Pencil Shavings

Yes You Can, But Should You?

I've been thinking lately about this whole "Getting Excited and Making Things" concept that Wil Wheaton started in his blog. 

I admit that Wil started me thinking about other things I can make and do, and it did get me excited about trying.  I tried with the realization that I might fail, but also knowing that what I was creating wasn't too far removed from what I'm creating now, just using new delivery systems.

The advent of Print On Demand (POD) technology means that anyone can  create nearly anything.  You could design T-shirts, art prints, music CDs, audio books or print books.  There are probably zillions of other things that you could do that haven't even occurred to me.  It's a renaissance for the creative soul.  With a few hours of investment you can put what ever you want out there.

The catch is that you have to be prepared for the idea that you might be the only person who wants one of your widgets.  If you can take the ego hit, then why not?

I bought Wil's book that was basically a finely tuned collection of his blogs, and thought it was great.  Does that mean that every blog should be a book?  Mine certainly shouldn't.  Can you imagine a book full of doodles and emo snifflings?  I can't imagine sitting down to read such a thing.  I think my blog is better consumed on a day by day basis.

I have been told by several people that I should write a book about my mom adventures and the really funny stuff my kids do.  Sometimes I do blog about those things.  The things that won't hurt their feelings.  But I won't write a book that details all their childhood (and soon to be Tween) foibles.  Because that stuff should be private for them.  I may choose to lay pieces of my life out for public consumption but my kids don't have a choice over whether or not I write about them, or toss their lives out for people to laugh at or judge them on.  So I'll try to err on the side of privacy (that doesn't mean I won't ever write about them, I'm just not going to make it a habit.)

I guess what I'm saying is that I'm all for the "Get Excited and Make Things" vibe.  I'm just not totally embracing it for my whole creative life.

365 Days of Art - Day 137 - It's a Zoo!

It was a cold day on Day 137, and it was a day off school.  So I took the kids to the newly opened conservatory at the zoo.

The butterflies haven't taken up residence yet, but the conservatory was lovely and warm and full of beautiful plants.  We sat to paint, then would move to another vantage point and paint again.  We took lots of pictures and slowly made our way through both sides of the lovely building.

The girls painted lots of things (even things that weren't there, like butterflies) and I filled up several pages with little studies, some of which I posted here.

It was a lovely morning spent with the girls and it reminds me that I should really spend more painting days at the zoo where so many subjects are there waiting to be observed.

What I really need is a small collapsible stool to take and sit on where there aren't any benches, but good vantage points.  I think I'll make more of an effort to get my painting out of doors, even in the winter!

Close Your Eyes and Make A Wish

It doesn't seem that long ago that I was sitting on a bed in the hospital holding my husband while he cried.  I was exhausted, bleeding, and still hooked up to tubes dripping fluids into my body. He was telling me about the tiny creature that lay in a clear plastic box with tubes and wires of her own.  It was the first time I had ever seen my husband cry.

I asked to be taken down to the Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit, the nurses were reluctant because of my condition, but I told them that I would walk if I had to.  So a wheelchair was procured for me.  I steered the IV stand while my husband steered me, and soon I was looking through the plastic box at the tiny, but perfect, little girl that I had given birth too.

I whispered her name and she turned her face to me.

I slipped my hands through the seals and stroked her nearly transparent cheek and told her, through my tears, that I loved her.

She was so tiny, and fragile, and I would have slept with my hands on her head and her heart, my forehead pressed to the clear plastic if they had let me, because I couldn't bear leaving her there without me.

Today, nearly eight years later that tiny baby is a gorgeous tall girl and we are taking her and her sister (who almost shares a birthday) to the zoo for a birthday party for both of them.

I am so blessed.  The miracle of modern medicine saved that baby so I could see her grow into this amazing child.  And miraculously I have another child, so smart, so delightful in every way who is happy to share a birthday party with her big sister.

It is Thanksgiving weekend for our neighbours to the south, and its a weekend for being thankful here in our house too.

I am so grateful to be a mom.  I love being an artist, but I was born to be a mom to these wonderful girls and when they make their wishes today and blow out the candles I'll know that my wishes have already come true.

365 Days of Art - Day 132 - Facing Things

This sketch was done in a smaller sketchbook on the evening of Day 132.  I toned the paper first with pastel then used conté crayon to do the shading and detail work.

It's not the most fabulous piece I've done, but it's not awful either.  I'm not sure how I manage to deal with scale better on my work, I guess it's just practice, which, really, is what the 365 Days of Art is all about.

This weekend is going to be a busy one, we have a birthday party for both kids on Sunday and I have cakes to bake and stuff to organize, so updates might be spotty. 

What can I say - I need to deal with real life before I can come here and tell you about it!

On the works in progress front I have a painting that I'm developing from the crow study on my easel, and I'm working on something interesting that will be going into my Cafe Press shop in the new year.

Speaking of Cafe Press, my shop in it's current form will be closing on November 30 (that's three days!) so if there is something there you want get it now because it won't be there after this.

Also in a fit of self-promotion I have four beautiful prints available from Imagekind.  This weekend there is 25% off framing with the discount code of "Thanksgiving09" so go have a look and let me know what you think.

