The Art of a Sketchbook - Friday

While trying to decide which sketchbook to use next I realized I had a few sketchbooks that had some, but not many, blank pages in them.  So, before I start on yet another sketchbook I'm going to finish filling in those blank pages .....

In looking through those sketchbooks I noticed I had done similar sketches of my kitchen area, a year apart, both using my Lamy fountain pen.

  One was in January 2009......

 and the other was in February 2010.  

Do you every find that you are sketching the same thing frequently?  I sketch my husband, my coffee mug and evidently my kitchen most often *grin.

Honorable Mention ...

I am thrilled to announce that my painting Almost Home was the first oil painting I had ever entered into an art show ....

Honorable Mention, Almost Home, 24" x 36" Oil on Canvas, © 2013 Nancy Van Blaricom

and it won Honorable Mention. I couldn't be happier.

When an artist enters a local art show... winning even a small award can be very encouraging, especially if they are new to a medium. It makes us want to continue to work at becoming a better artist.

The Art of a Sketchbook - Friday

Its that time of year again when we start thinking about boating season again.

In the above sketch from a number of years ago we were in a marina and tied 

across the dock from this boat ... too close not to sketch, right?

In the above sketch I decided to map the route we took while on this trip.  I gave up on that idea after a day or so because I ran out of room on these two pages and decided since we were going to be gone for a couple of months I would be taking up too much paper.  Its hard to see the route in this photo because you can see through to the back side of these two pages.  Clicking on the image might help.

This is just a dreaming sketch. I was sketching ways to  improve the  galley on the boat.  

Instead we sold the boat ...

Have a great week-end ... try to squeeze some sketching into your days.

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Recently I've been working on a couple of  watercolor commissions and hope to finish with them next week.  Meanwhile I've been reading a lot about the basics such a color theory, composition and drawing.  It is a wonderful refresher course for me and I'm looking forward to putting some of what I've been reading into practice soon.

The Art of the Sketchbook - Friday

 If it holds still ... its fair game

Neil reading, 6" x 9" sketchbook, ©2013, Nancy Van Blaricom

I can't begin to tell you how often I've sketched my husband.  If he's holding still like when he reads or....

Neil sleeping, 6" x 9" sketchbook, ©2013, Nancy Van Blaricom

  

If we are out camping and the sun is shinning while he's in one of our camp chairs napping.

Alstroemerias in Silver

Alstroemerias in Silver, 6" x 8" © 2013, Nancy Van Blaricom

Yes ... a floral! You may have noticed I haven't painted many florals.

Thoughts on this painting:  I didn't want to be overwhelmed with a lot of detail of too many flowers so I thought I'd choose a small bouquet of flowers, (I had over looked the fact that Alstroemerias have a lot of petals, what was I thinking?). Now looking back I'm not sure what difference it really made, except there might have been some stems and a vase with water showing ... anyway, after I chose to arrange my Alstroemerias in a small silver bowl I still wasn't sure of the look I was after.  I decided it still needed more punch to the composition so sat the whole arrangement in a small cardboard box with the opening facing out.  This was just the look I wanted.  A little mystery in the background.

I'm really pleased with how this little painting turned out.  I love that I was able to make the one flower be the star of the show(focal point) and make the others recede into the background, (edges).  Also, the color was great with the dark interior of the cardboard box.  Just the look I was hoping for.

Here I've placed this in a black 3" frame. ... I see I've picked up some reflected light from a near-by desk lamp.

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Note to my artist friends:  I've finally been able to stand back at arms length and paint with my arm extended ... I simply move my taboret between me and may easel.  This method is working perfectly f.  Possibly I'll share photos of my painting arrangement in a later post.  Yea, a huge victory for me.

Peninsula Art Association - Spring Art Show

Spring seems to be a perfect time for art shows doesn't it?  Our little town, Shelton Washington, has an annual show that just gets better each year.   I haven't participated in this show for a couple of years and I'm excited that for the first time since I started working in oils that I will be entering two of my oil paintings.  

Please, if you are in the area, come and take a look at all the wonderful art that will be on display.

After you peruse all the art you can choose which painting is your favorite and at the reception the winner of People's Choice will be announced.

  

 AWARDS

Best of Show $300 1st place $100* 2nd place $75* 3rd place $50* *in each category
People’s Choice  Gift Basket 

This year the show opens on April 11 and runs through April 19th.
The categories are

• Oil, 
• Acrylic 
• Watercolor
• Gouache 
• Inks 
• Hand-pulled prints
• Pastel
•  Colored Pencil
• Charcoal 
• Graphite 
• Photography
•  as well as 3 Dimensional Works

The Art of a Sketchbook - Friday

Tools of the trade ....

