she sends out for our birthdays.  I LOVE them.  I look forward to seeing the cards and collecting them.  They are just beautiful art pieces.  But alas,  I did not receive one for my big 40 this year!  Yes, Vicki you have been called out!  j/k she stays busy, and I am sure I’ll get one next year so I will forgive her.  Anyway, I used her idea and made these cards for two special women in my life,  my Mama, and my mother-in-law. They are very supportive and will hang anything I draw whether is sucks or not.  I know that they will appreciate the work that I put in to making these and I know that they are worth every minute I spent on them. 

“Shoe” in Crayon and ink on drawing paper

emi-1-shoe.jpg EDM #1 Draw a shoe.  This is the first challenge of the Everyday Matters Drawing Group.  Being a stay at home mom it probably would have made more sense to draw a tennis shoe or perhaps a flip flop, but I just love these shoes, it reminds of those sexy shoes women wore in the 40’s.  The heels are high, and the material is black ilet. I have never gotten to wear these beauties and probably will never get a chance. However, now I atleast get to say that I used them.  The drawing is on 60lb. drawing paper and the outline and stitching was done in ink and the rest was done in crayon.

“Quick Sketches in Still Life” Crayola Colored Pencil on 60 lb. drawing paper

These are sketch color exercises in still life that I will be participating in starting April, but I wanted to get a head start.  The idea is to find something, draw it, and color it as fast as you can while you time yourself.  My drawing is kinda of hit and miss.  Sometimes I can draw it and sometimes I can’t.  I am hoping that these exercises will help me.  My problem with drawing is that I don’t draw what I actually see, I end up drawing what I think I see and that’s a big no-no.  I have started carrying a mechanical pencil and a Moleskine sketch book in my purse just in case I get inspired, we’ll see.  These drawings are done with the 50ct. Crayola Colored pencils.  I do have artist grade pencils, but I didn’t want to waste them on practice sketches. But surprisingly enough the pencils are actually pretty good.  So, If you are new to colored pencil, Crayola is a good pencil to start with. 

sheet.jpgshaker.jpgrolodex.jpgred-green-candy-cane.jpgperfume-bottle.jpgcoffee-cup.jpgcinnimon-candy.jpg

sheet wrinkle – 30 minutes                                 salt shaker – 15 minutes

roladex – 17 minutes                                              candy cane – 16 minutes

perfume – 45 minutes                                           coffee cup – 20 minutes

cinnamon candy – 5 minutes

Art Class – “Apple” in Crayola Crayon on Strathmore

Apple in a corner  Not really much going on in art class. We are learning color theory and mixing, so not too many drawings except for apples, and apples and more apples.  But . . I do have a few sketches, I can’t post those until I get my hands on a better camera.  I thought I would post this apple because we actually got to put it in a corner.  This apple has 29 layers of color and the wall, baseboard and floor has about 11 each of crayon.  The technique she is teaching us is to just apply enough pressure to stain the paper as you can tell there is still enough tooth to add more layers, but  I am calling this done!!!