Friday, May 31, 2019

Art Challenge for May, A Page from My Sketchbook

This month we are challenged to post favorite pages from our sketchbooks.

Kathy Garvey...I’m traveling and have to do this on my iPad and it won’t let me scroll down very far. So here are some favorite pages from my sketchbook and some resultant digital works. They are not in order and won’t let me rearrange them...but they show what I love about my sketchbooks...I can scribble anything that comes into my head and then go pick something to play with in Illustrator or Photoshop when I’m in the mood to create something.





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Unlike a lot of artists I don't use my sketchbook to paint when I travel.  I can never seem to get it together.  But, I am lucky, I have some artist friends who sketch every day and we text these sketches to each other to keep us going.  These are a few sketches from my notebook to show all the different ways you can go with your sketching.  They are all fun, quick and great learning exercises.


This is called blind contouring.  You look at the photo only, put your pen to paper and draw in a continuous line...no peeking.  It's great fun.


This exercise is useful in getting your head into gear.  All it is is drawing lines.

 
  This exercise is fun with kids too.  Just put a line on paper and then try and make something of it.  Also on the bottom I just drew a box and filled it with different shapes.

These are drawings from photos I took.  I use a pen so I can't erase and I try and time myself.  Sometimes it works and others there are lots of cross outs. LOL
Just have fun.

Donna Vines
www.DonnaVinesStudio.etsy.com

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We are in North Carolina helping friends remodel a house, and yesterday we took a day off to go to the mountains. I reached a point in my hike where I knew it was time to stop and sketch in my journal, and I sat on a log and painted.



Carmen

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I almost never paint a portrait, but I do enjoy drawing heads, especially people I know.

My mother, from her high school graduation photo.

My mother's sister, Charlotte


My friend, Linda.


These are all quick sketches, perhaps 15 minutes each.

Carol Schiff
www.CarolASchiff.com
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Jean Thomas
Greetings from St. Maarten!
We recently spent a week on a 44' catamaran near St. Maarten. It was a week full of sailing, snorkeling, eating and drinking and visiting various ports.

 It was a challenge to sketch while the boat was moving, however I did a few while we were anchored. Below is our favorite skipper and first mate, Vincent and Florence, who were both from France. Florence could sail the boat, tend bar, make gourmet lunches and dinners. She was amazing! Vincent kept the boat going (as it turns out, no small feat!)
 As a goodbye gift, I gave them this page in my sketchbook to thank them for an awesome time. Quite a challenge to finish it while the boat was moving and with permanent ink only!
All six of us signed it. So much fun!

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Unfortunately for my artistic development, I do not do much sketching. I have, however, committed to trying to do more in the future. Or should I say "some." 
I did however do a sketch of a detail of a collage I hope to complete this year. It is based on several photos I took on a sail around the island of Capri in Italy several years ago. It was an idyllic experience on an ideal day with good company and plenty of time to stop for a swim or snorkel here and there. I'd like to recapture just a little of that extraordinary memory. 
As I have trouble with determining values, I first made a chart using my drawing pencils. 


Next I tried to find the relative value in each surface of stone on the cliff I hope to represent.
I'm thinking it almost looks like a craggy outcropping. Just what I was aiming for.
PS> That funny little roundish thing on the top left will one day be a little bush. Just saying. 


Fay Picardi

Wednesday, May 29, 2019

Angelfish Oil Painting, Wildlife Painting, Small Oil Painting, Daily Painting SOLD, "Angels on Parade, 8x16x.75" Oil

I am still reliving memories of my trip to the coral reefs off Key Largo last summer.  Today's painting  is inspired by that trip.

SOLD
 Something great happened with this painting......I really liked it!!  I love the texture, the hues, just about everything.  I guess I shouldn't be saying that about my own work, but I do!

I really enjoyed painting this piece and I think it shows.  I think it is important that an artist expresses their feelings in their work and I feel I was able to do that with this piece.  I was not trying to replicate an image, or colors, or even a composition.  I admit I was thinking about a companion piece to the one below.

Fishy School
Purchase here
It was a really good feeling to create these two pieces, more or less, out of my head, and I hope to do more of this in the future.

I have one more fishy piece to show you in my next post.

Thanks for reading my blog today.

Carol Schiff

www.CarolSchiffStudio.blogspot.com
www.CarolSchiffStudio.etsy.com

Friday, May 24, 2019

Wildlife Painting, Snowy Egret Painting, Daily Painting, Small Oil Painting, 11x14" Out on a Limb

One of the joys, of living in Florida, is the abundant wildlife.  It is thrilling to view this majestic birds, almost daily, from my window.

purchase here
11x14"


This one was painted from a photograph, as are most of my work.  He had some glorious shadows on him that I could not ignore.

detail


This is one of those few paintings, that seemed to come easily.  It has left me eager to return to the easel, re-charged and ready to tackle my next project.  I love it when that happens!!





Thanks for stopping by today!

Carol Schiff

Friday, May 10, 2019

But Cereusly, Original Oil Painting on Panel 8x8 Flower Art

I have called these flowers Dragonflower, Cereus, Night-Blooming Cereus, and I still am not sure of the proper name. I welcome any enlightenment anyone can give me. All I know is, it's very hard to catch it blooming, and I was happy to get a good picture of it.
Carmen

Saturday, May 4, 2019

Hello Kitty, 7x5 Original Oil Painting Animal Portrait of Cat


This is my daughter Suzanne's cat, an imperious creature, as you can see. This cat bit me once, but I have a very forgiving nature and honored it with a portrait anyway. Also, I happened to take a dramatic photo that I couldn't resist painting. By the way, the cat's actual name is Hello Kitty.

Carmen

Ballard Park, Original Oil on Canvas

  I had not painted outside in two years, so this was quite a challenge. It was one of those paintings I had to improve upon in the studio. ...