Dominick the Donkey

5x7 water soluble graphite on paper (greeting card)
$30 + $5 sh

One of many small original sketches available at our "open studio" event.

****

Wednesday -  November 20th - 4 -8 pm

Joel's Coffee House

11301 Lakeline Blvd, Ste 120

Austin, TX 78717

***

Upcoming Events: 

• November 20: Chocolate and Chiaroscuro Event, Joel's Coffee House, Austin
• November 29: Major's Fundraising Art Sale begins 
• December 6: Small Gems show dk Gallery, Marietta, GA

Jenny and Jill Sketch

A page from my sketchbook

When I've had a few minutes to sit down lately - in between errands, chores, volunteering, dog vetting, party hostessing, decorating and undecorating, etc. - I've been sketching. Mostly with the water soluble charcoal. But after awhile, I felt that I had no finesse with it so I switched to a mechanical pencil. It may have something to do with my paper in my sketchbook as well. This is rougher than my last book... and I prefer smooth... just like my painting surfaces.

I was working from photos on the laptop this evening when I found these mules and liked their faces. I painted them awhile ago and the painting is still available at Castle Gallery.

Here is an image of the painting and the gallery's mobile site from my handy iPhone. 

All this work in grays has me craving color. I cannot allow so much other stuff (the computer/email especially!) get in the way of painting the rest of this week!

Florida Backroads

Arrived on Saturday to a very nice rainstorm. Hadn't seen rain in quite some time. We lounged about yesterday and today took a trip over to Homossasa Springs and saw manatees and a bunch of other wildlife. I sat in the front sketching the gorgeous passing scenery. Lots of trees - such beautiful old oaks! All dripping that romantic looking spanish moss. Lots of horses and cows. Its all so lush and green. Very different from Austin! I am inspired by everything here. There is a great deal of "atmosphere" - a blue haze that makes the distance recede so beautifully.

Above are just a couple little vignettes from my sketchbook. The sunset here at home might be worth painting in oil tonight. Or maybe deep dusk over the pond. I'd better go get ready.

A Page from my Sketchbook

I went downtown this morning to paint with Plein Air Austin again. Rather than painting, I opted to sketch. I had a great view south on Congress and got much of the street going when a thoughtful model came and filled the perfect seat there to give my drawing some life... and a focal point. Dead center.... but it works for this. There was a friend with him who will perfectly balance out the left corner when I make this an oil painting.
I have only recently begun to take this sketching seriously. I have always loved to draw, but now am using it more and more to prepare for finished paintings. While I focus on a scene from life, I am developing the oil painting in my head. This scene is not nearly so interesting in a photo, but because I studied the light, the shadows, the sihouettes against the light, and the drawing, the painting will be so much more interesting. I've solved a lot of problems already. And a sketch like this will only help me retain that gestural quality I like to get in my finished paintings. Something that is a real challenge with buildings! Stay tuned to see how I do!

Watching Rehearsal

pencil sketch

This little girl was in her leotard, just came from her dance class, and got to watch the big girls rehearse The Nutcracker.

21st World Wide Sketchcrawl

This morning I finally got to go on a Sketchcrawl with a bunch of fellow Austin artists. We met at Ruta Maya coffee house and fortified ourselves with coffee and hot cocoa. Then worked our way up South Congress Ave. (SoCo) It was fun being back in these areas. I used to live down there and it has a really fun and funky vibe that is distinctly Austin. I walked, I sketched, I shopped, I chatted with a nomadic photographer and bought some of his lovely photos, and I finished by getting a few cupcakes to go from Hey Cupcake - located in a shiny silver airstream parked on a vacant lot.


Ruta Maya and my mug o'cocoa


Empty mug - it was really good cocoa. I almost had to get more, but given that this was the large, I thought I might be overdoing it.


I stopped the car real quick to get a sketch of these folks selling tomatoes from their van. What I wonder is who "certifies" that they are organic?


I bought this recycled metal goat at The Great Outdoors garden center. Very cool place.


The airstream cupcakery and chips and "soda" (not salsa) at Gueros Taco bar.


And my final sketch, back home. My dog likes to to rest on the very top of the couch cushions and pillows. She is like princess and the pea on top of many layers of softness.

I can't tell you how much fun this was. Really, what it was, was relaxing. I just walked and observed and watched the world go by and it was very cathartic. I highly recommend a jaunt like this.

ps - I love my new pen - thanks Mom!

Self Portraits

The Daily Painter's Gallery wanted to do a self-portrait showcase on Wednesday, so I am posting to have my work placed with the others in the gallery. A self portrait is something I've contemplated doing lately. But I've been very lazy. I've been so relieved to have my normal routine back that I can't figure out what to do first. So I've been sketching, reading, relaxing and thinking a lot. I think that counts as gearing up for my next paintings. I did these very quick sketches tonight while my daughter was in her bath. My reflection was in the window next to me. Not very clear. I contemplated going further and getting a little Picasso action with the double shapes I was seeing. As it is, I did a contour type drawing and a pencil sketch. I think I like the contour best.



Thinking about self portraits, I look up on the wall in my studio and see this self-portrait I did 8 years ago. It was so labored. I remember hating the work. I did a complete grayscale charcoal sketch, transferred it to canvas, did an underpainting in burnt umber (or sienna, who knows) and then worked into the opaques - and worked and worked and worked. And never got to color.


(detail view)

I wonder if that style of painting eventually helped me to hone the loose, alla prima style I am achieving now, or if it was just a way to work for awhile. I think when I got into plein air painting I realized that the underpainting was not going to work. I've since abandoned it completely. Sometimes not even toning or shading areas of light and dark. Just going straight into color, opaque and/or transparent.

I find the alla prima style so much more suited to my tastes - its energizing to paint and to look at I think. I am amazed by the work that some artists are able to put into a piece and I admire their superior craftsmanship, but I find that the work that really turns my head is that which was created with minimal description, with passion and - well - that conveys the artist's impression. Something in which a piece of the artist's heart or soul is in the work and which has been interpreted through their hands, and comes out something new. I read somewhere that some great contemporary (i.e. living) artist was quoted that to be able to make the mundane beautiful was the mark of a real master.

I'm waxing poetic this evening. I usually have a very hard time expressing "arty" thoughts ( I did not say artsy fartsy.) Though people tell me I am a good writer, this particular subject is hard for me to express. Speaking of, if anyone wants to volunteer to jot down a blurb or two for a bio for me, step on up!! :-)