Back to the sketch book! Not daily but I’m working on getting back into a good routine of it. I was drinking tea at the kitchen table and my six year old wanted to sketch, so we perched an apple on the tea box. I was impressed with his attempt at adding dimension!
Hi, it’s me, your long lost blogger!
I have been sketching. Not daily, but still keeping the spark alive.
I have been prepping canvases and boards for projects on deck.
I have been rehearsing with my hip hop dance team for our upcoming performance, and taking my son to his performances. (Today we went to a children’s cancer benefit so my son could perform)
I have been meeting with mortgage lenders and house shopping.
I have been doing everything…. except blogging.
This is my latest sketch. Let me know what you think in the comments!
Cupcake and Crossbones
I decided to teach myself how to draw paisley last night. This is something that I have noted in the back of my mind as something I’ve wanted to do for quite some time now. As I began to sketch last night, I was thinking of how daunting it had seemed, and how that had always kept me from even sitting down to give it a try, when I realized that (like most things) it wasn’t that hard really. This discovery led me to the realization that I let fear of failure cause me to falter in my confidence in my artistic ability, and that I get in the way of my own success. But such are the demons that wake after an arduous day and an evening of cocktails that slips into the sleepless hours before dawn. So before I forced my brain to quiet and my eyes to close, I took a step toward fighting that demon, and this is what happened:
Well, it’s been two weeks and a few days since I last added a post. Those two weeks have felt like a month, so crammed with everything life could throw at me! (except any illnesses, thankfully!) My wonderfully hard-working husband got a promotion, but in the transition ended up putting in a nearly 70 hour work week, followed immediately by a business trip. And, as luck would have it, both of my boys had fundraisers on the same day, the weekend in between, which I of course was obligated to be involved with. Spring was also busy getting underway, so I had to jump on the few sunny days we had to get work done in the garden and reign in my dandelion patch yard. Don’t worry, artwork definitely had its place in the mix, (I have been working on two commissioned pieces!) but something had to give, and it was my online presence… I’ve got some time to make up for so be on the look out for a few new posts with some exciting news to pop up in the coming days, I didn’t abandon you, I promise!
Have you ever felt this way?
A Full Plate; or, Not Enough Hours in a Day
In the spirit of Eastre and the new Sun of Spring, things seem to be turning a new leaf. There are hints of change floating on the earthy, floral scented winds of the season. There is a hope of things to come, the anticipation of their coming to fruition. Life is in motion, and it would seem that opportunities are blossoming at every turn, and I can’t wait to let you all in on it. But, for now I am erring on the side of caution, and not counting my chicks before they hatch. I am so excited for the year to come, and can’t wait to share it with you –you– whose support, encouragement, kind words, and mere interest in the ramblings and messiness I call this adventure of a life, have given me the courage and motivation to continue and push through the hard, cold soil of Winter and into the radiant sunshine of Spring.
...waiting...
This year has been one giant kick-in-the-butt catalyst for practically everyone I know. These changes have been a long time coming, and it seems like they are all going to happen at once. I don’t want to count my chicks before they’re hatched, so details will have to wait, as things are in motion but won’t be really happening for the next month or two. Doors will be opening, but that means that a few will have to be closed and this has been a source of some anxiety for me. I like to have a plan (even when I don’t stick to it) when I am facing big transitions, but all this waiting leaves my mind too free to mircro-analyze things with far too many variables to do any good at all. It’s like peeling a bandage off slowly, when I really just want it to happen and be done already– a deep breath, a quick tug, and then the relief of fresh air hitting healed wound. It’s all part of some lesson, I’m sure. Learning to cut ties with the illusion of power and control and just let loose, perhaps.
I have had so many ideas floating around in my head the past week that haven’t made it onto the paper I didn’t have time to bother with ornate details so I grabbed my 6B sketching pencil (yes, SIX-B, 2B isn’t the only kind of pencil haha) and clipped some newsprint onto my drawing board and let loose. There is something really cathartic about being able to just get everything out of my head without worrying about being perfect, especially after a stressful week. These poppies have been really speaking to me for the next big piece I am working on, this is the first time I’ve ever drawn poppies, but we seem to get along nicely, don’t you? There will be a lot of sketching and scheming in preparation for this next one, and I’m excited to share my adventure with you.
Japanese Poppy, sketch
Just a quick post to let you know that I’ve added a Portfolio to my page so you can see some of my finished pieces! Follow this Link, or be sure to look for it right up there 
I drew a phonograph a few days ago, and got a few other ideas of ways to take it. Here’s yesterday’s sketch:
For you non-floraphiles, a foxglove is the flower I used for the phonograph. They are a gorgeous shade of purple
I’ve never drawn a hummingbird before, but I got an idea for a new drawing that involved one, so I thought I’d do a little study first. Here it is:
hummingbird study
Music Speaks Louder Than Words
I took my boys to a trial class at a local dance studio this weekend, where, thanks to my oldest, they both got quickly recruited into an all-boys hip-hop class. There are times, I think, when you can tell the difference between when a child (or anyone) just likes something and when it is something they actually have a passion for. Perhaps “passion” is too strong a word for someone so young, but to see the enthusiasm and the starts of passion cultivated is really pretty awe-inspiring. Growing up, music always had a place in my family, and even though it has morphed to fit our quirky little family, it is still just as much a cornerstone. I love that my boys can express themselves through music and movement. There is something so raw about being able to connect with someone else’s art in a way that resonates through the body– inspiring it, moving it. Seeing my children experience that is nothing short of amazing.
Music is intended and designed for sentient beings that have hopes and purposes and emotions. ~Jacques Barzun
Eleven Shades Studio 