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.

Neglect

I am ashamed at how long it has been since my last post- 2 months! In all that time, not only have I neglected my blog but my art as well. I have just completed a small flower painting and have two drawings that are about ready to start painting. No excuses, just got busy with other things and, when I neglect my art long enough, makes it that much harder for me to get back into it. Sure wish I knew why that was. Once I do get to painting again, I enjoy it so much. At this rate, it will take the rest of my life before I see any improvement!
Thanksgiving was a busy time, had house guests for a week. Christmas we will be gone for about a week. It will be tough to get a lot of art done with gift wrapping and holiday baking but I intend to try. It felt good to do the small painting, which inspired me to stay with it. Each time I work on a painting, I remember more of what I should do and how I should do it.
Hopefully, I will soon have more paintings to post here, to show my progress. Wish me luck!

Art Show

Last week, our art league had its annual juried art show. It was a very busy week, setting up and making sure all was ready. We have a very good group and, like all groups, there are some that help more than others, but everyone pitches in. I was pleased to have one of two paintings accepted. I didn't win any awards but better than that, the painting sold! My first ever sale and I am still excited about that. That sale inspired me to do more art and even to try and enter other shows than our local one. Of course, if I don't get busy and produce some art, won't have anything to enter!
Still having trouble getting started. I spent all of yesterday looking at reference photos, managing to let the day go by without beginning anything. Today, I must, I will begin. It is like wanting to write something and just staring at the blank sheet of paper. One must just jump in and write/paint something, anything to get things flowing.
Now, here I am delaying again by writing in this blog. Ha! Signing off to get busy!!