Somebody decorated the middle of the River for Halloween.  They would have gotten wet as the water level makes rock hopping impossible right now.  The third pumpkin says "Bowden Sunmaze" which is in Alberta when I Google it.  I don't know.  It's these little things that make me love the city in which I live.  Or the city in the next province over.  Not sure where the creative artist lives, but since there was nothing written in French I'd guess the Ontario side.

Bottom Line

Heard at Bottom Line lifedrawing group this a.m........

Lady:  "Ahhh, I see you decided to come back after all!"
Man:  "Yes"
Lady:  "You got over last time?"
Man:  "Well, I decided that drawing is like oatmeal.....you may not always enjoy it, but it's good for you!"
Me:  "Tell me about it!"

2 minute sketch

It's nice to know that I'm not the only one there fighting my pencil the whole time.  I was thinking of staying for the afternoon session as well, but I didn't bring a lunch and one cannot survive on art alone.  Also, the model was a larger woman with a very big mask and I need practise with skinny people with faces.  It's unfortunate because some amazing artists were starting to show up to draw (my instructor included) and I would have loved to wander around and watch them.  Oh well, maybe next time.

15 minute sketch

15 minute sketch

I think Bogger is getting Halloween and April Fools' mixed up.  No matter what I do to this last picture it won't stand up straight.  I guess you'll have to lie down to see it;-)
The model today had no wang piercings, but he brought lots of props.  I think I like props better.

It's Thursday a.m. and I am home.  Normally this is my morning with "Hot Chocolate" pretending to take pictures for potential use in a future painting.  He's had to switch his schedule around this week and it's feeling very Halloweenish with the dreary, windy weather (not at all nice for wandering outside alone) so here I sit.

Why do I say pretending to take pictures?  I haven't actually brought my camera in a couple of weeks, which doesn't actually matter since I haven't taken any usable pictures in some time.  Thursdays have morphed into more of a motivational time when we can sit in a coffee shop for an hour and discuss future art projects that would be good to try.  Maybe some day one will even come to fruition.....nah!

Tomorrows my drawing nudie people club.  I'm going to get to class earlier so this time I can actually get a seat.  I sat in a coffee shop this morning and worked on a drawing that I, of course, wasn't terribly happy with when I was done.  Coffee shops are bad places to draw since much of your time you are trying to hide your intent and not look like your staring at someone when you actually are.  I wanted to take some comparative  measurements but thought holding my pencil up as a measuring device in front of her might tip her off and make her uncomfortable. 

Hot Chocolate suggested that when I'm drawing coffee shop people that I should draw them as they are sitting, but nude.  That way when they actually do come over to see what I'm doing we could all have a good laugh over the fact that I was sitting there picturing them naked.  Maybe I'll do that tomorrow.  Oh, wait.....tomorrow the person I draw WILL actually be nude.  Maybe to shake things up I could draw him/her with clothes on......nah!  That might offend the model.  They may think they aren't appealing enough nude for me to draw them that way.  Not that I actually do find them even remotely attractive in any way!!!  I just don't want them to know how absolutely disgusted I am with actually having to see them nude (phew!  Did I get my foot out of my mouth Mr. P?)

I don't much enjoy doing this particular painting.  There are some big changes to occur and only one more 3 hour session with this model.  There is no flippin/ way I have a prayer of getting even close to getting this done in that time.  It makes me want to scream.  Oh well, c'est la vie!

This one is also a struggle.  Only because I'm not sure what to do with the background.  Sigh.

I've made a change in how I do my sketches and as with anything, when you make a change in a method or process with one thing, it cascades down the line and effects everything.  In time it will resolve but, I just hate the dissatifaction that occurs with ones work when things are transforming and settling into place.

One of the other artists in the class was saying she thought maybe she'd take up fishing instead of art and another could be heard sighing and complaining of time constraints.  I suppose it's a difficult piece all way around.

p.s.  yes, I know my smoke detector is on my piano with the battery out.  I was cooking again.  Thank God we don't have sprinklers or my house would be waterlogged!

Who wakes up in the morning and decides, "Hey.....I think today I'm gonna get my wang pierced and put a 6" long chain on it.  What a good idea!"

This guy did at some point.  Ouchie!  Oh well, to each his own.

I've joined the  a life drawing association in my city.  What do life drawing artists in this group talk about when they're drawing?  Figs, fig trees, ash borer beetles and jam.  Who knew.

Oh....and why have I only got half a body in each drawing?  I was sitting at the back.  It's a big group.

Today was a struggle.  One of those days.  I feel like I wasted my session with this model.  When I try to take too many up front measurements it always throws me off.  My right brain doesn't appreciate my left trying to take over the painting.  Next session I think I'm going to go on purely instinct and skip the forethought.

Last evening was easy.  But then I had the perfect model.  I didn't measure anything prior to sketching.  He didn't so much as blink an eye for a good half hour allowing me to get him down on paper.  You've gotta love a dog that fancies himself a slug.

Amen~Day 2

Amen

"Amen" started.  I've not decided yet on the completed size yet or even all of the colours.  Just playing it by ear.  Some work just demands to be preplanned and some just wants to happen.  This is one of those.

Out with the old (Slartibartfast) and up with the new (Pretty In Pink).  Although I've run out of time with this model, I can finish the rest on my own time.  The background colour is going to change to something more neutral and I need to complete his body.  The painting is still very wet and I managed to confirm that fact when I got it all over my hands when hanging the blasted thing.

Here I am sporting an Ileana Grimm t-shirt.  Unfortunately you can't see more than one word.  A very important word...."which"...... You'll have to visit her site to see her stuff.  You can also check out her blog.  The link is in my side bar under....you guessed it, Grimm.

I was sick of bugs, toads, frogs, etc..... but then Mr. P. found this fellow rummaging 'round the yard and saved him from being ground up by the lawnmower.  Well, guess what......the lightbulb when off and I've started "Amen".  Yes, yes, I know......I promised Kurt's next and it's still there but I'm stuggling with some of the shading in that and another portrait I've been working on and I'm not a linear thinker, having to finish one thing before starting another so there you have it.

Oh yes, and the new painting is not what is pictured above but something a bit more compositionally pleasing hopefully.

I saw a man at the local mall outside in the parking lot picking up cigarette butts wearing jeans a t-shirt and big fuzzy purple slippers.  I love my neighbourhood.

Pretty In Pink.....

One more half day session to go with this model next week with which to complete this painting.

I find oil paint so much more difficult than coloured pencils even though they are similar in how you work them.  Dark to light, general to specific.  Each medium is translucent and dependent on multiple layers to create the depth and richness of the works.  I like the convenience of just reaching for a colour without having to mix with turps and/or linseed oil.  All that mixing is more fiddley!  Before you suggest it, I don't like acrylics.  That's a different monster all together.

I'm really sick of toads and frogs.  Just sayin'.

I don't want to do fruit and flowers, butterflies and fabric, ponies and horses, glass and reflective surfaces which is commonplace amongst coloured pencil artists.

I want to do something different.  I like funny.  There aren't a whole lot of funny coloured pencil artists out there (and drawing clowns doesn't count as funny because they are the stuff of nightmares.)

How about......a man picking his nose in front of the Taj mahal.  Now that would be funny.

Time to try again?

Big

13.5x14

Coloured Pencil

One In The Hand

11.5x14

Coloured Pencil

Hmmm.....what should I work on next?  Let's vote.