This is my first attempt at traditional egg tempera painting. The panel is a Masonite board from Michaels, but I need to use true gesso because the egg tempera will not adhere to acrylic gesso. Some of my favorite artists used egg tempera. Andrew Wyeth, Robert Vickrey, and Colin Fraser are all masters of this ancient and archival medium. I have been self studying this technique for months and I was very excited to start experiencing the medium. Egg tempera is like layering stained glass on top of stained glass. the painter can expect a luminous glow to take shape as the colors blend visually through the layers of paint - assisted by the chalk of the true gesso. Egg tempera has been described as the closest painting technique to drawing, hence my draw to this medium.
Another pencil drawing from 2014. I had a long break from drawing and painting between 1994 and 2013. The arts teacher of my high school made me feel like shit and i decided to quit painting. At 36 years old I realized I missed it and started again by buying a set of pencils as a birthday gift to myself.
When one day ends another starts, don't allow yourself to think about the day when it's the end, because, at the beginning of tomorrow, there is always a start.
Keep Your Eyes on the Lamp Bearer.
Don’t walk around aimlessly.
Don’t leave your armor on your bed chamber’s floor.
Keep your eyes and ears focused on Jesus.
He is the lamp bearer, who illuminates the path you should travel.
Don’t walk around aimlessly!
Don’t leave your armor on your bedchamber’s floor.
Specters are crouched in the shadows of the thicket that line your path.
They plot to ambush you as soon as you wander aimlessly into the thicket.
Keep your eyes and ears focused on Jesus.
He is the lamp bearer, who illuminates the path you should travel.
If you have walked into a fog and lost your focus,
If you have walked aimlessly into the shadows the thicket If you find yourself in the
clutches of the specters of the dark
Don’t be anxious.
Don’t lose hope.
Humble yourself and call out to your commander.
He will send in his angelic army to retrieve you
To restore you back to the ranks of His army
Don’t walk around aimlessly.
Don’t leave your armor on your bedchamber’s floor!
Keep your eyes and ears focused on Jesus.
He is the lamp bearer, who illuminates the path you should travel.
(December 3, 2016)
This illustration tells me that I need to push myself forward. I was in my comfort zone while painting. And I didn't go out.
It's an important lesson for me. I'm glad I can analyze it and draw conclusions.
Drawing trees and other landscape elements was my daily routine for the last two months.
For two months, I've been developing my style.
It's essential to create consistently in one style for a long time. It's the way you get to know better:
- yourself,
- what you like,
- what you enjoy.
Drawing florals in the landscape scenery was a pleasure I gave myself on Friday afternoon.
Just a relaxing and creative process without any expectations is something every artist needs.
Give yourself a bit of pleasure today
BEING GREEDY CHOKES ANANSI From Favorite Folktales around the world by Jane Yolen. One time, Anansi lived in a country that had a queen who was also a witch. And she decreed that whoever used the word five would fall down dead, because that was her secret name, and she didn’t want anyone using it. Now, Buh Anansi was a clever fellow, and a hungry one too. Things were especially bad because there was a famine, so Anansi made a little house for himself by the side of the river near where everyone came to get water. And when anybody came to get water, he would call out to them, “I beg you to tell me how many yam hills I have here. I can’t count very well.” So, one by one he thought they would come up and say, “One, two, three, four, five,” and they would fall down dead. Then Anansi would take them and corn them in his barrel and eat them, and that way he would have lots of food in hungry times and in times of plenty.
It's my third illustration with a lantern theme.
I had doubts while drawing this illustration. I changed the concept a few times. And I'm not sure if I got the expected effect.
But I'm not afraid to share it and say: "this illustration could be better."
It gives me the motivation to work harder.
It gives me reasons to push myself forward.
Have a creative weekend!
Ink, watercolor markers, paper. 2023. Sometimes I need to let myself create from my unconscious and not stick to some planned approach. The markers were a gift from my children and I really have been enjoying them!
