Sketches: Black and White and Red All Over

I wish there was enough time to make everything. There are just so many ideas that pop into my head and I can’t draw them fast enough.

I am attempting this new series called “Black and White and Red All Over.”  Personally I think this is crazy for me to do since I’ve got other projects that require my attention including the ongoing “Twelve Days of Christmas ” and “The Veil” from my earlier writings.

Is this normal behavior for artists to be so scattered?  I typically like to start on one project and stick with it until it’s finished.  Oh, to be able to work on my art full time!  It just doesn’t seem fair does it?

Anyhey,  in an earlier post, I talked about working more in black and white with a splash of one color.  “Mercy” is the most recent example of that.  This time I  decided to throw some red in the mix which is a little out of the norm for me.  I needed the change-up.  When I look at my body of work, I can see that the predominant colors are green and blue.  Personally I think green is perfection because it’s calming, soothing, and ever-present.  I call it my spirit color (although I am far from perfection for sure).

Red on the other hand is energy, it is fiery, aggressive, my natural opposite but  I am still a fan of it though.   In my opinion,  red, black and white produce the most striking color combination.  Individually these colors are all strong in their own right.

Now here’s the kicker, my goal is to put this series on canvas.  YES, canvas!  I don’t have a clue about painting other than painting the walls in my house or dishes from the pottery painting places that are all over town.  I went to Hobby Lobby last week and bought some black, white, and red acrylic paints, brushes, one large canvas and one tiny canvas to practice on.   I should have researched this a little more but sometimes it’s just nice to do some free experimentation.

Here  are my preliminary sketches that I drew with Sharpie pens.  Pretty simple.  Not trying to do “The Last Supper” especially not on canvas.  One of the sketches that piqued my interest was that of  a black cat.  I am really thinking about doing a sub-series of the black and white series called “Chat Noir,” meaning “Black Cat” in french.  “Chat Noir” would be the one getting into cat-like shenanigans such as clawing a sofa to pieces, hissing and rearing up in arch-like formation at the sight of a dog, hunting birds, or getting stuck in a tree.  There’s lots of material to work with, especially since I own a cat.  I plan to do my best to avoid being cutesy as you see with so many cat and kitten pictures.  Chat Noir” should have an attitude, pretty much like most cats.

After creating some sketches of an apple, I painted one on the small canvas.  It was a fun exercise.   The red paint wasn’t applied as evenly as I would have liked so that will be something to focus on in the future as I paint on larger canvases.

We’ll keep you posted on how all this goes. I think it’s funny that now that I have been thinking about creating works in red,  I see the color in my surroundings now more than ever before.

Drawing Out Loud For A Year Now!

One thing that my blog and I both have in common is that this month we are one year older.  I wrote my first post about a year ago as I was also frantically preparing for the Arts Market.

Stepping into the art scene has been an experience and I have learned a lot.  Sometimes I think I should be further ahead than where I am now but I have to remind myself that it’s only been a year.

I still face a lot of the same issues such as:

• Time management
• Finding other venues to sell my work besides fairs and markets
• Dealing with insecurities and fear of rejection
• Procrastination
• Learning how to effectively use social media for marketing purposes

On a more positive note I have no regrets.  I will not have to ask myself the question, “What if?”   Even if I fail, I will have won anyway because I tried.

One thing that also struck me was that you never know who’s watching you.  I was surprised when a very good friend of mine told me that I inspired her.  She admired that I was so determined to pursue my art in spite of my having a full-time job.   Even as you go through trials your struggle can be a blessing to someone else.   That was part of the reason why my friend, who is a very talented and creative person herself,  started to apply to art schools.

Finally, it’s just nice to make art, period.  We are creative beings and we need to nurture that side of us. It’s quite rewarding to be able to create something from start to finish.  When it’s all done you can point to yourself and proudly say, ” I did that!”

Soooo with all that said, Happy Birthday Drawing Out Loud!  Muuuaaahhh!!  Looking forward to many more birthdays to come!

Checking Out the Master’s Work

This morning I was rollerblading at my favorite park.  The area where I skate is on the back end where there’s a man-made lake and a nice smooth concrete path that runs along its perimeter.  Freedom Park is a very popular park and you have to time it just right to avoid the crowds, something that is often hard to do.  I was trying my best to keep from scowling as I darted around human and animal obstacles that were preventing me from reaching my target heart rate.

