2016

I always feel like I should start something new in January. I'm resisting that feeling and continuing this blog, rather than launch another new one. I have way too many blogs already!

Here are a few things I'm working on right now.



A new journal has inspired this drawing. See, this idea of new things is quite compelling. I bought it from a missionary to China who visited our church. A paraplegic Chinese man makes them to support himself. I have no idea what kind of paper it is, but it's quite thin, has a fine tooth, and erases beautifully. It's 5.25 x 7.25". I figured I could practice in it, since I haven't been doing much drawing recently. I'm using an old #2 pencil and my kneaded eraser. A recent photo of my granddaughter provided the subject matter. Not a ringer for her, but getting there.





This is an odd point of view, but a painting that's dear to my heart. My son's dog died last year and this was the last picture taken of him. Such a character, he would often be found snuggled up to my son. Inverted on his lap...of course. I'm working on some PastelMat, which is extremely absorptive paper. I think I may just use this one as practice and do another one on watercolor paper. Of course, all you're seeing here is the ugly stage, the first hour of slopping gouache onto the paper. But I like the start, so we'll see where it goes. It's about 9.5" x 8.5" now, but I intend to crop it down.





Another one in the Chinese journal, just playing with a view of my old home town, Albuquerque. There's a web camera on the west side of the city that I watch. Occasionally I grab screen shots from it. Here I just had some fun with values. I like the angles. You can see how thin this paper is in the strong side light in this photo. I only consider these practice pieces!





I have an idea for a project I might make for my granddaughter this Easter that would involve drawing some sheep, so I thought I'd practice them. This is a very quick sketch done in a small Moleskine pad, about 3"x 5" in size. It's hard to get the skeletal structure of these creatures beneath the wool. I'm going to keep sketching and see what comes before I decide on this gift idea. I always try to give my grand some little handmade things.