Sketchbook: re-purposed/renewed and easy to make.

Urban Sketchers Tacoma: Sketchbook: re-purposed/renewed and easy to make.: I made my 1st sketchbook on a whim last month. It was part of an effort for the Artist Way task. I am trying to romance my muse into getting back to work

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Slow start solstice

Strangely by now I have more than 20 paint studies under my belt but this year has been very different to where I have not been able to do plein air painting at all. After many failed attempts, to jump start the art I made a venture to a new lighthouse of which I have never painted before. It was a painful recovery but I managed to rip off the bandages, face the dragon and battle my way through this 9x12 study.

No Pear Tree

"Pear on Red"-9x7 oil

   The gypsy artist doesn't need no stinkin' holidays!  I spent my Christmas painting this pear... no partridge, no tree, just a pear on a red towel.

The Renascence Man.

12 x 12- conte'

   Took a trip up to Edmonds to draw the "Renascence Man" today. A great model but I was out of practice. Did this one in conte' which I have not done in 6 months and miss it.

Inkwell study

11x14 watercolor and ink

I did a short study of this black forest carved inkwell yesterday as a prompted exercise. Since I am not strong in watercolor I decided to use that medium with a little water soluble ink.

Return to the magic

Clothes line- 9x12 oil on gesso board

Wheel barrel- 9x12 oil on gesso board

Here are a few raw pieces from the plein air session at the Watrin farm this summer. There is never a lack of something paint worthy there and you can almost smell the fresh baked cinnamon rolls coming out of the oven. Such great energy this place has for me (and all those who visit) whenever I come to paint!

sunflowers on blue

Sunflowers on checkered cloth
5x7 Casein

   Trying to get a chance to work in Casein, I did this study on clayboard at the art fest in the demo tent. Although it is only my 3rd attempt to work in this medium, I don;t feel as though I have the understanding of how this works just yet. That and the weather was so hot (90s) that the paint was drying faster then I could lay it down. My favorite part was the refracted blue stripes inverted in the vase.

New medium... casin.

Not quite gouache, not quite acrylic, not water(color) and not oil... I'm trying Casin paints. Actually anybody who know me would say, " It's just another excuse to start a new sketchbook." I must admit... I was romanced by the paper (and format) before I took up the paints; the secret's out! This particular sketchbook I am doing quick studies of flowers- fun! Since this is my 2nd attempt to paint in the medium, the verdict is still out as to whether I plan to adopt this medium into my artistic arsenal.

Airport adventures

AV Fuel #1-4 x 8.5
gouache on watercolor moleskin paper

    Recently I have become more involved with the efforts of an artist named James Gurney. About a month ago I was gifted with a book about sketching that was written by him. I've always known who he was (visited his blog a few times)  but never delved too deeply in his artistic input. Then a week later I was directed to his blog on a post about a book he was reviewing that I have read twice. Days after that I was again directed by another friend to something else he was involved in and I thought, 'Okay 3x in 3 weeks, somebody is trying to tell me something,' so I took a deeper look.
   Longer story abbreviated, there was a challenge to paint in gouache of which he was showing many fine examples of realist artists who used this medium- I was intrigued. Then he threw out a theme for the gouache painting challenge (gas station) which got me inspired so I tried gouache for the 1st time in these two back to back studies... on the tarmac of the airport.

AV Fuel #2- 4 x 8.5 gouache on watercolor moleskin

Skansie Netshed 1st plain air of the season

Skansie Netshed paint study 6x8

   It was a rocky start to the 1st plein air event of the season but I simply "kept calm and painted on" as the cliche' goes for other instances. It was a local event but a good opportunity to shake off the bad habits of not painting regularly and get back to it. More travels for the gypsy artist through out the summer- stay tuned!

Freighthouse square interior

Frighthouse square 7x11 watercolor

   I finally had the pleasure of discovering this funky menagerie of shops in Tacoma which reminds me of Olla Padrida in Dallas or Pike's Market in Seattle. Maybe every cool little city has a place like this? Anyway so upon late arrival I took residence in the food court where the railroad light kept company with a gumball machine. 'What an unlikely pairing,' I thought and made it the subject of my drawing. I hope to return and enjoy the unusual scenery this summer.

