Seeing BIG Shapes...

It's happening. I am seeing big shapes finally and this is affecting my drawing. I cannot wait to begin painting again. Hopefully soon.

Family duties and distractions are killing me but the wisdom of taking classes is helping me. As I contemplate this, I have a sense of excitement that I am actually moving forward even in the midst of all these demands on my time.

Who will loose me from this "flesh."

Well it happened ... once again ... I shot off my big fat mouth ... and offended a fellow artist on this blog. (I didn't think anyone reads the darn thing...honestly...sometimes I just want to blow off steam by writing and griping and expressing my own frustrations. That, however, is no excuse.)

All I can say is I am sorry and ... I wish I could take back my comments. (I deleted the post.) I let my own frustration and short comings as an artist cloud my judgment. I really do not know this very nice artist at all and I feel really .... reeeally bad that I probably offended him.

Maybe he will return to this site and read this.

I admit ... I don't like to take criticism sometimes ... even though I say that is how we all learn. That day, I was tired of being always the student and felt insulted (although he didn't mean to insult me) I guess. He must have thought my work was unworthy or he wouldn't have criticized it.) Or maybe it was a control thing....that I didn't like.

Who will loose me from this flesh?

Should I email this very nice fellow and apologize? Or, should I just let it go? Any comments?

October Gesture & Slow Contours Drawings

One minutes gestures....


Contours, negative space within frame...


Slow, blind, contour drawing 20 minutes....drawing contours very slow without looking at paper.

The Fair Is Cramping My Art Progress

The Arts Center is closed down for the September due to the Oklahoma State Fair so .... I will be taking the month off from Life Drawing.

A bit rusty....

EDIT: ha ha....not the model, me. I'm a bit rusty.

Not bad for one who hasn't done any art in three weeks.

Nakedness vs Nudeness

Some might ask me, "Why do you, a Christian, choose to draw and paint nudes?" That is a really great question and I would like to address this since I am not ashamed of my nude drawings.

Note: According to some Adam and Eve were not really naked but clothed with the Glory of God which is the Shekina Glory ... a brightness that covered their nakedness which they lost when they sinned. Jesus was glorified when he was transfigured with the same brightness. Regardless, it was their innocence that they lost and I think this is still germane to the thoughts regarding nakedness.

• Genesis 2:25 -- And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

• Genesis 3:7 -- And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they [were] naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where [art] thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I [was] naked; and I hid myself. And he said, Who told thee that thou [wast] naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?

There is a difference, in my view, between "unashamed nudity" versus "shameful nakedness." The difference is in the presence of innocence (a good conscience) versus the consciousness of lust that leads to shamefulness . . . i.e. the knowledge that discerns good from evil.

In privacy humans return to innocent nakedness, do they not? For example, there is innocence in the simple act of bathing. There is innocence between a husband and wife who love each other privately. In childhood, there is no shame of nakedness until the child's soul awakens to discern good from evil. Childish modesty and shyness does not have to be taught.

It is possible to depict that innocence nudity in a painting. It is that image that strips a person of time; it is a person exposed with great honesty. The famous sculpture of David by Michelangelo. it is innocent, honest, and a dynamic portrayal of a man created of God for a purpose; a supreme creation.

An artist like myself is in search of an image of the human body that depicts this sense of innocence and in so doing depict the beauty of God's creative process and that will never bring a sense of shame to the viewer.

Note: The nude model is so important in the creation of art. I have drawings that frankly were anything but an innocent depiction mainly because of the model's inability to detach herself from the class. A model new to posing nude recently, I found, had this difficulty and her poses became suggestive. I've also had that happened with clothed models. I found that most of the poses were worthless as art and had to be discarded. So there are times when in class I have no control over the pose or the model, I could not get a good drawing. Other times, of course, I fail to draw well. It's difficult and that is why I keep drawing.

Vacation Blues.

