This week, I've been doing pencil drawings of dogs---usually while listening to the news on my computer. Cardigan Corgi, Bloodhound, and Borzoi (Russian Wolfhound). Various graphite pencils on Canson Sketch pad paper. Random on-line photos as reference.
This is a drawing I have been working on when I need to slow down and turn my brain off for a little while so it's taking quite a while to finish but I am always happy to see it progress that little bit further every time I sit down with it. This is from my A3 sketchbook, I used to stick to smaller A5 and A4 sizes but I am certainly appreciating the extra space with this drawing.
In my Blue Star sketchbook serious art has been interrupted by two cartoon characters I came up with years ago that I drew for my university student newspaper. They're back! Adolescent silliness returns with the adventures of Hardball and Riley. There's a bit of allegory at work in this story, so it's not as infantile as it first seems. They are certainly fun and my main characters are very easy to draw. I do sometimes spend too much time on the background.
"And I Can't Get It Out of My Head"
Watercolor
I feel like I may be cheating since the song I was inspired by is not so simple, but I'm pleased with the result. To be completely honest, this was the piece I needed right now.
The past week has been interesting for me, I've found myself in a peculiar slump. There's not one thing I'm thinking or worrying about, it's a constant buzz of thoughts streaming through my head. Sometimes I can get the buzzing to quiet down, other times it gets overwhelmingly loud.
I've always found art to be a release, it fills in the blanks when I can't figure out how to make my words work. Lately, it's been more of a challenge than usual, but I think this piece says all I've been wanting to say.
Patternz - Series 3. In this series I'm still sticking with the Patterned backgrounds, but this time they have been carefully chosen to compliment the chosen animal subject, rather than the human portraits of series 1 & 2.
Igor Stravinsky (1882–1971)
“I get up at about eight, do physical exercises, then work without a break from nine till one,” Stravinsky told an interviewer in 1924. Generally, three hours of composition were the most he could manage in a day, although he would do less demanding tasks—writing letters, copying scores, practicing the piano—in the afternoon.
Unless he was touring, Stravinsky worked on his compositions daily, with or without inspiration, he said. He required solitude for the task, and always closed the windows of his studio before he began: “I have never been able to compose unless sure that no one could hear me.” If he felt blocked, the composer might execute a brief headstand, which, he said, “rests the head and clears the brain.”
- From Daily Rituals: How Artists Work by Mason Currey
Lo-fi inspired art. Used one of my favourite albums from hanni el khatib in the drawing. I have been traveling so it's been hard to find the time to draw but I'm glad I managed to finish this one.
The creative demon possessing me at the time must’ve either been Mark E. Smith or Radiohead’s ‘Hail To The Thief’ shaped, judging by the lyrics of this one..
I should have made the legs way longer.this creature, despite not having any arms,likes playing pranks on people for example turning your hair purple (if you have a headless head then you're going to grow a long purple beard regardless of gender)or even making your nose humongous,though it's easily frightened by anything,if a person spots it,it quickly runs away with it's long,two legs.they run very quickly.to this day this creature has never been captured by anyone.
This pen-and-ink illustration was done for the cover of a church statement of faith.
I named this illustration Foundation of America because I believe this country was
founded by Christians who had strong faith in the God of the Bible, and through
faith, prayer, and sacrifice, the patriots overcame the mighty British military. By the
hand of God, a new nation was born: the United States of America. When the United
States was filled with God-fearing people, God raised the country to be a super power,
and the world envied the United States and flocked to her shores, the land of freedom
and opportunity.
Now this country has forgotten the God who gave birth to her and now is setting
up new idols to worship: idols of wood, stone, metals that do not hear or see or
care. Because the United States has forgotten God, it has been plagued with storms,
tornadoes, floods, droughts and her enemies are waging war with her, waiting to
celebrate her fall.
It is my hope and prayer that people who love this country will return to honoring God
and return to giving Him thanks for all the great works He has done for this nation
and turn from our sins and follow God by obeying His Word: the Holy Bible. That
God will remove His hand of judgment and His blessing may return to our country.
This church was fist built in 1890 and is still being used as a church. It is in Norristown,
Pennsylvania. This was the first Bible-believing church I attended when I became a
Christian.
(October 28, 2017)
Chromatography is used in chemistry to dissolve a mixture and place it into a "mobile phase," which allows the solvent to carry it and its components up the paper. It shows the layers, exposing deeper, hidden tones and colors, something only seen when a solvent of the same polarity is used. It's odd. Life feels a bit like that, and I'm seeing the colors separate for the first time. It's all there, everything that's been hidden in the inky mess for the past however many years. And now it's smeared. Bold. Clear. But blurry. What's on me and what's on you? Where do we go from here?