3D project to be auctioned Summer 2015

"Owl (I'll) go with the flow"
 48" wood, acrylic, molding paste,
leather, glass

The owl paddle is completed and soon to be on display in Gig Harbor this spring. It goes to auction at the Yacht club this June around the time of the Maritime Festival. The sculpture depicts the facial feathers of the great grey owl floating down the stream as the owl's head looms overhead.

Sketchbook Project Wanders to New York

"Artist's Tools"
8x10 pen & ink

   Here is a drawing from the narrative creation project that I recently completed for the sketchbook project. Although the story begins in pen and ink, it travels through many different mediums both in black and white and color across 32 pages of funky fun... you know how my artwork can be! Even though the book will reside in Brooklyn's library, the worlds largest sketchbook collection, they will also be digitalizing the images and put online for your viewing pleasure... more info to follow. For now I leave you with a teaser... the artwork of page one. Enjoy!

Johnny's Dock not what I expected

Wine sifter at Johnny's Dock 7x9 watercolor

   So I go to this restaurant thinking 'burgers, fries... laid back joint to grab a bite and sketch'. When I go in I discover it is waterfront wall of glass surrounding the entire dining room with formally dressed tables which all have different bottles of wine at each table- a great place for a rainy day sketch outing. So with all this overwhelming detail out the windows (I only have 2 hours to sketch) I turn inward to the open kitchen portion with stoves, vent-a-hood and their "Best of..." paraphernalia beside the fantastic wine pouring contraption. Although I could not exactly get that nice high contrast glass feel on this study, it was fun to play with the shape.

Portrait in color...beyond trois crayon!

"Jerimiah" 12x12 conte'

   This portrait was my effort to try something more than the conte' sticks. It can be difficult to get detail with the conte' sticks unless you waste them down to produce an edge or just randomly make marks of less precision by the squared stick's side edge. Yet I was gifted conte' pencils and actually tried them after chunking in the mass and was pleased with the results.The best part is the model with his "pony bun" looking like a samurai soldier with the Asian writing in the background which was not planned at all.

Venturing out to Meeker Mansion...100th post!

Meeker Mansion's Kitchen 7x9 watercolor study

   Traveling to Puyallup bought about a fine place to sketch as I joined about 25 other artists in rendering the historical home known as Meeker Mansion. It seems right since this is my 100th entry, to make it an antique (100+) place. We were allowed free reign on two of the three floors to sketch what we liked so of course I had to go to the edge and find a place where the sign reads "no entrance". After the efforts and a spot of lunch I went wandering the antique shops of Puyallup, or as I call it "prop shopping" for my still life set ups. I scored on finding an Aladdin's lamp for a reasonable price and brought him home.

Superbowl bound 2015

   Just gearing up for the presuperbowl sunday here with a new "hawk"pot and some "Beast Mode" treats... skittles in 3 different varieties. We got ya covered Marshawn, now go have some fun with the boys and rumble that Arizona stadium with  all your  bad-boy selves. GO HAWKS!!!

Robbins workshop in Puyallup

still life in workshop

   It was all work for the artists at the Elizabeth Robbins workshop in Puyallup as we worked on daily still life set ups after a morning of demos. There is nothing like watching a master artist work her talents to reveal the magic of flower painting before your very eyes. She was generous in answering questions, long in patience and made it look so easy. Sigh, now it's time to do the homework. As I always say, "You don't get any better just going to the workshops" for those who just like to float from workshop to workshop.

The value of studies

 value study-4x5 oil on canvas

    So as we get more "practiced" in our craft as artists it is easy to forget where we came from. Yet it is the strength of the foundation that builds us to be better artists.
   One thing I am animate about is drawing on a regular basis. It keeps the perception sharp, the hand and eye coordination in sync and the practice of value scales finely tuned. Yet even in painting this practice needs to be revisited.
    Since I am about to begin a commission piece I thought it best to do a few preliminary practice runs. So 12.5% scale is a value study to flesh out the composition as well as the values.

Water shed... a plein air inspiration.

water shed 6x8 oil on linen

   I had the pleasure of painting in Marion's garden a little while ago during a plein air event I co-facilitate for Peninsula Arts League. Incredible garden really but I was most drawn to a sweet little collection of water pitchers outside a small outbuilding... perhaps enough to do a full fledged painting as I will discover when I return this week for another visit... "if the good Lord willin' and the bees don't sting".