Meanwhile it's back to getting ready for the party.  I wonder how many cupcakes 12 grade schoolers can eat in a half hour?

Tears of Regret

I spent the morning crying quietly in an auditorium full of children.

I watched with pride while my daughter and her classmates in their youth and innocence, sang songs and recited poems of remembrance.  They were still.  They didn't poke each other, or make faces, or wave at their parents.  They very seriously performed a remembrance ceremony for soldiers who have died in conflict.

These children, the ones performing and the ones watching, were no older than 9, no younger than 5 and I wept when I realized that very likely, even the oldest of these children cannot remember a time in their lives when their country has not been at war.

They cannot remember a time when the news didn't have the face of soldier on it, or when we weren't a nation grieving a young man or woman who was coming home to be buried.

After World War One, the cry went up, "Never Again".  After World War Two, "We Will Remember."  But we don't remember, we still tread the same paths as our fathers, and grandfathers, and their fathers before them, to war.  We have not learned to find peace.  Instead on the eleventh month, on the eleventh day, on the eleventh hour, my children and I will hold each others hands, and stand for  a moment in silence, and grieve for soldiers both known and unknown and I will grieve for peace, the silent victim of every conflict.

Happy Saturday

The kids and The Man are out running an errand and I'm trying to catch up on some paperwork.  I did want to pop in  a quick note before I update the 365 Days of Art.

Yesterday I was doing some drawing in my sketchbook and really longing to have a sketchbook with toned paper.  I put a shout out on Twitter and Facebook and got a few replies (I love the instantness of social networking, and how people who ware strangers are willing to pitch in to help!)

I would really love to have sketch book that had a neutral tones paper in it that wasn't white, so I could have mid tone and then add highlights with white and darks with sanguine conte, or charcoal.

Do you know if such a thing exists?  I'm really bad at bookbinding, but I might have to resort to making my own!  

On another note... I'm thinking about picking up golden's pastel ground and working on a charcoal drawing on canvas... hows that for something new and different!  stay tuned and see if I manage to make it work!)

Back to paperwork.  You know, there is a reason why I'm not an accountant!

On a Personal Note

I spend every Thursday at the school helping kids with their reading.

I have mentioned before how very much I love this time in my week.  I read with groups of kids, helping them with fluency and encouraging them to love books like I do.

I have a couple of boys in my group who have been, well, reluctant to participate.  I've worked with them week after week, praising them when they are doing well, and gently trying to steer them where they are going wrong.

It's such a fine line to walk.

Today I came into the class room and two of the boys came up to me, so excited about their new reading project.  One said that he could hardly wait to tell me about what we would be reading today.  It was the best moment of my week when I saw the joy and excitement they had for reading today. 

I don't know if we turned a corner, but I know that they were excited and I know that I am making a difference with the time I spend away from my easel and in the class.  And I am feeling really blessed today.

I just wanted to share that with you.

365 Days of Art Day 117 - Switching Mediums

 I know that I'm pathetically behind in posting my work for the 365 days -between technical difficulties and the demands of my pre-halloween family, I just couldn't make the time to blog work.  My commitment to the work remained, but the thought of writing out a blog, at least a blog that was good enough for you, was too much.  

But I'm back in the saddle soto speak - so brace yourselves for a flurry of posting and some no so inspired art, but it is what I have been doing.

After working in Conte and Pastel for the better part of a week I decided that I would try to transfer what I had learned to Watercolour.

I spent my hour of art trying to work out how to get the hard/soft textures of pastel to work with wet paint. 

I wound up using my Daniel Smith Watercolor Sticks to add some of the lines and texture that I had started to get used to.  It's still not quite what I want, and I am missing detail in the hand that would make it more lifelike, as well as my perspective got skewed (again) on this one.  It's practice and practice and practice that is going to make me better - but I have allowed a lot of time.  365 days actually.

An Extra Hour... to draw?

I slept in this morning, a bit, with a sick sneezy little girl stuck to me like glue.  Poor thing, she made it through Halloween and almost immediately got sick.

She's sitting on the couch at this moment watching the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse in her Sleeping Beauty Costume (and a box of tissues!)

I"m going to try and use the extra hour that I didn't get to use as sleep, to get some drawing done.  I really miss my reference library that is on my laptop!  Hopefully it'll all be fixed and back home by mid week, until then, my pain is your pain for the hour of art.  I might be able to do a work around on the kids computer, I just need more coffee and a little quiet time to figure it out.

I also need to get a few stacks of prints signed... But I'll wait until the sugar rush from the kids candy wears off before I even consider that!

So, good morning folks, enjoy your extra hour, however you spend i!

A Parent Moment

I took my girls out for lunch today.

I really enjoy spending time with my girls, they are so delightful.

I was paying for our wildly extravagant burgers and was holding a twenty dollar bill in my hand.

"Hey!" says my five year old loudly "I know who that is."  She was staring at the bill.

"Who?"

"It's the Queen."  Pipes up the seven year old.

"Do you know the queen?"  I asked.  They are after all Princesses.

"Sure," says the five year old with a big grin on her face, "That's Queen A Little Bit!"