Friday, January 29, 2010

Two Weeks Worth of Art

This was our first attempt, during the days of rain, a pastel colored trio of horses. (I am leaving Kay to post her paintings on her blog at A Patchwork Quilt made by Design



This was my next project.  It started from a photo of a boat posted a few months ago now, by Ken at stouffvilledailyphoto  on May 6, '09He gave me permission to copy it and then I formatted the picture around it.The lady is supposed to be looking round over her shoulder.  I'm not sure I quite got this effect.





This was the original drawing which I later painted.  I just liked the whole figure eight design.



 
Now I have to be brutally honest.  I have been resisting doing just pen and ink drawings, (with a wash of water color).  I just don't think I have a good enough eye to produce a simple picture without erasing lines along the way.  So I screwed up my courage, threw caution to the winds and these are the results. The first is a small gift bag, the second two robins copied from a coffee mug.




The first one here is my view of our 'entertainment center' and the second is a tabby cat from a water color on a note card. I am definitely not proud of these.




Finally, a tree drawn from my imagination.  Yuck! I'm not pleased with any of these, but I think I may have learned a few things along the way.  I may try to do these utterly casual drawings, (they're done on ATC cards) just for discipline's sake and see if I really learn anything from them.  I doubt I will post them if I do.My problem is that I want to sketch like with a pencil and not just draw one clean line.


 
 This is more my style.  I penciled this out first, cleaned up the lines and then drew in the clean lines with the pen and then used watercolors.  It is the design from one of my china cups, called 'Greensleeves' done in my favorite colors of soft greens and apricot.

This much I know now, I much prefer painting and shading and mixing with colors.

15 comments:

Gillian Mowbray said...

Terrific work, Chris. You've been a very busy girl! I love the horses, but - and I'm not just being prejudiced here - my favourites are the pen and wash sketches.
Maybe you should learn to let go - with sketching making the lines 'correct' really doesn't matter. I'm still trying to learn that too so I can understand your thoughts about not showing some of your work.
Thanks for sharing these. x

Cherdecor said...

I love those horses too. May I copy them for my little friend who comes for Bible study on Wednesday evenings. She loves horses. I think she would like them. She likes all things horses. I like to give her little things so she will know that I think of her when I am out and about. She was born deaf, but does amazingly well.

Cherdecor said...

oops, left off a question mark, sorry.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Thanks for visiting my blog Chris. I have never been to Flamborough Head, although it is not too far from here. Lovely to hear from you - interesting about not having snowdrops, I expect you feel nostalgia for them - do you ever come back?
I shall add you to my blog list.

Rune Eide said...

If I should choose one among these fine drawings, I would have chosen the third one. There is something about boats.

kaybee said...

This much I know -- I am learning from you, but I am way behind you!

I LOVE everything you posted here. You have lots of patience and the end results are amazing!

claude said...

What a talent you have, Chris !

Wanda said...

Chris ~~ Oh my these are wonderful, but I had to laugh because of your comments on my art. Yes, we are our own worst critics!! We see things in our own work others don't.
I love them all, but the boat pictures say so much. Love the horses, the soft colors, nice, and I too love soft greens and apricot.
I'm trying to keep sketching too.
We're having fun, aren't we Chris?

Patty said...

I think the paintings and everything you have done is beautiful. I wish I could draw/paint.

Boomer Pie. said...

I especially enjoy your paintings of the boats. I've always loved the water and it's obvious you do too. I signed up to follow your work. Stop by my place and read about sailing prams...they remind me a little of your boat paintings. Return the "follow" favor if you like what you see. http://www.boomerpie.com/

Morning's Minion said...

I enjoyed studying each of your little paintings--a quick visit this morning and now another to comment. Your remarks point out the flaws which trouble you, but your critique doesn't take away the pleasure of the colors and lines.
When I make quilts I know where the trouble spots are, but I suspect they don't detract from the over-all impact of the quilt.
Often the solutions are so simple and I hope I remember the better technique for the next time around.

Gerald (Ackworth born) said...

I rather like that cat.

mrsnesbitt said...

Love the boat Chris, see many of them here, was it inspired from anywhere near here?

ChrisJ said...

Yes, the scene was inspired by Flamborough of course, but the boat was from a photo of one in Canada. I just loved the lines of the boat and it's associations for me. But you know, the cobles at Flamborough have a flat back because they have to be pulled up on the shore. Probably they are the same at Filey and Scarborough too.

Anonymous said...

Your work is beautiful. You are coming down on yourself too hard in some cases and maybe not hard enough in others.

I did critique your whole post if you want to read it. I will send it to you. There might be something in that which will allow you to look at things a little differently. Or it might upset you. I will look for your email address on your profile and if it is there then I will just email it to you.