Faces #9 and #10 - "Only" 19 Left To Go

Two more faces to contribute to the challenge! I do love them all, but being a child of the 60's I would have to say the inspiration from the 1967 poster by San Francisco (resident Filmore) artist Bonnie MacLean has to be my favorite so far. As i plan to finish these 15 minute sketches with the application of color, i am making notes and recording my thoughts along the way!

So far, it's been GREAT FUN!! 

When i added the little "strokes" around this pretty girl, i wasn't sure what they were and i didn't really concern myself with it, at the time. A day or two later it came to me ~ she is radiating ENERGY. The energy of the COSMOS. Which is just more fodder for my notes, as i want to remember what each face brought to me, as i drew them :)

More Pencil Practice

Thursday evening was the second session where I sat down with my pencils, sketchpad and a magazine! I enjoy this exercise so much and seeing it here, in writing, I must admit I am frustrated that I wait-so-long-in-between!! ARGGHH!

I believe it's important to add "copy work" to my skillbuilding toolbox along with freehand sketching. As a true beginner with no recent drawing experience (does 20 & 30 years ago count?), it's a challenge when there's nothing IN MY HEAD to pull from. At times, I believe we all struggle to come up with ideas and I do envy those with unlimited imagination!!

All artist's use inspiration to feed their creativity. My grandfather (no relation) was a professional painter and airbrush artist. He also did alot of portrait commission work and I recall the steady stream of people that came through his home studio in the late 50's and early 1960's. Models, clients, fellow artists, etc. When possible, he set up his easel and painted landscapes & seascapes from his island home in Boothbay Harbor, Maine. I have a box of Kodachrome slides that he labeled "for painting" so naturally photographs are a great source of inspiration, as well.

The choices are as varied as the individual! We can paint from a photo of a flower or a sunset, or tune in to an emotion; something that's pulling at our heart such as sadness or loss. Many choose to focus solely on the uplifting aspect of affirmations and draw from the feelings they get from words such as hope, dreams fulfilled, joy and love! Yet another form of inspiration is to look at something someone ELSE has created and make it your own, as in a tutorial or in a classroom.

The simple skill of observation comes in handy, too! As mentioned in an earlier post, where I described the "foundations" of my creativity, 25 years of photography have helped me to develop a clear vision. By taking 10's of thousands of pictures and experiencing what appeals and what doesn't - I understand MY views of contrast, color, perspective, proportion - and the BEST PART? It constantly changes because we are constantly changing.

Long winded post today, but I simply enjoy sharing my world with others. What I do, what I think about, what helps me to become a better person; a better artist. That is why I'm drawn to blogs that allow a peek inside someone's thought process. I learn MUCH from seeing their surroundings, hearing about their challenges as well as what inspires them. In that sense, I hope that you will be inspired by some of the posts here. In sharing so much of myself, which is the true nature of my personality, my goal has always been to make CONNECTIONS!

I'd like to sum this up with the idea that we are all a Work In Progress. Never stop learning and you will never run out of ideas!

Join me, Suzi and 1,250 OTHERS

First 3 Dolly's - by VICKI

(sketched then colored, digitally

... collage is NEXT!)

Les Petite Dolls and Art Healing Love - by SUZI BLU

.. over at NING! And y.e.s. - ALL skill levels are welcome!
You can sign up for Les Petite Dolls, a flex-time Workshop (8 weeks of video lessons + homework and 8 PDFs of art/love support through 12/31/08), take part in her new challenge series (we're making Oracle cards this week) or just hang out and feel the love! So many wonderful, supportive, creative women ~ I promise that you will be forever changed by the experience!

Angel of Art - by SUZI BLU

freehand freedom - my journey

It was Feb '08 that I went out and purchased a sketchbook and this is one of my first attempts! I just created a new Flickr set of the same name tonight because I started to sketch again, slowly but surely, and I'm very excited about it and anxious to continue!

I come from an artistic family ~

- my father snapped and developed several BOXES of photos as a youth, beginning in 1936 at 16 years old and continued throughout his entire life! Well into his eighties he submitted a brand new series of photos called "From the Forest Floor" for juried review at Mount Snow, VT's "Art On The Mountain." Even though he was turned down, dad never stopped believing in his abilities and continued adding to this collection!
- he also took oil painting classes from my mom's step father. One of my favorite winter landscapes hangs in my living room!
- my father's father drew several, professionally framed, pen & ink drawings at the turn of the LAST century. Four of them grace my walls.
- my father's sister, now 92, is an accomplished (hobby) painter & pastel artist.
- my mother's mother's father was a "decorative painter" of furniture. Just this year I located a copy of the 1880 census which lists that as his profession at 17! Many years later, he started a successful furniture finishing business (stains, lacquers, varnishes, etc) that is still in business today, 133 years later. QUITE an accomplishment! After a quick search, I found the company website tonight! ...where you can read about the history (Est 1875).

I have always had an artistic soul yet, of all the many things my parents exposed me to, photography is the only form of art that I pursued into adulthood. In my tweens & teens I had a solid feeling for lettering and perspective and I am grateful for my father's influence. It came to me quite naturally and, although I dabbled briefly in ballet, poetry, acting and drawing, nothing ever really took hold of my attention and HELD IT. I've had the opportunity to develop an eye for composition, detail, negative space, line, texture, color and observation as a result of my 25 year love affair with photography. The next brick in the foundation was when I learned about rubberstamping and cardmaking 10 years ago. I've been enamored with Paper Art ever since!You can only imagine the THRILL I felt when I discovered mixed media collage in April 2006. Thanks to the internet, my eyes were opened to a whole new world of artistic expression, and since then I have grown both artistically and personally in SO MANY WAYS. After 2.5 years, I feel as if I am still at the beginning of a very precious journey!

Thank you for sharing it with me! - xo