Mother's Day 2013

Jonquil, pencil, 12x9

Happy Mother's Day.

Take a break; it's a tough job. 

Another Thursday at the Y

Clarksville Y, black/white conte on Strathmore, 12x9

Thursdays are for Art at the Y.  I showed up with black and white conte, gray paper, and had no idea what I might draw.  I looked out the side door of the Y and loved the clouds (yes, they actually looked like animals heading south).  The road leads to the soccer field.  I took a photo on my iPad, sat at the card table, and drew.  Later I added the soccer boy sculpture with vine charcoal--hope he doesn't mind being moved about 30' north.  In real life, he's closer to the front of the building.

 

Creating on the iPad is fun but nothing's better than getting dirty with conte or charcoal while drawing.  I was limited in my choice of supplies; sometimes, that's a good thing. 

Shorthand

Shorthand, iPad painting

I've always loved the symbols for shorthand--a secret way of writing--so I bought a small Gregg Shorthand Manual at the thrift shop.  I intended to draw in it.  I couldn't bring myself to mess up the pages (I have the same hesitancy with my neat sketchbooks--they're still pristine).

 

Instead, I used the kaleidoscope photobooth of my iPad to photograph a page; then added a layer with a painting. This was done in the Sketchbook app.   I like the "transform" feature; I can move and resize the painting--no symbol poking her in the ear.  I don't know the secretary in the above painting but I suspect she was influenced by my Sunday-night TV shows.  I watch Call the Midwife (the clothing), The Good Wife, and Mad Men (the chair).  Then I watch Mr. Selfridge on my PBS app (the women have this hairstyle).  Who programs all the good shows for the same night?

1961

I remember my days as a secretary--shorthand got me from the country to the big city of Washington, D.C.--working for the Federal Government, wearing hose that never matched my pale legs, and walking (even dancing The Twist) in HIGH HEELS.  I loved it.  In the photo above, my boss was away so I took over his desk at U.S. Department of Commerce--I was 19.

Painting with Purpose

 

I have been painting.  I'm 99 percent finished with a painting a friend is buying as a surprise gift.  I've always said no to commission work so this is a new experience for me, and I find it nerve-wracking.  I can't post the painting yet so I used the iPad PhotoBooth Kaleidoscope to take this photo of a part of it.  I liked this photo so much I took more photos--in the studio; then in the house.

My water bottle and Blue Man painting. 

A carved plaster sculpture from years ago, yellow ducks, and radio. 

The shadow of my two-headed dog.

 

He also has two tails!

 

Makes me wonder why I paint--I could just walk around taking kaleidoscope photos of everything.  (I get distracted--too much arting around.)

Easter

My Clarksville VA, created on iPad, SketchBook app

Easter is here so I'm eating blue chicken peeps and my front porch is decorated with yellow wooden ducks.

 

This is one of my first iPad projects from August.  I took a photo of our downtown with my iPad, then removed the moving cars using Corel on my desktop, and sent it back to my iPad.  The photo is one layer; the duck is a second layer.  It's fun making the duck larger (he blocks the lake) or smaller and ducking into the Pizza Pub.

Happy Easter.   

Attack Cat



Skeets, the Attack Cat, SketchbookPro app

This was painted on my iPad from a 40-year-old small faded photograph; I don't think I've ever tried to paint a cat or a dog. 

Skeets was a tiny stray when she came to live with us in 1969; our first cat.  You'd think she'd be grateful for a nice home but, whenever her ears went down and her tail switched, the kids and I had to run for cover--she attacked feet!  She was a long-haired beauty who lived with us for about twelve years.  I have photos of Skeets sitting in an Adirondack chair on the deck, and our beagle, Cleo, sitting in the other chair--a matching pair. 

I need to learn about sizes of paintings in my various apps.  I thought this would be larger--maybe it's the Procreate app that creates really large files, or it's possible I have choices of sizes in SketchhbookPro.  I might have to read some directions.

Welcome March



iPad sketch (Sketchpad)

I make at least four quick sketches a day in this simple app; I usually don't save them or publish them on my blog. 

February was not a great month so I welcome March (even the Ides). 

Still Standing--oil painting



Still Standing, oil (alkyd) on linen, 12x12

Since it was cold and icy, I slid out to my studio for the last couple of days.  This tree is down by my dock; I always stare up at it for a while before walking back up to the house.  I don't know if it's still alive--it's surrounded by other trees and I can't tell if there's any green at the very top; there's none on the lower branches.  I thought it was a cedar; now I'm not sure--the trunk is rather hairy.  I painted this from memory; the photo is a bit different.  I like that this is stark naked against the cold sky.

Maybe I should title it reforestation.  

Sketches for Still Standing

During the past year, I've thought of the tree often.  I like the one on the left--Crayola crayons on card stock.  Top right is hydrus watercolor, and lower right is, I believe, oil (it was painted from the photo). 

Inktense Pencils and Hydrus Watercolors



Low Lake Level in the Cove, inktense pencils on clayboard, 5x7

Like everyone else, I hate finishing and framing.  Two of my paintings--The Blue Man and Caution--were finished some time ago and just sitting on my easels.  I've read that watercolors on Ampersand aquaboard can be varnished and framed without glass, but what about inktense pencils or hydrus watercolors on aquaboard?  I decided to test with this small drawing of maybe a willow tree behind my neighbor's house (sometimes it's in the water--sometimes not).  This is from a photo I took as Willie and I checked out the cove; I liked the colors--the orange and yellow parts are usually filled with blue water.

A Walk IN the Cove January 2013, photo

Two weeks ago we actually walked IN the cove behind my house (though I do have a fear of quicksand); it was 70 degrees that afternoon and not much water--my dock was on dirt.  I looked for arrowheads and found a couple of smooth round rocks.  I considered taking my metal detector down but it rained the following day--and for several more days.  The Lake's back--and it's a 50,000-acre one.  I can see the water from my upstairs window and I don't need to walk down; the weather has turned cold.

Hot Feet, hydrus watercolor on clayboard, 6x6

Just a sketch to test the varnish.  I suppose I could have just painted squares or lines but what fun would that have been? 

Okay, today I gave everything several coats of varnish.  I set up a varnishing station in the workshop bathroom--covered the toilet with large pieces of cardboard and turned on the exhaust fan--ran in and sprayed; ran to the porch door and breathed.  Nothing disappeared and it passed my Q tip test--dipped it into water, then rubbed the painting--no color came off and no lines were smeared.  I used Golden archival satin varnish.  

2013



Graphite and Pigma Pen in Moleskin Sketchbook

I survived the Holidays and spent yesterday taking down and storing my few decorations, changing the whole-house water filter, then making my black-eyed peas and collard greens soup for today's good-luck meal.  I was determined to spend New Year's Day in the studio/workshop but first I in my down coat had to get through all the junk in order to turn on the heat.  While getting organized I came across this sketchbook--first sketch is from March 2010 and the next from June 2011.  This is only the third, and pencil to paper was fun--forget cleaning. 

I usually don't make resolutions; they don't last, and I'm sure this one won't.  Can you tell I had taken Willie for a walk earlier?  Actually, this Food Lion bag is from my car--contains snacks--peanut butter cookies and an energy bar.

Happy New Year.