Waiting For a Friend

There were two major opportunities in this little scenario that gave me pause.

The first....a black-lit situation.  These have always made me uncomfortable, as I am a value painter who relishes the shifts of light over the terrain of the human face.  With the light coming from behind, the value play, while atmospheric, is so limited.  In these cases, it seems to me, the silhouette, the profile becomes more important...harder edges result.  So....this case allowed for some practice in this situation.  I find it less interesting, but still enjoyable.

The second....waiting.  I have heard it said that real life is what happens when one is waiting for something more exciting to come along.  This young woman, intent on her phone, was seemingly waiting for cues from "the somewhere else" to amuse and entertain her.  Being a person who immensely enjoys the free play of my own mind, I find this alternative both alien and unsatisfactory.  Being alone provides me with so much pleasure!  People with cell phones are never alone...how sad?

Too Complicated

I have dozens of sketchbooks.  And, since our current sense of time and scheduling has been seriously challenged, I have found myself meandering through these small journals that have taken me on many journeys throughout the years.  They are diaries to me.  And....I have found that my freshest and most appealing observations have been found on these small pages.  They have seen me through vacations with family and friends, through the births of grandchildren and to emergency and waiting rooms at various hospitals. The sketches are often unfinished and imperfect, yet somehow hit the mark.

This is one of my favorites:  an 87 year old woman in the waiting room of a knee surgeon who kept saying to her companion (over and over again):  ..."and that's another example of how things are too complicated these days".
The year:  2012.

She had no idea.

Rest Notes

There is the music score...and then there are the spaces between the notes, the counter spaces, that define the piece every bit as much.  That which is played...and that which is not. 

We were recently treated to a visit from our California dear ones.  As we wanted to make this visit extra special, we participated in so many varied activities.  Our grandson is only six, so we also varied the tempo of our daily doings to include some rest time....mostly to watch shows or movies.  To me, this down time is invaluable.  I enjoyed this down time by opening my book and observing my loved ones as they relax....a pleasure. As we don't see them as often, my sketchbook acts as a bit of a diary, a photo album, of this special time. 

Truly my pleasure.

Ruvati sinks, Mungo Park, Ben Stiller and Naomi Watts

  

While traveling, I have pretty much given up hauling any paint set along, even the smaller travel sets.  Instead, I try to use the small bits of otherwise-unscheduled time to sketch.  These sketches can be aborted at any time.  Some of the unfinished ones are among my favorites!  Over the years, these sketches have become like small journals, little bites of time, where notes remind me of activities and conversations.  Just before Thanksgiving of this year, we were fortunate to rent a "little house" (a charming A-frame) on the Outer Banks, for a few days of quiet and oneness with nature. 

The top sketch is my loving partner engaged in reading, one of his favorite pastimes.  His book is Travels in the Interior of Africa by Mungo Park, a treasure on loan from one of his friends.

The second sketch is our son while we are watching the movie "While We're Young", starring Ben Stiller and Naomi Watts, a light-hearted movie with some bits of wisdom tucked in.....aren't they all?It was a fun way to spend an evening.

The third sketch is of my husband again, keeping warm with his sweatshirt hood surrounding, laying back in the limited amount of lighting available while we discussed the unusually modern and lovely appliances that made this small rental such a pleasure.  We (maybe just I ) have been considering a kitchen update sometime in the future, so we gather ideas when we can.  Although the sketch is a bit unflattering, the spotty play of light made this sketch exciting to do....It conveys a great mood, I think.

When I look back at these some time in the future, I am sure I will be smiling as I recall these sweet and rare hours spent with my dear ones.