I get to my cool down and slow to a minimum by just rolling along in the standing position without pushing off.   It’s at this point I overhear a lady speaking to someone else saying, “Wow, look  at that! That is beautiful!”

I  look over and there are two women standing in the grass looking up towards the sky.  Of course now I have to look up too and this is what I see.  The sun has a soft, white, hazy glow and is surrounded by a beautiful large halo.  Right beneath the halo, just above the trees, is a rainbow.  I immediately move off into the grass so I can get a photograph of it with my camera phone.

God does these amazing things and oftentimes we are too absorbed in our own thoughts and actions to even notice.  It was nice to see the Master’s work.  I believe He likes to put on a show for us every now and then.  In fact, He is always trying to show us something if we just slow down and pay attention.

New Sketch: Patridge In A Pear Tree

Okay so it’s already May!  Time is flying! My birthday is  just around the corner, and it occurred to me that it won’t be long before the arrival of Christmas.  Yeesh!  I shudder at the thought.

This prompted me to start generating some ideas for my on-going “Twelve Days of Christmas” project.   I started working on my sketch a couple of days ago for “Partridge In A Pear Tree.”   Back in 2010, I created an earlier version in watercolor pencil and used it for Christmas cards to send to friends and family.  The final product turned out fairly well, however months later after completing some of the other pieces in the “Twelve Days” collection, this partridge now seems so serious by comparison.

This time, I want to make the new one brighter and a little more animated so here is the latest sketch below.  I love him!  He has just finished eating a pear that was hovering above him and is leaning back, full belly and all, feeling extremely satisfied.  When I create the final, the leaves will be even larger and overlapping, thus eliminating any white space.  I am considering the use of oil pastels to make the colors pop.  No surprise, I will probably struggle with the decision of what colors to use for the partridge.  There’s a good chance that I won’t stick to the same palette in the sketch or even the original partridge drawing for that matter.

“Timbrel and Dance”

As far as my pieces go, “Timbrel and Dance” is my sentimental favorite and is largely responsible for my creative approach to making art.  In 2002, this work was created for the cover of our choir concert program and my inspiration was the featured concert piece called “Anthem of Praise,” written by Richard Smallwood.

If you listen to “Anthem of Praise,” the introduction begins with the horns that call your immediate attention to the change in the atmosphere.  Enter the violins with their series of runs with brass pulsing with dissonant harmonies creating this “old world” feel.   The instrumentals sound almost tempestuous.   Then the tenors lead with the vocals and are followed by the altos and sopranos singing, “Praise Him with the timbrel and dance! Praise him with the sound of the trumpet! Praise Him with the psaltery and harp!  Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord!”  It’s as if the Spirit is moving at a rapid pace from the intense worship of  God’s people.  Really, it’s an awesome work.

“Timbrel and Dance” had to be alive with color and movement in order to reflect the energy of the anthem.  I made the dancers fly high above as they were holding colored fabric, while musicians and singers were uttering songs of praise down below.  Penciling the images wasn’t hard but developing the color scheme was another story.

For that, I decided to take the issue to God in prayer.  I went upstairs, laid down and closed my eyes and sure enough the Lord gave me what I needed.   Immediately I got up and added  color to everything except for the background.  It made sense to color the background blue since it was referencing the sky, but I thought that I should go against the grain and try something else.  By that time, it was getting late, around 11:00 pm.  When I couldn’t think of any other background color that would work, I decided to sleep on it.

The next morning, I went with the obvious choice and used blue. I was kind of bent out of shape at first, but after I finished it, I realized that it was the right move.

It wasn’t until three or four years later that I realized that these colors had certain meanings.  I was on the internet looking at church banners and happened to find a website that talked about the biblical meaning behind colors.  Pink represents the color of right relationships.  Orange represents praise.  Yellow represents God’s glory.  Green represents spiritual life everlasting.  And the color blue?  It represents the presence of the Holy Spirit!

