Less is More - Pursuing Balance

BEFORE (January 9, 2010):



AFTER (Today, February 28, 2010):



For me, right now, less is more. I can hardly believe this is the same corner.

My Closet:


Full but organized.


I had gotten so overwhelmed with all the endless supplies available, books with endless techniques, my mind was constantly popping with ideas and yet I lacked focus. In an interview after writing her book Living the Creative Life, Rice Freeman Zachary said,

"With all of the publications on the stands, people are filling themselves with images of what other people are creating. They often feel like that's what they should be doing too. You know: encaustic, or assemblage, or whatever everyone else is doing, the Craft du Jour. While it's fine to experiment with various techniques, there comes a point where, if you truly want to make art, you have to narrow down your focus and find what it is that you want to do and then practice and master the techniques required of that. Dabbling is fine if that's what you want to do, but it's never going to get you any deeper. I think one problem is that we think everything related to creativity should be fun. Sure, play is vital. But so is self-discipline. If you want to master anything and move to the next level with it, it's work. In 'working artist', both words are important: they're artists, but they're also working. Don't be afraid of doing the hard work required to really master something, whether it's sculpting or painting with oils or hand stitching."

She further states,

"Oh: and never, ever, confused (sic) shopping and acquiring a bunch of stuff with making art. Buying art supplies and shopping for vintage ephemera is not making art. If that's what you want to do--go to the flea markets in Paris and buy stuff and then write the trip off as tax deductible because it's for Your Art--that's fine. But be honest with yourself about what it is that's driving you. Is it art, or is it an excuse to
shop?"

This really spoke to me. I printed this out and put it in my art notebook on May 24, 2009. I found it on http://mycreativejourney.typepad.com/. How true this is! We are bombarded with information and yet as artists we have to wade through all the techique, advice, copying, and find our own voice, make our own splash in this life.

That's my goal. To make my own splash.

I realized fully that less IS more when I began using just the watersoluble graphite, a pen, and a waterbrush. I didn't feel overwhelmed anymore and I enjoyed, looked forward to, and felt confident about making that drawing. You see: we have a small house, I have a husband, a teenage daughter, a full-time and demanding job, not to mention a passion for reading, extended family closeby to visit, church, friends, and the list goes on. I need focus or I might implode :-) We all need focus.

So...I sold the giant drafting table that took up 1/4 of our kitchen and organized and consolidated the mountain of supplies I own. I only threw away (believe it or not) a few scraps of paper and my Derwent Graphitint pencils (which have been proven to be complete UNlightfast). It felt good to stop holding on to them (for what I didn't know) and just Toss Them in the Trash! Oh and I had purchased some metal file fasteners thinking I would make books with them at Office Depot. When I got home with them it was just the fastener prongs with no backs, and they were sticking up in the drawer and driving me crazy - so I tossed them out! It felt good. I got out one of each color of colored pencil and put the rest in the closet in a covered plastic container. I felt overwhelmed when I looked at that huge basket of about 500 colored pencils. It was pretty, but my goodness! What I hope I've learned as well is to stop buying so much! and use what I have.

Maybe I'm getting closer to Balance.

I leave you tonight with a sketch from 3/18/2008 in my Aquabee sketchbook. I've been too busy this weekend organizing and de-cluttering to draw - but my little corner is waiting and my table is empty and ready for me to work. My new journals and a watercolor brush that Laura Frankstone (http://www.laurelines.typepad.com/) recommended should arrive tomorrow (yes I'm buying, but it's focused buying LOL) - until then -- good night everyone.

Tomorrow, let's all go make our splash!!!

Niji Waterbrush - Unclogging

I have 2 Niji brushes and sometimes they will stop up and not work properly. I read somewhere to take a sewing needle or straight pen and insert it into the brush end of the brush to clean it out. It makes a world of difference in the water flow.

I hope this is helpful.

More ws graphite sketches and trying out my new converted Paintastic!

Several people have asked where I get the watersoluble graphite pencils. It's a bit tricky because it is sold as an open stock color of the Aquamonoliths and not listed separately. Following is a link to the item at Dick Blick: http://www.dickblick.com/products/cretacolor-aqua-monolith-woodless-watercolor-pencils/ (scroll down to "Graphite Aquarell" item #
20536-2191 260). I am sure you will LOVE them!

Yesterday in a long (3-hour) meeting for which I was taking minutes, I managed to also do the above sketch of the cow in my hand-book journal :-) The pocket inside the back cover is perfect for storing 4x6 reference photos



Today at lunch I ran out and bought the Elmer's Paintastics! They work fantastic! They perform just as well for me as the Niji waterbrush and I love the small size. The way they push the ws graphite around is just so luscious! The blue paint in the sketch is the paint that actually comes in the brushes. I highly recommend getting a pack of these! And I want to thank Nora Gardner for posting the instructions for doing this on her blog and on the Everyday Matters Yahoo group message board:

http://threegirlsathome.blogspot.com/2010/02/paintastic-conversion.html

Thank you so much Nora!