The Wee Hours

Sophia   Sketchbook Drawing

are, for me, sacrosanct.  I greet the day, coffee by my side, as I take in my book-of-the-moment.  This is a luxury of my age to be sure.  Sometimes opportunities present themselves in a way that are impossible to resist.  While staying at our son's house, I chose a quiet corner to carry on my morning moments while both he and his wife prepared themselves for work.  Their cat Sophia, who is the quintessential lap cat, snuggled close by just beneath the reading lamp.  I had plenty of time to complete the sketch as she slumbered.  Sleeping beings are so relaxed that their weight literally melds into the support surface, in this case a soft hassock.  My day was begun in deep consideration, admiration and love.  Good Morning Sophia!

On the Move...

Sketchbook Study    Maine Coon

Drawing from life involves patience, much patience, and a bit of luck.  Our son and daughter-in-law have two beautiful Maine Coon cats, as well as a beautiful balcony that overlooks a wooded area and stream in their apartment in balmy North Carolina.  One lovely morning, I sat, watching and sketching, while Gus spent his time catching bugs and admiring the woodland activity.  In this sort of endeavor, I try to have three or so sketches going at one time.  Over the years, I have found that beings of all kinds tend to return to comfortable postures time and time again.  If one is lucky, extremely lucky, some sort of artful drawing results....and sometimes I prefer these small works to more calculated paintings and drawings.  There is a freshness from errant lines and the searching of the pencil. 

A morning well spent.

Opportunities

E. during nap   sketchbook

E. during nap   sketchbook

for sketching abound, albeit some are safer to me than others.  For me, drawing and painting are solitary endeavors, moments where I can truly feel that which is before me.  Sketching in public invites not only conversation, but judgement as well.  My R-brain wishes for solitude and the self-nurturing that comes from this silent communion.  And, yes, it is like a religious experience for me.  The subject is our 3-year-old grandson, an extremely active and rambunctious boy, who literally crashed during his nap time on the couch at the beach.  His body melded into the soft surface.  The second pose was more difficult.  As he moved and adjusted his body, his hat fell off, and his head was in such an awkward position that it appeared almost disjointed.  I checked and rechecked...all seemed correct.  What a beautiful moment!

Sketchbooks...and Time Management

Time is the enemy of many artists....creativity simply cannot be turned on and off like a faucet.  Each day, every day, my schedule is designed to provide a large chunk of time for painting.  When traveling, I have found that bringing along art supplies not only makes the trip more cumbersome, but interferes with the experiences that are ripe for the happening.  My sketchbook is my friend in these situations.  Most of these sketches were made during restful moments during a visit to North Carolina to visit family.  Situations present themselves, all of which provide further lessons for study and for contemplation.  Sketchbook sketches are so sweet to me....more spontaneous, less staged.  Foreshortening provided further and further observation and some surprises as well..all for the simple cost of a sketchbook and some pencils. 

A Gift

S...   a sketchbook drawing

is far too often measured in material terms, especially these days....a thing along with a $5 card to go along with.  A more precious gift is that of time, which is more difficult than ever to come by.  Our recent gift, a lovely new granddaughter, was magnified by two weeks holding, caressing and welcoming her into the world.  Our son and lovely wife live far from us, so the gift was doubly appreciated.  Time spent sketching.  Time spent adoring.  Time to just be.

Although this sketch was never quite finished, I will cherish the moments spent in the doing, in the observation, with her tucked between my legs on the couch.

Winter Naps

Winter Nap   charcoal/pastel   28 x 18

come easily in the dark season....even if you don't wish it.  It must relate somehow to a kind of hibernation...layers of  warm clothing, the warmth of an engaging fire and an early sunset all collaborate to induce sleep.  Drawing a napping person has always been one of my favorite things to do.  The model is happy and relaxed.  Weight is suspended.  I enjoy the articulation of the intersections of person and pillow, of person and support.  "Winter Nap" was drawn from a model at Summit Artspace as a poorly-attended demonstration one winter afternoon.  I so enjoyed this undertaking!  The green was added later - to merge, to liven and to soften.  That year my son was married in San Francisco.  Their wedding photos were shot by a pair of Portland twins who journeyed south for the event.  All of the photos seemed to have a greenish cast which conveyed an earthiness as well as visual mystery.  I decided to try it myself and was pleasantly please with the results.

