Rearranged

My studio and my life have been rearranged again…. Life throws curves every once in a while. This mural is a small one, only four feet by eight. It is waiting for me. I do not usually miss my deadlines but I guess there is a first time for everything. The painting is progressing well. I should be done soon. I had intended to be done last week. On my way to the studio I slipped on some ice and catapulted my head into the cement. It felt as if I were being held in gentle hands as I went down and the doctors say I am lucky. Indeed I am blessed. It could have been a lot worse.  I did get to the studio later that same day but I could not sustain the extra hours and the drive home seemed longer than usual. The next day I could barely get out of bed. The world was spinning and my stomach suffered from travel sickness. I spend the morning keeping appointments and went to bed for the rest of the day. Saturday was no better and Sunday saw some improvement. Monday I did bookkeeping instead of visiting the life drawing studios and Tuesday I decided I could drive again. I am very thankful for my husband who doted on me as I recovered, became my means to manoeuvre from place to place and provided me with sustenance. It is a times like these that gratitude takes over and I can see how much more beautiful the world is.

Life Drawing

Two minutes

Five minutes

Two Twenty Minutes

Some days I can draw and some days I might as well go home to bed. Life drawing is one of the most efficient ways there is to improve my skills as an artist. The challenge is accuracy within a very limited time frame. Being consistent in the challenge is the key to improving…. Consistency. Yes, well, now that I am in the city I am scheduling life drawing for one afternoon per week instead of once per month which derails into once per year. Another factor is inspiration. Some models possess a certain grace that is totally inspiring. Models who have dance as part of their repertoire often possess this grace. Sometimes it comes naturally. It does not take much. A carefully placed hand, a little twist in the spine, one foot in front of the other, a glance and something magical happens. Drawing becomes easy. I use a number of different mark makers. One of my favorites is ink. I do not erase. This time I used a new product called watercolour sticks. I have a few colours, three to be exact. They came in the sample packages I pick up at a promotion; quinacridone burnt orange (PO 48), carbazole violet (PV 23) and undersea green (PB 29 and PO 48). I got excited when I put the violet and the orange together. At first I used the sticks as crayons. Then I dipped them into some water before putting them to paper. I love uneven lines, unpredictable events. I continued dipping. Then I took a paint brush and smudged some colour into shadow shapes. So much fun! I’ll be back.

Christian Contribution

Pencil drawings do not photograph well. This is the latest in the long line of mural projects with which I have been involved. It has been a lot of fun. We met before Christmas to discuss common themes and some focus points upon which I could build an image that expressed Christian contribution within the community. As I developed the drawing it became apparent that the most important elements were the people themselves. Church is all about people. As one theologian put it: we put skin to God. As we pray, play, worship, praise and touch each other, God’s love made manifest. The best examples of this are in how we care for the weakest and the poorest among us. As a whole I think we are getting better at it. In any case the image celebrates the victories and the joy. Now that it has been approved the next step is to paint it. I have already begun with the undercoats: one coat of primer, one or two coats of exterior house paint on the back, gesso on the front, a coat of molding paste then a coat of gesso mixed with colour and gel medium just to get started. Today I put on the other layers of colour, there are at least three of them, before I transfer the image. That is today’s work. Tomorrow and the next day are painting days. Done by Thursday… that is the deadline. Sigh. Thank God for deadlines….

Pictureless

The chaos has caught up with me. I forgot to take a picture of what I have been working on lately and so… there is no picture. Actually it has been many weeks since I have spent any productive time in my studio. I have been going to life drawing once per week and that helps. Today I intend to go again, if I have wheels…. The transmission went out in the van. I am very thankful I got my fifteen pictures to CAVA before that happened! The show is on! The opening was grand! The drawings will be on display until March 20^th so do drop in if you can. I am so poetic… Once I got my fifteen drawings framed I helped move our stored furniture into a storage unit and I am in the process of cleaning up the leftovers that did not fit. We decided keeping my studio in Legal is the most economical for now. I also bought a panel for the latest mural and sealed the edge with silicon in preparation for the primer and protective coats that I put on the back before I begin painting. As part of my planning for effective use of car and mileage I am at home today, doing bookwork (year end is approaching fast), taking in life drawing and ferrying my oldest daughter to an appointment this evening. Tomorrow I go to my studio, I think… It means my husband has to catch a bus to his commitments during the afternoon. Our youngest daughter should know what to do about that. It has been a long time since we caught a city bus. Where there is a will there is a way. One thing for certain, I will pick up a brush this week if only to stave off insanity!