Category: Uncategorized

I’d hoped to keep posting daily while I get ready for my art show and my move to Memphis from Portland, Oregon.  I have gotten caught in the whirlwind of the last minute, though, and am trying to finish up a few larger pieces of art.  My art show is on Saturday, and I’m moving on April 30th.  My posting will be a little more erratic for the next few months as I resettle.  I’ll be posting more of my finished art and also return to book reviews.

Meanwhile, here are few excerpts from my sketchbook from last year.  I had some paper doilies so I pasted them in the sketchbook and painted on top of them. They held the paint very well:

I got a Stillman and Birn Beta series sketchbook and painted this owl.  I liked the paper and it stood up to a lot of very wet watercolor:

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Today is Easter, a celebration of resurrection, all that is green and verdant is returning to life.  Those of you who are following the blog, know that this has been a rough winter for me.  I lost faith in my ability to re-bloom, but through good counseling, good medicine, and a good art practice, I made it.  I know now I will grow stronger again.

Yesterday, I drew and painted a portrait of a 9 year old girl I mentor.  She was in a bad mood, but I drew her as she as if she wasn’t.  She was wearing a pink shirt with hearts on it.  I didn’t try to capture her perfectly, just a pretty picture to cheer her up.  She approved, but said, I wasn’t smiling.  I told her that artists can see to the smile inside her, however slight.

I’m drawing daily to help manage depression, long-term disability, and life in general. If you’d like to see the beginning of this project, you can see it here. You can also follow me through WordPress or on Facebook.

Your thoughts and shares are appreciated

I did some test paintings on Arches paper, trying to decide if I like cold or hot press more.  The first one is on hot press paper.  I used ink for the drawing and granulating pigments for background and hair.

The next was on cold press paper using the same pigments, and others, and I did the outlines in pencil:

I wanted particularly to see the difference it made in creating smooth skin tones and background washes.

I like the way the background colors settled more in the cold press paper but I liked the way the ink flowed smoothly on the hot press.  The skin tones seemed to settle smoothly enough of on both.

I  realize these are different paintings, but do you have any opinions or preferences?  Does one seem to have richer colors than the other?

Thanks in advance for your comments.

I’m drawing daily to help manage depression, long-term disability, and life in general. If you’d like to see the beginning of this project, you can see it here. You can also follow me through WordPress or on Facebook.

Your thoughts and shares are appreciated

It’s my 60th day of practicing the daily draw/paint, so I did a self portrait.  I woke up this morning feeling light-hearted.  Over the week-end, I processed some lingering emotions over a heartbreak by writing a letter, and today I woke up with pleasant memories of things I did with that person.

I’m letting go.  I’m getting lighter.  My field of vision is not as clouded and I can celebrate life again.

In working on paintings of my ancestors and my children, I’ve felt a sense of connection.  The energy and color of the past passing through me and onto my children.

Acceptance of things past, dreams of the future  — heartbreak and healing and growth — that’s the stuff of life.

I’m drawing daily to help manage depression, long-term disability, and life in general. If you’d like to see the beginning of this project, you can see it here. You can also follow me through WordPress or on Facebook.

Your thoughts and shares are appreciated