Napping

Eleanor enjoying Thanksgiving Day...from my sketchbook

is one of the most pleasurable of winter pastimes.  We are, after all, animals who respond to temperature and activity changes.  Sketching nappers is just as pleasurable for me.  The unmoving model (for the most part).  The way the weight of the figure melds into the cushion, the blanket, the pillow.  Some of my best sketches have been nappers.  Quiet.  Quiet.  A treat for both the napper and the observer.

Precious Hours

were spent over the holidays with our grandson "E".  Of course, as is life with a 16-month-old, our activities were punctuated with naps.  Such was the case when we visited Turtle Run park where one can hand-feed the sparrows which is one of our Christmas pleasures.  As we arrived, E. had slipped into naptime while buckled into his car seat...and so I volunteered to stay in the car with him.  Being ever-so-careful and quiet, I slipped my small book and pencil carrier out of my bag and set to work.  Small sketches such as these provide me with continual pleasure, long after the event is over.

Readers...

Ann Reading

make excellent models for sketching studies.  They are engaged in their own very private activity which, I find, allows for a relaxing and honest pose.  They move.  They fidget from time to time.  But I have found that they alternate between two and three positions repeatedly.  So the artist can reply by moving between a like number of sketches.  (two or three for the price of one!)  In this case, Ann is reading from her Kindle while stretched out in the bottom of a boat on a sunny afternoon.

Two people enjoying a grand afternoon.  What could be better?

Sketching...

K. reading and N. playing

is a wonderful way to spend time while you are seated on a dock...on the water...in the sunshine...on an island...in Ontario.  My travel suitcase of art supplies (which is always the first thing packed) includes:  a sketchbook and a variety of pencils; a kneaded eraser; a blending stump; a travel watercolor set with pan colors; some small brushes; a watercolor block 7 x 10; some toweling; and a cup for water.  Nothing grand....after all it is vacation.  My aims are not lofty...just capturing a moment or two of joy when family and friends congregate.  I spent each afternoon in creative contemplation and about half of the sketches and small paintings seemed successful.  My husband enjoys the overlapping of images on a single page, so I will try to do more of that next time.  This page features my daughter-in-law K. who is engrossed in a fine read and my son N. whose spare time always includes making music.  There is a harmonica around his neck and a tambourine under his left foot. 

Our hosts seemed always concerned that we were enjoying ourselves....as would as well.  Not to worry.  Time flies when you're having fun.

Surprise!

On Thursday night my husband surprised me....and I wasn't quite certain I was up for it.  With evenings still in the mid-eighties, we were usually found in front of fans either reading or slowing down from the day by watching totally mindless television.  I was in the process of the wind-down, when he suggested a visit to Ohio Music Shop in Kent for open mic night.  Each musician played three songs while we listened, enjoyed and sketched in theater-style seating in an air-conditioned environment.  What a rare treat!  My usual sketchbook was not in my bag, so I made do with this small notepad.  The parts of the faces not visible were behind the microphone...no matter.  All in all, a perfect evening...fine music, sketching and cold beverages.

Keep Those Hands Busy!

 

I am a fidgeter...real and imagined slight discomforts arise when I try to sit still for longer than, let's say, 10 minutes.  So, drawing while listening provides that needed nervous release during the long evenings of critique.  And, I must say, that doodling also allows for a more intense listening.  My mind doesn't have the opportunity to meander, as both brain parts are functioning.  These small portraits of artist friends were sketched this past week.  Oh so many good paintings were displayed!  So many ideas and so much beauty!  My favorites this time around were three powerful works that shared the element of simple shapes:  the wondrous dark 6 am clouds of Judith Carducci done in a narrow horizontal format (one of my favorites); an early morning patchwork Irish landscape by Ann Emmitt (small but packing a large punch); and the almost-abstract work of three warehouse garage doors by Dan Lindner, the color being pushed to the max.  Perhaps my adoration of these works arises from the fact that these were so very different than my own paintings.  Perhaps I just like them.  But what they all shared was a powerful simplicity.  And our critique leader Jack Lieberman peppered the evening with so much knowledge....knowledge that has accumulated from a lifetime of work and study.  We are a lucky bunch....support and constructive comments.  A perfect evening, methinks.

