Under Construction and Enjoying the Mess

January 25, 2015January 25, 2015 | Beth, just being me

I am always amazed by the way that things happen in life when you least expect them and how often they come at just the right time. A few weeks ago a friend of mine reached out and asked me to do a painting for her inspired by one of my drawings and her anthem, Bob Marley’s song Three Little Birds.

The funny thing is that although I knew the lyrics well, I realized that I had no idea what the title of the song was.

At any rate the reintroduction to the song and the reminder that although everything doesn’t always turn out the way we plan, every little thing will be alright. During the cold and cloudy winter days, this project has given me something bright and positive to focus on and the song has become my anthem for 2015.

It’s also presented an opportunity for me to spread my artistic wings in more than a few ways.

My friend is planning on putting the piece over her fireplace and wants a piece that is 24 x 36. My original tree fits is 6 x 8 and is in a vertical space, not a horizontal one so I’m not quite sure how I’m going to make that work, but one challenge at a time.

The first challenge was to figure out how to draw the birds. I requested and received a few pictures of birdies that she liked and I’ve been doing some experimenting. I accidentally put four little red birds on the branch in the first drawing because I was so excited when the birds I’d been practicing on the side actually turned out well. 🙂 Four birds also filled the space better, so it’s all good.

In the second practice session, I successfully incorporated the three birds, although they got a little lost among all of the bubbles so I’m re-thinking the colors a bit to make sure they pop.

The second challenge was the size. For the past two years I haven’t created anything that is larger than 8 1/2 x 11 and the majority of my drawings are 6 x 8 or 7 x 10. I get very intimidated when I think about filling all of the white space, not to mention the challenges associated with making something look both “real” and big. Granted this isn’t a drawing based on realism, but it’s still necessary to properly translate the idea which can be more difficult in a larger space, at least for me.

As luck would have it, I started a new art class on January 15th and in just two sessions I’ve already gained more confidence in drawing “big.” This past week, while the other students drew and painted the complex relationships between the objects on the table,

I drew the vase and then the bowl.

Three years ago, I would have considered this to be an abysmal failure but I’ve learned to focus on where I’m at in the process and to consider the progress in my own work and not how it compares to others.

In many ways I’m as thrilled with this piece as I’ve ever been with any finished drawing. In my mind, both objects look more “real” and recognizable than any of my previous attempts at capturing a still life on paper. It’s also giving me the confidence I need to fill a much larger canvas.

When my instructor sees that I’m getting frustrated by the multiple lines and mess on my paper, he reminds me that part of art (and life) is about making a mess while we’re learning. If you think about it, in order to grow as people, it means we’re sort of “under construction” throughout life, and sometimes it’s messy.

The third challenge was the medium. Ink and color pencils have been my mainstay for quite a while now, but neither is appropriate for such a large piece. Acrylic paint is the medium I keep coming back to.

Coincidentally, the online art journaling class I’m taking has a new home and the instructor launched an updated version of the lessons.The introduction included information and thoughts about the importance of quality paper in art.

It made me stop and think.

In the spirit of starting anew and with the acknowledgement that we deserve our canvas, whatever form it takes, to be of quality, I ordered a new journal for the class. It seemed appropriate to carry the “everything is going to be alright” theme through on the cover of my new art journal.

It was also a good way to play a little with paints before I tackle a large painting.

The back cover was the perfect place to try another version of three little birds on for size.

The paints I used are fine for crafts and journals, but not for a full size painting, so my next stop on this journey is the art supply store for proper paints and a canvas or two.

All of these independent projects have been a great way to experiment with mixing mediums and learning how they play nicely together (or not).

It’s also been an excellent way for me to discover and play with elements such as the Three Little Birds that will be an important part of the painting that I will be starting in the next week or so.

I’m very happy with the way both the individual drawings and the journal cover turned out; it sets a great tone to start filling the pages in between with the assignments from the lessons. It’s going to be interesting to figure out when and how to work on things for my “in real life” class, my online class, and the larger painting project that this has all been a part of.

Who knew that one little doodle would turn into a giant construction zone? 🙂

I’m “Drawing the Line”

January 11, 2015 | Beth, just being me

Life is full of ironies if one is paying attention.

Over Thanksgiving, I registered for a drawing class at the Princeton Arts Council. The description of the class emphasized expanding on basic drawing skills and learning how to compose a piece of art from concept to completion.

It sounded challenging and appropriate for my current skill and confidence level. As luck (or fate) would have it, the class was cancelled and reminiscent of 3 years ago, I was offered the opportunity to attend a more advanced class as an alternative. Unlike 3 years ago, I accepted the alternative option without hesitation.