It is impossible to do any serious art while on vacation with your family. It is maddening. To many interruptions and confusion. : - <

Watercolor - Figure with Golden Dredlocks

I am fairly happy with this watercolor drawing.

July Life Drawing

A quick gesture on toned paper.


Two twenty minute sessions.


About 40 minutes of drawing. I though it
looked better and less contrasty than the
digital version shows.

I HATE HOUSEWORK!!!!!!!!!!

I AM DETERMINED TO GET MY HOUSE IN ORDER .... so there is no time for art. (I hate that and it frustrates me greatly. Is that why there are so few notable women artists of the past?)

Therefore, cleaning and tossing like a mad woman.....it is beginning to feel really good.

I've done so much lately .... that the other night, I had a dream .... I was living in this enormous house with all these rooms full of closets and cubbies and storage areas everywhere .... so I sorted and organized ALL NIGHT .... At one point, I had gathered all of the shoe shine stuff...little cans of cordovon, boot black, hospital/baby shoe white, brushes, rags, buffers all loaded up in my arms and I was happily marching to the spot to tuck this stuff all away in one neat spot when ....I woke up. Normally, this would be a nightmare of great enormity for me (I detest housework and never considered myself a "suzie homemaker") .... but ..... for once in my whole life I had a place for everything and everything going into place nicely...in my dreams.
Addendum: It is amazing how much duplication I am finding all over my house. You know, you go out and buy a bunch of "stuff" and then you tuck "this stuff" away ..... and when you need "this stuff" you can't find it. So you go out and buy more of "this stuff".....and it gets stowed somewhere else and so "this stuff" is scattered all over the house with all "this other stuff."

have a lot of "this stuff" if any one wants it.....

For example...every winter, and the first ice storm is coming, we go out and buy winter "stuff" ... new gloves, wool socks, ice scrapers, cans of de-icer, and cat litter (to get traction. And then ...it freezes for about six hours. Result: I have 8 pairs of gloves, 8 pairs of wool socks, 4 ice scrapers, 3 cans of half used de-icers, and two bags of cat litter ---we have no cats .... just two dogs. OR ..... I have found three staple pullers, three phone extension cords, four staplers (one doesn't work), six spools of white thread and three spools of black thread, 8 scissors, four bottle openers, four half boxes of plastic spoons, 1 box plastic knives and no forks....all different colors ...... and ......... 7 bottles of expired sun block (yes it does expire). I found a box of birthday, mother's day, father's day, valentine, sympathy cards .... that I couldn't find to give to the person I had intended ..... Not only does not it fit now, they look like they were designed 20 years ago. WHY DO I KEEP THIS STUFF? SOMEBODY HELP ME!!!!!!!!!!


When this is done by vacation time, and I get back from Taos NM from two weeks R&R, I will hire maid service and escape to my studio!!!! I will go without food and clothing to have someone else clean up this house regularly. Meaning I would rather go naked and starve that clean a toilet....if you get my drift. (Is that why I am fixated on nudes....just kidding:O)

More Life Drawing....

What the heck am I going to do with all these nudes no one wants?

Yet, that is what I have to do to learn the structure of the body. Here are the latest. With all the distractions at home, there is no way that I would get into painting. So I am thankful for the life drawing session each week. I can't wait until summer is over. TOO MUCH DERN WORK FOR ME. TOO MUCH DISTRACTIONS.

Life Drawing Class - Session I

This is the second time that I have taken this life drawing class with Glenn Thomas at the City Arts Studio. I can tell that my gestures are getting much much better. This is the last exercise of the session last night. The model (who was fantastic) struck three poses that she held for about three minutes. Our task was to draw the figures in an inter-related way quickly. The model went in a round robin way, for about 20 minutes changing every few minutes. I was stunned that she was able to remember the pose. It was koowel.

Life Drawing Every Tuesday Night.

This drawing "Floating Nude in Contemplation" ... is one of my better ones, so I signed it.

