Friday Traipsing

Today

The rain finally quit, and the sun came out, so I headed to the city....

 

....to look at upholstery fabrics.....

 

 

...and came away with watercolour supplies..... 

 

....that I hope to use soon.

 

Oh JOY!

Water and Wave

I haven't done any art lately because I have been traveling.  I have some ideas to get to soon.  For now, this is a lettering piece I did before I left with a prompt from Song of Solomon.  It's my first attempt at painting a wave, and it needs more practice, but a fun first try.  Also next time I'll use watercolor paper.  This is done in my mix media journal and the paper buckles pretty intensely with all the water necessary for this.

More of the Same

Joy Card

Writing Notebook

This is for the writers, to add to your notebooks.

And More Face Sketches

If any of you are doing the simplified sketches from last post, here is a way to dress up a couple that you are happy with. Hair doesn't have to be hair. Try flowers.

Also you can practice simplifying other images. It is good practice for finding essences.

Art can be something like writing, in that some are prose and some are poetry. The simplified expressive drawings would be the poetry. What Sarah Y. showed us might be short stories. A work with background and several characters might be a novel. And grand historical murals might be the equivalent of a research paper. Each has its place.

Happy Art making.

Much Doodles

((Sorry this is so late. I've had the worst time with internet connections this week! I had to get a chance to go use the library's WiFi after work. It is really windy today also, and Mom just texted that our power's out at home. Always an adventure...))

I don't know if Esther's ever going to get to her stippling and hatching... Maybe she lost interest? Anyway, she did MOST of the homework for that class, and so she might have learned a bit. :)

Leah told me I could share this zendoodle thingy she did. It's awesome, isn't it?

I have been busy with stuff and taxes and life, but I DID squeeze some doodling in (and reading).

This has to be a record for how long it didn't take me to finish a manga drawing on my phone. Only like two weeks. It must have been fun. Very flawed, of course, but it's practice. Gotta start somewhere, right? :D

And then I did some character sketch things with different hairdos, also manga style, in my sketchbook with ballpoint pen and markers. Yes, her eyes are quite crooked. Yes, it drives me nuts. But there's no way I can fix it. lol

I hope to be able to work on my afghan some more this coming week. I don't think I did anything with it the last. IT'S SO CLOSE TO DONE! I'm so excited. Haha!

Faces, Again

Joy Card

Can you find it?

Face Basics

For the young ladies who will be drawing, these are for beginning practice works. It is to train your mind instinctively to find features in a few strokes. The more you do, the easier they flow. Fill pages! When you learn this, any other face drawing will be easier.

Start with an egg shape, narrower part to the bottom for chin. 

Find vertical and horizontal halves, then quarter line, then eighth line. These will be for eyes, nose base, and mouth respectively.

Add just SUGGESTIONS of eyes, nose base, and mouth. Do Not draw outlines or solid lines. SKETCH!  Like poetry, art should imply. You should leave some things to be filled by the viewer's mind. 

You can finish with wisps of hair outlines and very few accents. Then STOP! 

Then do more. And more. And lots more.  This page  (upper right corner) shows the simplicity of the features. A couple of marks say enough. Do not niggle away at outlining everything. Suggest. The nose base is an M shape. The top lip is also. The bottom lip is a mere line. The centre of the mouth is a stretched out M.  Note the eye placement: one eye space between the eyes. Leave lots of brain room at the top - meaning are eyes halfway down the face oval.

O.K. Let's see what you do. The first hundred "don't count." They won't be masterpieces, but they are very, very necessary to train your hand to do what your mind wants. So keep at it and count. You will see your hundredth (a couple of weeks from now, if you do at least twenty this week) will be much better than your first.

And just because...

... the colors were out and the page was ready. Birds are great for quick sketch practice. You can scribble, dash off brush lines, and be expressive. These were done with one of those multicoloured-lead pencils and a calligraphy brush.

Have fun and sketch away.

On Joy and Writing

First Sunday in Lent

Here is another JOY card and something Ruth sent on the topic, that is worth pondering.

The "negative" version of yesterday's card, filling the background instead of the letters.

