Blueberries galore!

Yep.... still picking blueberries!

It truly is a bumper crop this year. So far there have been 104 quarts of berries picked by us and various family members, plus more berries that were not counted picked by neighbors and such. Of those 104 counted, I've picked around 53 quarts myself. Yes, I now have my degree in Blueberryology. I also have bluish tinted fingernails, quite a few scratches (the best blueberries are at the top of the bush and on the inside... so I stretch and crawl to get those prize berries), and one wasp sting to date. I consider myself fortunate.... only one sting in a season is good!

The berries ripened differently this year. We had lots of rain in the Spring (which came at the right time for the bushes and gave us the bumper crop), but instead of ripening gradually - over a five to six week period - as they usually do, most of them ripened within a two to three week period. We've picked the majority of berries now (it usually takes until the last of July or early August to get to this point) so I hope to set berrying aside and get back to art and blogging.

And..... good news..... I signed up for extended reach internet! It's still not high speed, but it's as good as it's going to get around here until Embarq comes through with true high speed sometime in the next year or so. I was going to hold out for the real high speed, but decided I can't wait another year. The extended reach is about 13 times faster than dial up so that will make my life - and blogging - a little easier. It takes forever to do things on the net when the pages load oh-so-slowly!

Have a great weekend .... I have a few more berries to pick and then I'm going to donate any remaining berries to the birds!

Still here...up to my neck in blueberries!

No, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth. Yet!

We have a bumper crop of blueberries this year. Now, I love blueberries, but this is a major task!

We have over a dozen mature bushes, most of them 10-12 feet high and generously wide. Translation: Many hours in the hot sun picking berries while fending off the wasps that love them as much as we do. Then, for each picking session, several more hours sorting and freezing the berries. We usually start picking the first week in July and continue through the first week of August. By then we've seen enough of the yummy sweet berries.

I'll try to get back to blogging as soon as I can. In the meantime, I'll be on a ladder, bucket in hand, reaching for the biggest berries!

Gone..... again!

I'll be out of town and offline for a few days. Will be next week before I catch up with all of you again :-(

Hope you have a great weekend and I'll "see" you next Thursday or Friday!

Newspaper column for June 2009

O say, does that Star Spangled Banner yet wave?

It happens every time, but perhaps more so at the American Legion dance in Benson. My husband, Milton, plays in a band. Once a month we play the Benson American Legion. The Legion is a great place with a lively and diverse crowd that’s fun to be with. Most honored (and rightly so) among this group are the veterans- veterans of wars recent and wars long past, going all the way back to World War II. In fact, the dance at Benson began during World War II, which makes it the longest running dance in eastern North Carolina.

The band starts playing at eight o’clock, but before the dance begins we stand for the playing of the National Anthem. When the familiar notes ripple out in rousing harmony the crowd rises to their feet, and I scan the room around me, watching the older veterans. Some rise slowly, with obvious effort. Gone is the litheness of youth. But present still is a spirit full of life. They stand, with shoulders squared and eyes turned reverently toward the large flag held by a fellow vet. Their gaze does not waver. Their expression reveals love, loyalty, and pride in the country they served. And that’s when it happens. As I stand with hand over heart, to this most patriotic of rituals I feel the familiar response .... goosebumps appear on my arms, my scalp prickles, and a tremendous pride in this country and love for its people wells up within me. In a few minutes, the splendid notes fade away, the crowd enthusiastically cheers and the night’s entertainment begins. Next month we will salute the flag again, and I’ll feel the very same way.

Some of you are aware that my family and I moved here from England several decades ago. I’m the bridge generation in my family: my Dad served in England’s Royal Navy and my son served in the United States Navy, so I have ties to both countries. I’ll always love my native homeland, but America is home and I’m honored and proud to pledge allegiance to this wonderful country.

I’ve wanted to write this column for several years. But what to say about America that hasn’t already been said? I could write endless pages on its beauty: Ocracoke’s quaint village and pristine beaches, Maine’s eye-poppingly gorgeous coastline, Utah’s majestic mountains and golden Aspen glades, Chicago’s fascinating Lake Shore Drive, Texas fields full of wildflowers, Florida’s endless blue waters, South Carolina’s peach trees and swimming holes (in my opinion South Carolina peaches are the best!), Louisiana’s bayous, and Virginia’s historic towns... and this names only a few highlights.

