I have given my students the problem of creating 100 self portraits in 20 days on 5x7 in paper. The challenge is to create something other than an image that depicts a 'dead-pan' stare. When the brain is given a problem, it goes to work immediartely to solve that problem. I have seen some wonderful solutions. This is a tall order for teens who are sensative to judgment and still developing in thier perception. It has generated wonderful discussions of self-awareness, world view, and judgment. Those who engage in the exercise in an authentic manner have only good things to say about the experience. It is not an exercise for everyone. We are on a journey. Be Bold! Be Honest! Draw what you see. Draw what you think. -Peace
For the 29th of Chibijuly today is the sunset day
For this day I decided to draw Aquacl and Tsunoplet who sat on a rock to watch the beautiful sunset near an island
A character concept drawing of a pirate vampire character I created for a collab writing project that died. His clothing and even his hair borrowed aspects from various jelly fish as inspiration. " The snap of inky sails catching the wind punctuated the subtle wooden creaks of the Sea Nettle as it slid over glossy black waves. The night was oppressive. With the moon obscured by clouds, the ship, with its doused lamps and its dark wood was nearly invisible as she crept closer to her prize. Tallis stood on the forecastle, one foot propped against the railing, his hands supporting a spyglass. He drifted the lens between the lights below deck, counting each of them and making note of any movement on the upper deck and in the rigging. A single sailor was at the helm. Another was lazily standing beside him, possibly engaged in conversation that distracted him from his watch. This was to be expected, not many would dare to disturb such a well-equipped vessel of the Luthen royal fleet. Nettie's crew was lesser in numbers, but they were experts in what few on the high seas could manage. Tonight, would be a quiet strike. Open combat spelled unnecessary danger for his crew."
Water heals and purifies. It also kills and destroys.
Few symbols encompass both the life-giving and death-dealing properties of water as the sacrament of baptism, which represents both the passing of the old self and their rebirth as a new creature (Romans 6:3-11).
Here, the image of death & rebirth is also reinforced by a dragonfly motif; the dragonfly spends the first years of its life in the deep waters as a nymph, and is completely transformed into a new being as it rises to the surface.
Unlike butterflies, a dragonfly undergoes several molting processes after its emergence, showing that, while the creature is already made new, it is not yet perfected, and must grow in its new identity through what is called progressive sanctification.
The work's title refers to the Christian daimyo, Konishi Yukinaga, whose baptismal name is Augustine, and is the primary subject of this image.
Watercolour on A4 watercolour paper. This was so much fun to paint, and it reminds me of holidays at my grandparents' house in Greece when I was a teenager.
for the 17th of Chibijuly today it's water's turn
For this day I decided to draw one of the jewelpets based on a clownfish known as aqua in chibi style
Watercolour and the tiniest bit of coloured pencil and acrylic marker on watercolour paper. Size A4. Done with negative painting technique. This was inspired by a figure found in a Kinder egg from my daughter. It seems to be common sense these days to scan and fix your artwork digitally before posting it on any social media. I don't do that. I kind of like the little (or bigger) imperfections in my work, and I also believe that uploading traditional work that has been digitally fixed gives people the idea that such perfect pictures can be achieved in a traditional way.
I painted recently a little castle for a wedding invitation, in watercolor and pigma micron pens. I'm now thinking about creating a fabric pattern on the theme of castle and royal gardens
The Watermelon Folk is an Acrylic painting on canvas measuring 61 x 61 cm. It is an intuitive painting. I practice Raja Yoga Meditation .which is an open eye meditation; so while I am painting I am in a meditative state. What appears on the canvas is straight from my inner being. If I like what appears I will let it live but if I don't like it , then it needs to go, and I will paint over it. My paintings go through many lives before they are complete.
for the 14th of Juneforest today it's time for water
For this day I decided to draw the otter-like marapets named Quell swimming at the bottom of a river while finding a shell