I can't image anyone wanting to frame this nude study but...hey who knows. The Tuesday night drawing sessions are giving me the practice I need. I am seriously thinking of drawing on newsprint in the future ... my frugal nature .... although I love the feel and warm pale cream color of Strathmore 400 series drawing paper. It's expensive though and seems a waste of beautiful paper if the drawing is never framed and thrown in a drawer.

I do love the paper though rather extravagant for practice. Maybe next time I will just draw only the face.

April Life Drawing

In spite of it all...
I managed to get to life drawing and these are the result. It has been a distracting few months but I had to have a couple of hours to get my mind off of the traumatic experiences of the day. It didn't work but I'm glad I forced myself to go.



These two were 20 minutes.

It began with a family crisis that went from business, to medical, to bereavement, and silence. I can see my feelings in my drawings.



Now this drawing is really out of proportion. I posted because it reminds me to check things out. For instance the knee to foot is too short. Though the model had a broad face...it way too exaggerated in width. Oh...if only I'd lengthened the legs a bit.


Conté Crayon on Strathmore 400 series cream.




What now? I still have many duties sabotaging my need and desire to get back to work in the studio. I yearn to be away to work in solitude but that is not possible. The grief of the loss of my sister, recent angry exchanges over the authority of the Bible with a person I care about deeply, family business matters and a feeling of being pulled in directions away from my artistic goals that I set and failed to meet...all have given me not so good a feeling and I am fighting discouragement.

The experience of being with Diane when she took her last breath is still in my constant memory. It was a moment of great faith and honor but the memory hovers with me day and night.

Then there is the anger of a person I was led to witness to, and the sadness I still feel for him lingers yet I know that I was used of the Lord greatly. The scripture rings comfort in my ears ... "Blessed are ye, when [men] shall revile you, and persecute [you], and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great [is] your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you." -- Matt 5:11-12 This is what is meant by the saying..."taking up your cross." I have done that many times over my lifetime but it is still a cross and difficult. Yet, I am compelled for the love of the Lord and His Word.

How perfect and beautiful is the Word of God and how great is the slander coming against His Word today ... mostly done in ignorance; often done in human arrogance. "But thou, O LORD, shalt laugh at them; thou shalt have all the heathen in derision (contemptuous ridicule)." Psalms 59:8

Then there are financial matters, lawyers, accounting ... mostly things that really do not benefit me but duties to the family. Yet, I remind myself that I am a servant and that this is a season.

Art will have its time.

On a Personal Level...

My beloved sister, Diane went to be with the Lord at 8:30 AM this Saturday morning. I was alone with her through the night and at her moment of passing; it was a precious time.

It is said that if you are not ready for death you are not ready to live.

There are two scriptures that comforted me greatly.

II Cor. 2:5 "For while we are still in this tent, we sigh with anxiety; not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. So we are always of good courage; we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. We are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. "

Psalms 116:15 "Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints." (Who is a saint? .... Phil 4:24 "Salute every saint in Christ Jesus, the brethren which are with me greet you."

(Thank for all the kind words of great encouragement. This is the reason I have not updated my post in a while.)

Patti

Life Drawing Class - is over...

Wash drawings...







After two months, I'm feeling really good about what I have learned in this class. Things are beginning to click but I have no illusions, I have miles to go. I plan to take this class again and really get these concepts down. Many thank yous to Glenn Thomas whose great teaching ability helped me to progress.

Unique Images

These are albino deer. Isn't this a handsome image?

Crisis kills creativity...

When a crisis comes it causes every thing in your life to come to a screeching halt. The focus turns to the life threatening moment at hand and all energy moves toward its resolution.

That is what has happened to me. After Christmas and the New Year, for me it has been one family crisis after another.

I tried hard to overcome all of this and return to Life Drawing Class. Last night, the fatigue just swallowed me. I could not think. This experience only proves that an artist has to be able to fully concentrate to accomplish anything. I simply could not get the cobwebs out of my brain to do anything at the easel.

Good things come from crisis but I'm finding art is not one of them. Maybe next week.

