I'm the first to say that I don't sketch as well as i'd like to. I do sketch before every painting though, and when I do it's fast and simple. No shading, sometimes no contours, just shapes, shapes, shapes! These are some sketches in my trusty little sketchbook, however. They were quick too, but more "fancy." (i.e. shading, contours . . . et cetra.) You can see that I try to use a pencil like a brush full of paint. Hehe! Enjoy! I will post again tonight! (Maybe a new painting, most likely a progess post, possibly just a post of old paintings.)
Believe it or not, that little blonde tater-tot in the picture above is me.
Where did I begin? How long did it take me to create this work?
I don't ever know whether to say that I started out sketching or painting.
You know, that's the answer to the question, "how did you start out?"
Really, I started with Crayons.
Those smelly markers. The seven-color pallet of watercolors.
(The occasional sharpie.)
More Crayons (I didn't like to draw with broken Crayons, but I always seemed to squeeze too hard and break them.)
A pen here.
A pencil there.
My Grandma's fancy watercolors.
My Aunt's fancy oil paints.
My own "artist acrylic color." (Thank you, Mom and Dad)
On computer paper.
On restaurant napkins.
Church programs.
Notepads
My sister's sketchbook (sorry Becca!)
The fun fax paper where the edges would tear off.
The sidewalk with chalk.
When we remolded our house, the sheetrock was painted with a Slurpie
before it was even a wall.
before it was even a wall.
When my aunt and uncle redid their front yard,
the dirt clods made for a great drawing piece on the clean driveway.
Did you know, when you cut construction paper into hundreds of tiny pieces, you can nearly assemble them to create a "painting?"(Not to mention that you also learn to use the vacuum at a very young age. As should every very young adolescent.)
I've done a few paint by numbers.
I've assembled all the crafts for kids in elementary school.
(I'm admitting, I've watched a couple Bob Ross episodes.)
Read dozens of art books (maybe nearing or beyond 100.)
Met in person a handful of incredibly gifted artists.
Taken a workshop, or a few, from wonderful people who happen to be artists.
Been in shows amongst the artists I look up to.
Walked through galleries that are from heaven.
I've seen a lot of wonderful art, but nothing near to make me a critic. (But who is?)
Now, I've begun my studies in art at a university.
I have so much to learn.
Yet, I still attribute the Crayons.
A single painting.
I am asked, "how long did it take you?"
19 years. Give or take.
Yes, 19 years.
Not like the old masters that really did spend 30(plus/ minus) years dabbling meticulously on a single work. For me, I consider everything learned, learned through a process. (Sometimes it's the process of patience.)
(There were definitely times when I was advancing with my art.
On a time line, I could plot by years.
1-5 years: Crayons. The first few mentioned above.
5-6 years:
7 years: The sketch table. [I drew a ballerina in arabesque for months.]
8 Years: Dabbled first with oil color.
8 years: Acrylic. [Commence the kitchen table ruining--or embellishing?]
9-10 years: commence the kitchen table takeover.
11 years: Art shows. Wonderful people guiding me along.
13 years: Art and Garden Tours
15 years: Art Galleries
18 years: The homework projects.
19: the summer with endless opportunities to paint.)
I can remember mixing yellow and black together at a very young age.
You know, the whole mix every color together and make the brown rainbow thing?
Just by chance.
(We all know better than "chance" though.)
I can remember, I was 7 years old,
my grandma took the picture I was drawing, turned it upside down,
took my sketchbook, turned it upside down
and told me to "now, draw." I thought it was
just to be silly, funny, or fancy.
I can remember watching the episode of Barney
and learning "the primary colors are red, yellow and blue!"
(I wasn't 7 then, I was years younger, but Bj the yellow dino was my fav)
"To make purple, mix red and blue!"
Still, I mix my oil colors, red and blue, to make purple!
(Thank you, Barney)
When I am having difficulties painting, whether it's getting perspective,
shape, value, hue, composition, alignment, gesture, proportion, shape,
shape, shape (those are important) I turn my image and canvas upside down.
My problems are solved. I can see from a different perspective. Try it!
(Thank you, Gg! [Gorgeous Grandma!])
Did you know, yellow and black make green?
(Thank you, Crayola, for making those watercolors for kids. [Cheap in quality, expensive in result.]
Did you know, cadnium yellow and ivory black oil colors make a perfect sap green?
It all comes together in time.
If anything of value is learned, chances are it's not by chance.
Blessed.
I have been blessed with the opportunities.
I have been blessed with wonderful parents and great, encouraging
people around me.