Joy is Love Lord Jesus Christ passes His joy to people who believe: "As the Father loved Me, I also loved you. Remain in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love, even as I have kept My Father's commandments and remain in His love. I have spoken these things to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment: that you love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love has no man than this: that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:9-13) This verse in the Bible shows us what joy requires. First, it requests that we receive and remain in the love of God through Jesus: "As the Father loved Me, I also loved you. Remain in My love." Second, it asks us to live for a greater purpose, one that is bigger than ourselves: "Greater love has no man than this: that a man lay down his life for his friends." The Three Powerful Ingredients that Contribute to Building J.O.Y To sum it all up, the simple recipe for joy includes three things: 1. Jesus Christ We should want to receive God into our lives more often, to cherish and honor Him and that can only be possible through our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the primary ingredient for our joy. Without Him, we will never have the joy that only God can offer us. "...I came that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." (John 10:10) 2. Others We can have the joy we want inside our hearts as long as we try to go outside of ourselves. First, we find joy in God, and then in other people around us. Our joy requires that we spread the love of God to our fellow men. "Likewise, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." (Luke 15:10) 3. You Last but not least, if we desire joy in our hearts, we should live our lives for a greater purpose, higher than ourselves, and that means giving our lives to Jesus Christ. "For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it." (Matthew 16:25)

(from Nathan Shepherd)

The last point about "you" is a little sparse. I would add that no one can really give you joy. You must choose it and find it what you believe to be important. It doesn't come from circumstances being pleasant, dreams coming true, people doing "what they are supposed to," or the world being sane. It is certainly helped by honouring and trusting Christ, and by giving ourselves to the service of others. Yet we must still choose that contentment and hope and peace that make up JOY. Stepping outside ourselves and personal wants can help considerably. The saying is true that the more we give, the more we have, and that brings several kinds of joy. Much more could be said on this. Your thoughts are welcome.

For Writers

Here are the first few pages in the writing book.

Blessed Lenten season to all.

Pencil and Brush

Next JOY Card

Thoughts of Spring

Today was balmy and warm and sunny, until it started to rain tonight. But the flowers are pushing up greens, the pony is starting to shed her winter coat, and the trampoline is getting used again. Maybe it is time to start some seeds.

I have been wanting to view a watercolour video I got quite a while ago, and finally started watching this week. It was inspiring. But I found I am out of watercolour paper! The substitute was dismal. But I had to try something. Now to get paper.... and try again.

New Concept

In order to facilitate the mentoring of some young writers - by request - I will likely include material from the exercises here, because it is convenient to be able to post visuals. Join the writing if you want to.

Another Card

Look and Find

Today we went to look at a couple pieces of furniture for the empty rooms. We went away with an old love seat and chair and this and that. Pictures next time. There was a Brockenhaus stop in there, too.

Before that was a little exercise in watercolor. More on that later, too. So here is the next JOY card, definitely not in color blocking.

 

And a hint....

 

Colors, Colored Pencils and Pens

More Bits

Maybe soon I will be able to show something new. For now, more bits of colouring.

Another journal page.

Yesterday's card modified for more contrast.

Another card, also in color blocking, maximum.

Watercolour soon, if all goes well.

New Season, New Project

Start

Spring weather went away, and winter returned for the start of our next liturgical season.

Snow covered the higher areas and an icy slush all below.

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. While it is salutary to practice the self-discipline of foregoing various luxuries and indulgences, that doesn't make for much art. A couple of days ago I happened upon a blog that Katie follows (or followed), by a girl evidently doing (at that time) Christian support work in Russia, who posted occasional small doodles of colourful variations on the word JOY. I liked the idea, and have decided to copy her. I will use my own variations and color schemes. I have pulled out a small stack of cards and did the first one today. After looking at it, I see the colors are not well chosen, so I may either modify them or move on and try others. Not the best of starts, but a start nonetheless.

The values of the y and its background are too close, with not enough contrast.

I also, just before reading of Leah's little "positive sayings book," had thought of doing something similar, Katie's lettering projects being also inspiring. So, I may make that a Lenten season project, maybe with various cross forms. We will see.

Reading

This was one of our readings for tonight's service:

Joel 2. 12 -19, 21

Herefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:

13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.

14 Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him?

15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly:

16 Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children.

17 Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?

Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people.

Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things.