Celeste, Graphite Drawing on Paper, 8x10 by Carmen Beecher

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I've been so busy on a big project with songwriter Bobby Braddock that I have had no time for new items to post. I did manage to find some time to do this drawing and had fun with the hair. 

Carmen

Mermaid, 11x17 Graphite on Nautical Chart

I put this chart far away from me and looked at it until I saw something in it--and that something was a mermaid. I elaborated on that until this denizen of the deep appeared.

Carmen

Workshop Time

As you can see from my last post one of my main objectives at Elio's last workshop was to learn as much about color.  Interestingly enough the next painting I did was in black and white.  This was much harder than using colors.  I realized after watching his demo and listening to his comments as he painted that I really need to learn about value then color would follow.
Donna Vines

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Good Harbor Beach

Looking at some more hand painted photos I thought it would be interesting to post some New England scenes.  This is Good Harbor Beach in Gloucester, MA.  It is one of the most popular beaches in Glouceste, especially with the locals. 
One one side you have to walk over a bridge from the road to get to the beach and the bridge goes over a natural inlet that the kids love.  It is a shallow, safe place for the little ones to play and the water is not as cold.
You can see the creek on the right in this photo. 
Donna Vines

Good Harbor Beach

New England Scene

I am going to Massachusetts for a visit in a week or so.  One of my goals when I am up there besides visiting family and friends and eating all those local treats is to take lots of photos.  I love going on photo shoots when I am there.  It is a great excuse to just drive around and re-acquaint myself with the ocean, marshes and rugged coast line.
Years ago one of my favorite things to paint was black and white photos.  I loved the old post cards and portraits from the turn of the century that were hand painted.  They had such a wonderful hazy glow to them.  They always looked liked they were someones dream of how a place should look.  I still have a few of the ones I did.  This one is in Rockport, MA.  These cottages overlook the ocean and as we used to say, "Next stop England".
Donna Vines



Rockport

Experiment I

I have been experimenting again with abstracts.  I found a wonderful workbook at the Library called The Artist Unique: Discovering Your Creative Signature by  Carmen Torbus.  I liked it so much that I check Amazon to see if I could buy a used copy and they had it for free if you have a Kindle!! That is a great deal.  Happily I did upload it. 
This is one of the exercises from the workbook.  I used gesso, gel, texturing tools
(aka a plastic fork and credit card), some old sheet music and acrylic paints.  Once I collaged the sheet music on I decided to stick with black and white.  The enjoyment of this piece is seeing how the paint reacts to the surface.  It run, puddles and settles in all the nooks and crannies.  This was a fun exercise that made me want to try again with different textures and colors.
Donna Vines

Oh, What a Tangled Drawing We Weave...

Madame X

What do I do when I'm sick and can't lift a brush? I lift a pen. I doodle away in my nest on the couch. The lady above is named for Sargent's famed Madame X, because I like her attitude. This is a Zentangle style (if you don't know what that is, look it up in Pinterest. There are Zentangles a-plenty).

Tangletree

 My tree is not really a true Zentangle-type drawing, though I did use patterns in the shading. I am fascinated by twisty trees, real or imagined.

I am over my vicious virus so it's back to the easel today. Yippee!

Carmen Beecher

Flamingo Dancer, Pen and Ink by Carmen Beecher

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This is for all those who call "Flamenco" "Flamingo." Just a gentle hint that they are mispronouncing it. I like the rose in her teeth--if she had teeth. After seriously painting so many birds in oils, this is just plain fun.

Fancy Feathers, 5x7 Pen and Ink Drawing by Carmen Beecher

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 I felt a bit Seussical and Zentanglish at the same time, so I made up a bird. It's the Mantilla-Crowned Checkertail.

Fancy Feathers, 5x7 Pen and Ink Drawing by Carmen Beecher

$38, Click to Purchase

Sometimes I feel a bit Seussical and Zentanglish at the same time, and this is the result, a flight of fancy (pardon the pun).

More Collage Demo

Femme Fatale

As Donna said, we both talked about collage at the Cape Canaveral Pen Women meeting. There are so many kinds of collage, and I was taught by Derek Gores, so it's very different from Donna's style. Her way has no rules, and mine has Derek's rules. In actuality, it can be anything the artist wants to do, but certain things I learned from Derek stuck, and I like the effect I get. For instance, he says, "Don't use the thing for the thing." Don't use a picture of lips for the lips, for example. 

Below is a partially completed collage of a tree frog that I used to show the process. I sketch my subject then draw over it with a Sharpie so that I don't lose my drawing while slapping paper and glue around. One thing I like is the fact that the paper wrinkles don't matter. I like anything in which wrinkles don't matter. In fact, they add interest and character. Learn to love the wrinkles. 

posted by Carmen

Steve Jobs - Completed Collage

I suppose I should have read his biography first, but I was pressed for time, so I did this collage and now I'm reading the biography. He was a fascinating person and, as the book says, he revolutionized computers, animated movies, music, phones, tablet computing, and digital publishing. I can tell you from personal experience that once you go Mac...you never go back.

The sketch:

Posted by Carmen