I use a number of different tools - mediums, in my sketchbooks and today I thought I'd share them with you.  In the above photo I was celebrating spring and used watercolor for the first page of this sketchbook.  If you don't go too heavy with the water it doesn't wrinkle the pages too much.

On these two pages I used my favorite Pilot pen.  I love this pen because of the shading capabilities when you moisten the ink with water.

Of coarse pencils, all sizes and degrees of hardness, are a favorite.

Here I used a couple of markers.  A black Sharpie and a cool gray Prismacolor marker.  Great for value sketches.

I don't use crayons as often as I'd like ... I seem to forget about them if they aren't sitting out where I can see them instead of tucked away in a drawer.

Also, I have forgotten to include photos of pastel pages.  I haven't use pastels very often, but I do have a few in my sketchbooks that I've sprayed with a fixative... not my favorite.

Don't limit yourself to only pencils ... other mediums make for some fun sketching also.

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On another note I wanted to share with you that I am still working at learning more about painting with oils and hope, before long, to share a few things I've been working on with emphases on values and composition.  I work slow but hopefully before too long I will post some work.

The Art of a Sketchbook - Friday

Mug Shots from my sketchbooks ....

Seems like everyone is into Mug Shots lately.  So my way of participating is to share a few sketches of my mugs from my sketchbooks.  Sketching my coffee mugs is something I've always done and I'm sure its because there is always one near me.

Mug #1... a very feminine with dainty flowers on the octagon shaped mug.  

A fine strip of gold on the handle

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Same as mug #1 ... this was just tiny in my sketchbook, about an inch high.

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Mug #3 was a hand made mug.  I used it for years and just

recently passed it along to a friend and neighbor.

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Mug #4 is the same as mug #5.  Odd shaped but it was a favorite for years.

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Mug #5, Red mug.

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Mug #6 ... these are not my mugs / cups.  They were in a 

magazine andI thought they needed to be sketched. 

There you have it ... 6 mug shots from one sketchbook.

There are more in other sketchbooks but this is enough mugs for one day I think.

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Have a great Easter week-end.

The Art of a Sketchbook

Assorted bottles & jars on my desk, 6" x 9" sketchbook, ©2013 Nancy Van Blaricom

These are a few bottles and a jar that were on my desk the morning of August 30th, 2012

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An assortment of my sketchbooks on the left & on the right some of my books on drawing.

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Today while out shopping I picked up a Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine.  It is a delightful issue with a couple of items on drawing.  I thought I'd share this page from the magazine ...

To draw does not mean simply to reproduce contours: drawing does not consist merely of line: drawing is also expression, the inner form, the plane, modeling.  

See what remains after that.

- Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres (1780 - 1867)

Also in this same issue there is a four page article on Juliette Aristides & Sherrie McGraw. 

Both are fabulous artists and I'm thrilled to own both Sherrie McGraw's book The Language of Drawing as well as Juliette Aristrides book titled Lessons in Classical Drawing.

I hope you have a wonderful week-end and get out and do some sketching or drawing.

Studying Composition & Design ....

"In art, the terms design and composition are nearly synonymous.  By definition, design means to invent or conceive. Composition refers to the placement of forms, shapes, values and colors within a picture.  The distinction between the two terms is that design is the act, and composition is the result.  In short, you create a composition through the act of designing." ~ North Light 

Remember me telling you how I thought I should be focusing my attention on becoming a better artist?  Since writing that blog post I have been examining composition and design and I must say I'm really enjoying the research.

Some years ago I had done some reading about composition but I don't think a lot of it stayed with me.  What did stay with me I didn't consciously apply to any of my work ... if it was used it was more than likely not on purpose.  

McLane Cove, 5" x 7" oil on gessoed watercolor paper,

© 2013 Nancy Van Blaricom

In my painting above I purposely tried to direct your attention to what I felt was the center of interest.  I have some strong diagonals that draw you into the picture plane. At the same time encompass  your interest by focusing on the significance of the clouds and the sky.

I like this painting much better in real life.   I seem to have trouble getting my whites and blues to photograph well.  And photoshop doesn't seem to help much.

• Do you consciously apply your design knowledge to your work 
• Or is it second nature to you now?  
• What about thumbnails ... do you try out a couple of different scenarios in pencil before you commit to a design?

