Laptop Easel

With each new project come the various new challenges. I needed the shots that I took on my camera using the video setting so I opened my laptop and discovered my attempt to fill the frame had a side effect I had not really anticipated. The video shows in horizontal format. Being somewhat technically challenged I did not know how to reconfigure the images to vertical format so I had to think of a different solution. I placed the laptop on its side resting on the electrical plug in and wondered if that would be a problem at some time in the future. Since the laptop was open to a ninety degree angle and the table it was sitting on sloped to the center I felt confident that it would not end up on the floor. This is not a Mac, I cannot throw it downstairs and still hope that it would work…. Still, the screen has to be at a certain angle in order for me to be able to see the details. I would think about that later. Sitting down in a comfy chair I pressed the play button and discovered a wealth of truly inspiring possibilities. Now, how could I pause it? Yes, there it is. Sometimes fumbling around has its rewards. I accidentally pressed the wrong button and slowed the movement considerably. Lovely. After that I found the pause button worked best if I let the images run, backed up and then pressed and released in a quick succession until I had the still I needed. Now how to raise the corners of the laptop so I could easily see the model from a distance without endangering my laptop? Binder clips come in very handy sometimes. I clipped two together and they formed the perfect stabliser. Four made a perfect easel. Isn’t technology wonderful?

Carumba

I love ink. I have an old, worn out bamboo brush that I use for life drawing. It makes the most interesting marks. I also love the rush I get when I make a perfect mark… It is happening more often as I practice my craft. Some images are more challenging than others. A few are quick and easy. I begin by making some tiny strokes and dots. Every once in a while that does not work. On occasion I look at the sweep and move the brush in those directions several times so that I get the idea of how it will fit on the page and how to incorporate the all important movement I wish to capture. As the series progressed I noticed that, really, it was not about the model. It was all about the cape, especially the fringes. As I dropped in the shadowing with a sepia wash I decided to try something a little different so I grabbed my spray gun and sprinkled the drapery. Lovely. Then I took the ink dropper and  tossed in some drops. Wanting finer sprays I picked up my brush again and shook it over the drapery. There seemed to be something missing.  With a little more exuberance the sprays of ink appeared in the spaces surrounding the model, enhancing the movement. This is just the beginning. Once the fifteen drawings are complete I will be adding something extra. I can hardly wait to see how that works.

Line Up

I was totally panicked. When I panic I go into depression. There was no way I could meet my commitments! Silly woman. Where there is a will there is a way. There is nothing like a little brainstorming to sort one out. Just before we hung the Spruce Grove show Doris and I sat down and I cried on her shoulder for a while. She reminded me that it did not have to look a certain way… not in those words but never mind! In the end I had a plan and a ray of hope. What she had suggested was that I use some of the resources I had already acquired. Some time ago our group had hired a model for a photo shoot and I had yet to use the images. Back in my studio I took out my computer and perused the videos that I had taken. I deleted one. More room on my computer! The third one was truly inspiring. Dance seems to be a recurring theme in a lot of the possible exhibitions lately. Combining music with visual images makes for interesting installations. I set to work. In the three days I had left in the week I managed to produce fourteen drawings. I need fifteen for a good show. I am aiming for twenty then I will select the best and embellish before framing. Ah yes, the only drawback with this plan is framing. $$$$ Minor detail. As for my other series, well, it is still beautiful and developing. Not certain when it will be complete but there are always other venues and possibilities.

Spruce Grove Show

One of the groups of artists I belong to is called Critique Masters. We get together to critique each other’s work, to discuss challenges in our various pursuits of excellence, to brainstorm for future projects and decide for which shows to apply. Our choice of media and subject matter are very disparate yet we come together in surprising ways.  We got together in early December, bringing the work we hoped to display in Allied Arts Centre in Spruce Grove for January. One of the best assets we have as a group is our sense of humour. I showed up with five paintings, one of which was a red herring. It was the same size as the one I had in mind, just not the correct painting…. Doug showed up with one that was, perhaps, a third finished and Doris came with an entirely different series…. Judy had everything she needed because we met in her studio! So we liked what we saw. Last week we hung the show amidst a great deal of laughter and bravery (holding the nail for someone else to hammer). Standing back we were delighted with the result. Delicious! Speaking of which we went out to lunch. We found it to be a perfectly enjoyable afternoon. Should you be in the neighbourhood do drop in to take a look. The gallery is located at the back of the library, 35 5^th Avenue. We will all be in attendance on January 14^th in the afternoon. Fun!

Robin Lace

I am in between things and the holidays have interrupted my schedule. I  am suffering from studio withdrawal and can hardly wait to get back to my new series…. So, today I thought I would share another drawing that I did recently for the Miniature show at Centre d’Arts Visuels. This is one of the four I have completed in the series called “Robin Lace”. It is called "Closeup". This fall I was doing the usual clean up before winter set in and as I removed one robin nest from under the balcony it crumbled in my hands. Evidently it had been from the previous year. I was about to throw the other one into the bag when I noticed the intricate design a line of blue polyester made among the branches and the mud. It reminded me of lace. With that in mind I searched through my box of lace and set up a still life. As always, the negative space was the part that intrigued me. I had learned long ago in order to paint or draw a believable bit of lace I had to concentrate on the negative spaces and the different values those spaces created. I also knew it did not have to be perfect. I set up my tripod and screwed on my drawing/painting board that I use for ‘en plein air’ work, took out my pen and was soon lost in the mark making. Standing on cement in one spot too long hurts my feet. My husband suggested I place a piece of carpet at strategic points around my studio and that helped quite a bit. The other thing I did to reduce my discomfort was discard the shoes that had long since lost their support value. Still, after an hour and a half, my legs begin to complain. I stretch, have a cup of coffee, contemplate a different project and return to it in the afternoon or the next day. It is so much easier to draw with a little practice. I plan to continue….but first….