America’s scenic beauty is equally matched by her people- a people independent, brave, original, creative and adventurous. Still more admirable is this nation’s open-heartedness and kindness; and tragedy-stricken people the world over have been the recipients of this national generosity.

No, America is not perfect- but when I moved here I didn’t expect it to be. But neither did I expect the overwhelmingly warm welcome, love and care showered upon us by our new neighbors and friends. We were (and still are) truly thankful for the generous, caring spirit of America’s people... the neighbor who’s quick to share fresh produce from their garden, the neighbor who left a watermelon on your front porch while you were out (what a nice greeting to come home to!), the neighbor who brings you chicken soup when you’re sick, the neighbor who takes care of your pet while you’re out of town. What a wonderful thing to live amongst people like this. This, then, is why I love America. Yes, it’s beautiful with its "amber waves of grain", "purple mountain majesties" and "shining seas", but most beautiful of all is its people. America is still a truly blessed nation.

Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn’s early light,

What so proudly we hail’d at the twilight’s last gleaming?

Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro’ the perilous fight,

O’er the ramparts we watch’d, were so gallantly streaming?

And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air,

Gave proof thro’ the night that our flag was still there.

O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave

O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

Yes, thank God, the Star Spangled Banner yet waves.

Blue Girl finished!

Posting the finished version of Blue Girl. This was such an enjoyable portrait... I enjoyed every minute of it!

Had some recent [mis]adventures with Internet Explorer 8. After downloading the update to IE 8 I had no internet at all! This went on for several days and though I tried every trick I could think of (which wasn't very many) nothing worked. Since I couldn't download another browser (because no web pages would show up) my son burned Firefox onto a CD, we loaded it... and Ta Da! Internet! I never knew what I was missing... I like Firefox much better than IE.... so I guess that was the silver lining in my internet cloud.

Blue Girl WIP #6A and 6B

(9 x 12, Colored Pencil with watercolor underpainting)

She's got hair!

Posting two WIP's... the whole portrait to date and a close up of her face.

I've given her some hair and made some refinements to her face (they were necessary... really!). Blue Girl will have a chance to sit for a while before I work on it again ... I'll be out of town - and offline - for a few days so I hope you have a good weekend and I'll catch up with you about the middle of next week.

Newspaper column for May 2009

Sneaky Snakes and Gluttonous Guests

In recent years, as I’ve gotten older, and, I suppose, more mellow, I’ve become fascinated by the world of nature surrounding me. Though I’ve always appreciated the outdoors in terms of beautiful scenery, lately I’ve become interested enough in nature - birds in particular - to observe them regularly and even do a little research. I can actually identify a few birds now- besides the very obvious Cardinals, Blue Jays and woodpeckers.

Regularly visiting our bird feeder, besides the cardinals and one red bellied woodpecker, are a variety of other birds including the Indigo Bunting, a nuthatch, the Eastern Towhee, a Blue Grosbeak, one spectacularly colored Red Headed Woodpecker, plus a few others whose names I’ve yet to learn. Also congregating around the feeder are the softly colored Mourning Doves, at least one Brown Thrasher, and, predictably, way too many blackbirds, grackles and crows- those unwelcome and ill-mannered banquet crashers who descend in raucous cawing mobs to decimate the supply of sunflower seeds while bullying away the smaller, less aggressive birds. Darn pests!

A couple of weeks ago a male Kill Deer (yes, the male!) built a nest in the rocks of a ditch across from our house. The nest was really nothing more than a shallow, round depression in the rocks. The bird had used smaller pieces of rock to line the nest - not exactly my idea of comfortable or cozy. Nonetheless, in a few days three Kill Deer eggs were lying in their extra firm bed. Every time the hubby and I went for a walk we passed the nest, and though we tried to avoid upsetting Mama Kill Deer it was inevitable. At first sight of us she went into her famous broken wing routine. She quickly hopped off the nest, ran wildly down the road, and then while rolling over on her side and turning her wing at an awkward angle, she flapped the "broken" wing helplessly and squawked for dear life. It was, of course, an elaborate charade, designed to draw a predator’s attention away from her nest and eggs. The idea was that a predator would see an "injured" bird - an easy meal - and pursue her. When the predator got close, Mama Kill Deer made an amazing recovery and flew off! For a week we checked on the nest during our evening walks. After a few days, she began to relax a little- enough so that if we stayed on the far side of the road she didn’t leave the nest, although she watched us intently as we passed by. We thoroughly enjoyed watching her and hoped that she’d successfully raise her young. But we were doubtful. Last year we lost three broods of baby Bluebirds to snakes. The Kill Deer eggs, in their out-in-the open location, were easy pickings for snakes and other predators. So we continued to watch and hope for the best. One day we went to check the nest, and as we approached there was no sound or movement. Not a good sign. We were disappointed to see an empty, abandoned nest. I looked around carefully... no signs of any disturbance or broken egg shells... probably the clean work of a snake. Darn snake. What a struggle life is for birds... it seems that only a minority of them actually hatch and grow to adulthood. The next week another Kill Deer made a nest in our side yard. The nest soon had three speckled eggs clustered in the center. We watched. After a few days the eggs were devoured by a predator. Again, no signs of disturbance around the nest. Darn sneaky snake. I began to harbor exceedingly malevolent thoughts about this persistent and efficient predator, and considered ways to bring about his untimely end should he be so unfortunate as to be spotted by me. Thus far, he’s been more successful in eluding me than his helpless victims were in eluding him.

