Measure Twice

You know that phrase, "measure twice, cut once"? Yeah... I think I need that framed above my sewing table. Unlike painting, you can't just get it close enough or paint over a mistake. On a related subject, I was looking for my seam ripper, but it is no where to be found! I even looked in the places where my cats usually fling small objects I leave unattended, but no luck. So, needing to get my fix of creativity, I looked around and remembered a painting I'm doing for a friend. I've put this painting off for some reason, and my friend has been incredibly patient in waiting for it. Plus he lives in India, so he can't do much about it ;) I kid... seriously it's really late.

Pencil on canvas board 14" x 18" 

I thought I'd do thin layers of acrylic paint to build up the colors.....

Acrylics on canvas board

.... but then I realized that since I didn't erase the grid lines, I'll need thick paint to cover those up. Whoops. Another example of measure twice? Actually, I think it will look better with more opaque paint in the end, so no big deal. I'll keep you updated as the painting progresses!

Kosara

Kosara. colored pencils on paper, 11"x14"

 This is a commission piece I did for my uncle to give to my aunt of their granddaughter (what does that make her- my cousin once removed? They're also on my step-dad's side, so riddle me that) for their anniversary. Sadly, I have never met Kosara, but she's good looking, apparently! I took some photos during the process to show the progression if the drawing.

My work desk, i.e. kitchen counter.

Updated Self-Portrait?

Scary freaky big-eyed me

I decided that since my self-portrait is about 8 years old or so, I should do an updated one. So I grabbed a random photo and some colored pencils. Then I decided, why not give myself the features I'd like to have- a smaller nose, bigger lips, and then (since it was clearly not going to look anything like me) I decided to give myself giant anime eyes. It doesn't resemble the original photo (below), and I think it actually looks really weird and creepy. Next time I'll just try and make it look like me, flaws and all ;)

The real me!

If anyone would like me to do a portrait of them or a loved one- a realistic drawing or something else altogether, I am available for commission work. Since most of my visitors are friends, I'll give you all a good deal:) Just need something to draw and someone else might value my work more than I do. Personalized art can make good gifts 'n stuff. Ok, marketing ploy over, although I may do another one in the future;)

Sketchbook

Untitled. Pencil on Paper, 1-23-12

I think this blog is the pressure I needed to produce. Knowing that someone will see what I'm doing, that my art will actually get somewhere past my living room, even if it's not to a lot of eyes, is very exciting and motivating. I had too much caffeine yesterday, and I have today off for being on call all weekend. That combo+motivation to do art = staying up until 4:30 in the morning watching Breaking Bad (really good show!) and drawing. I opened up a sketchbook that has been blank and waiting for.... I don't know, years? I began doing sketches like these in junior high- I would pick faces out of a magazine and just draw them, one by one. I filled a couple of sketchbooks with those. The amazing thing is that you could see the progression of quality just through one sketchbook.

I think it was on   Radiolab that they said that to be really good at something- to be a Clapton or a Mozart or a Picasso or [insert respected artist here] it was less about natural talent and more about just DOING IT over and over- and that to master a skill you had to spend 1000 hours or more on it. That is nearly 42 days. Straight. Just doing that thing. So you better like that thing. And you can't be afraid to suck at that thing for the first 200 hundred hours or so. That's just a reality. We aren't born knowing how to paint or play the guitar. It's just about finding the thing you enjoy and find fulfilling and just doing it while trying to keep your expectations and judgments at bay. Guess Nike had something there.

Since starting this blog, I've already had a couple of interesting conversations with friends about what art means to them and how they perceive their ability to do it. More on this to come!