Pencil Shavings

Taking My New Pens Out Of The Box, And The House

Summer is the time for plein air painting and drawing.  Getting out to a location and capturing something of the spirit of a place.

The family tries to go hiking every warm weekend that we get here, because our summers are way too short not to take advantage of the good weather.  When we go out I always take an art kit with me, for painting I have a few kits I choose from to take.  But sometimes I just want to go light so I take a pen and paper for sketching. 

I really like it if the pen I take is water soluble. That way I can get some really nice ink wash effects with a little bit of water from a waterbrush.

I rediscovered Pilot Fineliners last month and I have to say they are the perfect tool for this (for me).  The tip is super fine and makes a wonderful deep black mark.  When I touch a little water to it the ink softens to a really lovely blue tinted grey.

Here are some postcards I drew at the zoo last weekend. Being able to add the wash effects changes these drawings from being line drawings to something with a little extra.  It adds texture, it gives great shading, and a certain character that you don't get from a straight line drawing.

This isn't to say that ink drawings aren't great, they are, but this is really a technique that I love, and I've been looking for the perfect pen to take with me when I'm heading out.

So here we go, 9 weeks of summer left in this part of the world and I'm going to head out and capture as much of it as I can.

The Coffee Sure Tastes Good This Morning

"The coffee sure tastes good this morning."

My mom says that all the time.  Today I think I know what she means. Usually in the morning I'm so busy, getting lunches, packing backpacks, getting breakfasts, locating homework that has wandered away (both mine and my kids') that I just pour the coffee into my cup and either let it go cold while I'm running around, or toss it down my throat on my way to do something else.

Today is a designated morning off for me.  I decided this last night while I was working on making postcards.  I haven't had enough time to do things that make me peaceful.  I've been really happy doing school work and being busy, but that isn't the same as being peaceful. 

My new project for school is about the noise of society and technology.  It's about how we lose our inner peace, how we lose the divine that is inside us while we are busy being busy in this noisy modern world.  (the project is due on Thursday and I'm just a stamp or two away from being done).  While I have been busy creating these two paintings that are full of visual of noise, I have felt increasingly unsettled, cranky even.

So I have put them away for today.  As close as the end of term is, I still need a day to find that peaceful space inside of me.

I have listened to the kids laughing and playing, I sent my early riser husband back to bed to fight his cold, I can hear the grunty snores of my cat, as I sip this still hot cup of coffee.  You know, the coffee tastes really good this morning.

Sometimes It's Too Much, But It's Really Never Too Much.

This weekend is one where I am seriously considering reevaluating my sanity.

What on earth was I thinking when I thought I could raise a family, go to school and keep up with my own interests?

My husband and I are celebrating our anniversary this weekend, it's not our anniversary yet, but it is when we are celebrating.  I have a test on Monday, on a book I read two months ago and now I'm struggling to remember the details of, so I'm re-reading in between working on my "space" project for 2D fundamentals class which is due on Tuesday.  That piece is 44x30 inches (not exactly tiny).  Also on Tuesday I have to submit my sketches for my next project for drawing class (for which I have done nothing and I am severely improverished on the idea front).  Also I have to get my first draft of an essay for my english class finished so I have time to figure out if I'm going in the right direction.

Add on to that the swimming, skating, and general kidness of my kids and I have my hands, heart, brain and schedule really full right now.

But, in a month I will be finished classes and likely at loose ends trying to figure out what to do with my time.  Funny how it seems I have so little now, and I know I will have too much then.

I'm not giving up, I will get through this crunch time, and I am still moving forward with The Postcard Project.  It would be easy to say that I won't do it anymore, it would be easy to say it's too much pressure on myself when I have so much else that demands my time.  But I can't, I love giving free gifts to strangers.  It is taking longer than I planned to get through the list, but I think it's worthwhile. I was telling my art professor about the project last week and he said it was a great idea, and he couldn't believe how inspired and generous it was.  I told him that there are one hundred people on the waiting list right now,  and progress is slow during the school term.  He said "It's a gift, people will understand, and be grateful."

And if they don't, well they don't.  I don't make any promises on delivery date, I just promise to fulfill my promise, hand making, hand writing, hand mailing an original piece of art to anyone in the world who asks.

I know that many people are surprised now when they get the cards, some have forgotten they even requested it, so the comments are fun when they get them.

Anyway, this was my break time from reading and drawing, and I have to put some more muscle balm on my aching hands, and I have to get back to work.

Do me a favour, can you make some more coffee for me?

The Apologist

This morning I promised a few updates to make up for the posts I missed recently.

But after lots of time outside, and lots of work updating The Postcard Project, I am couch bound with a locked up knee.

I can't get to the basement to scan my sketchbook pages, or hobble around taking pictures of the pages and getting them transferred to my photo server.

It's frustrating to be suddenly incapacitated like this.  I couldn't even tuck my daughter in tonight because I couldn't get up the stairs.

I know that this isn't a permanent thing, and it seems apt that when I make promises here, fate seems to conspire to make me fail.

The good news is that my darling husband made me tea, and got my ice pack and laptop.

It's not as bad as it could be, aside from having to postpone my promise to you.

365 Days of Art - Day 270 - Experimenting (Bombay India Ink)

On Day 270  I had picked up a bottle of Bombay brand India Ink in sepia.

Using my grandfathers old dip pen I played around with it for a while mostly doing doodles.

I'm not usually an ink artist.  I'm not sure why, I do like it, and I certainly like the idea of it, but I do struggle with technique.  Something I should practice I guess.

After fiddling with the doodles for awhile, I flipped the page in my sketchbook and thought about drawing something else.

Sometimes something funny happens when you are about to draw, you become intensely focused on the act of drawing itself, almost to the point of being unable to actually draw.

I saw my hand holding down the edge of the page, and felt a strange compulsion to actually draw the hand holding the page .  I suppose I could have dawn the hand and the pen, but I've been there and done that.

So that is how the hand drawing came about.

Some exciting news on The Postcard Project front is that more cards have arrived (see the comments) and I have sent more new images out.  It's slow progress, but I'm not too far behind.

However if everyone on the planet requests a card, at the rate I'm creating them it will take me about 14 million years to complete them.  I better start taking my vitamins.

The Postcard Project

Running along side my 365 Days of Art I'm also going to be doing something new and exciting.

I'm calling it the Postcard Project.

Here is a brief history.

A year (or maybe two) ago I was watching a documentary about 21st century artists and the future of art.  One of the artists was talking about how great it would be if every person on the planet had their own unique piece of art.

I thought that would be a great thing.  He wasn't actually giving art to all the 6 billion people on the planet - just exploring the concept of so many unique pieces of art. 

My idea is to give art to any one who wants it.  All they have to do is ask.

Sounds a little crazy doesn't it? 

That's why I like it!

For more information about the project and a chance to participate you will need to go to my website and click The Postcard Project link... or  to make it simpler... because I really love you click HERE!