Life Drawing

On this session, I did not like the pose of the model so I chose to draw the upper portion of her torso. Conte Crayon



In class the assignment was to do a wash drawing with contour defining the body with as few strokes as possible.



This Conte crayon (below) sketch was a long session.

Life Drawing Class

Out of my artist funk...finally beginning to draw fast and effectively. It's been a long few weeks. This one is 20 minutes and it has the gesture and captures the pose and model fairly well.


Earlier the class did fast 1-3 minute gesture (below) drawings. I am seeing how important this is to get right. It is difficult and frustrating to do. This one the instructor liked very much. He let me know that he thought I was "getting it" and so I felt like a little kid getting patted on the head. Embarrassing good feeling.






This was a drawing exercise (below) from last week is designed to make the student "see" the nuances of the shapes in the human figure. It forces the artist to look at the model instead of focusing on the drawing. We were to draw for 20 seconds at a time focusing the eye on the model and drawing the shapes slowly . . . before looking back at the drawing for orientation. this is VERY slow drawing . . . a 20 minute drawing.

Illustration Lesson from Rob Howard - Cennini Forum

These are the preliminary rough sketches following the original formal assignment is below.

Create an illustration for a book cover.

DATE......02 February 2009

P.O. 277-009A

RATE ...$2800 plus model and costume fees

DUE DATE [Sketch]...09 Feb 09 [Finish]...13 Feb 09

TITLE: Deadly Love by Caroline Steele.

SYNOPSIS: set in an urban setting, Lucy is unaware that danger stalks her. A serial killer is on the loose and she is his next target. But her attentions are elsewhere since she met Charles. After only two weeks, the normally sceptical Lucy has been swept up in a love affair she's little too perfect.

This Hitchcockian thriller moves at a breath-taking pace with unexpected twists at every turn as a mysterious McGuffin falls into her lap, driving the story forward to it's final surprise ending.

Terms: 30 days from acceptance and billing. Supply copies of model and costume fees.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Rob said: "Pretty standard fare and deadline. The fee is from 30 years ago and, sadly, has not risen that much over the years. This is a paperback cover (measure one out and use those proportions). Leave room for the title but don't put it in.

Think of a paperback cover as a miniature poster that will be displayed on shelves next to other miniature posters. Your layout and color have to make it stand out from the pack.

Naturally, your characters will be beautiful, the settings will add to the tone and the cover will promise more than the book can deliver. In short, it's a potboiler and you have to make it stand out from hundreds of other potboilers. There's nothing wrong with making it classy and upscale. Just make it dynamic.

You can submit initial ideas before the 9th, but the final, accepted sketch must be on the art director's desk by the 9th. Finished art due on Friday the 13th.

HINT: do your thinking in pencil. Once the idea is done, then you can begin posing models and looking for photo reference. Do not start with photo reference and try to fit an idea around it."

***
This is the sketch he thought was the best.

Rob's critique: "Patti, I'm pleased at this, your first attempt at these assignments and you've kicked it off to a good start. The bottom middle is the one I'd choose for my basis. Your use of contrast has been excellent, conveying the violence of the mood. This definitely has the violence and i suspect that, using the same contrasts and layout, you could show a tender embrace and soft look and have it convey the impending violence. That would cover all of the bases. Keeping it to three tones is definitely the way to go here."

I will follow through and do a color comp and make some modifications for the title and author.

February Life Drawing

Learning something new is hard to do but this will correct some bad habits and help me achieve the correct gesture no matter what. These are very quick drawings and not my best work but it shows how I'm progressing

Not Okay...Okay.

Joy comes in the morning...okay. I'm okay.

DOWN....

Bad night at life drawing. I couldn't do anything. Couldn't concentrate. I tell myself it happens...tomorrow will be better. I know it will but I feel pretty bad at the moment.

AAAaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrgh.

Life Drawing Classes

Glenn Thomas, instructor for Oklahoma City Arts
1 to 3 minute gestures . . .