New drawing tools!

I wasted all that warm plein air weather by gardening...hey, I planted 34 clumps of daylilies!...so far. The work  I have to do here in my brand new (not bare exactly) garden is limitless, so I am determined to get out there painting next decent day.

What I have been doing is drawing, drawing, drawing. I completed another 12 hour Life Drawing Marathon on March 10...luckily the River Gallery School of Art only offers the marathon twice a year...giving some of us time to recover before the next one. Four different models for a three hour shift each: four 30-second poses, one 5-minute, one 10-minute, a couple of 20-minutes and one or two longer poses. You get focused, you get energized, you get tired, you get giddy, but it is a real stretch of your abilities and the smart artists focus on one medium. I tried everything from pastel to pencil to ink. I was afraid I would get bored...and then the woman next to me insisted I use two sheets of her lovely brown heavyweight newsprint with charcoal. Perfect. I had a great time and have something to look forward to in October.

In the weekly Tuesday afternoon Life Drawing Class, my teacher, Jason Alden, is making sure I don't skate through his class. He is so young (but wise) and usually points out to me just the right direction I should be going and the really difficult thing I might be trying to do to grow as an artist. Could I ask for more?

                            “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear”

 

Also, I'm part of a cafe sketching group on Thursdays and a bi-weekly critique/support group led by the school's creative director, Lydia Thompson. And the rest of the time I am drawing plants, pets, whatever. Life is good.

Oh, yes, new tools: I just discovered Derwent Water Soluble Sketching Pencils. What fun. I've been using them for drawing from the model and sketching in a Moleskine Watercolor Journal. I really like the look and the way of working...black, white and many values of grey/silver. Fun.

Purple House

This 16 x 16 pastel of my house in Vermont is now on exhibit at the Butternut Gallery & Second Story Books in Montrose PA (570-278-4011) along with it's partner Yellow House.  I framed them with Tru-Vue (Museum) glass to diminish reflections as well as preserve the bright colors over time. The glass is AR (anti-reflective) and UV (keeps ultraviolet light from bleaching pigments). Pastels and most works on paper need to be protected by glass. Looking through Tru-Vue makes the glass almost invisible. I know that sounds weird, but you can definitely appreciate the difference between Tru-Vue and regular or so-called non-reflective "frosted" glass. Stop in and take a look. Tell Tom & Betty I sent you. They are each priced to sell at $550 framed.