So, isn’t God SMART? Let’s face it. God is the most creative being of  all.  His resume includes making the earth from scratch AND making the scratch to make the earth, something that still continues to blow me away.  Making “Timbrel and Dance”  made me realize that tapping into Him makes creating so much easier and enjoyable.

Sketch: The Veil

As I had stated in my last post, I was going to show the sketches that I drew while I was at the Rock Hill Pottery and Arts Festival.

This one here is called “The Veil” and is something that  I am committed to launching into final production.  A couple of years God gave me this image in a dream when I was going through a particularly dark time in my life. It really speaks to Christ’s  redeeming love that is always there even we make mistakes and find it difficult to forgive ourselves.  The message is pretty powerful and I realize that it not just meant for me but that it’s also meant to be shared with others.  So I plan to really get cranking  so I can share the whole story.

As always, there is so much planning involved before I begin working on a final piece.   There are a few more images that I need to flesh out.   I also want to practice drawing columns and stone so I can achieve the look that I want.  The size will be roughly  24″ x 36″ and my medium will be chalk pastel.  I’m looking forward to sharing the final work with you!

Art Adventures: Rock Hill Pottery and Arts Festival

This past Saturday, I participated in the Rock Hill Pottery and Arts Festival at the Gettys Art Center.  This event was held in conjunction with Rock Hill’s Come See Me Festival,  a nine-day long citywide festival. The Pottery and Arts Festival, however, was just for the day.

It had all the makings of a perfect day. At 82 degrees with cloudless skies and minimal winds, you couldn’t have asked for better weather.  The 45-minute drive down to Rock Hill was relatively painless since it was early Saturday morning.  I arrived at the Gettys Art Center and parked conveniently across the street from their lot located behind the building.

The artists were displaying on the Gettys Center parking lot as well as inside the building.  I ended up sharing a little grassy nook with a neighboring artist located on the corner, right at the parking lot entrance.  I pitched my EZ-up in front of what I thought was a sculpture that resembled a unique jungle gym.  Here’s a shot of it.

I later found out that it’s actually a bike rack donated by a local biking group.  The kids that were there didn’t know any better and many of them were swinging on it like Tarzan.  Of course before the day was over someone hurt themselves although fortunately it was nothing serious.

So with all that said, what went wrong? Well I guess I’d have to answer that question with a question and that is, “Where the heck was everyone?”   There was a parade that started at 10:00 AM on Main Street  which is exactly where the Gettys Center sits.  Since we were in the parking lot behind the center, we were pretty close to all of the fanfare.

Once the parade was over we did have some people trickle in  but by that time it was around Noon and I figured that the rest of the crowd would break for lunch.  So again we sat and waited and I was thinking that after 1:00 that they might return.

Unfortunately THAT didn’t happen either.  This was feeling a lot like the arts festival that I attended back in October but with even LESS in attendance.   Overall, it didn’t seem like a lot of artists did that well.  I didn’t make a dime.  In general it was pretty dead.

The day wasn’t a total loss. I managed to crank out a couple of sketches that I will post later.   There were a couple of my NoDa buddies that I saw who also set up shop in the parking lot.  They live in Rock Hill and were surprised at the lack of turnout versus last year.   There were so many theories from artists and visitors alike as to why this happened, ranging from other ongoing  Come See Me Festival  events that took place around the same time, to the misunderstanding that the Arts and Pottery festival would continue on the following week.  Apparently it was the event host, the Rock Hill Pottery Center, that was going to have a separate event at that time.  Also since the Pottery and Arts Festival was NOT officially a part of  Come See Me,  they did not have the benefit of receiving as much in the way of publicity and advertisement from them.  The Pottery and Arts Festival was advertised in local papers and websites.

This was most unfortunate.  The facilitators of the Pottery and Arts  Festival did a great job and were very helpful and friendly.  It was well-organized with little if any logistical issues.  We received applications from them to apply next year, however since they are increasing the booth fees, I have to wonder if that will turn people away.  I also think it’s funny that this was also ANOTHER festival that had a successful first-time event last year but did not have the same success the second year.

Well on a high note as far as festivals are concerned, it didn’t cost me NEARLY as much as the last outdoor festival since I already had all of my equipment. I am becoming  more efficient at setting up and breaking down.

One of the participants took my card and told me that he would email me information on more upcoming festivals. I am sure I will consider participating in them because it is obvious to me that I am a glutton for punishment.