The Kill Deer are not alone in living this everyday struggle that is their life. At the same time the Kill Deer were nursing their eggs, we also had baby bluebirds in the bluebird house; a three egg nest in my tall butterfly bush (I haven’t seen the mother fly off the nest and not sure what kind of eggs they are); and one superbly built nest in the domed cover of the gauge on the propane gas tank in the back yard (photo above). From doing a little reading, I think the eggs under the gas tank gauge cover belong to a Carolina Chickadee. Chickadees usually lay between five and seven eggs, white with reddish brown markings. Bingo! We have six eggs fitting that description. For such a small bird the nest is quite impressive. Sturdily built, it slopes down from a high side on one end to a taper on the low end - a cornucopia-like shape. The nest cavity is quite deep and is lined with fine, soft bedding (baby Chickadees obviously have more cushy digs than baby Kill Deer). So far, so good on the Chickadees. We’re keeping our fingers crossed. As for the baby Bluebirds, I’m happy to report that the youngsters fledged and went their way into the world. The unidentified eggs in the butterfly bush did not fare so well- the next time I checked on them they were gone. Mostly likely that darn snake again.

I look back and am surprised that until recent years I was fairly oblivious to the life and death struggle and everyday adventures going on all around me. It’s been an eye-opener and source of wonder to stop and really observe nature. It may sound corny, but each season is now fresh and new, and every baby bird, newly opened flower, and spectacular sky is a mini miracle. Albert Einstein said, "There are two ways to live your life; one is as though nothing is a miracle, and the other is as though everything is a miracle". In my younger years I was in the first category, with a little age and perhaps a little wisdom I’m happy to now find myself in the latter category.

Blue Girl WIP #5

I meant to post another WIP before I got quite this far along, but art is so intoxicating that when I get into it I forget about everything else... including taking photos for WIPS!

Most of her face is about finished, and I've lightly drawn in some basic hair shapes. Her hair will be the next thing to do. I want to lighten up her skin a little on the areas of her face that reflect the most light- the watercolor underpainting gave quite a bit of color and needs toning down in some areas. This is fairly easily accomplished and I've liked having that initial layer down before starting with cp's. Will probably go that route again on with some other portraits.

"Blue Girl" has been the most enjoyable portrait to date. I've been much more relaxed, have had very little re-do's, and have looked forward to working on it. I'd like to think that has something to do with the hours I've spent practicing, experimenting, reading about and studying portraiture - enough so that some of the info has gelled and I can begin to focus a little more on how I want to interpret a portrait rather than how do I achieve this effect or that effect. I've got little scrap pieces of various types of art paper scattered around my art table where I've tried out different techniques and colors. This "playing around" has been a tremendous help, and I save these labeled experiments to refer to as needed.

Something else that's making a difference in my work process... I've begun to develop a basic palette that I'm comfortable with when painting skin, eyes and mouths. My palette may change as I continue to experiment, but knowing ahead of time what colors to use to get the effect I'm after saves a lot of what my mother would call "dithering around". So far the pencils and colors that I "must have" are: Prismacolor: white, cream, jasmine, light peach, beige, peach, goldenrod, blush pink, rosy beige, clay rose, carmine red, henna, raspberry, light umber and dark umber; Lyra: light flesh, raw umber, cinnamon; Polychromos: light flesh, light yellow ochre, burnt ochre; Caran d'ache: light ochre, venetian red, sanguine. It should be noted that I've fairly recently started using Polychromos and Caran d'ache, so I only have a few colors as a trial and am still getting acquainted with them. So far I'm very impressed with both brands...and I'm particularly in love with Venetian Red by Caran d'ache... a wonderful color for subtle shading on faces! Other colors (for irises, hair, etc) I use as needed and haven't settled down with any particular favorites yet.

