It started with an apple

So what happened was, we brought home a big bag of apples

picked from our friend's trees. Some of them were really gnarly, and many still had a piece of branch and their leaves attached.

I couldn't help but want to draw. I got really interested in the leaves as they still had some energy, but were getting a little crispy.

I was using a pretty soft pencil. It was soft and dark and I think that I probably would do better with another as it would take longer to look like I did too much.

I made about a dozen sketches 'til I got one that I wanted to paint. I was working at my table and when I was finished, the afternoon sun was peeking through the trees, making shadows on my painting. So I took a photo.

I made a book! ( with help)

Had a great time at the book binding party at Rosemary Starace's studio Wednesday nite. In preparation I gathered up some of my cartoons that were in many different files and tidied them up, printed them out, etc. Sounds simple, right? It took me all week to organize them.

I knew nothing about book binding, so I just brought card stock and mat board to make covers. Not good choices.  The 'ruggedly handsome' print maker, bookmaker guy, Michael Vincent Bushy, and trusted sidekick, Jean Carrie Converse, managed to help me, as well as the other participants (there were a lot), finish a beautiful book before the end of the workshop. As I'm not very precise, Michael also creatively did corrective surgery on my book to make it look better. I loved the event. Thank you Rosemary and Alan for hosting. Thanks Mike and Carrie. You were all amazing. Here are a few photos of my cartoon book.

Need to get out more

My brain is fried. 
Our email is down. Been trying to fix it for a couple of days. Verizon and the Geek Squad couldn't find the problem. We're going out to Best Buy to buy a new router. Sure hope that works.

Meanwhile, I've been obsessively preparing for a class we're going to tonight on book binding. I've printed out a bunch of cartoons that I've drawn and am curious about how to make a book out of them. Here's a sample cartoon, applicable to today.

Geo-metricks

Been playing with some ideas inspired by a variety of pictures I found online.

The examples here have to do with geometrics dividing up the page, trying some new materials, and creating textures in ways I never tried before.

In the first 3, I used various objects to create the shapes on paper. Also, bubble wrap, splatter, salt, scratching, masking tape, netting that held potatoes, inks as well as watercolors.

In the 4th, I gessoed a piece of cardboard kind of willy nilly to get some very interesting textures. I'll try it again, but using the gesso is rather messy for my small studio. I would like to apply the gesso with an intention. Also, I'd to try it with a much looser composition; something kind of flowing, to see how the paint goes on.

Today's Paper

I believe Asians have innate talent in making art. After all, they invented paper and writing. I discovered some raw rice paper I had bought some time ago when I was studying Chinese brush painting. I decided to test it out with watercolors this time, as opposed to ink. Raw, or unsized rice paper has those threads running through it. You can see the threads in this close up.
click the pic to enlarge.

This paper is very soft, almost like fabric, and it absorbs the paint and makes it spread very easily; too easily. It's going to take practice to get some control. One really needs a sure hand and a light touch.

Next--You can see how the colors got absorbed and ran together. Also, the paper buckles from the water. You have to iron it afterward to correct the crinkles.

After making a number of 'practice pieces' I still think  I may take some time to improve working with this paper. I do think it can be beautiful.

Building a Stone Bridge

It challenges me when I want to draw a something that looks fairly simple, and my hand just doesn't get it. Here's an example of what I'm talking about: I had the idea to paint a stone bridge. I looked for a photo as a reference. I'd never drawn one before and I wanted a photo that wasn't too complex.

 

I found a picture that I liked.Well! I had such a hard time capturing the arc shape of that bridge.
 I drew on layers of tracing paper so I could make my corrections without ruining the expensive paper. 

I kept trying and erasing. I'm only showing you some of my attempts.  I was at this for hours, but  I finally got a drawing I could work with. Here are a couple of the preliminary drawings and the unfinished painting.  I did enjoy the challenge, and I will probably do it over, differently. It was much more difficult than I imagined.  I learned a lot from this experience. 

It's Watercolor

Another example of my fascination with images of under and over in nature. Glub
 glub

Mindfulness - various mediums

In Mindfulness group this week, we were given the exercise of using different mediums. We were to choose an object and materials we might not readily use to draw it. We had 3, 3 minute warm-ups using our non-dominant hand. Then 3, 20 minute time slots to come up with more variations.   I enjoyed this class as it just felt like play time. No pressure or expectations of myself. Using  the non-dominant is very freeing. Experiencing the different mediums more reasons to appreciate the swiftness, smoothness and beauty of watercolor (my medium of choice).

Non-dominant hand - charcoal

Non-dominant hand - colored pencil

Non-dominant hand using craypas

Colored pencil

Cut paper

Ink, pen and watercolor