Art Show

It has been a busy time, helping get the art show ready, and my role is small compared to others. It opens tomorrow (Oct. 1) and is also open on Saturday. Many days of work for a two day show! So many wonderful pieces, glad I didn't have to pick a winner. Alas, neither of my pieces won an award but, after seeing the caliber of art that was accepted, not surprised in the least. Our league dropped the size restrictions for the first time and we got some very large paintings. My graphite pieces were rather small and almost invisible! My pleasure comes from getting my work into the show and I know, one day, I will actually win something! The fun is in the doing anyway.
Need to finish a watercolor of peaches then move on to other ideas I have. Way more ideas than I have time to get to so keep a running list so I don't forget!

New work

Seems every time I post here, my first sentence has something to do with how long it has been since I posted. Guess blogging isn't my strong suit.

My latest work has been a commission of sorts, a request from my son and daughter-in-law for some art for their soon to be born son. Their first child and our first grandchild so very exciting times. Both of these pieces had more work done to them after these pictures were taken but nothing major.

I have a painting in progress and a long list of ideas for watercolor color and graphite work.

This summer was so busy with watering and working in the vegetable garden. I am looking forward to the fall and winter when I have more time to spend on my art. Of course, there will soon be a new grandson to be spending time with.

Our art league has a juried art show coming up the first weekend in October and I just found out that two of my submissions were accepted. One of these days maybe I will win a prize too!

Turkey

I have recently finished yet another piece in graphite, this one of a tom Turkey that was strolling by the front of our house one day. I was able to take a photo through the window and used that as reference. While working in graphite has been very enjoyable, I am not sure I can give up color to concentrate on working in black and white. My next project will be using colored pencil so I can work in pencil but also have some color!

As I am sure happens with all artists, my emotions ran the gamut with this piece. Whenever I was at my unhappiest with how things were going, laying it aside for a while, then coming back to it with "fresh eyes" always helped. Amazing how it seems a work in progress can change so drastically when one just walks away for an hour or so. At least that is what happens for me. The last thing I feel when a piece is finished is surprise. Wow! It really did turn out OK. After all the worrying with it and about it, things actually worked out. That feeling is so wonderful; exciting, satisfying, and some relief in there too.

Each project I have done, whether I am happy with the results or not, has taught me so very much. Hopefully, I will start getting more brave and not be afraid to experiment more. Still have the problem of being afraid to mess things up! If I want to progress and evolve, have to overcome that for sure.

I had some trouble with photographing this drawing. I guess it was the graphite reflecting the light. The drawing looks darker in person than it does here.

Ideas and Time

As has been my habit of late, too much time has passed since my last entry. Too much time has also passed since I have done any art. I began a watercolor landscape, something I could get help with in a Tom Lockhart workshop this weekend, but, alas, the class didn't make. Forging ahead with the painting and having some fun with it. First, had to fix some problems, which went better than expected. Thought I might have to start anew.
Our art league will have a membership show this summer and I need to get busy so I have some art to hang. There has been a lot of traveling lately, family visits, funerals to attend and a short illness. This has cut into my art time, as has getting the veggie garden planted and feeding a large number of very hungry hummingbirds!
Have enjoyed my recent graphite drawings so much, contemplated letting my watercolor go to concentrate on that medium. However, I also find myself missing the paintbrush so will just keep doing both. Perhaps I can combine the two.
It has been a beautiful spring for wildflowers so have been taking photos quite a bit lately. Maybe some of those will become paintings. I have a very long list of ideas, just need to sit down and get busy with them! Speaking of which, I need to stop posting to the blog and get back to my painting now!

More in graphite

I have completed another project, another in graphite. This will go to my father for his upcoming birthday. Sure hope he likes it. I do enjoy working in graphite but find I do miss color so not sure I could only do work in black and white. Perhaps I will try colored pencil next. Have done a couple of things before but have learned some things since then, such as how to mix colors, so, perhaps, it is time to try again? Will never give up on watercolor painting, still love to do that. Just so many things to try and learn!

Working in graphite, as I have probably written more than once, is helping me so very much with values, something I have a very hard time with in watercolor. I find I have to study my subject more closely to make an interesting rendering in graphite, this should help me in other media as well. I am not as happy with this latest work as with the last. More work was done after the photo was taken and, as with watercolors, not everything shows up as it should.

So many things coming up in my life; out of town trips and also time to get the vegetable garden in, will have to make a concerted effort not to let my art go by the wayside.

Let me try again!

After posting my last blog entry, I realized that I repeated myself quite a bit from the previous blog. Wouldn't have that problem if I posted more often, now would I? Also, didn't want to leave the impression that I thought artists that didn't spend a lot of time drawing weren't doing things "right" somehow. Not at all! Getting back to drawing is important.....for me. In my artistic journey, this is what I need to do now to improve. To really improve, I need to spend more time doing art, any art; drawing, painting, whatever! So, having said that, I will end this entry and get to it!

Back to Basics

Didn't wait quite as long to post this time but could do better.

I decided it was time to work on the basics and get back to drawing and sketching. I think, overall, this will help my painting, giving me a much better starting point from which to work. Oh, and how I am enjoying this! Drawing was something I used to do many years ago, much more than I ever painted. Now, I have rediscovered working in graphite and, while I am not abandoning watercolors, feel the pull to work with pencils for a while. Recently, I did some plein aire sketches of trees with pen, with varying results but, no matter what the result, it was fun!

The more I draw, the more I realize how important being able to draw is to a finished piece of art, no matter what the medium. No shorcuts of projecting images and tracing them, good, old fashioned drawing is the basis of all well rendered art, in my opinion.

Posting a graphite piece of a Goldfinch. My son took a photo while he was visiting and I used that as my reference.

Another dry spell

I did it again, neglected my blog. I haven't done much art either, but didn't ignore it completely. Finished a painting, which I will post here. Still a couple of minor things I plan to do on it but mainly, it is finished. Lately, put the watercolors aside to concentrate on drawing. It is something I feel that I need to really practice on and should also help my paintings look better. Starting with a better drawing before painting has got to help! Surely can't hurt.

Working in graphite is something I used to do years ago and enjoyed so am discovering it again. Funny thing, I have the same problem in graphite as I do in watercolor, values. Having a hard time getting out of the habit of having everything in the mid range.

There must be more time spent in practice or I will be stuck in this mediocre rut for a long time.

The posted painting is of our old tractor covered in snow.