Practice! Practice! Practice

Trying to get in some practice with the non-objective drawing.   I admit -- it is very strange to me.   I know I've seen kids sit and doodle and make intricate designs and been in awe at their patience.   I never really focused on any of the great masters work but do remember seeing sketch books of Picasso and Michelangelo.   While I don't remember any doodling, I do remember the use of lines to indicate texture, movement, etc.    Right now it is just experimentation but I can see where it can be very useful.   So I guess the plan is to just keep practicing. 

Non-Objective Drawing -

Art 1006 - Non-Objective Drawing
This experience is a stretch for me.   We spent the morning in class drawing lines to various music.   Then we did a critique.   This weeks project was doing a 22x30 ink drawing,   The goal was to paint only lines, values, shapes and not specific object.    Difficult for me.   Got to try this again.   I'm not satisfied with this first effort.

Sketching & Entering Art Show

"Mountain Morning" - Pastel - 9x12 - 2014

"Winter Day" - Pastel - 9x12 - 2014

"Quiet Stream" - Pastel - 9x12 - 2014

 

 

Johns Creek Art Show Entry - Just completed my online entry to the Southeastern Pastel Society Johns Creek Art Show.   They really make it easy to enter with the online upload.   Keeping my fingers cross and hoping to be accepted into this show.    I had my first pastel accepted earlier this year into the Southeastern Members Exhibit 2015 at the Quinlan Visual Arts Center.   If I make it into this show, I'll have 5 paintings in exhibits at the same time.   Three at the Douglas County Courthouse Artist Choice Exhibit 2015, one in the NOVAS Douglasville Cultural Arts Council Exhibit 2015.   

 

SKETCH BOOK - Continued

In my Art 1006 class we are required to keep a sketch book.   I'm continuing my sketches with one from a reference photo I took of a barn in Temple, GA earlier in the year.    I've already painting the full barn but I wanted to edit it and capture just a portion of the barn for detail.    Hope to paint this one soon.



"Barn Sketch" - pencil - 8x10 - 2015



 

Douglas County Courthouse Art Show - Artist Choice - 2015

"Senoia Mill House Road" - Pastel - 9x12 - 2014

"Ducks in a Row" - Pastel - 9x12 - 2014

"Villa Rica Gold Mine" - Pastel - 9x12 - 2014

This year I set a goal of entering more art shows.  I've had a painting in the Southeastern Pastel Society Member Exhibit at Quinlan Visual Arts Center in Gainesville, GA and the two paintings in the World of Art Show at South Cobb Art Alliance in Austell, GA.     It's fun but a little crazy trying to figure out when the paintings go in a show and when they come back - so I don't over commit a single painting.    My rule of thumb is if a painting is entered in a show and not accepted, I will enter the same painting in other shows up to three.   After a painting is excepted into a juried show, I don't enter it in any other juried shows.   I may change my mind on that at some point, but it helps me with my system.   I do however use paintings again if I have a Art Guild Show, Community Art Show, etc.  

These three paintings were entered into the Douglas County Courthouse Art Show - Artist Choice for September 2015.    I'm preparing to enter three more paintings into the Southeaster Pastel Society Members Exhibit at Johns Creek Art Center in September-October, 2015. 

I've set a goal for 2016 to complete 30 new original paintings for a one person show at Dog River Library in Douglasville, GA sponsored by the Douglas County Art Guild.   It will be all 2015-2016 new work that has not been in any other shows.  

NOVAS 2015

"Temple Barn" - Pastel - 2015

"Temple Barn" will be delivered to the Douglasville Cultural Arts Center today to be part of the NOVAS 2015 Exhibit.   Looking forward to the opening reception on September 13, 2015 from 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. at CAC, Douglasville, GA.   This painting was done from reference photos I made on a trip to the Paulding County area.   My friend knew all the great places to find old barns.   I have dozens of photos and look forward to working my way through a few.    I obviously took some liberty with color in this painting.   I wanted a hint for what might have been when it was "new" mixed in with the weathered and cracked boards of what is "old".  

Elements of Art - 2D

Well day two of class was a little anti climatic.   After waiting for an hour the class was cancelled.   That's what driving from Atlanta will do to an instructor.   Googled it and found out it was an accident closing all lanes on I-20 at Carrollton.   Go figure!  

This week we are looking at Elements of Art - 2D - line, shape, value, texture, color.   If I think back on my several hundred hours of private and workshop instruction from working artist the elements that were emphasized the most were shape and value.  

VALUE -  I still struggle with value.   You look at a pastel box of dozens of greens, reds, purples, etc. and finding the right value can be hard.   I still do the trial and error method.   I make a mark with the pastel on the painting on a separate paper and then put the other color next to it until it blends.   You'd think two separate colors would not blend smoothly until you see it happen!    If they are the same value it flows smoothly in the painting from one color to the next.  Barbara Jaenicke is a master at this.  Wish you were still in Roswell Barbara!!

SHAPE - When I first started painting 5 years ago, I was lucky to find Karen Margulis.  Blocking in big shapes on a thumbnail sketch was the first step in getting ready to paint.   My tendency in the beginning was to place to much detail into the sketch.   I still have to work on this one.  

Art 106 - University of West Georgia

First Week of Art Class - August 24, 2015 marks a new adventure.   I started my first art class at the University of West Georgia.    There are approximately 20 students in the class.   The ages range from 18-20 years.   I'm the 68 year old!!  The class is very diverse and not what I expected.   Obviously a few art majors but mainly with focus on graphics and animation.   There are lots of art minors who have majors in other areas such as business.    My goal is to be fearless and get as much as possible out of this experience.   After 5 years painting and learning, I am ready to step back and get back to the basics.

 

This weeks class is on Design and Composition.   We were also asked to keep a sketchbook of notes and sketches.   While we will not be doing more traditional "art", I liked the sketchbook idea.   I've always done thumbnail sketches before I start painting, but I've never kept a consistent sketch journal.   I've been in workshops with artist that pull out volume after volume of sketchbooks.  I've certainly always enjoyed going to exhibits of world famous artist and seeing their sketches.    In particular I enjoyed the sketches of Michelangelo and Picasso.   I'm not a world class artist, but I figure I can learn a few things by following their example.

 

This sketch is of my granddaughter running on the beach.   I usually just block in my shapes, positions, some values when doing a thumbnail.   I do think I want to experiment with several more sketches of this scene to try to better capture the lines that will capture the movement.