The Art of a Sketchbook - Friday

:: Ellipse Studies ::

An ellipse is so difficult for me to draw and because of that you'll often see ellipse studies in my sketchbooks.  I usually have a cup of coffee around and it seems to call out to me to sketch the cup.

This photo above was a study .... I think I failed at this attempt.  I can't remember what book I was reading that suggested all these angle studies.

I was much more pleased with this study. Even then I'm not sure how much work like this I would be willing to do prior to putting the image of a cup on  my support.

I apologize for the poor quality of these photos.  I found that when sketching ellipses I tend to sketch lightly ... thinking I might be easier to erase I guess, but, I don't erase in my sketchbooks, so I'm not sure why I sketch ellipses so lightly.

Do you use your sketchbook to study how to draw some particular item?  Noses, faces, cups or maybe trees?  

The Art of a Sketchbook - Friday, or maybe Sunday?

Eye, aprox. 2" x 2" sketch on scrap paper, ©2013, Nancy Van Blaricom

I (eye) have been away and neglected to schedule last Friday's The Art of a Sketchbook - Friday.  I'm back now and promise to show up for next Friday's regular sketch blog entry.

Until then keep on sketching.

The Art of a Sketchbook - Friday

Some times I get very brave and sketch something with a pen only.  Each item picked to be the only item (s) on the page of my sketchbook.  If it doesn't turn out I can always cover it with another piece of paper.

Sketchbook, ink & watercolor, Laundry Basket, © 2013, Nancy Van Blaricom

Laundry basket with a touch of watercolor added for a shadow.

Sketchbook, ink & watercolor, Leaves, © 2013, Nancy Van Blaricom

Fallen leaves from imagination.   Drawn bravely,  then some watercolor for a shadow and colors to emphasize the time of year.

Sketchbook, ink & watercolor, Tape Dispenser, © 2013, Nancy Van Blaricom

A tape dispenser sitting on my desk.  

Sketchbook, ink & watercolor, Pears, © 2013, Nancy Van Blaricom

Pears .... from a magazine. Kind of experimenting by not outlining each pear.

Be brave and try something you haven't tried before.  Your sketchbook is a great place to experiment.

                                                       

The Art of a Sketchbook - Friday

While looking through my sketchbooks I am amazed at how many times I've used them like a scrapbook ...

 Sketchbook scrapbook pages, © 2013, Nancy Van Blaricom 

On the two pages above I used a glue stick to enter two flier items we picked on a boat outing.  

  Sketchbook scrapbook pages, © 2013, Nancy Van Blaricom 

Probably from the same outing ... some receipts from a couple places we spent the night.

 Sketchbook scrapbook pages, © 2013, Nancy Van Blaricom

 This is a little card that came with a beautiful gift from my friend ... I think if I wouldn't have put it in my sketchbook I would easily have forgotten it.  Below the card I wrote what was in the box ..., apples, candied cherries, mixed nuts, chocolate truffles...

After a few years the memories dim ... by using my sketchbooks as a scrapbook it helps refresh my memory.

What about you, do you use your sketchbooks as a scrapbook too?

From the Shores

While walking along the shore the other day I almost passed by this beautiful arrangement.  A feather, a mussel shell and some stones all gathered on top of a small fragment of  bark on the beach.

Isn't the color combination lovely ... the blues, the green, the browns and whites? To think  they just happened to end up together on the shore.  What a beautiful combination.

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Recently I've been thinking I need to focus on becoming a better artist. I have a few books I want to read and re-read, that inspire me to work more intently.  Familiar books like Robert Henri's The Art Spirit,  Composition by Arthur Wesley Dow and Oil Painting Techniques and Materials by Harold Speed.  

I find right now there is a lot of time that I spend very discouraged with my work.  I want to focus on one aspect of painting until I feel more comfortable in my work and that I'm growing as an artist.    

So, if I'm not around as much, you'll understand. 
Meanwhile, I will still post my regular Art of a Sketchbook - Fridays and  as I start feeling more skilled with the things I'll be learning I'll share this also.

I'm excited and looking forward to the work this will require.  Wish me luck.

The Art of a Sketchbook - Friday

Sketchbook Chronicle, graphite and watercolor, ©2013 Nancy Van Blaricom

While looking through my sketchbooks for something to share with you today I came upon this one entry that chronicles how I was feeling about losing a few pounds and gaining a few pounds ... adding different watercolors to different circled sentences. I see I only have this one entry of this type, but, looking at it now I like the way it looks.

