Learning From Others

I do like doing studies of other artists' work. I find an image that appeals to me and then try and dissect how they achieved it. Sometimes it works out and I'm pleased with the results and I file the technique away in my mental toolbox. Even when it doesn't work out, I usually learn something valuable along the way or maybe go off on a completely different tangent. It's similar to mixing colours for me - I see a hue I like and then try to see if I can replicate it using what I have. 

That's what prompted this little study. I had seen the image on p interest and was immediately drawn to the bold colours and clean lines. First thing I learned - drawing precision and perspective is key! It's really not noticeable to my eye here on screen but in my hand I can see the left side of the biggest house is not quite right.

Study of Cathy Horvath's Fall Lodge Folk Art

I decided to start out in my usual comfort zone of working small, my natural inclination, so this was drawn on 5 x 7 watercolour 140 lb paper. I don't have much experience with, nor confidence in, my ability to handle reflections so that was my first worry. I decided to include them in the initial drawing, that way I wouldn't get it all drawn and painted and then screw it up with horrible water lines LOL.

I then decided I much preferred the square format so I taped it off at 5 x 5 inches. The colour was added using water soluble markers - some full strength, some watered down before applying. Yes, if you look really closely you will see some small blooms where impatience got the best of me sigh.

I don't think I will try another one but if I did I might choose to work in acrylics.  

Hibernation is Over

It's not that it's been a horrible winter per se - it just feels that it went on forever! This is partly due to a 2 week period mid February where we had spring like temperatures, total absence of snow and the return of the robins. We couldn't be faulted for feeling like maybe, just maybe Spring was coming early.

Well, HAH! said Mother Nature. Fooled ya! And that she certainly did. We've had an ice storm of late and as recently as 4 days ago awoke to fresh snow on the ground. But I think, finally, that we can put Winter behind us. Fingers crossed! 

So, during my period of hibernation, literally nothing artistic happened. I had set this dark time aside in order to devote myself to researching my family tree. Don't know if you've ever explored your own but I will tell you that it requires a lot of dedicated focus. My left brain just sings doing this kind of work and becomes a bit of a brain hog about it. Now, I know myself well enough to accept this and move forward with it. But once Spring came, it was move over LB because your creative counterpart is all rested up and ready to play. 

I was inspired by Tara Leaver's most recent 7 day mini series challenge. I have long resisted painting the same thing over and over again and I don't really have a good reason for why, just innate stubbornness. So confronting something I usually avoid seemed like a good place to start. 

I would use the same photo reference and create a new piece each day using a different medium. Pencil, water soluble ink, charcoal, chalk pastels, watercolour, mixed media and collage. There was - to my mind anyway - an organic progression to this process. The drawing became easier each day I did it; I developed my values before moving into colour. Each day seemed to build on the previous ones. 

I had never worked with chalk pastels before so that was a first for me. This last one bottom right was intended to be just acrylic but after I gessoed the paper I started playing with whatever I felt like so it ended up being a combo of Inktense blocks, Sharpie pen, water soluble markers and acrylic paint. It was also done with a bright yellow underpainting beneath everything but the blue and purple berries. 

Not surprisingly, there is something about each piece I like but no one favourite. And yes, there are only 6 images here. These were done on 5 x 7 cold pressed paper and when it came time to do the collage I found the small size quite restrictive so that one will have to wait for now. 

Okay, enough for now. I have some pieces from my orphan drawer to play with next. 

Touchstones

Touchstones (C) Susan Langdon 2017

mixed media on 8 x 10 CP watercolour paper

I am taking an online course of artistic self discovery called Touchstone, offered by an English artist who I found through P interest. Her name is Tara Leaver and she is amazingly generous with her ideas and philosophies. She is also a gifted teacher when it comes to communicating those things as well!

This piece was done to commemorate this chapter of exploration for me and I've utilized a photo reference belonging to Karen Broemmelsick. Used with permission accorded to members of the FB group Photos for Artists, to which I belong. 

So pleased with this!!

What I Did on My Summer Holidays

Fall is officially here - one of my favourite seasons. I truly can't decide between spring and fall. My favourite seems to be whichever is happening at the moment! So for now Fall is it!

I have been spending my summer, at least artistically, by trying new things. New techniques, new colours, new media. And that will definitely be continuing on for the rest of the year. Some days I have to really make myself slow down and just focus on what I'm currently doing and not go haring off in six different directions. Here is some of what I've been working on.

The first is a second take at doing a study of one of Carol Nelson's gemstone series. This time I started with a black gesso base and built multiple layers up from there. While I'm reasonably happy with the results, I don't think I will be moving on with it to do any of my own pieces. At least for now. 

Next up is an abstract that I worked on over the entire summer, letting it speak to me when it had something to say. And let me tell you, when it came to putting the realistic chains in, it spoke very determinedly. I don't know specifically what it was saying but rusty chains, along with the ghost image in the bottom right corner were a must! My inner child can be so bossy sometimes LOL!