When I received the email that the class had been canceled, I couldn’t help but think back to the first day of my drawing class three years ago and how hesitant and uncertain I was.

What I didn’t realize then, but I know now is that art is all about lines. To quote a friend of mine, “Line quality is a big element in art and it is elementary and needs consideration. Even if ignored, line quality should be a considered choice.”

To be honest, my first drawing blew me away – I seriously had no idea that anything like this was hiding inside of me. It took me weeks to complete, but in the end I was amazed at what came out of my pencils.

What strikes me now, looking back at it is the lack of certainty in the lines. They’re technically correct and the shading is really quite nice, but the lines lack confidence and purpose.

Contrast the drawing of the sunflower with a recent doodle, a surrealistic or maybe fanciful tree:

The lines are strong and considered.

I debated about whether or not the drawing was finished. The black and white lines were mesmerizing, but it didn’t feel “done.”

The lines were ready to be embellished with color.

Ironically, the description of the class I will be starting on Tuesday includes this:

Color is not just a “pretty embellishment”, but has a profound significance and role in our visual perception and, subsequently, is a powerful tool in our art making. Understanding these functions of color is the focal point of this class.

The class is geared toward “students with experience in drawing and painting.”

It’s clear that I’ll be taking a class with students far more advanced than me, but on the other hand, I’ve learned a lot about “drawing the line” and my recent experiences tell me that it’s more than OK to let those “lines” take you to a new place.

Refrigerator Art

January 4, 2015 | Beth, just being me

I find that sometimes I draw something in my art journal that I’m thrilled about because it shows progress, but I choose not to share it because it’s so far from perfect.

Tonight my mind wandered to memories of refrigerator art. As children we were proud to have our works of art displayed in one of the most prominent places in the house – the front of the refrigerator.

We weren’t concerned about the fact that the nose was a bit wonky or that the shading was far from perfect, we simply enjoyed the process and we bubbled over with joy about our progress. We were darn proud to have our drawings on display, even the practice pages.

As adults we are often-times afraid to share things we create that aren’t perfect and we’re also reluctant to admit that it required a lot of trial and error to achieve a less than perfect outcome.

To take it a step further, I think that as adults, we’re afraid to try new things because we might not succeed. There’s also a bit of “why bother” if there’s no way to monetize it.

It’s too bad we’re conditioned to think that way because there is absolute joy in learning something new and feeling proud about showing it off the same way you did as a child.

There’s also so much more to art and creativity than trying to find a way to monetize it. It’s a way to touch people’s lives. We commune through words, art, music, food, and nature; it’s how we truly connect with each other as human beings.

Celebrate your inner child and show off your refrigerator art (even the works in progress) off with pride and joy.

Practice Doesn’t Make Perfect, but it does Build Confidence

December 20, 2014 | Beth, just being me

One of my mantra’s is, “it’s never too late,” and I truly believe it. Sure there are points in life when it may be too late to achieve certain goals, but that doesn’t mean we should give up on ourselves or stop discovering the talents and interests that may have been buried by life’s circumstances.

One of the things that gets in our way of trying new things is a fear of failure, or maybe more accurately it’s a fear of not being able to do whatever we’re thinking about trying to some preconceived notion of “excellence.”

For the past 3 years I’ve enjoyed a later-in-life discovery about me; I’m an artist. In spite of the fact that I now describe myself as an artist and a writer without hesitation, there is still a fair amount of self-doubt when it comes to certain aspects of creativity.

My drawing lessons started with complex pieces of artwork which required an understanding of two-point perspective and shading. They were challenging to say the least.

It took me weeks to finish the lessons that the other students finished in hours. The outcome was something I felt good about, but the process was stressful and may be the reason why my creative outlet became very abstract and I’ve stayed away from drawing “real things.”

For the past year I’ve been partial to flowers and trees.

My journal has become a place where I express my thoughts through both words and art. Surprisingly a face emerged one night a few weeks ago.

I posted it on Facebook and one of my artist friends recommended I check out an online class called “Supplies Me” and explore the possibility of learning to draw faces. (something I’ve avoided like the plague)

The video introduction to the class hooked me right away. The instructor, Jane Davenport, is all about having fun while learning. Her emphasis on practice building confidence rather than perfection is a unique way of framing an art class.

I jumped in with both feet, ordered a foreign art supply called Gesso to prep the pages of a new journal. Gesso is a white paint mixture that you use to add texture to an ordinary piece of paper. It primes the paper to allow paint or other mediums to adhere and bond to the page.

