Thursday, March 11, 2010

Cold Winter

Cold Winter 2009-10, w/c on arches, 9x8

It was a long cold winter made worse with sinus infections and swine flu. His grandmother sent him a hand-knit hat.

Playing with water color sticks again, every which way--wet, dry, mixed, straight. This is from imagination--no one I know. I wish I had a hat like this but I can only knit squares & rectangles.

18 comments:

  1. You have such a fabulous imagination Hallie! He truly looks tired of winter- he's ready to put the hat away. You have a great command of light and shade.

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  2. Well, you're squares and rectangles ahead of me! Great sketch from imagination!

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  3. Thanks Pam. This was a matter of titling the work to match the look. I had a choice of adding color to his face for a healthy look or going with no color for a sick and tired look. The hat was the fun part.

    Hi Raena. I watched a neighber when I was very young and was able to do basic knitting and crocheting. To me, it seems related to sculpting and painting. Observe and do.

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  4. what an interesting face!--the hat is devine too. I like everything about this

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  5. I like the way you sculpted his hat. And, Pam's observation of him being tired of winter fits perfectly.

    -Don

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  6. Thanks Celeste. There aren't many models in this area so I have to improvise.

    Don--it was a choice between this hat, bald, or David Lynch style hair. He's not the only one tired of winter.

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  7. Poor guy doesn't look well yet - dark circles, resignation to misery. This could become a new genre - painting sick people! His face is very well done, as is the hat which you can tell, is benefiting from your years of doing sculpture. You can tell he loves his grandmother very much because the only way a guy his age would wear that tousle on top would be to please someone he loves.

    Those watercolor sticks are interesting - are they watercolor pencils without the wood?

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  8. Hi Dan. Yes, he hates the hat--I wanted him to have a reason for rolling his eyes.

    These sticks are from Daniel Smith, 3" long x 1/2" in diameter, with a paper wrapping. My guess is they're like pan watercolors (which I've never used). Smith says they'll make you feel like a kid again! Actullly, I don't think I ever left childhood.

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  9. I love the look in his eyes: ennui. And, I like the hat! Wish I could knit.

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  10. Hi Kathy. I'm gathering tax papers and I have that same look in my eyes.

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  11. Love your guy, love the hat--I'd wear it! I've got to try the watercolor sticks! Are they creamy when water is added? How do they compare to oil pastels?
    And yes, sick of winter, heck yes! (I've got the snowbelt blues)

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  12. Indigomar--for some reason, I think you actually would wear this hat.

    I'm not really familiar with watercolors so I don't know creamy. I've only used two techniques with these. The first was spraying the paper and painting the light blue background--leaving the face colorless. My second was dipping the brush in water, touching it to the end of the stick, then testing it by making a mark on my hand before using it on paper. (Probably not the right method but works for play.)

    With oil pastels, I use them straight for drawing and painting. I haven't tried that yet with the w/c sticks.

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  13. Hi Hallie, Interesting expression; kind of powerfully mysterious! I like the hat! I still say I get a sculptural feeling from you work! Maybe because they seem to have substance as opposed to being ethereal. Coolness!

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  14. Hallie, I am very impressed with your ability to create such successful pieces using the watercolor crayons. I've done ever so little with them and not really used them for an entire piece.

    Your ability to paint from imagination leads to such unique art. This young man needs some sunshine. He has a haunting, sinuses plugged, winter pallid look to him.

    I wish my Aunt Margie were still alive to knit you one of those wonderful hats. I own many pieces of knitwear that she created years ago -- fine work from a native Vermonter.

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  15. Hi Peggy--thank you. Maybe the mystery comes from the hat looking a bit like a crown.

    Mary, hello. The young man could use some sunshine--he'd benefit from a move to the West Coast. I'm not sure if w/c crayons and w/c sticks are the same. I don't know whether drawing and painting from imagination is a good thing or bad; it's something I've always enjoyed.

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  16. The eyes are amazing ! i can feel the coldness on his expression :)

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  17. Thanks Lilasvb. If I'd seen your blog earlier he might have worn a paper-bag hat. Painting on bags is a great idea.

    Hi JRonson. His eyes do have an icy look and a touch of bloodshot. I think he's annoyed at having to wear the hat.

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