EDM #13 AND OPINIONS ON ART!

Here is my latest Everyday Matters drawing. My office phone wasn't that interesting so I added the surrounding "stuff". I love my artist "Jack-in-a-box". It was a gift from a cousin.

I have added another website to the list. Susan Webb Tregay, a nationally recognized watercolor expert, has started a blog. Check her out. Her very first post has 3 things to thing about when looking at the art of others.

I saw this letter to the editor in the latest issue of The Artist's Magazine. What do you think of his observations? Food for thought.

"I've been a watercolor painting instructor at the American Academy of Art in Chicago since 2001, and over the years have seen my share of watercolor shows. Pretty much without exception, they are interchangeable collections of beautifully crafted images: still life, landscape, figure, etc. Once you get past the technique, what's left? Nostalgia? Don't you ever feel that if you see another bowl of fruit you're going to wreck something? There are many painters in other media who deal with the "pretty," but there are a great number of artists who are out there creating images that are intended to make us think-to enlighten us, to scare us and make us ask questions - images with content that we can agree with, disagree with, be revolted by or find great joy in. I find it hard to believe that so many talented watercolor artists are only interested in creating images for decoration. I'm also amazed at how revered this practice is within the watercolor community; it's like a self-perpetuating type of inbreeding. Maybe it's the show scene reinforced by the "how to" art book publishing industry. Maybe the watercolor painters of content are more common that we realize but the watercolor establishment seldom exhibits them. Perhaps it's the notion that unless a piece is pretty, it won't be accepted in a watercolor show, so why pay the fee and go through the trouble of entering it if there's no chance a provocative painting is going to be accepted, much less win a prize? Yes, you will see the occasional watercolor appear in broader or specialized art shows, and there are even the occasional watercolors that show up in museum shows. But, I'm afraid that the passive contentment for the status quo continues to cause watercolor to be marginalized by the greater world of art as a second-rate art form/ Tom Herzberg, Chicago, Ill.

MOVING THROUGH THE CHALLENGES!

Today was a day for drawing. I ran over to Aaron Bros. and picked up some very fine lined pens (.005) They really made all the difference. I managed to draw a jar and a piece of jewelry which was # 7 and #8 in the Everyday Matters challenges. I decided to immortalize my "orphaned" earrings. I am missing the mate to each of these earrings but I can't let go of them. I keep thinking maybe the awol one will turn up in a pocket somewhere or under a chair cushion, etc. They're small and don't take up a lot of space, so I will continue to hope. One of the earrings is a real sable paint brush hand made by an artist. I think I can talk him into making me a single one to match.

I am trying different strategies for drawing more accurately and I feel like I am making progress. Love the new pens! I also spent a few hours working on samples for the February workshop in San Diego. Everything is coming together.

TODAY'S CREATIVE ENDEAVORS!

Tucked in between vacuuming, dusting, rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic (that would be my new workspace!) in preparation for a visit from some out of town friends who keep a spotless house, I managed to start the portrait of Paul as a 5 year old, do a quick sketch of my favorite well-loved object and work a few hours on my up-coming Variations workshop. I still have a silver tea set to polish, brass railings to shine, wash the kitchen, breakfast room and office floors (they all run together) start the soup for lunch and sweep the driveway. I guess I will be getting up very early tomorrow morning! The upstairs is sealed off and not available for guest's inspection. Oh Lord, I hate house cleaning! So much effort for results that last so briefly.
At least I can work on art guilt free for a while.

Here is a photograph of the Anniversary Pillow. Also a photograph of my favorite well-loved thing along with my EDM Sketch #6. This is a portrait doll of my sculpture teacher at the College of San Mateo. His name was Ray Loranzato and this was my final project. Ray originally sat in a soft sculpture fur lined teacup. When Ray talked about the Dada movement in art, you could tell how much he loved the concept. The fur lined teacup was one of the famous pieces of art from this period. Ray, the doll, has survived 3 sons and 2 grandsons who used to throw him around like a bean bag until I put a stop to it. Ray, the sculptor, is no longer living, but I think of him every time I look at his doll. I keep him hanging for dear life on top of my other most well loved treasure, my first studio easel. It was a gift from my parents for Chanukah when I was 19. I still use it sometimes when I need a big easel and it sits in a place of honor in my living room, always with a painting on it.

JUST ONE LITTLE SKETCH!