This last piece is a WIP abstract currently on my easel. It's acrylic with some underlying gesso texture. This version started out as a study of a piece I'd seen on P interest but then the bright blue poppy seedheads showed up so who knows where this will end up. Certainly not me since the plan when I first put paint to canvas  was to do an abstract version of our local river. There's also a bear under there somewhere too.

I won't know when it's done until it tells me it is - I just wanted to capture it here in case it looks nothing like this when that day comes LOL. 

2017

After many long months I have emerged from my hibernatory period LOL!

Spring is truly such a time of new growth bursting forth and my own creative impulses seem to be following suit. I recently had lunch with my forever painting buddy and was so inspired by her adventures into new areas of art. We started in watercolour together over a decade ago but she has put me to shame with her progress in acrylics and just general overall realization of herself as an artist. I am my own worst critic and obstacle so it's time to get out of my own way!

Abstraction and acrylics, well more mixed media, have been whispering to me for quite some time. I have been perusing various online sources for some tutorials in working in this new arena. Colour is still the first characteristic I respond to then followed by lines/shapes. I can break out into much bolder colours with acrylics and I have so much to learn. I've been working on a piece that is a study of a fantastic Colorado mixed media artist Carol Nelson. Her work makes we want to reach out and touch each piece. I'm trying to figure out her journey via trial and error just from observing a 2 dimensional image of her work. Not ideal but it challenges me and I like that. The point is also not to replicate her work but to discover my own path through the study of hers.

Unfortunately, I didn't scan the beginning stages (bad Nuki) so this is midway through what I think will be the process and the point where I'm at today.

Rock study - interim 

This is done on 8 x 10 inch paper but my next attempt will be on canvas and will be a design of my own.

Some Recent Work

Art has been pretty much on the back burner for the past 6 months. I've been focusing on other long needed lifestyle changes. Plus the summer and fall were particularly lovely this year, sunny and warm. Now that we're moving into the 'dark time' again I plan on kicking my own ass back into gear and get back in the habit.

There has been some movement to put paint to substrate since I last posted, primarily at my first real attempt at abstraction in acrylics. The canvas is 12 x 16 so much too big to scan and frankly I'm feeling lazy at the moment so I'm not even going to take a picture of it at this stage. But it is ongoing and, I have a feeling, going to go through many evolutions before it's complete.

In the meantime, here are a few little projects that I've worked on recently. 

Indian Corn - mixed media

Clay pots - mixed media

Pointsettia - watercolour

Interesting - I have a new scanner and this is the first time I've scanned items at this low resolution. Things look very different than in real life. Will have to play around with the settings I think. I may come back and switch out the images at a later date. For now they can hold their place.

Project Completed

I purchased this really neat picture frame sometime last year and knew I wanted to use it to display my own work. It's a system where 16 8x10 inch frames are joined together to form what looks like a mullioned window. I was just waiting for the right piece to go in it.

Then John Lovett, a brilliant Australian artist whose work I just love, posted a piece of his recently that sang to me and well, I had to attempt a study of my own. My version was painted as a 5 x 7  and then with the magic of technology I was able to scan it, enlarge it and print it out into a 16 8x10 grid. And this is the result. I'm pretty chuffed with the results as it now hangs above the gorgeous table Taylor Made custom made for me earlier.

My study of a John Lovett piece for my own personal use

Notes to self - in case I try this again with another piece, be careful where the centre of interest is placed. Unfortunately under one of the mullion bars is the majority of a brilliant orange red clump of foliage that is stunning with the turquoise of the water. Too bad most of it doesn't show now that it's in the frames. 

Painting With My Left Hand

Spent yesterday at a terrific creative workshop with a local artist, called Tune In, Let Go and Be Bold - painting with your non-dominant hand. Very interesting and intriguing, dealing mainly with making the mind/body/spirit connection. Can highly recommend it.

 (c) Susan Langdon 2016 acrylic on 18 x 24 inch stretched canvas

Painting this size is normally waaay out of my comfort zone and yet I had no trouble filling the space. What made me laugh after I finished. was realizing how big a role yellow played in this piece - not a colour I normally surround myself with LOL. Clearly my inner child is a big fan though!

EDiM days 4 - 7

It's That Time of Year

Once again I am participating in the Every Day in May Challenge. I'm giving myself permission to be a little more relaxed about it though this time around, at least as far as posting my efforts goes. So it'll likely continue to be every few days I throw up what I've done in the interim. Up first Days 1-3. For my own info, I'm using a 6x6 field journal from the hand-book paper co. It's my first time painting on Fluid brand wc paper and so far I'm impressed. 

#1 - a toy. Only cat toys in my house and even though I had lots to choose from, this peacock feather is Touille's current favourite plaything.

#2 - something with folds. Thought about this one for a long time and for some reason ended up with crow's feet. Thankfully mine aren't quite this extreme yet.

#3 - a hammer. Was much more inspired to paint this Hammer than the one in my tool box.