Blue Girl WIP #4

9x12, Colored Pencil on Stonehenge with watercolor underpainting.

Made some progress on the Blue Girl. Added a little more detail to her hat and got quite a bit done on the eyes, although I'll add more modeling around the eye area as I model other areas of the face. I've also put three very light cp layers down on her face, covering the initial watercolor wash. I like the look of smooth, soft skin (especially on young children) so I'll be paying particular attention to very gradual color changes as I introduce the shadows and highlights that will bring dimension to the face. Although it doesn't look like I've done that much since the last WIP, there's actually quite a bit of time involved in those light layers and careful painting of the eyes. I took my time doing her eyes as I'm determined to work as often as I can by Laure's motto of "Get in, get it down, get out!".... in other words, as little re-doing as possible.

A Special Post for Jeanne!

This post is in honor of Jeanne (visit her blog here). It's her birthday today! It's a special birthday... one of those milestone days... but be it far from me to reveal any numeric details.

Jeanne was one of the first people that I really got to know through blogging. Though we've never met in person (we live on opposite sides of the US... she all the way over to the west in California, and me all the way over to the east in North Carolina- 3,000 miles apart) we've developed a special friendship that includes regular emails interspersed with entertainingly chatty phone calls. Jeanne is a joy to know. She has a wonderful, quirky sense of humor, makes charming and colorful art, and is just a delight.

And now, Jeanne, you may not be aware of this, but I'm known to write [appallingly corny] poems. So, in honor of your birthday, is one such [appallingly corny] poem written just for you:

She loves chocolate and cookies,
TV and art;
Bill, Penny and Friday,
and sketching in the park.

She lives in California,
where the Beverly Hillbillies went to,
Though I'm not a hillbilly,
I send this greeting from the South to you.

Celebrate this milestone birthday-
may it be a wonderful year,
Filled with all the things you love:
Family, friends, doggies
blogging, art and good cheer!

Happy Birthday my friend.... wishing you a Special Day and a Wonderful Year!

Blue Girl WIP and other ramblings.....

After a short but happy fling with oils and landscapes, I'm back to colored pencil and a portrait. Truthfully, I'm still surprised that I like colored pencil as much as I do... but since I keep answering the siren call of those beguiling sticks of color I guess I'm officially hooked. 'Course, I really like the Artisan oils too so I plan to continue working with them as well. Nice to switch back and forth between two refreshingly different mediums.

I'm posting the reference for the latest portrait and a couple of WIPs. Since I love to experiment I approached this portrait a little differently... I did a detailed drawing first. I usually just start with basic outlines and "draw" as I paint. Only problem with that is with portraits there's little to no fudge room and if something has to be re-done (not that I would ever do a thing like that) it's a hassle getting several layers of color off... whereas if there's a problem with the initial pencil drawing... ha! my trusty eraser will make it vanish faster than you can say "Hey, Presto!".

I'm also trying a watercolor underpainting. I'm doing this primarily for speed (because it will put a fast layer of light color down where I don't want the white of the paper showing, thus saving me a layer or two of painstaking pencil "washes"). That's the general idea anyway... whether or not it works to my satisfaction- I'll get back to you on that!

Lastly, if you're reading this and I normally read your blog ... don't give up on me yet! I've had a lot going on with family commitments the last couple of weeks (one son and his fiancee flying off to Costa Rica for a two week wedding/honeymoon/beach and surfing vacation, the other graduating from NC State... Go Wolfpack!) so I've had little time on the computer. Tomorrow I'll have access to a computer with high speed internet (thanks, Dad!) and plan to catch up then... in what will be record time for me (since I'm still on dial up... which should be called TurtleNet).

Have a great weekend!

BTW - the reference photo came from WetCanvas - thank you to the generous person who uploaded it.

Maine Cove

A couple of years ago we vacationed in Maine. Wow...what a take-your-breath-away gorgeous place! (Would love to live there provided I had a reliable heating system, a snow blower and a home office/studio!). I took lots of photos to use as references for paintings.... but this is the first painting of Maine that I've done.