I ordered the Gesso and a brush; as soon as they arrived I prepped the first two pages of my journal. I had a hard time deciding whether or not I should use the spiral-bound Moleskin one or this inexpensive sketchbook I picked up at the Michaels a few weeks ago.

I chose the sketchbook. The funny thing is that I didn’t realize until making the choice that there is a title on the cover of the journal; it reads, Art Education Book Five, how ironic is that?!

Instructions for the first lesson were simply to “play.” My Peerless Watercolor sheets and color pencils were what called to me – so I prepped the first two pages, including the inside cover, and started the journal in my comfort zone – trees. 🙂

Lesson 2 was about as far from my comfort zone as I could imagine, we jumped right into drawing faces!

I experimented with a couple of faces on my own before watching the instructional video as a bit of an experiment and to have a record of my starting point. It turns out I seem to be more comfortable drawing eyes that are closed.

Thankfully the instructor set a comfortable stage for a challenging homework assignment – draw lots and lots of faces. I think the first one is my favorite,

but there are some fun things about the other faces as well.

I’m also learning a bit about how Gesso works and feels under my ink and pencil, what smudges and how to prevent unwanted lines and colors from ruining the pages.

In preparation for the mixed media challenge for this week, we learned some tricks to help us learn how to draw the human body.

I’ve no idea where this class is going to take me – what I do know is that I’m really glad that I didn’t let my fears keep me from trying something new.

Practice doesn’t make perfect, but it does build confidence and can open up new worlds.

Yellow – Fall’s Hidden Treasure

November 10, 2014 | Beth, just being me

Fall is my second favorite season, summer will always be my first. What can I say? I love the warmth of the sun. I do have to admit that the cooler temperatures of fall make long walks and bike rides along the towpath even more enjoyable.

This year the reds and oranges have been especially vibrant, and for the first time ever I noticed the beauty in the color yellow as well.

I also discovered that sometimes the leaves that have fallen to the ground are as beautiful as the leaves still clinging to the branch. This blanket of gold and subtle accents of green covering the grass took my breath away.

I have no doubt that the drivers of the cars passing me wondered why I was taking pictures of the ground, but I couldn’t help myself. I saw more than fallen leaves, I saw the hidden beauty.

The image inspired me to draw.

I decided to call it “Hidden Beauty.”

#Inktober Favorites

October 28, 2014 | Beth, just being me

It turns out that no-shave November is preceded by #inktober, a month-long challenge to do an ink drawing every day. It’s intent is to motivate artists to draw on a regular basis and as a way to improve one’s technique.

Even the best artists get better the more they practice and play with their favorite medium or experiment with a new one.

I started the challenge late. I was too busy working on my Fall watercolor garden to even notice that there was a challenge underway. Once I came up for air I realized that many of my artist friends on Google+ were posting wonderful ink drawings on a daily basis. Their masterpieces ranged from simple sketches to elaborate doodles.

There’s no way I’ll complete the goal of creating something every day, but that’s OK. It was fun to get my pens out and see what I could come up with. Here are a few of my favorites:

A black and white flower garden was my first entry. It’s kind of whimsical and fun.

Sometimes inspiration comes from the strangest places and in this case I was inspired to keep it simple just like the pattern on my dinnerware. It’s amazing what your mind can come up with when you let it wander while emptying the dishwasher.

We’ve had more than a few beautiful Fall days here in Pennsylvania I took this somewhat fuzzy picture of a cute little tree in my neighborhood.

It inspired me to pull out the Prismacolor markers and create a very bright and all ink interpretation of it.

I remember the night I made the following entry well. I’d spent at least an hour wasting time and paper trying to draw something other than a flower or a tree. In all honesty I’d given up on an #inktober entry for tonight.

I signed onto Facebook and what showed up in my feed? A picture of a beautiful African Daisy – posted by one of my friends.

I was instantly inspired and motivated to draw. Pretty sure I’ve never even used these ink colors before. Hopefully I did her photo some justice.

This entry started out being very whimsical with light lines and little shading
it ended up being a bit intense – interesting…

After a long but good day, a bubble bath by candle light not only helped me unwind but was also fuel for creativity. Believe it or not, this was inspired by shadows cast on the wall of my bathroom by the flames from three votive candles.

Feeling a little transitional lately – maybe those feelings inspired this entry. My version of a “tree of seasons.”

Last but not least, my favorite. I picked up this little gem on my walk the other day – it served as some inspiration .