That Red Cup Again

I know you all may be tired of seeing sketches of this cup, but it is my favorite thing to drink from and to draw :-)
More ws graphite with watercolor above and with colored pencil below.
These sketches are in my new hand-book journal. AND I ordered 2 more from Dick Blick because I could get 3 for the price of 2. Check it out at http://www.dickblick.com/products/hand-book-artist-journal-value-packs/ ! Now, I've got a lot of work to do to fill FOUR (4) of these! I love the paper and how sturdy it is. It holds up to watercolor washes, pens, markers - even to lots of reworking.

I glued the tea bag envelope in and it makes a little pocket.
Now, go have a cup of tea or coffee and enjoy!

My Recent Purchase has Arrived! and Sketches

I am a happy girl! My Cretacolor water soluble graphite pencils arrived, along with my first Handbook journal!



My first drawing in the new journal - from some photos of sheep I took one summer day coming home on the backroads.

Sketches in my Aquabee Super Deluxe Sketchbook:

More with Water Soluble Graphite

I did it! I finally ordered more Cretacolor Aquamonolith Water Soluble Graphite pencils yesterday from Dick Blick. And last night when I got home it was confirmed that I did NEED more. I left the only one I had at work by mistake and today I am without one here at home. I used the Prismacolor ws graphite for the sketch below of this beautiful red-bellied woodpecker that comes to my feeder. I couldn't do him the justice he deserved, but here is my attempt at it nonetheless. This is such a beautiful bird. The red on his head against the background of snow is simply stunning.

Same Cup - different day

Sketched this yesterday with WS graphite in a handmade book my sister gave me - I think it has heavy cardstock as the pages. I love the smooth, thick paper!



I sketched this one today in my Barnes & Noble sketchbook (blank book) and I used a Faber-Castell Albrecht Durer black watercolor pencil. The white in both sketches is a Liquid Paper pen.

I feel as though I'm starting to overwork these sketches. The cup was dark red and instead of suggesting the shadows I may have overstated them a bit. The first sketch I did using the ws graphite was much lighter -

http://daloweartist.blogspot.com/2010/01/danny-gregorys-inspiration.html (this sketch was scanned and so it's hard to see the values in it.)

I want to get back to that freedom I had in the first sketch to just suggest the shading, values. I still want to order several water soluble graphite pencils; the Cretacolor ones that I used first - I only have one and it's cracked and there is that fear of not having enough again! I went out and bought the Prismacolor ones, but the woodless Cretacolors are better for me because I like to get the color from the tip of the pencil with my brush instead of just drawing with it. I'm obsessed with ordering these pencils! I go to dickblick.com every day at work and think about ordering. I can't justify spending $6.95 shipping for just the pencils! I am pathetic! Does anybody else have this problem! I keep saying to myself, "use what you have." But I want more of these pencils! Here's a reason why: I'd like to have one at work, one in my purse, one in the living room near the couch, and one in the studio - so I don't have to search for that one cracked pencil every time I have the urge to draw. Now that makes sense, right?

Today's Art - Day 3 of Recuperation from a Sprained Ankle

This morning's EDM challenge - I drew Carla's Cuisinart Coffeepot/Maker. The yellowish brown stain on the left side is from a flower I pressed in my sketchbook. Kind of looks like a coffee stain, doesn't it?


For some reason I sat down and started drawing with a ballpoint pen in this notepad. I just decided to finish him off with some watercolor and glue him in my sketchbook. Here is the finished page below.


Right before my nap on Carla's king size bed with jazz playing in the background, I thought of the above quote from Picasso and the truth of it in my current situation, and I planned how I would complete this journal/sketchbook page when I got up from my nap. I realized that this qualifies as EDM challenge # 18 as this little guy was outside the windows in the french doors - eating the birdseed Carla put out on the deck. I've been taking pictures of the birds all day with her camera and printing them off after some cropping and editing. I'm beginning to think I should have sprained my ankle a long time ago. I am being treated like royalty. My sister is amazing...truly amazing. I thank God for her! ... and for my art!

A cozy place

From a photo in Southern Living magazine - ws graphite and watercolor. All we need now is a cup of tea and a good book!

"The love of learning, the sequestered nooks, And all the sweet serenity of books."
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Apple 2

Back to my smooth sketchbook pages, the Prismacolor pencils worked great.
This was done using the Prismacolor Water Soluble graphite pencil, Pigma Micron 02 pen, and of course the waterbrush.
These pencils are different from the Cretacolor Aquamonolith, but after yesterday's drawing with them on Stonehenge, the PM pencils do work just as well I think as the Cretacolor - but I do prefer (much prefer) the smooth sketchbook paper. This sketchbook is a blank book from Barnes & Noble, 6" x 9" size.

Chiaroscuro

Apple - Chiaroscuro

5" x 7" Stonehenge Paper
Water soluble graphite, pen, and colored pencil