I used the Artisan oils again and imposed two conditions on myself for this mini painting (it's an ACEO):

1. Spend no more than 30 minutes on the painting from initial sketch to last stroke of paint

2. No re-doing.... for any reason whatsoever

I actually managed to abide by both conditions. I do see some things I'd like to change (no surprise there :-), but I left it alone and will try to keep those things in mind on the next painting.

Newspaper column for April 2009

The Cure for Sea Fever

Sea-Fever by John Masefield

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking,
And a gray mist on the sea’s face and a gray dawn breaking.

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again to the vagrant gypsy life.
To the gull’s way and the whale’s way where the wind’s like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And a quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over.

I had a nagging case of sea fever; possibly caused by the confinement of winter months, or perhaps by the siren song of spring that beckoned me to like a child begging an adult to "come and see what I made". And so, ignoring the disapproval of chores that needed to be done, errands that waited to be run and a dozen other "should-do’s" that snatched greedily at my time, I turned a deaf ear and listened instead to the call of the sea.

A light picnic was packed to suffice as an evening meal and mid-afternoon the hubby and I took off for the beach. It was the right decision. A lovely spring day awaited us with storybook blue skies and scudding white clouds. On the ride down, I turned my head from side to side, looking, unwilling to miss anything. Dogwoods, tulip trees, early azaleas, late narcissus and clusters of little wildflowers all bloomed exuberantly and I silently applauded their show.

Arriving at the beach, we climbed steps that rose over a dune, and at the top, stood still. After winter's pale stillness, there’s magic in that first glance at the lilting sea, resplendent in myriad shades of blue and green and capped with white at the shoreline. I took a deep, slow breath, reveling in the salty air and the sound of the sea. My eyes followed the waves that curled, crested and then, relaxed, rolled gently onto the beach. Time fell away, the "should-do’s" ceased to exist, and a peaceful feeling of belonging seeped in.

There were few beach-goers this early in April. I was glad. Glad to listen only to the lulling waves and cries of the gulls. Life at the shore is reduced to simpler elements, and simpler felt good, felt lighter. Like losing ten pounds; not in body, but in spirit.

I had brought a heavy jacket, expecting a cold and cutting wind. But the day was benevolent and I was comfortable wearing jeans and a shirt. Spring’s gentle sun dropped sparkling highlights on the waves and shimmered on the wet sand. Along the tideline the sand was studded with shells; mostly broken, but still beautiful in their variety and color. Wet, they glistened, jewels against a velvet cloth, and I picked up the gems I thought beautiful and dropped them safely into a bag. A good subject for a painting, perhaps.

The hubby loves to feed the sea gulls, so we came prepared with a whole loaf of bread. After the quiet months of winter the gulls were cautious. As the season wore on they would once again accustom themselves to the beach crowds that annually invade their realm. But at the moment they were skittish. The small bread chunks thrown out to them rolled to a standstill where they lay untouched as the gulls, tempted, stared, started forward, then thought better of it and stepped back. So the hubby threw the bread farther out and finally the boldest among them claimed his prize. Then another stepped forward, and another, until soon we were surrounded by a gaggle of gulls all vying for the morsels flying across the sand. They were comical, reminding me of children squabbling and scuffling for the best piece of candy. When one grabbed a piece of bread, another one close by would squawk loudly in protest. Sometimes two or three gulls dived after the same bit of bread and when one caught it, the unsuccessful gulls set off a clamorous chorus of disgruntled and envious complaining. We spent several minutes watching and enjoying the gulls while they enjoyed the food. Eventually, the bread was gone and we expected them to leave immediately. Instead they stood around, looking at us expectantly as if to say, "We’re waiting". They were quiet now, and their fears allayed by the food, had come within a few feet of us. They stood regarding us with an open and patient gaze. We started walking back to the steps over the dune and for a few feet we had company. Then, realizing that meal time was over, one by one the gulls left, circling out over the sea in search of more food.

It was a good evening. There was time to be quiet, time to talk, time to rest. We wondered why we didn’t do this more often. There wasn’t any reason not to. It didn’t require a week, or even a whole day. Just a couple of hours at the beach had gone a long way to curing sea fever. The wind and waves had done their work - as I knew they would. And that night I slept the quiet sleep with the sweet dreams of those who go down to the seas.

