The Yellow Sofa

The Yellow Sofa ArtGraf graphite block 36 x 29

Our mornings begin with reading. The simple shapes and backlighting of this scene were too much to pass up. Photo references were shot and I relished the opportunity to experiment more with ArtGraf graphite blocks. This medium is DENSE...and then some. My previous attempts were far too dark, far too opaque and I yearned for more of a continuum from softly rendered to opaque and dense. I find that these are unlike any other drawing mediums...adding water makes them even more dense. It really did take a while to find my footing....and some semblance of a comfort zone. While most mediums thin out and become more transparent with the addition of water, these graphite blocks are the exception. I quickly became more judicious about crossing the surface with a wide brush loaded with water. This work was done on 140# hot press watercolor paper. I like the final result, which has a bit of everything, yet reads boldly from a distance. I am not sure that I would use this medium on a subject with a softer inclination. And, typically, true to me, I seem to yearn for that which I do not have.....my next work will be a more softly rendered one using softer drawing tools.....conte crayon, charcoal or pastel.

Fish?...considering a subject that is back-lit...Respite

Respite   Watercolor   8 x 17

Yes, fish.  I have never liked fish, to be honest.  I have tried introducing it into our menus several times over the years, but everyone always seemed so disappointed.  But the givens are:  we needed to drop a few holiday pounds; we needed to engage in a healthier diet; and I am currently trying to mix things up as far as experiencing the new and disengaging former prejudices.  OK, then.  Fish.  Our watercolor assignment was a winter landscape.  At that time, we had absolutely no snow, and none on the horizon.  I selected an image from my files of a woodpecker that was back-lit...certainly a subject that I would usually shun.  It became a bit of a challenge as the hard edges were overwhelming and I was quick to soften them.  The bird itself was rendered a bit more brightly than in my soft grayed reference photo.  Also, the notion of just "too much white" came into play as I softened and dropped in reflective snow colors....green and pink.  It is quite the challenge to imply snow without so very much white.  The resultant painting looks a bit like Asian silk, certainly not an effect that I sought, that resulted nonetheless.  A new taste.  A new experience.  Back-lit.  Palatable.