I believe it’s from a Hydrangea tree/plant – it was so strange to find this one lone piece lying on the grass at my feet.

I couldn’t resist bringing it home.

Now to decide how to complete the final four days of #inktober. 🙂

There is Inspiration Everywhere – An Autumn Walk

October 26, 2014October 26, 2014 | Beth, just being me

A few weeks ago I found my way back to getting myself out the front door for at least semi-regular walks in the sunshine. A huge improvement over no walks at all! 🙂

I’m torn about taking my phone along with me on my walks. On the one hand it makes it harder to unplug from the world for an hour or so but on the other hand it’s a good idea from a safety perspective and I also have found the camera useful on more than a few occasions.

I found the vibrant pinks and greens in this patch of flowers to be captivating.

It inspired an ink journal entry, which oddly enough was a first for me. This photo was the first time that I used something I captured/created as inspiration for a drawing.

Although I really like the loose, whimsical, unfinished nature of this entry into my ink journal, I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something more waiting to be created.

My youngest son is taking a design class and one of his first assignments involved using tracing paper to capture the lines from one drawing or picture and transfer them onto a piece of drawing paper. It’s kind of like making a carbon copy by hand.

When I saw what he was doing with his drawings, the idea hit me and I asked if I could use a sheet of tracing paper. Surprisingly the 4 x 6 inch ink journal entry scaled quite nicely to 8.5 x 11. It was time consuming but somewhat therapeutic to trace the lines of the petals on to the tracing paper.

Transferring the graphite from the tracing paper to the sheet of watercolor paper was downright fun!

When I lifted the tracing paper and could barely see the lines on the paper it made me a bit skeptical,

but it seemed like there was enough definition to keep on going – so I used watercolor pencils to darken the lines and begin to add color.

I have to admit that I was surprised and delighted at how vibrant the colors became after adding water.

I spent several evenings listening to my Enya Radio station on Pandora while filling in the drawing petal by petal.

I’m a self proclaimed Geek (and proud of it) so I frequently take progress pictures when I’m working on something that evolves over several sessions.

I found it fascinating to capture the color transformation between before

and after I “watered” the flowers.

There is always that final moment, the last little bit that needs to be completed, in which I take a deep breath and hope that I don’t somehow make a mistake that will ruin the entire piece. My guess is that I’m not alone when it comes to that.

I’m happy to say that I’ve gotten pretty good at turning an “oops” into a “happy accident” so I didn’t freak out when the final lines drawn were deep blue and not purple – somehow it works.

One of the reasons this drawing is so special to me is that it represents so many positive changes in my life over the past few years. Not the least of which is being given a second chance in life.

I also think that it’s an interesting example of how we might start out with one vision or image but along the way it morphs and evolves into something that looks nothing like the original but is equally as beautiful in it’s own way.

Life is a journey and we never know how one experience is going to influence the next one.

I hope you enjoy the time-lapse video version of the project.

From “Doodles” to “Drawings” and more…

August 31, 2014 | Beth, just being me

More and more often I find myself doodling in my journals in addition to writing. My mind starts to wander and all of the sudden my pen lands on the page opposite of my words and a form that must have been hiding in my sub-conscious starts to emerge.

Sometimes the entries turn out to be very detailed and take a couple of sessions to finish.

Other times they happen in one sitting.

Don’t ask me how long they take, because when I start to write or draw I lose track of time. I doodle until I can’t draw any more and if it’s not finished, I return to it the next time I feel like it.

I never would have guessed that drawing would become such an important part of my life, let a lone a way to unwind. It seems like just yesterday that I mustered up the courage to attend a drawing class and spent months completing my first sunflower.

It’s a little deceiving to post these images together because the drawings are completely different in scale. The sunflower from my class is easily 9 times larger than the individual journal entries. It’s also in pencil, not ink and was inspired by a picture in a lesson book not solely from my imagination.

I also never would have guessed an online “doodle and lettering” class would help me gain confidence in my abilities and get in touch with my second-grade art girl.

The thing that’s interesting to me is that I clearly have a “style.” I know that probably sounds strange to say, but it’s not something I ever would have imagined myself saying out loud.

Sometimes I wonder if I should challenge myself more and move beyond sunflowers, trees and butterflies. They seem to dominate my art, but maybe that’s ok.

I’m enjoying the casual and non-stressful exploration of my creativity and some really interesting pieces of art are emerging. My recent affirmation art journaling project has resulted in two additional pieces of work that are completely different from anything I’ve done before (other than the fact that trees are the main subject 😉 ).