Reflections of Palm Sunday

Since Palm Sunday is just around the corner, I only thought it appropriate to highlight one of my art pieces that I did a couple of years ago called “Palm Sunday.”  Palm Sunday is officially the beginning of Holy Week in Christian religion and marks the time of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem.  The book of  Matthew, Chapter 21 says that ” a very large  crowd spread their cloaks on the road.  Others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.  The crowds that went ahead of him and those following kept shouting,  ‘Hosanna, to the son of David!  Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest. ”  The donkey that he rode upon was symbolic of peace, thus reflecting the nature and intentions of the ruler himself.

This work was created using oil pastels on drawing paper.  Typically I am at war with oil pastels because I’m not always  sure how to handle them.  However, one fine day back in 2010, we decided to make nice and work together.

I took a simple approach when I did this by just focusing on Jesus riding the donkey. The palm overlaps Jesus as if it were a branch hanging down in front of Him or if someone were waving it before Him.  Overall it has a warm, beach-like, almost Caribbean feel.  I didn’t expect to go that route but that’s how it ended up.  You know how that goes, you have one idea when you start to create something, and then by the time you’re finished, it’s different than what you intended it to be.

Using Graphics Software Sometimes Makes Me Feel Guilty

So over the past few weeks I have really gotten into this online graphics tool called Pixlr.com.  Pixlr.com is a cheaper alternative to Photoshop in that it’s free.

First, I do have some hang ups about using graphics  software for editing because it feels like I’m cheating.  To me, drawing seems like an organic process, so when I use the computer to correct mistakes or make enhancements, I tend to feel this sense of  shame.   I also wonder if it’s not my own set of high expectations that allow me to believe that I should be able to have the skill sets to produce work that’s either blemish free or that I should have the ability to correct errors on the spot.

Photographers edit and enhance their work all the time with computer software, especially now with the Instagram for the iPhone.  To their credit though,  they are creating their work through the use of technology, more specifically the digital camera.

In spite of my personal issues I do realize there is some value in using editing software.  When you have your work photographed, the camera’s viewpoint can actually be a little different than your own.  There might be some issue where the color is slightly off because of the lighting, or that the details of the subject matter don’t translate as well as they do  in person.  My picture, Nine Ladies Dancing was a perfect example of that.

My first introduction to making major editing changes happened with “Clean Heart.” I was messing around with another free online software program called Picasa.   Shown below is a picture of “Clean Heart” which I drew using oil pastel on a blue project board.

Later on I started messing around with the program a bit more and wondered, hey, what if I changed the color of “Clean Heart”?  Then I saw this one editing feature called  Glow under the Effects tab.  I selected it and it created  a sepia glow in the center of the heart.    I printed it out and actually liked it better than the original. The background is gray but it looks like it has this hint of light purple when printed.   The sepia center makes the subject look more alive.

So now I’ve been going back and looking at other pieces. I just finished editing Praise In the House which is my black and white piece.  I used the cloning tool to even out the skin tone in the faces since a couple of them were looking a bit streaky and blotchy. As I was doing this I was imagining myself at a spa, laying on a chair getting Photoshopped, where someone was cleaning up my blemishes using the cloning tool.  There’s gonna be some major money in that if that technology comes into existence!

Once I started editing however, I kept finding more things that needed to be corrected.  At what point do you stop?  I felt like  I was feeding into my perfectionist tendencies.  This piece was completed about eight years ago, so the control with the pen was not up to par.  In the end did it matter?  This is actually one of my more popular pieces.

And that’s probably what I want to avoid. I don’t want to go so far overboard that I  lose the identity and character of the work.  I don’t want it to be too perfect or  too technical.  Then there’s also the risk of screwing it up altogether.   I liken it unto a person who is dissatisfied with their looks and has multiple plastic surgeries to correct their “faults”  only to discover that the end results are even worse than their original appearance.

So how do you feel about editing with the computer? Feeling guilty about it or guilt free?

How To Stay Positive When Things Aren’t Going Well

So this past Friday I participated in the All Arts Market, my fourth one so far.  In a nutshell things were pretty slow from my end even though it was a pretty decent-sized crowd.  On a semi-positive note, I actually doubled my sales from last month and by doubling, I mean I sold TWO prints this time instead of one.

