Music Monday - Fields of Gold

- the Eva Cassidy version, which is the *best* IMO.


It is starting to seriously feel autumnal... This is one of those late summer songs.

Sunday Sketching -

My life is too busy. In attempting to not go into complete overwhelm, I tried cutting out the bulk of my computer time last week. Helped a little. Here's hoping I can keep better on top of things.

WIP Wednesday - homework -

Our latest composition assignment is to compose some abstract vignettes around some figure drawing...

I got more geometrical than I meant to, but it kind of just evolved... going to have to try and be more seriously abstract the next go around..

If you are interested, here are some awesome entries on vignetting via the Gurney Journey blog: see here, here and here...

Music Monday - Summertime, and chicken update

It was so hot this weekend, and yesterday that I couldn't bear to be in the west-facing studio much, and I totally forgot to post my Monday entry. This seems apropos...

We're not as record-breaking/heat-advisorying hot today, although it's still warmer than I'd like.

Remind me I said that this weekend when it's supposed to be rainy and chilly yet once again...

In the meantime, the chickens are enjoying the sun and the grazing and the bugs... They're latest devastating discovery? The cucumber patch... drat.

Here would be the camera-shy babies - who are now over 3 months old and beginning to fill out a bit. (In all its ironies... I tried acquiring three distinctly colored hens - but alas. They are turning out remarkably similar in over all color).

I despair of them ever being able to grow tail-feathers however - the evil hens still harange them no end...

(evil hen #1 herself... She may not be long for this world at this rate... At least not long for this yard!)

Sunday Sketching -

Sketching for the day... In teeny purse Moleskine.

Figure Friday - more homework...

For those of us who aren't taking multiple classes there were some optional assignments to choose from.  I choose this option:

Option 2:

Step 1. Choose your top ten paintings of all time. Do one thumbnail of each that studies the shapes, linear design, and tonal pattern. Pay close attention to the principles of design. Pay close attention to where and how symbols are used in the pieces.

Step 2. Choose one of the most personally moving memories of your life that you are comfortable exploring visually and symbolically. Create four thumbnails which compose your ideas into a scene using what you learned from Step 1. (*for me personally, this type of work helps me work through my own inner experiences and situations to a healthy resolution. It is personal art therapy through composition and symbolism. Explore your inner realm and moods in value and tone.)

Great assignment, isn't it?

Here are a few pages of classical painting thumbnails...

 It was impossible for me to pick my 'all time top 10', it changes frequently - so I picked a number of my favorite artists, and picked a well-liked painting or two from them...

One thing I noticed about my choices - I seem to prefer single (and occasionally double), central figures, minimal background - unless it's nature-based, and I seem to be drawn to mythic-themes (there are lots of wings), children, water, light....

And so I did some thumbnails of my own. Themes transmuted as I went...

 I can see how this could become very therapeutic. :-)

WIP Wednesday - Composition Homework...

A couple of color variations on this silly, silly poster...

Do you like one better than the other?

Music Monday - Song of Exile....

Just a snippet today.... Summer has decided to take a brief reprieve here in the Pacific Northwest - it is damp, cloudy and feels rather like October... October always seems incredibly poignant to me, like being homesick. This snippet from the movie 'King Arthur' describes this longing so viscerally....



Well, since I'm on the subject of 'King Arthur' - here is the theme, sung by Moya Brennan... More lovely poignant stuff:

Sunday Sketching -

Has been a busy, non-posting week - homework, revisions, starting to layout a new book project, and a weekend of college orientation with the daughter...

There should be more to post this upcoming week....

Music Monday - Tango

Since I've been celebrating the fact that Hulu now carries "So You Think You Can Dance", this week I thought I'd include a couple of great movie-music/dance numbers. First off is an Antonio Banderas tango from Take the Lead:


And then Richard Gere and Jennifer Lopez in Shall We Dance:


There are many others (I tried to find an edited version from 'Chuck' -which is the funniest tango ever, but the clips were all too long) - but here is the finale/Tango from Take the Lead:

Sunday Sketching - sort of

The bulk of this week was spent fighting off a cold and doing my TAD homework. Here is my latest version of the promotional poster:

And a version with some very subtle spots of color:

These are certainly not flashy and heavily digitally painted as some, but it is much closer to how I work while still fulfilling the assignment. Will be interesting to see how it goes over in critique.