Moving From Reality to Whimsy

If you've followed my blog, you know that I love to create faces.

I start with an oval or squarish shape and draw, erase, draw, erase, etc,

until I'm satisfied with the outcome. I let the personality and details emerge as they will

and look at the drawing upside down or in a mirror to see if anything is grossly uneven.

And usually I'll let a day or two go by before looking at it again, at which time I can see

more clearly what I want to add, subtract or correct. It's a process!

I apologize for such murky photos, which I edited as best I could, but it is a cloudy day!

I made this sketch recently and finished it today. No one in particular, just an earnest looking girl...

Then I decided to get whimsical and went for a more illustrative look. I like 

this look because it's less serious and I can see her surrounded by flowers and butterflies.

Next I went on to a look I've been playing with lately - this lady has a longer face and

 eyes that reming me of those in paintings by the artist Modigliani. I can see her and her

children in a storybook! 

Here are some of their neighbors - they look like gentle people, don't they?

And all of these remind me of this lady, whom I created a while ago, as well as of my daughter Kate's face, as she is always in the back of my mind!

I think I'm on to something I like! What do you think?

Meanwhile I've been working on a few pictures for our Arts Collaborative's 

Fall show this Thursday night. I'll share them with you soon!

Hope you are having a wonderful weekend!

Sketchbook Drawing - Home sweet Home

I finished this sketch of our house today - note the two kitties in the front window! I have to say, I was very disappointed with this sketch, for many reasons, but decided to show it anyway. Our lawn is not quite that overgrown and the colors are off, etc, etc!! Not every attempt can be successful!

Meanwhile, we had a mild day today, with very cold weather predicted for later in the week, so I opened the doors and windows to enjoy this last vestige of summer. The cats took up their post at the front door, getting excited about every leaf that skittered across the front walk.

And for a while, Rosie took up a solitary watch,

and Angus relieved her for awhile.

By mid afternoon, the day grew cooler, doors and windows were closed, the cats took to their fleece beds, and we settled down to a hot dinner and a cozy night. (with the heat turned on!!)

                       Hope you're having a terrific week!

A New Project

I'm taking a new class in quilted collage. I had taken this class before, but love the sense of community in working with others as we build our individual collages and watch them grow into embroidered and beaded wall hangings. This time I'm especially enthused about my subject matter.

I went through my various sketchbooks and found some drawings I had done while touring Greece a few years ago. I studied ancient Greek culture and language in college, so this is a subject which is dear to my heart. 

I had taken many photos of statuary in Greece, and made note of the hair and expressions on the faces. 

I decided to do Athena, who was the goddess of war. Although she is usually depicted with a helmet and shield, I left those items out and tried to give her a regal pose.

                                       

I did some reading and learned that Athena had a young owl as a pet. This delighted me, as I'm currently obsessed with owls. I found a photo of an ancient Greek coin with an owl on it, so that was a nice jumping off point.

                               

I did several different drawings, refining the image a bit more each time. The drawing at the top of this post is what I ended up with. I spent an hour in a fabric store today looking for materials and was rewarded with some good finds, including ribbon with a Greek key design, which will make a nice edge. I'll post photos as this piece progresses.

Autumn is definitely in the air here in New England!

Thanks for visiting -

Hope you're having a great weekend!

Sketching and Greeting Fall

Time seems to be flying by lately. I can see already that Fall will be a busy season.I've done a few drawings in my sketchbook and I'm liking the look of  a grey pentech marker outline and colored pencil. Of course, underneath it all is a pencil sketch. I'm going for a graphic rather than a realistic look. 

Our daughter Kate was visiting recently, taking a break from her artist's residency at NYU, and we had a great time watching the lunar eclipse on our front walkway together with my husband Bill. We all took turns taking pictures, and this was the one time I wished I had a better camera. It was a wonderful experience!

And finally, we had a few gloomy days of heavy rain and the cats flopped on a bed

 and never came up for air except for meals. I was tempted to do the same thing, but didn't!

Hope you're having a good beginning of October, my favorite month!

See you soon!