This kind of stuff can be a bit disheartening.  I put in a couple of late nights making smaller prints of  my newest piece, “Mercy,” and cleaning up some flaws and making prints of  “Nine Ladies Dancing.”   I was so excited about both of them.  I just KNEW they were going to sell.  I also made extra copies of  “Seasons” since I sold about three of them the last couple of times I was there.

It felt like it was going to be a good day to sell.  The weather was especially warm  so I figured people would take advantage of the opportunity and come out to NoDa.  I sent out announcements via Facebook and Twitter that I was going to be at the Market.  Also a friend of mine re-tweeted my announcement to few hundred folks.   It all seemed like   the makings of a fruitful night.

NOT!

See the problem is that I got spoiled the first two times I participated in the market. I didn’t do too bad.  When the mojo wore off beginning with last month, I started to wonder was wrong with me and what was wrong with my art?  My fragile ego at work here.  While I sat there for the duration of the evening for what appeared to be an eternity,  I  started to think that maybe I needed to do something different.  Maybe I needed to reconsider my current medium and try something like painting on canvas or wood.  Maybe I should pursue photography.   Maybe I should stop coming to these events altogether.

On the drive back home I felt defeated but then I thought that this is not the end of the world and that I should continue to stay positive. There is always a lesson in all of this.  So here’s the stuff I was telling myself:

1) You can’t rely on just one method for selling art. 

I like the Arts Market.  Logistically setting up in the Neighborhood Theater is fairly easy and economical.   The thing about the market  is trying to discern the types of buyers.   The crowd is pretty diverse so just when I think I have a lock on what works of art will appeal to that audience, something changes.

I know for a fact that I need to devote my energies  to other means of selling.  I haven’t done much to update my Etsy site and I’m thinking that this blog o’ mine also could use some updating, especially my Portfolio.   I am also looking into this site called fineartamerica.com recommended by one of the regulars at the market who claims to have had some success with it.  On this site, you upload your artwork and determine the size, price  and how you want it printed (canvas, paper, or greeting cards).   The buyer can select the frame and color mat for the artwork. I checked the frames and there seems to be a pretty good variety to choose from.

Then there’s the whole finding your market niche thing again.  Since a lot of my art is rooted in Christian themes, I need to reach out to more churches, particularly my church which has a gallery.  So, um, hello, no-brainer.  Let’s not forget that the person who bought my original earlier this month IS a church member who saw the work displayed during Homecoming weekend.

Also per someone else’s suggestion I need to approach restaurants and doctor’s offices to get my art out there.  I haven’t done that at all.  I think the Arts Market and festivals are  great but they have lulled me into a sense of passivity and I’ve got to be more aggressive about finding other alternatives.

2)  Bonding with other artists is pretty cool

This is probably one of my favorite parts about the event.  I like talking to my neighbors who sit next to or across from me.  I wish I could say manning an art booth is uber-exciting but you spend a lot of time sitting around doing nothing, unless you have a sketch pad, Ipad or cell phone.  One of the regulars who attends is Ben who is a photographer and his wife Sheryl who is there for support.  They’ve manage to occupy the same booth more often than not which is pretty smart.   I’ve been sitting in the row across from them the last three times that I’ve been there.   I love talking to them.  We exchange ideas, inspire each other, and keep each other in the loop about upcoming events.  I owe Ben for telling me about fineartamerica.com.

3) You are not going to be a rock star overnight

I have to keep telling myself this.  These ups and downs are a part of life in the art world.  I mean I just started doing this the middle of last year.  Not everyone is going to like my stuff or maybe they do like my stuff but just not enough to BUY it.  I should know better than to set my expectations too high and just take this thing one day at a time.

4) People needed to hang onto their money for St. Patty’s Day beer the following day.

‘Nuff said.

Well now, I feel better.   I’ll give it another go in May which is probably one of the busiest times for the arts district.  I’m also slated to participate in next month’s “Come See Me Festival” in Rock Hill, SC which is an outdoor fair.

Still you better believe I am going to be smarter next time, and look for other means of selling.  Any thoughts?  What are your experiences?