My first painting from this sabbatical time – it includes a lot of collage! If you would like to know what techniques were used, scroll down and see the previous blog posts.
Category: Newsletter
No Weather Day
I am having a no weather day today. This is because, when I look out my window, I see an excess of whiteness. Anyone who has taken my colour theory class will know that the colour white is considered a neutral colour – which means it is considered neither warm nor cool. (Try to teach that to someone living in North Bay.) So, the weather has been neutralized today – as have any travel plans. Painting, however, will be happening today.
To my friends who may have to have weather today – please drive slowly and carefully.
Words & Stones
Just loving layering with collage! Into the painting in progress I have collaged polished stones, glass, words, metal art foil, […]
Powdered Charcoal
Yesterday was the first day of my art sabbatical. I was happy at the end of the day with what […]
Thought Gems
During my special painting time of the next 3 monts, I’m also going to be using what I am calling “Thought Gems”. Each day I will take an inspirational thought or quote, write it out, and keep it with me for the day. Everytime I change tasks, for example go from painting to lunch time, I will review that thought. Hopefully these gems will keep a sparkle in my day. Care to join me?
Those Crazy Scribbles
How to start a creative day? Gesture drawings! These funny scribble drawings are to an artist what scales are to a pianist. They warm up the right side of the brain and start the creative juices flowing. They look like nothing much in themselves – but then a pianist doesn’t perform scales for people either. What a gesture drawing looks like hardly matters. It’s what is happening inside the gray matter when you take the time to do these – and it can help you make better art. Here is a sample…
If you would like to try some of these, get yourself a whole lot of sports action photos. They need to show the whole person in action, head to toe. When you put your pencil down on the paper, in your imagination you are placing the pencil onto the person in the photo. Then move your hand very quickly as you try to capture the essense of that motion. Don’t think about the edges, but rather bounce your lines around inside of the figure. Where you feel more tension or bulk, scribble tighter. The whole drawing takes 20 to 30 seconds to complete. I will do about 10 of these as warm ups every day.
A Special Start to 2015
I am excited!
As much as I love to teach art and share that joy, I am taking a teaching sabbatical for 3 months to focus on my own art. It starts officially this Monday! My plan is to have a structured 9 hour day which includes painting, sculpture, piano (I’m a beginner), guitar (an amateur), writing and exercise. Each day will begin with drawing as a warm up and sometimes as a plan for painting. Painting is the main focus, but I know that after about 1 hour 15 minutes of painting I need to take a brief break in order to be at my best creatively. So, I will switch to one of the other activities at that point, and then go back to painting. The goal of all of this is to become as right-brained as possible and grow my art. I’m happy to share this journey with you, so please check back here: cherylo.ca often. Most weekdays there will be a new blog entry that includes tips for being more creative, or simply fun art quotes and thoughts, for your inspiration and enjoyment. Your comments are always welcome – let’s keep in touch!
Bayard
Bayard was a magical horse of 12th to 14th century France. Watch this painting develop from a chalk sketch on black canvas. Bayard – oil painting- 30″ x 24″ – available from the artist.
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