A lot has happened

A lot has happened since my last blog.  My houseguest came and left, my husband retired (again) and he and I took off for warmer parts for a month.  I almost always travel with my sketchbook and sometimes my paints and rarely take the time to paint unless we are in one place for more than a few days.  This trip was no exception.  I packed a bag with sketchbooks, watercolor paints, brushes etc. and other than a little doodle time one afternoon with my sister-in-law, I didn't look at them except to move them from car to motel room, back to car again.

I also carry a camera and have been known to takes hundreds (ok thousands) of photos on one trip.  This trip I took few photos but did leave with wonderful memories.  Memories of sunshine and short sleeve shirts in March.  Memories of a touch of snow on cactus.  Yes it snowed outside of Tucson.  Memories of times visiting with good friends and time with my sister-in-law and brother-in-law.  Memories of dancing with my husband.  And, memories of driving many miles - over 3650 in one month.  We came home with the thought that yes, we could be very happy spending winters in Arizona.  The question remains as to where we would spend summers.  Also, I would find it very hard to be away from my grandchildren for any length of time.  So, no answers to what now questions, just a lot of good memories.

It's taken me a bit of time to get back into my studio but I did it.  I'm continuing to feel the urge to work with figures both in drawing and in painting.  These 18x24" sketches are what I've been working on.  You may recognize some of the images as I've painted a couple of these models during a workshop I took last year.

Stretch Marks

Yesterday I attended a live model session and brought my oil paints with me.  Once again I felt pretty intimidated by the quality work that the professional artist around me were doing and vowed to work even harder at becoming a better artist.  I want to stretch myself.  As many new mothers have discovered once you are stretched you never quite go back to the same place.  I know that what it will take to become a better artist is to become better in drawing.  Not having taken any formal drawing classes before, I've signed up for a portrait drawing/painting class that begins tomorrow.  The approach I took in the past to learn to draw was initially I would blow up photos and then trace over them.  With each drawing, I would trace less and less lines telling myself that I was imprinting on my brain the experience of drawing well.  I have reached the point where I don't trace anymore so something in this process must have worked.

Today to practice, I took one of the photos of yesterday's model, clipped it to my 18"x24" sketch book and have spent the morning sketching.  I can see that I'm approaching the values (darks and lights) pretty timidly and need to build my confidence and just do it.  Many artists won't try to paint portraits so I give myself a pat on the back for attempting this and fortunately my experience with Mike Malm last May has given me the confidence to do this.  You, my friends and family, are welcome to journey along with me.  You will get to see the good, the bad and the ugly and hopefully like in pregnancy, the journey and the resulting stretch marks will be worth it.  This sketch isn't done but I thought I'd post it while I still had the nerve to share it with you.