I've been blessed with the slow forthcoming
"artistic knowledge" others have shared with me.
I'm so grateful for these things, and the talents I've been given to share.
I didn't learn to paint or draw in a day.
I've drawn the stick figure. Many times.
Yesterday, in fact.
I didn't paint a face well for years.
But I have loved and worked hard to "get the eyes."
I am still loving and working hard to "get the eyes."
I don't think I will ever feel that I have mastered what I want to do.
This isn't a negative for me. The positive is that there is always room for improvement.
Because of the years I've learned.
Now, with a closet full of paintings and drawings.
A cabinet full of sketchbooks.
A pallet full of paint
and a painting wet as can be.
Here are the questions:
"Where did I begin?" "How long did it take me to create this work?"
I started with Crayons. It took me 19 years.
Every year the Portrait Society of America has an international portrait competition and conference. I would love to go someday! It is basically a conference where the BEST portrait artists in the world gather to unveil their latest pieces, exhibit their bests, and demo for one another. (Not to mention there is a banquet where the artists dress all fancy-schmancy and talk/listen to all things fine art portraiture.) There are days of classes and critics! How fun is that?! (Reminds me of the old Salons in France where artists once exhibited their work, it was then the main forum for art!) Anyway, each year the competition winners are exceptional! Check out this year's award winners by clicking the link below! LOVE IT!
http://www.portraitsociety.org/#!__international-portrait-competition/albumphotos1=0
http://www.portraitsociety.org/#!__international-portrait-competition/albumphotos1=0
Wet, wet, wet paint! I love it!
It's been way too long from start to finish with this painting. Mostly because I started another, finished another, and taught the workshop for the young women in between. I was itching to finish this piece though! Here it is! I will post a better picture soon (probably tomorrow) so the colors aren't so off, but I want to share anyway. I love this photoshoot, and now the painting(s?) from it too!
Enjoy! :)
Here is my still life from the other night teaching.
It's a small, quick, fun little painting.
It's always nice to do a still life once in a while.
With a still life I can paint without any hesitation.
They're very free! "If you paint an extra flower in a still life, no worries--paint another! If you paint an extra eye on a portrait, you had better be sure that's the style you're looking into."
Enjoy!
I put this on my Facebook wall and forgot to post it here to my blog. While it's still the week of the Fourth I thought I'd post it.
Workshop?
Yes!
Tonight I taught somewhere between 14-18 young women to paint!
Let me just say, we had a blast!
(see here!)
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| At work |
We began with quietly browsing through some art books in the living room while we waited for everyone to arrive (can you hear the peaceful music in the background to set the mood?) I wanted it to be an evening that was fun, but still very "classic." Maybe like the difference from a craft night and a fine art night? Hmm.
After everyone arrived, I talked a little about Elder Uchtdorf's Mormon Message (watch here http://lds.org/media-library/video/mormon-messages?lang=eng&query=create#2009-02-06-create) I love, love this video. In it, Elder Uchtdorf talks about how we each have a divine inheritance to create and that as long as we are guided by the Holy Ghost and doing what we need to the Lord will increase our endeavors to create. It's beautiful. Watch it if you have a couple of minutes.
After our "spiritual message" we went out back where I gave a QUICK demo and talked briefly where to begin when they start their paintings.
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| My Demo Area |
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| Working |
Then the real fun began!!!
For each girl I had set out a painting set.
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| This is what 24 pallets of oil paint looks like. After years of painting, but just from today, I can officially say i've once painted till my fingers were sore. From squeezing all this paint out, cleaning brushes all night, and just in general cleaning paint off my hands as I moved from girl to girl, my fingers are SORE! |
Painting Set:
-One lollipop! (Necessary! It looked like paint swirled around!)
-One paint pallet
-One set of gloves
-One flat paintbrush
-One photo of our still life
-One canvas (pre-sketched.)
Yes, the canvases were sketched on. My wonderful sister and I spent nearly the entire afternoon sketching on 24 canvas boards. I did this so the girls could focus on colors and the oil paint, rather than composition, perspective, et cetra. Happened to be more than helpful! Look closely and you can see the sketch on Summer's canvas.
The girls all painted so well! I was really happily surprised! Lots of budding artists! It was especially neat to see how different each girl painted. Some dabbled here and there, others covered the canvas before I even came around to them! Some changed the image, and others literally painted within the lines.
Here is what we painted from. Sadly, I didn't get any single shots individually of the girls' paintings.
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| Click on the photo to enlarge! |