This “affirmation Forrest” grew organically as a result of the project. It began as a sheet of paper that I used to try the lettering of a phrase on for size and as a place to clean off the extra ink from a gel pen and doodle tree trunks.

My latest project is a “rainbow tree,” for lack of a better description.

The tree is made up of tiny pieces of paper. They are actually “rejects” from backgrounds I created while working on the affirmation journal.

Initially if something didn’t work, I tossed it – then one night as I was tearing one into little pieces it occurred to me that there might be a creation hiding in them, so I started saving them, and voila! It’s still a work in progress and I can’t wait to see how it turns out.

Occasionally I wonder if I’d be “further along” with my art if I’d continued taking more formal classes on the other hand I can’t help but think that some of my more recent efforts never would have happened if I had. It seems my definition of being an artist is evolving and I’m learning what it means to me.

Some day I may return to the classroom setting, but for now I’m going to explore my creative side in my own way and in my own time.

I Am Perfectly Imperfect

August 4, 2014 | Beth, just being me

A couple of summers ago, I received an email that may have changed my life. It was from an artist friend of mine and it started out like this,

“Hi,

Due to a surplus of various kinds of pulp, I am holding a couple of papermaking open studio sessions and papermaking classes at my studio. I have Japanese pulp, casting pulp, high shrink flax, abaca and pigmented pulp for painting.”

I had no idea what was involved, but the opportunity was clearly too awesome to pass up. I learned all how to make paper and I fell in love with the process. Something about it appeals to my tactile senses, which is odd because I normally don’t like doing anything the least bit messy.

In first stage, the pulp feels wet and sort of mushy but strong. After suspending it in water, the fibers become soft and feathery. You use a frame lined with a screen to scoop up the fibers and create the foundation for a piece of paper. I like to imagine that it’s like panning for gold to pick up the tiny wet fibers and drain off the excess water. Once the fibers settle, you carefully peel the wet sheet off of the screen and layer it between pieces of a special fabric until the entire stack dries.

When all was said and done, none of the edges of my pieces of paper were straight, the thickness varied from sheet to sheet, and many were lined with interesting creases and unintended patterns – but they were all beautiful to me. I wasn’t sure what I would do with them, but after the assorted sheets of paper dried I sealed them in a gallon sized baggie to protect them from the humidity.

I’ll never be sure what prompted me to pick up a pen and use it to make a mark on one of my pristine pieces of hand-made paper. I’m very tentative when I draw in pencil, I draw lines so light you can barely see them and I’m fairly certain that in the beginning of each drawing I spend more time erasing than drawing. There’s something inside of me that “needs” for it to be “perfect.”

Ink is permanent and each piece of my handmade paper was one of a kind. The thought of using ink on them was completely counter – intuitive. I’m a perfectionist, if there’s a chance that it won’t turn out right; I’m more inclined to not even start than to make a mistake. So ink, particularly on my handmade paper seemed like an unlikely creative outlet. In reality, it’s taught me a valuable life lesson.

Drawing on these imperfect pieces of paper was difficult because the texture wasn’t smooth, the creases presented both a challenge and as it turns out an opportunity.

Trees are my default doodle so I guess it’s no wonder that’s where I started. I took advantage of the texture in the paper to create depth in the trunk and branches.

The strokes of my pen grew bolder and my designs became more elaborate, detailed, and colorful with each tiny work of art. The addition of watercolor pencils and brightly colored ink transformed the imperfections in the paper into something beautiful and completely unexpected.

When you draw in ink, if the pen slips and goes in an unintended direction there are two choices. You can crumple up the drawing and give up, or you can find a way to make it work. More often than not, there’s a way turn the mishap into a part of the drawing; my dear Google+ friend Jennifer Broderick refers to this as“knowing how to resolve the lines.”

I still find it strange, but I no longer dread making mistakes because I know they often-times turn out even better than the original idea after I take a step back and think about how to make the “oops” work in my favor.

It doesn’t work every time, and that’s ok too, it’s all about recognizing the difference between an opportunity that might be different from what we planned and also knowing when to cut our losses short and move on.

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If you want to check out the series of drawings, you can see them here

-> http://bit.ly/1zPdb7P

it's a whole new world

observations and reflections of everyday life

My Artists Journey

Under Construction and Enjoying the Mess

I’m “Drawing the Line”

Refrigerator Art

Practice Doesn’t Make Perfect, but it does Build Confidence

Yellow – Fall’s Hidden Treasure

#Inktober Favorites

There is Inspiration Everywhere – An Autumn Walk

From “Doodles” to “Drawings” and more…

I Am Perfectly Imperfect

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