New Paints! ... Artisan Oils

(2.5 x 3.5 on gesso primed canvas paper)

I spent about an hour and a half trying out my new Artisan Oil Paints. They're made by Winsor & Newton and are water mixable. I was curious to see if the fumes bothered me, as traditional oils do. So far, no fume problems!

The subject is a Roundhouse in Cornwall, England - and it was LOTS of fun to paint! I think I'll like these paints (I'm hoping that fume problems won't develop later down the line) and plan to work with them again.

Have a good weekend!

Flowergirl WIP 4

More work done on the little flowergirl. I think I've finished the dress (will have to let it sit a while to find out for sure) and started on the background.

As always, constructive criticism welcome!

Updates on Flowergirl

The fates have conspired against me in trying to post this week! I was caregiver for an invalid parent (MIL) on Monday, and Tuesday we had severe thunderstorms on and off most of the day... and I usually unplug my computer just to be on the safe side. So today we have two WIPs! Lighting on photos not too good - sorry - natural lighting was low yesterday due to the storms and I didn't want to use a flash and blow out the details.

I'm fairly pleased with how the flowergirl is coming along, although I guess I'm never really satisfied. Not too many re-do's- thanks mostly to keeping a light touch and deciding ahead of time what I'm trying to accomplish BEFORE I put color down! I once read that Sargeant would dip his brush in paint and then hold it above his canvas, hovering, while he considered the effect the next brush stroke would have. If Sargeant hovered, then I'm quite sure I need to get into the habit of hovering too!

Flowergirl - A New Work

Where do the days fly away to? Seems like there's never enough hours in the day or days in the week to get everything accomplished!

Ah well, today is not the day for such serious musings as the brevity of our days. I've started a new project that I'm really excited about. I'm excited because I think some of my experimenting and ongoing study of art is beginning to pay off, and because I have a vision in my head of where I want to go with this portrait - and I hope that I can keep that vision fresh and constant until I'm finished. (Reference from Wet Canvas RIL - thank you to the generous person who posted this gorgeous photo).

I decided to start with the face first this time. In the past I've waited to do the face until last. Not really sure why - possibly because I'm impatient to jump in with all those yummy colors and like to get warmed up on the less important parts of a picture. But this time I wanted to get the face in first and see how that affected the work process.

I'm working lighter, both in terms of pencil pressure and color. I'm using lighter colors and darkening ever-so-gradually to avoid re-do's. I'm trying to abdicate the throne as The Queen of Re-do. One title up for grabs... any takers? ;-)

I'm posting a couple of WIP's - sorry, not great pics. The first one is the pencil sketch and it's so light that, except for the face, it may not show up on the monitor. On the second WIP I've started on the face, getting the basics in and working gradually on modeling the features. I've found two things that have helped me a lot: first is to work as far away from the paper as is comfortable. Since cp is done on a desk (as opposed to an oil painter standing in front of an easel) it's all too easy to pore over the piece, working very close to it. For me this is not good - I tend to bog down in minor detail and lose sight of the big picture. It works better for me to get up close for critical features such as eyes, mouth and nose; and then sit back and put a little distance between me and the paper. The distance helps me to more clearly see the masses, shapes and tonal ranges and when working on the face it's easier to keep in mind the entire facial expression, not just one feature. The second thing that helps a lot is..... walk away! Take a coffee break, put a load of laundry in the washer, go for a walk, catch up on your blogging (I'm on a painting break to do this post). It's amazing how the errors jump out at you when you've been away for a little while, and it's nice to catch problems early... before there are several layers of color to remove in order to correct something.

As an aside, after being gently but persistently nudged by Jeanne and Jo's dedicated sketching habits I decided if you can't beat 'em, join 'em! So, I purchased a sketchbook (a size that's easy to carry - I had several of the large sketchbooks but they're too big to carry around) and have started sketching somewhat regularly. I have also purchased (credit for this purchase also goes to Jo - see her posts here using this medium) a beginner set of the Winsor & Newton Artisan water mixable oil paints. It's little box of five tubes of paint... but enough for me to find out if I can tolerate these oils. I hope I can - I love oil paint but can't stand the nauseating fumes. So - this should be interesting!

Why Colored Pencil?

Laure of Painted Thoughts Blog left a comment and a question in response to my last blog post detailing some cp experiments. Laure's question was:

"Not being a CP girl, I guess I'm a little confused. It seems from your conclusions that you are leaning towards the results that look the least like CP . . . . If this is the case, why not just use the acrylics to paint the skin tones? What am I missing?"

