Drawing, Sketching

"I sometimes think there is nothing so delightful as drawing."
 Vincent van Gogh


Me, too. Delightful, yes. Some days the drawing just rolls from my eyes/brain through my fingers on to the blank page. Other days there is rather more angst in the process and sweat on the paper. Whatever ...I Would Rather Be Drawing...than Not. Anyone else feel that way?

In my seventieth year, I tend to forget things and lose things. Drawing is a tool that has helped me learn and figure out my world all my life. It is my refuge and meditation and solace. I would sooner leave my house without earrings than without my sketchbook. In the above quick drawing I bundled up and drew my reflection in the glass door at a frigid 23 degrees. I know this winter has been unusually mild, but I have learned I can draw outside for limited duration at most any temperatures over 15! Choose a quivery subject....and put a heat pack in your pocket

 The above small sketch of my friend in class was done in 3 minutes or less. I was looking for her attitude and concentration rather than accuracy.

This large charcoal drawing of Martina is about mystery and mood.

My big cat Charley Parker has found the one spot he blends in to his surroundings while perched on an old brush pile.

In this pencil drawing I was exploring options for winter garden paintings I am presently working on.

What have you been doing these long winter days?

You may want to look at Vincent Van Gogh The Drawings 2005 The Metropolitan Museum of Art NY.  Check it out or order it from your local library.  It is a heavy book, good for at least a week of dedicated perusal.

The geese just went by Southern Vermont this morning, heading North! YES!

Look at my upcoming Events in right column.  And write to me.

Tent Living

My daughter and son-in-law are building a cute small house this summer in Central Vermont. This is where they live until the house is closed in. It is a pretty comfy abode actually. I'm visiting this day and was not too useful at the building site. So I did a watercolor sketch of the tent in the landscape.

Please look at Rodrica Tilley Gallery of available Paintings when you have time.
You can see the building project progress here

Nine days in the Mid West...and Home Sweet Home

I'm home after an intense road trip through the mid west, the purpose of which was adding 7 new states to my Fifty State Plein Air Painting Project. I visited a few museums, too. You can read all about the fun and frustrations of a solo sojourn in scorching heat and see the paintings by clicking the link. I am still adding finishing touches in the studio so all 7 states will be posted by this time next week. Only 8 states left to paint in!

I returned to my Life Drawing class at River Gallery School of Art and a challenging pose and set-up above; willow charcoal on a buff printmaking paper of unknown name. 20 x 16

Then off to Sketch Group the next afternoon. This is the second year in a row we have sketched during afternoon rehearsals of the renown Marlboro Chamber Music Festival. While we are working out the dynamics of hand positions and composition and head tilts the quintet is debating and questioning the composers intent and how best to express the music through their instruments and sensitivities of interpretations. It is without a doubt one of my favorite sketch occasions. Apparently anyone is welcome at rehearsals, even if you just want to take a beautifully accompanied nap. In my graphite pencil sketch below the clarinet player had not yet appeared.

This blog is all about me and my tangents, but I am interested to hear your reactions, responses and what is happening in your life. Have you thought about forming a sketch group in your town? It is free and fun...just need a pencil and paper and maybe money for coffee. Ours started with two sketchers who became two friends and invited others. Now we are four to six regulars and other occasional drop-ins.

I welcome comments and emails.

Sketching Group

I have been an avid sketcher since high school. It is fun. It appeals to my industrious nature. I get better at it over time (unlike many other things which I seem to get worse at...like lifting heavy objects or walking fast or remembering proper nouns). Sketching seems to help put the world in order on a personal history kind of level.

Birds of a feather occasionally flock together and this often happens over coffee somewhere on Main Street in Brattleboro, Vermont. We talk. We check out each others new pens, pencils and sketchbooks. We stop talking and start scratching quietly on paper. We try not to be too obvious in scrutinizing  our hopefully unsuspecting fellow coffee drinkers while they eat their lunch or work on their laptops or commiserate over their parents or toddlers. We complain when our 'model' leaves the scene. Sometimes we decide still life is easier.  For a couple hours a week we enjoy the company of other sketchers.

For those artists who think it feels weird to draw in public, I say it is one of the nicer things people do in cafes. Most people are too busy text-ing to notice what or how well you draw. Why not join us? Or assemble a sketching group wherever you are.

 

Our coordinator and organizing guru wears two pairs of glasses - at once. She is an accomplished sketcher (and has X-ray vision).

These recent sketches were done in a watercolor moleskine landscape format  (5 x 8.5")with Prismacolor Premier fine line markers