Easter, Passover, Spring in General wishes from the Dollivers

The Dollivers broke out the Easter eggs for 2018, and posed with them, plus the Dolliver Kennels denizens.  NameMe, the wrangler, preferred to pose with her dogs, since there were small cats in the display and she did not want a commotion.  This year's eggs are currently in the possession of the Dollivers, each of whom commandeered one.  There will be screams of rage when they find it's only a loan.

Three go to my cleaning crew, who tell me they're amassing a nice collection, one to Handsome Son, and one to Me. 

In the display you'll see a pink and a blue sort of sparkly pair of eggs. Gift from two little girls down the street last year! what a treat.  Their mother told me they were playing Easter Bunny.. The resident Boehm bunny failed to show up in time for the photoshoot. He's there now, but I declined to reshoot for latecomers.  He's probably been reading Alice in Wonderland, I'm late, I'm late..

 
And if you can spot the tiny blue and white Wedgwood teacup and saucer, you'll see in there some of dear cockatiel Emily Hope's  eggs, decorated and kept for years and years in her honor. 

Little display, packed with memories and fun stuff.  Hoping your weekend, whether it's Passover or Easter or just a nice restful secular weekend, will be the same.

Apron revisited and improved

Margaret, a stitcher friend, gave me this all-cotton apron a while back, white, ready for any decoration. I dyed it a while ago with turmeric, random dye, and finally today I got around to altering it to give it pockets.

Just turned up the hem, using fusible web to stitch the sides, added in two more inner seams to make three pockets, then played with stencils.  

A food related motif seemed about right, using marker. I may actually stitch those seams to reinforce them, too. 

Hanging in the kitchen, here, showing how the three pockets work.  Like a carpenter's apron.  But in use, they don't flop open. 

 

Graphite study from Michelangelo head of a warrior

Today's golden rectangle drawing is from a golden age of drawing, a study I made this morning of Michelangelo's study of the head of a warrior.  

I think he used red conte, and the head is one of a number of small studies on a single page.  That's why it's facing left.  If it were the main subject, it would more probably face right.  But here it probably would be directing our attention to the center of the action.  If you want to study it for yourself, go here

It's great practice, to teeter valiantly on the shoulders of this particular giant, and explore how he modeled the face and how the tilted angle affects the shadows and proportions. See how that invisible eyebrow juts out? and how the lip turns? and the bony ridge above the eye shows as a light area?

It's a good idea now and then, not too often, to copy a master drawing.  It's like replaying a great chess match, where you can understand better the underpinnings, from having walked them yourself.  Your own drawing, or chess, really improves from doing this sort of practice. Better to do it only occasionally so you don't lose confidence in doing your own original work.

I did this in 4B graphite stick, and rubbed with my fingers to soften and model the shapes, then lifted out areas with a kneaded eraser.

Drawing again, dieffenbachia

Today's drawing is a golden rectangle 8 x 5 in, of a couple of dieffenbachia, done in graphite and charcoal, shapes lifted out with kneaded eraser.

This technique is fun to try, if you haven't before.  Just tape off the area of the drawing, then swipe your graphite stick or soft pencil back and forward to cover the entire area.  Then lift out shapes by using the corner of a kneaded eraser like a pencil, just draw the shapes you want.  Then a few touches of charcoal pencil to give a bit of definition here and there.  This is a bit like reductive monotype making, and that's fun, too.

And, as always, don't use a photograph.  That will guarantee any drawing will be dead on arrival.  Go from the actual model, in this case a giant dieffenbachia rescued years ago from the dumpster by a neighbor and brought to me, since he thinks I'm the local EMT for plants in distress.  I had to do radical surgery on the original, to result in three flourishing plants.

More golden rectangle adventures, drawing this time

I taped up a few pages of my drawing paper with golden rectangles, 5 x 8, for a few drawings.  One drawing a day, not too ambitious.

Along the lines of just draw what's there, don't agonize over a subject, I drew the ficus and Chinese evergreen aglaonema, using a fine Pilot pen

and today used my 6B (very soft) carpenter's pencil for another corner of the living room.  

I sprayed this with hairspray to fix it, since it smudges instantly if you don't. 

Paper's white, but the ambient light affected the pix.

The CQteers made my day

After the excitement of the last few days of weather and other events, it was so great to find this in my mailbox today:

Total surprise, three wonderful art cards from the CQteers, the group in which I have honorary membership.  Largely because they meet about a thousand miles away from me.  It's the least labor intensive of all the artist groups I'm in, and as you see, they are great fiber and collage artists.

Such a treat.  I think I really have to frame this collection. But first I have to handle the pieces and look on the back for the good wishes as well as the front for the art. 

Thank you, Mary Ann, Sue, and Irene!

Plainsboro Artist Group meeting, show and tell

Big group for last evening's meeting of the Plainsboro Artist Group, and the usual wide range of art shown.  This is a knowledgeable group, and you never go home without learning a thing or two!
So here's a random showing of artists wearing their art, and showing it, too.  Works in progress, asking for feedback, completed works ready to enjoy, this is a lively group.  You'll see oils, pastels, charcoal, acrylic, poured work, knife painting, watercolor, collage and mixed media.

 They were not posing for pictures, but deep in discussion of techniques, advice, planning, and you can see their intensity!

Way to spend a late winter Sunday afternoon

Membership meeting of the Princeton Chapter EGA, and with the return of a member from the sick list, and an introduction to a potential new member and skilled stitcher, and a lot of stitching forms in progress, a lively afternoon happened.  Full disclosure: your humble blogger does not have a stitching in progress, so worked on her cashmere sock.

And brought in Mittens-sourced items for presents, which went home with half a dozen stitchers.  Rug hooks, for a member, seen below in quilt mode, who teaches many stitching forms, and has added them to her toolkit.  Bone crochet hooks to another, laying tools to another.  All went home happy.

Anyway, if you'd been there, you'd have enjoyed all these works:

Florence deciding on the background color for this artwork, and considering the dark blue
 

Carol almost done with another needlepoint pillow, I think a Kaffe Fassett design
 

Other Carol, center in great jacket, teaching today's counted cross stitch project

Lyna, modeling a great shisha stitched top
 

Above and below, wonderful fine needlepoint work, yes that's stitching, not a printed design!
 

If anyone's counting, there was an approximate 70 year difference  from youngest to oldest in today's group.  Kindred spirits don't see barriers there!

So it was fun, and I almost fell into guild blog mode here, but it's just my art blog, don't get carried away...

 

 

More adventures in looking, picture books

I've become interested in picture book illustrators lately, not a form I want to try particularly, just to learn about and enjoy appreciating.

And I found a great book at the libe which is a kind of buffet of artists writing about themselves, showing drafts and finished works, all directed to children.  

So they write simply and in a friendly style.  It's very enjoyable for adults to browse through, too.

Especially this lovely entry towards the end. 

 I was surprised because I had been skipping the prose and looking at the pictures (!) and when I opened this, not knowing what to expect, it had the full effect on me!

I really recommend this book for just fun, no matter whether there are kids in your life or not.  You might be the kid in your life. 

The people behind this book can be found at the Carle Museum in Massachusetts, Amherst to be exact, and their website is here 
They have a blog which shows various programs they offer, mainly to children, but very good for beginning artists of any age. You can access the blog through their main website, and sign up for the RSS feed, which I have now done.