Latest Sketches July 2014

Here are some of my latest sketches.

the apple is gouache

gouache with ink.

Charcoal and gouache.  This is a porcelain monkey family figurine.  My mother used to tell me when I was six or seven that that was our family.  Then my sister was adopted and it was no longer true.

And another selfie- eyes are a bit dark.

A Drawing a day helps to keep the Blues Away

I have been experiencing a "block" I haven't been able to write blogs like I am used to.  As an exercise to prevent a "frozen" block I try to do a little sketch each day.  This is a little right brain work to help prevent me from becoming depressed....It is charcoal pencil.

 Floppy Lamby- a little stuffed animal among the pillows

 A Christmas cactus on a little table.  My son gave me the parent of this cutting in 2003 for my birthday.



 A little carved wooden bird on a placemat.

A pressed wooden highchair in my dining room area of the apartment.

Oil Pastel Experiment

This oil pastel is just an exercise.  It was meant for me to find out about oil pastels.

reference photo below.

Oil pastels are not as smugeable as chalk pastels.  I read on line that one method was mixing paint thinner with the pastel after it has been applied.  This gave it the soft look.  I used Turpenoid Natural.  I don't think that this is the correct product as the container said it was just for cleaning brushes.  I don't consider this piece finished as the colors need beefing up.  I think it was fun to just play around with the medium and see how difficult it was to get it to look halfway decent.

In the Forest

I did this pastel painting a few weeks ago.  I am not well versed in this medium, so it is experimental for me. 'Tis chalk pastel, not oil.  I have asked for oil pastels as a mother's day gift.  I took this photo at Cumming Nature Center a few years ago.

My father criticized it and said,  "It is not light enough in back"  I worked on lightening it up.  It is on grey paper.  This blog is title "Education in Creativity"  I am no longer in college...I graduated from the two year program.  I guess I should start a new blog.