Playing with pastels

I've had a bit of a downer and took a break from doing art but that hasn't stopped me THINKING about it. I'm still thinking about my project X and have gone full-circle and come back to the idea of working on my first canvas, using gesso and mixed media. So I need to formulate a brief. But first here's that pastel drawing i did of the leaf. Been thinking about how to achieve what's "in my head"...but proabaly just need to through caution to the wind and experiment...

A little blip....

I spent all afternoon yesterday playing around with some ideas using pastels and pencils for the leaf ..but only have ONE picture that I liked. Sadly, the rest ended up in the bin! Yesterday, in my discouragement I felt like I had wasted several hours of my time, but this morning I'm thinking, nothing is wasted...I'm learning what "works and what doesn't work" for me....

 Time: 4 hours (Friday 24 Aug)

Resource #2 more finger painting

Thursday 23rd Aug: After a good and encouraging chat on the phone to Rachel, my mentor and booking a spot for a few of the Term 4 Weekend Classes I pulled out a few more sheets of paper and worked on some more backgrounds...Sarah joined me in painting with her fingers too. We had so much fun together and it was neat to see her inspired by what I was doing!

Time: 1 hour (23 Aug 2012)

Friday 24th: I checked my email and see I have been booked for a couple of the weekend classes I'm interested in attending next term. One is the Stencils, Masks and Relief Sculpture in Print which is on Sat 13th and Sunday 14th October...and the other is Encaustic Painting with beeswax and pigment...but I'm not sure if I'll be able to do both. I'm very excited about having a wee bit of a break away and know that it'll do me good.

While I was out walking Kaeli (our puppy) this morning, I saw some large leaves I thought would be cool to try and draw/paint. So I went back home and got my camera...

 

 

 

The photos below have been edited with an ACDsee Photo programme

 I am going to have a go at drawing and painting these!

Time: 1 hour

Resource #2: Finger Painting!

I am IN LOVE with finger painting.....seriously! 

I love the ease of which it can be moved across the paper 

or surface of whatever your fingers are applying the paint to, 

plus I found it to be very relaxing and therapeutic!

My first "painting" was inspired by this photo, 

taken at Ruakaka Beach on Sunday. 

I love the "moodiness" of the blues/greys 

and it aptly describes how I've felt today. 

Colour really "speaks" to me..so I pulled out 

a few more sheets of paper and starting applying paint...

first blue

then green

which made me feel kind of peaceful and relaxed...

and the a pinky/purple page.

I plan to use these for something...just not sure WHAT yet!

Time: 2 hours (22 August, 2012)

Resource #1 More Tonal Exercises

Finished two more tonal drawings today..

Time: 1 hour (20 Aug 2012)

Resource #2 Drawing into Paint

Drawing into paint #1 - Exercise 4: Using a theme of your choice, 

create a painting with little or no use of a brush.

Inspired by this photo I took one foggy winters morning last month, 

I've used grey paint which was applied with a sponge

 and the black around the border, with the bristles of an old paint brush.

For the tree I used a piece of wood (off-cut), a twig and a little bit of lichen. 

I really enjoyed doing this....

Drawing into paint #1 - Exercise 7: Cut 10 pieces of paper into A5 size. 

Make monoprints of paint applied to a sheet of plastic 

and use different tools to make patterns.

 

Drawing into paint #1 - Exercise 8: Choose whatever exercise worked best for you and create a large-scale piece.

My next painting was inspired by the above photo I took

I'm so happy how this has turned out! 

I've used a piece of wood (for the power pole) 

a peg for the cross bars,

the end of a pencil for the 'knobs'

the side of an iceblock stick for the lamp arm,

and the side of a ruler for the 'wires'

The light has been sponged and the lettering, stamped.

Time: 2 hours (17 Aug) 5 & 1/2 hours (18 Aug)

Resource #1: Tonal Exercises

 I had a play with charcoal first then changed to pencil

 (2B, 4B) for the following tonal exercises

My favourite one by far is the last one...I've decided I'm not 

fond of straight lines. I much prefer curves :o)

I have two to complete...

Time: 3 and 1/2 hours (11th August, 2012)

Resource #2 Colour Basics

It's been a busy and stressful week or so but I have managed to get some art done over the weekend and then again this afternoon. I have been trying to photograph my work but doing that sort of thing in the evening is NOT the best time because of the flash. I need to be patient and wait until tomorrow now.

On Saturday I worked on some tonal exercises. I started off experimenting with charcoal but found it too messy for my liking, so switch to using pencil (2B and 4B) I didn't enjoy the shapes with straight lines as much as the curved shapes for some reason. I've yet to complete two of the tonal exercises. 

 (photo to come)

Today I worked on the Drawing for all Your Worth line/tone doodling exercise.

Drawing for all your Worth #1

Exercise 8 - line/tone, doodling

I've played around with the pastels...allowing the colours to 

dictate movement and form..and really enjoyed doing this.

 (Time: 45 minutes)

Then I worked on the Colour Basics #1 Exercises 

I had two attempts with the colour wheel....

Exercise 1: Colour Wheel

I really struggled with blending the paints with a paint brush 

so I resorted to using my fingers...much easier and a lot more fun!!

Exercise 2: Primary and Secodary colours blended with white

 Here I have used my fingers to blend red and yellow
to make orange, with white..

..and blue and yellow to make green, with
 white

and blue and red with white.

Then I experimented with mixing the primary colours together (to make secondary colours) and blended those with black...

Greens/yellow with black...

and finally black and white...to make shades of grey.

Exercise 3: Cut/tear a small hole in a piece of paper and place it over a colour in a picture from a magazine. I've used a photo from our local newspaper.

..a close up picture!

(Time: 3 hours, 15th Aug 2012)

Resource #2: Last Collage

..is done and dusted. I'm really happy with it.
 

Plus, as it was sunny this morning...so I made paper! 

My first attempts at using this batch of banana palm fibre 

was too coarse, so I peeled it all off the felts 

and turfed it back into the old preserving pan I use. 

Leaving it to "soak" for a few weeks 

(too busy doing other things) and then re-pulping it worked a treat

.... so a very satisfying day all in all. 

Time total (6 Aug 2012) - 4 hours 

 (and 2 hours making paper)

Resource #2: More Collages...

I've been working on more collages..both yesterday and today. 

Sarah (16) was so inspired she asked if she could join me. 

She didn't finished hers... and my second collage attempt ended in the bin, 

but it was very companionable working together at the table.

This is my third attempt...

I think I'm over-thinking the whole process...

Time = 5 hours (Friday 3 August, 2012)

Saturday...I'm feeling a bit discouraged.

Last night I removed all art inspired blog links from my Hearts 'Crafts  

Blog as looking at what others do, just depresses me now and I feel it's inhibiting my artist freedom. So I stared at my blank page for a while 

willing the "child in me" to "come out and play"...

This is what I did..

 ...and while i was doing that,  I was thinking on the next one...

and I've just finished another but I keep getting flash glare
(it's night time now) so will take a photo tomorrow morning...
this the 5th collage...

Total time today = 7 & 1/2 hours (4th August 2012)

Resource #2: Collage #1

I started on the collage exercise yesterday. Jumping around a bit here with what i'm doing but I will go back and do the exercises I've not done... I worked from 4-8pm on my first one, which is a rainbow (and a Symbol of Hope)...

 Time = 4 hours/1 Aug 2012