I only had time today to do one little sketch, but I am still managing to post everyday for the month of November. This is #5 for Everyday Matters challenges...my bed. I think I am getting a little better at this sketching thing but have a ways to go! Over my bed is a silk wall hanging I made from microwave sequentially dyed strips in muted blues and dusty pinks. In earthquake country you don't want anything heavy over your head in case it comes crashing down! The bed frame is almost 100 years old! Burl Walnut and old fashioned wooden slats holding up the frame. We bought it second hand from a woman who had it for 50 years. We are married 45 and purchased it in our 2nd year of marriage. The pillow on the bed was one I made for my parents for their 40th wedding anniversary. It has two soft sculpture dolls representing them on their wedding day, tucked into a heart opening. I guess this scene represents a lot of history of long happy marriages.

I will be doing something other than sketching in the next day or two. I need to paint my husband's oldest brother when he was about 5 or 6. It is a gift for his 85th birthday. Paul has to be the youngest 85 year old I have ever met. We should all be so lucky to have his vibrant, engaged, active and healthy life. He is an inspiration.

CREATIVE EFFORTS FOR THE DAY plus CREATIVE WISDOM FROM TWYLA THARP

Here are my efforts for the day. The every day matters challenge #4 (A Mug) Is fair. I used my brush pen set (the one that isn't light fast) to color it in. Those darn circles and ellipses are a bear to draw! I am thinking maybe there is a trick or technique to it. I need to research this question. I was so tempted to use a template to draw the circle but thought better of it. I actually got rid of all the odd mugs when we redid the kitchen but kept two English Porcelain mugs from our trip to London as a keepsake from a great vacation. The other two sketches are my first attempt in a long time at sketching from life. The guy with the newspaper was motionless for a loooooooong time until I started to draw him and then he moved his arm right when I was going to do that part. So, I made it up and it looks it. I captured the paintings on the wall, well, but of course they weren't moving and they were ridiculously simplistic and vapid. The second little sketch painting was done while I was gallery sitting. I used a pen on the desk. I tested it for permanence and it appeared to pass but then bled when I painted over it. At least my subject wasn't going to move on me. I can see I have lots to learn about this live sketching thing before I will be very happy with the results. I think I want to find a very very fine point pen with sanguine ink instead of black. I shall persevere.

Regarding where I found the little watercolor set: It came empty with spaces for 12 colors. I bought it at Accent Arts in Palo Alto for $15. I don't remember if it had a brand name label on it.

"EVERY DAY MATTERS" DRAWING CHALLENGES: I'M IN!

I love drawing and I absolutely love looking at other people's drawings, especially the illustrated journal type of work. I put the Urban Sketchers blog on the side of mine so I can track it every day. Some truly amazing stuff. The illustrated journals and Urban Sketchers are working from life, not photographs. I have been like a fly on the wall, jealously admiring this creativity. I finally decided to take the plunge. I think I can work it in because I can draw relatively quickly and I want to challenge myself to draw from life more often. I don't like that I am so dependent on photographs. I signed up for "Every Day Matters" a few days ago. If you click on the blog title, it will take you to Danny Gregory's blog page. He is the fabulous artist who started Every day Matters. He has some wonderful books that are so encouraging and motivational. Today, I went to the bookstore and bought a small 5" x 7" sketch book that can take watercolor and a Moleskin Watercolor Book also 5" x 7". The first book is for the challenges that Danny Gregory has started. They are up to 197!! I figure I can catch up eventually because they post a new challenge each week. I can do several a day. It's not a race, anyway. I did three today and had so much fun. I am going to make them as detailed and intricate as I can, just for my amusement. I picked my favorite pair of shoes (visually...no, not my Crocs!) and found an interesting lamp that got cut off at the knees and neck! because I need to improve my skills at estimating distance and size. I decided to do my Laurel Burch tote bag because of the wonderful designs and used some watercolor to jazz it up. Anyway, there is a list of all 197 challenges which I printed out. Tomorrow I will be sitting at the Rose Shenson Gallery at the Triton Museum for the SCVWS show so I will get a few more drawings in. I posted the cute little purse size watercolor set I put together. The metal container is palm size and holds 12 colors. I used Stephen Quiller's suggested colors and put the compliments across from each other. I marked the names of the colors in the space for the little brush. The Koi water brush comes apart and fits perfectly in these little set ups. Not of caution: Maimeri watercolors don't seem to dry very much...same for Graham (which are made with honey). I hope I don't have a runny mess problem as I used 3 Maimeri colors.

The Moleskin Sketch Book will be used for Urban, Suburban, et all sketching from life. Tomorrow I will break it in!