This type of sketchbook entry isn't any help to something I wanted to paint, but, a lighter type journal entry.

This year I am going to try to focus on using a single sketchbook for one type of sketching I do.  One maybe for journal type sketching (like the above photo) and another for daily sketching, one for thumbnails, etc.  Mostly now I use one for everything until its full.

❤ The BEET goes on ....

For February I wanted to paint something red for Valentines Day, but, not necessarily something with hearts or flowers. Hmmm, not ketchup, not a tomato or cherry (not in season) ... ahhh, I know, how about beets.  

                                                             The Beet Goes On, 6" x 6" oil on panel, © 2013 Nancy Van Blaricom

I don't paint a lot of still life's but I loved how pretty my beets looked in the yellow bowl.  After cropping the original photo I put it into Photoshop and pixilated it.  I think it might have made it easier for me to see some colors that might not have been as easy for me to see.  Always experimenting.

I love beets.  I love the way they taste and the way they look.  I   ❤ beets.

I think even Sonny and Cher like beets ... 

  the beet goes on, the beet goes on

Drums keep pounding a rhythm to the brain,

La de da de de, la de da de da

The Art of a Sketchbook - Friday

There are times in my sketchbooks when I focus on one subject like a new kayak and accessories.
Back in 2003 when I bought my Kayak and the weather wasn't nice enough for me to go outside it was fun to think about all the things that I had purchased to use when I did get to go kayaking.

This layout, where I drew each item and wrote something about it, is a fun way to tell a story in your sketchbook.  Have you tried this in your sketchbook?

Summary of 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

31 Oil Paintings in 30 Days, © 2013, Nancy Van Blaricom

• I like the variety of subjects I chose to paint.  Mostly outdoor scenes excepting the tube of paint, my ceramic bird  and a cement crab. I'm pleased with this because I want to focus mainly on land and seascapes.

• I was pleased that when I painted water that it mostly looked like water and that isn't always easy to do ... especially when working faster than I like to work.

• I painted more in one month than I have in some years.

• I posted on my blog more in one month than I do usually in 6 months.

• I did not like trying to finish one painting a day.  I'm not good at it.  I would prefer to start one painting and give it the attention I think it needs.... Which may be two days or one month.

• I have always admired the daily painters.  They make it look so easy.  I love painting but I felt there was too much pressure to produce a painting a day.

• If I were just painting without this challenge I probably wouldn't have posted 1/2 or more of these. Not that they are absolutely horrible, but, that I know I can do better with more planning and time.

• When I had finished the 30 days and looked back I was surprised that I painted the number of animals I did.  Two cows, a peacock, a rooster, a crab a bear and a ceramic bird ... and mussels, which I'm not sure what category they fall under.  Definitely not a landscape!

• If I were to do this over again I would go into it better prepared.  I'd have all my supports chosen and toned - supports for you non artists is the canvas, paper, board etc that you choose to put paint on. Usually I chose just before I started painting.

• Also, I would pre-choose my subjects.  At the most I was one or two days ahead in thinking what I would paint next.

• I think I've learned how to handle my brushes better and what brushes I enjoy using in most cases.

• There are a couple of paintings I did that I will continue to work on and possibly come up with a finished painting I'm happy with.   And, there are a few that truly are studies for larger paintings.

• And I have found some great new artist friends who's work I really admire.

Thanks to all of you who followed along on my 30 day painting journey. I loved hearing from you and appreciate that you took the time to email me or post comments.

The Art of a Sketchbook - Friday

One of the best uses of a sketchbook is to use it for thumbnails prior to a painting.  

Below I used my sketchbook when in a workshop to figure out a few ideas about values, colors etc.  I made sure and write down a few notes where the sun was coming from, where the light was hitting the trees etc.

 © 2012 Nancy Van Blaricom

After finishing the painting I realize I was pretty new at using my notes as well as I should have ... completely ignoring a few of them.  *wide-eyed in surprise ....  (don't think I even looked at a few of them).

 © 2012 Nancy Van Blaricom

The value sketch above was more of a drawing + value sketch.  Also notice I used part of the opposite page to work out some thoughts on colors.

Mountain Brook, 12" x 16" watercolor on Arches 140 lb. © 2012 Nancy Van Blaricom

I was happy to be able to find a few sketchbook pages to share with you where I had actually used the thumbnails to help me in some paintings.

Do you use your sketchbook to help you with a painting?  writing down colors, values, weather, what drew you to the scene to paint?