Good question! After letting the question sit in my subconscious for a few days, here's the surprisingly simple answer: It feels good! It really feels more like cp picked me, than I picked cp. For some time I'd seen really great cp work on various blogs and though I liked the artwork, frankly, the idea of painting with painstakingly slow pencils that have a point about as big as the end of a toothpick did not appeal to me at all. I think in the end curiosity got the better of me. I just had to give it a try, and when I did I was really quite surprised to find out that I loved the medium. Of course there are times I wish it wasn't such slow going, but most of the time I find the slowness almost meditative and when I settle into a cp piece the world goes away and I'm doing what I was made to do.

I like the fact that with cp the color goes directly onto the support. There's no mixing, no selecting a particular brush, no dipping in water.... just pick up a yummy color that's conveniently housed in a handy pencil and go to it! There's no mess to clean up (I love the look of pastels but dislike the dust and the mess), no fumes that make me queasy (oils), and no brushes to wash up. You don't have to wait for it to dry, nor worry about your painting becoming too dry while you're making up your mind. Plus, if you're afflicted with the "detail bug", cp excels in that area.

Having said all that, even though I love using cp, I don't want to be limited in the finishes and effects that I can achieve. I love an expanse of rich smooth color. I also don't want people to look at my art and say (usually in a dismissive way), "Oh, that's colored pencil"- as if it's somehow inferior to other mediums. I'm convinced that cp is as capable as any other medium of delivering art that can make a viewer's eyes pop and their emotions stir.

If you'd like to see some really great cp art, here's a link to Ann Kullberg's website where you can find a cp art gallery guaranteed to wow you:

http://www.annkullberg.com/gallery.php


Well, that was fun! Thanks, Laure, for asking - I've enjoyed thinking it over and now I'm even more excited about my next cp piece!

Colored Pencils: In search of smooth skin...

Top color swatches: Colorfix

Bottom swatches: Arches, underpainted on left, plain on right

After taking some time to play around with my new Chroma Atelier Acrylics (the results of which ended up in the trash can - guess I need to play some more) I decided to do some colored pencil experiments to try and come up with a better technique for skin. Specifically, achieving a smooth blend between skin's lights, darks and halftones, and getting smooth even coverage. Though I don't always want a smooth look, when I do want it I want to know how to get it.

To that end, I made some tiny little color samples on two different supports: Colorfix and Arches Hot Press watercolor paper. I didn't include Stonehenge because I've already experimented with it quite a bit and though I like it, there are times it doesn't fit the bill.

I also wanted to see how underpainting affected the appearance of colored pencil on Arches, so I painted a light peach colored swatch on Arches (I used the Chroma Acrylic paint but diluted it to the point that it looked like watercolor). I then made three color samples on the plain Arches, the painted Arches and the Colorfix.

In each swatch group pictured above...
- The top squares are simply layers of colored pencil.
- On the middle squares a solvent was used in between every color.
- On the bottom squares, the color was burnished in between each layer.

The results were interesting...

1. The two swatches that looked the most promising for smooth skin tones were the simple layers swatch (no solvent, no burnish) on the Colorfix paper, and the simple layers swatch (again, no solvent, no burnish) on the Arches that was underpainted.
2. I was surprised to see the layered swatch on Arches that was underpainted was substantially smoother and softer in appearance than the layered swatch on the plain Arches. The underpainting made a difference.
3. Burnishing significantly inhibits the application of additional color layers. On the top sample swatch pictured, note the difference in saturation between the top two color squares and the bottom square which was burnished. I didn't try doing all the layers and then burnishing once after the last application because when I'm working I never know which application will be my last!
4. For the purposes of smooth color, my two least favorites were the burnished swatches on the Arches without the underpainting and the Colorfix.
5. All three swatches on the underpainted Arches were significantly smoother than the three swatches on the plain Arches.

6. The swatch that showed the least amount of pencil strokes was the layered swatch on the Colorfix (and the way it was eating my pencils it SHOULD be smooth!)

Conclusion: If we take time to play and experiment with our chosen medium(s), we acquire valuable information that can be used when painting a real project.... when time counts and you want predictable results.

Gracie

Gracie ..... finished?

Possibly. I'm going to let it sit for a day or two and see. The scan makes her skin look kind of grainy, but it's actually much smoother than it appears onscreen.

As usual, comments and constructive criticism welcome!