Graduation!...

Proud Parents  University of Virginia

 is the perfect sketching opportunity.  A few weekends ago, our son received his masters degree in exercise physiology from the University of Virginia, founded in 1819 by President Thomas Jefferson.  The graduation was held on the lawn behind The Rotunda, the original college, teeming with graduates, balloons, expectancy and balloons.  As luck would have it, we ended up on the lawn quite a distance from where the graduate students entered, (ah, that dreaded bread and butter theory) so seeing our graduate enter was out of the question.  We just plopped down to watch the thousands of undergraduates file into the seating area.  Filed and filed and filed.  Thousands of graduates.  Over one hour of pomp.  Lucky for me......my sketch book was in my bag so I was able to entertain myself during the three-hour graduation ceremony and speech given by Katie Couric.  We were so proud.

Detail noted during the event:  the graduates in all of the almost all of disciplines filed in organized lines with a noted degree of maturity and sophistication.....until the end.  Those graduates in liberal arts seemed to immediately break line and move forward with no sense of order whatsoever.....some wearing shorts and sandals, graduation gowns not fastened, with no sense of seriousness at all.  It was at that very moment that I was most proud to hold a B.A degree!

oh, the memories...sketching during family celebrations...Nate in the car

Nate in the Car...a sketch

of Christmas 2011!  They came.  We ate. We played.  We enjoyed.  We hiked.  We listened.  They went.  All the people that I love in this world!  It is always so bittersweet!  The tree has been disassembled and the cookie tin emptied.  I keep in touch with my pencils during this time of altered reality by using small moments for small,  intimate and, hopefully, soft drawings of my loved ones that will sustain me while the merriment ends.  I never ask anyone to pose, so often the drawings remain imperfect and unfinished.  Sometimes that is definitely for the best.  Stopping too soon is always preferable in my book...sketchbook, that is.  Love.

Game On...

Saturday Morning Mancala...a sketch

Competitive gaming on a large scale makes me nervous.  Too much tension.  Too much noise. Too many egos on the line.  But I am always up for board games at home.  I look at these games as mental exercise...they keep the brain moving forward and back, side to side, and help us to discover all kinds of possibilities.  I was fortunate to marry into a family of gamers.  And, as a result, we enjoy Euchre, Oh Hell, Dominoes, Phase 10, Scrabble, Pictionary, Quiddler, Rapidough, Sequence, Jenga and Mancala.  Mancala is our summer game of choice and is permanently set up on the patio for short breaks during the day, or for enjoyment before dinner.  As is the case with all endeavors, what seems simple is actually complex.  The more one plays, the more one is able to see connections that are not initially visible.  "Saturday Morning Mancala" is a small drawing done on a visit to our son's apartment.  He and my husband were playing on the balcony while I peered through the sliding door, trying to capture his head as it pivoted during the game.  It is a small imperfect drawing that gave and still gives me pleasure and sweet memory.

In the still...

Rick reading The Tree by John Fowler...s sketch

of the morning during our wonderful family holiday, I found some time to sketch and sip my morning java at the same time.  What a wonderful way to greet the day!  During these holidays, my studio is tidied and shut down....no large projects underway.  When I get itchy to draw, I contemplate family members before me, loving their contours, loving their similarities and differences.....loving them.  Some sketches are quick.  I ask no one to pose.  My goal is to grab what I am given.  In this sketch my Rick is reading a book which was a gift.  The light is behind him.  It is dim.  It is early.  The fire roars.