Little by Little

This piece is taking on a life of it's own. I am still working on a name for it, though it is a California Sycamore. The circle of light, surrounding the incredible leaf shapes is such fun to draw. This tree was in the beginning stages of fall. The leaves are curling up and becoming brittle. This has created angular shapes in the shadows.

I think this image is a fitting one to post on the last day of October.

Stepping it up a notch...

Window Shopping 22"x30" Arches 400lb HP watercolor paper

I have decided to take this image and work it one more time. Using my first attempt as a color study I will attempt more jewel like colors. I have the final image in my mind, and I want to make one more go at it.

The photo is of my watercolor board that I have used for many years. I made it when I was in college, out of plywood. It has come in handy each time I have worked large in watercolor. I made the decision not to stretch this sheet, as I am not going to have thick washes going at any one time. Yet I have taped down the paper with brown paper tape. I will put a staple in each corner, to help eliminate any buckling that might occur. This is 300 lb paper, so I doubt there will be any troubles. I will do my best to take progress shots.

Sycamore Shade 22"x30" Arches 300lb HP watercolor paper

This is a new charcoal I began on my weekly outing. At the art store this week, I picked up some 300 lb hp paper to try, and I am loving it. It is much smoother than the Rives, and yet has a great feel as the charcoal is applied. It takes darks, and erases to a gorgeous bright white. It also can control a crisp edge.

I hope to have many pieces in the next week to share with you.
Thanks for stopping by to look.

Haven't done that in a long time...

Window Shopping 22"x30" watercolor on Arches 300 lb hp

I pulled an all nighter last night. All in the sake of art. I use to do it all the time when I was at Art Center. I also have done it many times, getting a project completed for the kids. Last night it felt like old times... I wanted to put something into the upcoming California Arts Club show, in South Pasadena. The charcoal that I started last week was just taking me so long. They look simple but to get the values smooth, it is takes some painstaking patience.

I knew on Saturday that the charcoal was just not going to be ready, so I bought some wc paper. Found my wc board, and yesterday stretched the gorgeous 300 lb paper. Couldn't believe how cheap it was at Dick Blick. I think I paid about $4.00. I double checked with the cashier, since the price on the shelf was $11.99. That was the steal of the week.

This show is based on images, and icons of a nearby town. It has some SoCA interesting landmarks, and they wanted the artists to capture that. I wanted to try something a bit different. So I took some photos around the town last week. From what I had taken, I found one that I wanted to try in wc. I did a line drawing, and transferred it to my board. I started painting about 6 or 7:00 last night. Here is the result.

(photo taken quickly before it was put in the frame)

A Finish and a Beginning

The Climber 15"x22" charcoal on Rives BFK

Shadows in The Park 22"x30" charcoal on Rives BFK

I have a few shadow drawings in the works. This new one, was begun at Garfield Park, South Pasadena. It is a morning view of the roses underneath an arbor that encloses a garden bench at the entry. There are two that make a striking landmark for the park, and the roses are still in full bloom in October. It is a lovely sight.
It was so hard to choose a one spot over another, due to the fact that it was a sunny warm day. Yet I wanted to come away with an image to share so I grabbed one after walking around the structure for a while. The children playing in the playground provided wonderful background noise while I worked.

When you are out this weekend, take a moment to really observe the shadows around you. There are some great images to be found.

The Climber

The Climber is making progress. I have been working on the light twinkling through the leaves. Caught in the shadow, on the surface of my paper, there is depth that is not actually there. Only the absence of light. Some of the forms are fuzzy, while others more pronounced.

Being the artist, I can manipulate these forms, to be pleasing in the composition. This is what is the most fun for me, because it is entirely up to me how I resolve this. No other opinion matters ultimately. I am free, while I listen to my heart tell me the next move. That is one aspect of being an artist that I enjoy the most.

#5 In the Shadows

Detail


Work in progress.
This has is a full sheet of Rives BFK, so the process will take a bit longer.
I find this stretch to be invigorating. Stay tuned.