When I think about why we should continue to put forth the effort to recycle cans and glass and paper, to cut our vehicle emissions, to carry our own reusable grocery bags, to endeavor to turn back the clock on the damage we have done our planet. . . . .I want my driving factor not to be guilt, but instead a basic, simple and pure joy in maintaining the beauty that is around us every day.
Just in our area, we have the great Live Oak trees that are such a true personification of Texas – strong and unique and tough enough to survive floods and drought. And the color and sinewy variety of the Crape Myrtles, with their barkless wood exposed to the elements. Our colorful wildflowers and weeds and native grasses give their beauty to the landscape all year long.
Sitting outside on an early summer Sunday, we can see the beauty through the cool blues and greens all around us, hear the swoop and call of birds, smell the clear and sweet scent of the air ~ then we realize that we need to do the right thing, not from guilt but from gratitude.
(Because a good friend liked this, I copied it from my now defunct American Statesman blog of June 2, 2007)
The directions say to post on Saturday, but I finished this tonight and if I don’t do it now, I probably won’t remember to post it. Virtual Sketch Link November
I love trees - drawing, painting, watching trees. This was done with a mechanical pencil on acid-free card stock. It took about two hours. It was a fun and “grokking” sketch. I learn more about shadows and balance when I focus on great trees like this.
I’ve seen a lot of searches to this site about ” how to sketch a flower “, and I’d like to help you find one of the best step-by-step illustrations I’ve seen. It’s by a friend of mine, Leslie Hawes, on her blog www.lesliehawes.com and is from one of the virtual sketch exercises. This one is of a beautiful cabbage that looks like a rose, and Leslie does a wonderful job!
If you are an artist viewing this website, I would love to hear your thoughts on what you enjoy most about creating art.
The anticipation, the preparation, the actual creation or the final contemplation? (I got kind of caught up in how those words wove together). Or do you enjoy some other aspect I haven’t considered?
Often when I see a beautiful sky of awe inspiring clouds, or sunlight and shadows moving across the lawn, or an especially graceful pear, I wonder if I could capturepart of those multiple dimensions of light and color and texture and atmosphere onto a flat surface ~ a second of existence held in a more permanent form.
And often when I do begin to attempt capturing that moment, what begins to emerge is not what I saw in actuality or even what I envisioned, but a different thing altogether. And that is exciting in itself.
During this process, my mind forgets that my dog is ill, or that I need to pay bills or go to the grocery store. I don’t worry for a while, nor stress about duty or money or the person that I am.
For those moments, my mind rests. But my soul sings.
this is my piece for the October Virtual Sketch - once again I kind of ran out of time, so feel like I rushed it. Vowing to commit more time at an earlier time next time …
Soft Pastel done on super fine sand paper, measures 8″ x 5″
as of 7pm, during three separate breaks from work and trotting out to my studio, checking my progress on this piece over my shoulder in a mirror, slowly liking the bottom section more. Not quite there. Ready for any suggestions.
I did an experiment today - starting a new piece and as I progressed, taking photos every time I thought of it. I wanted to see for myself how I work on a pastel - to see if there was a method or logic or style. Generally, I think of my work pattern as scattered and that is probably right. But I have fun and sometimes like the finished piece. This one is not done yet, but I like it so far.
