Aa is for Art Supplies

I always introduce an assortment of art supplies in my classes because I want my students to learn what each can do - pastels are rich in color but messy. Some love them (I do) but others hate the dust. Acrylic are always popular, as are acrylic pens. Actually, pens and markers of all sorts are among my favorites - and I've used several different types for the work I have created this month.

Extra fine sharpies in many colors are perfect for my line drawings - but have a limited variety of colors (especially if you use them often.) I love my two sided PrismaColor markers - but they are a little too heavy for the more delicate pieces I've been creating lately. One down-side of using any marker is worrying that the color will hold outa for the entire piece. Though this rarely happens, it is always a concern.

Last night I used Arteza Real Brush pens to color this one-line floral. These are blendable, water-based ink. Thanks to my generous husband I have a set of 48 colors. A wonderful array. I like the tip which is essentially a brush and can be used for narrow lines or wide spaces, and can be worked with water. These were fun to use and I am happy with the warm colors I used.

Z is for Zooming through November

I'm up to Z - its almost Thanksgiving. Time is flying.

On this busy day, I made some time to draw a series of  one-line images - using my floral paintings on the wall as inspiration.

 I liked the idea of using the one-line approach in a new way. My students will love this, too.

After drawing several sketches, I chose this one to fill with lines and color. I brought it into my digital tools to add a filter of color to enhance the autumn palette of the bouquet.

L is for Line

Something a little different today - but along the same lines as yesterday. Today I took a line for a walk in order to create an abstract pattern to fill with watercolor.

Since taking a watercolor class a while ago, I have been playing with different ways to use this medium in an abstract way.

Today,  I experimented with blending, adding salt for texture, and doing a tiny digital tweak to see what would happen.

This is the result.

K is for Paul Klee

“Drawing is taking a line for a walk” (Paul Klee) 

These words are a mantra to me as an artist, and especially as a teacher. 

In my work, they encourage the free flow of line, willingness to let the line take the lead, and surprise (or bewilderment) at the unexpected places it takes you. 

Then there's the fun part - using other type of line to complete the design that appears. And any colors I choose. Whether painting or drawing, starting my work by "taking a line for a walk" helps me to get out of my own way.

I've encouraged Klee's approach over and over again in my classes to encourage creativity in students of any age, with any medium and any color palette.

 The results are always not only beautiful, but a surprise and pleasure to the artist who created the work.

Today's face was another nice day for a (line) walk. 

I is for Irreverant

Or maybe irrelevant - after all, my mother always  told me that it is not polite to make faces. Yet here I am on a dreary Saturday, experimenting with special effects in a new digital editing program.






It is TOO much fun - so much fun that I could not stop at just one face.

 So, here they are … Three Faces of I -  
all based off a one-line face drawing I created last year - using Caran D'ache water-soluble crayons to achieve the vibrant color I love.

H is for Handicraft

I am aware that I find drawing these faces very pleasant. Today I figured out one reason why.

Drawing the lines and patterns within the shapes of the face and head feels like embroidery- one of my first and favorite handicrafts.  

I have always loved the process - sort through my rainbow collection of embroidery floss, tighten the hoop around a piece of cloth (any kind will do), and free form flowers or patterns with my needle. No cross stitch for me.

I like to fill shapes with thick threads of color, groups of dense knots, and long curving lines. Long ago my hippy friends liked to sew my embroidered patches onto their jeans and vests and hats and jackets. Drawing these faces feels like that. 

Stitch by stitch, line by line, angle by angle by curve.

G is for Grimace

One of the things I tend to struggle with, especially when drawing faces, is trying to make sure the faces are "pretty." I have a long history of drawing "fashion girls" and trying to look like  one myself.

Of course I well know that not all faces are symmetrical or perfect ovals, or  what is traditionally defined as visually pleasing.  And, I can easily see that  some of the most interesting faces are off-kilter or odd in some way.

So, I am pleased with the distortion of this face, which I find pleasing. She may look a little gloomy, but in my eyes, she looks great.

F is for Face

And F is for following my impulse to create these faces, and for FUN.

I feel like I am fully in the Art Every Day spirit as I experiment with this approach. It doesn't take long to do one of these (they are small), but each one remains a surprise and a challenge to discover who is waiting to appear.

I think Ms. F is fashionable and very professional.

D is for Doubtful

This process of creating a one line face drawing is still holding my attention. Today's face seemed to flow onto the page and invited the use of lots of colors and also lots of white space.

One of the most interesting aspects of creating these faces is seeing how the expressions appear - its not as if I start out to draw a happy or sad or even, as she looks, doubtful face. I take what appears and go with it.

There is something intriguing about allowing the art to appear, without a plan beyond the rules I set for myself. I am enjoying this - no doubt about it.

B is for Blocked

Its been a strange year for me in several ways - one of which included a strong case of artist's block. I was unmotivated, lacked the energy or focus to work. My attempts at painting in acrylic all felt like fails. So, on following some good advice, I decided to PLAY, not work at my art.

I love pens - thick, thin, double sided. I have a great collection. So - to keep everything as simple and unpressured as possible, I found a small notebook and my thin colored sharpie box, took myself outdoors into the sunshine and began a series of continuous line faces. This was my only rule - draw a face without lifting my black pen. Then, use color markers in ANY way I liked. I've done many. This is the latest.

The process is relaxing, needs very little equipment, requires no clean-up, can be done anywhere, and has been instrumental in easing me back into other, more complex, projects.

One thing that became immediately apparent is the influence of my fashion art training and the classes I teach, on the faces I am drawing.

C is for Creativity

Redhead

Creativity is about the process not the outcome.

This is what I tell my students (many of whom complain that their work is "no good") at least twice a day.

Since my art students cover a rather broad range of ages (5 -101) and abilities, some of my creative energy needs to be directed at finding projects that allow each student to feel successful, and to create something that they see as beautiful.

One of the challenges with my 'senior class" is that many of these older women insist on making things the 'right way." This means brown tree trunks, green leaves, red apples, blue skies. Nothing I say seems to give them the permission they need to try a  green sun in a pink sky. So, sometimes, just to shake things up, I present a project that is not supposed to look real.

One way I inspire these lessons is by presenting the work of a favorite artist. (If a real artist can do it like this, maybe it's alright.) I love the work of Paul Klee. Showing his work is a way to begin to get the point across that things that are not realistic can be beautiful and interesting.

One of the many inspirations that I get from Klee's work is the idea of "taking a line for a walk." I have done many drawings in this way. The more comfortable I become with this style of drawing, the more I trust the outcomes. For some reason, when I use this method to draw faces, they always seem to be better proportioned, have more expression, and open the way for more creative use of color than any other method I use in my teaching. I taught an entire summer workshop using this method and the students' results got better and more beautiful and fun every day.

So, here is an example of one of my One Line Faces, enhanced with straight lines when the face/head/figure is complete. The color is Caran D'ache and I have added a little digital oomph in the background.  This is 9x12" on watercolor paper.

This brings me to a question. Do any of you teach art? Does anyone work with Senior Citizens? I would like to know how others teach senior artists.  Please post to the comments.  Thanks