Costco Lady

When I came out of Costco last Sunday, I saw this lady sitting on the bumper of a van, reading the newspaper whiling away the time, waiting for someone who probably “just ran in” to the huge store. What attracted my attention at first, was her patience; then, I noticed that the sprig of leaves on her hat exactly matched the color of the van. I loved the shape and color of her hat and how the hat highlighted the colors of her floral skirt. I knew that I would have to try to draw her and that would require taking a photo.

Uh oh, I thought. Courtesy would require that I ask her permission before photographing her. I knew, however, that if I did that, I would lose the picture to self-consciousness. So, I “stole” the photo with the 3x telefoto lens on my digital camera as I drove out of the parking lot. Dear lady, wherever you are in the desert, I apologize for my rudeness; I hope you would be appeased by knowing that I found you lovely enough to paint.

Derwent inktense pencils with water in Canson sketchbook. I am not happy with how I used the pencils and with how the paper reacted when wet. I look at the talented watercolor artists who post to the Everyday Matters blog and love the simplicity of their watercolors. I always end up opting for too much detail and ruin the feel of water color. I will have to try to do some drawings and just apply a light wash for color. When I use the Inktense again, I will try another surface.

Buster’s? Or Someplace Like It

Sitting in the doctor’s waiting room the other day, I realized that it had been awhile since I’d done any drawing. I dug my Canson notebook and a Uniball gel pen out of my purse and decided to draw. I’ve wanted to draw a coffeehouse based on Buster’s in South Pasaden, for quite a while, so decided to tackle that. Buster’s is characterized by a colorful linoleum floor and colorful walls displaying local art. When I used to go to Buster’s more frequently during the year I lived in Pasadena, I used to wonder if, during the renovations for the coffeehouse, someone actually ordered multi-colored tiles, or if the plan was to save money on flooring by buying end-lots left over from other jobs. . .hmmm, I still wonder.

This is what I came up with. I used Koh-i-noor woodless pencils to add color. I love their soft, waxy feel and the deep pigments which blend nicely. I used a Splenda blending pencil. On ecru paper in a Canson sketchbook.

Marion

While I was away in Vt, I began a portrait of my friend, Noreen’s, mother, Marion. Marion passed away several years ago, but I was lucky enough to get to know her well and to be with her and Noreen as Marion passed through the various stages of Alzheimers. I drew the portrait from a photo I took of Marion and her friend, Hilda. Both Hilda and Marion were then in the middle stages of their disease, although Hilda was slightly more progressed than Marion. Hilda lived in an assisted living facility and we were just getting Marion ready to move to that same facility. We were happy that she would have her friend Hilda just down the hall.

Colored pencil in Canson notebook on cream colored paper.

Imported from theredstonechronicles.blogspot.com

Creativity

I drew this picture of my granddaughter from a photo taken on Thanksgiving Day 2006 when she was 6 months old. I used colored pencils on cream colored paper in a cahier notebook. The pencils are a new set that were included in a “palette” or pencil case that zips open to display an array of pencils arranged by color and shade. Although they are no-name pencils, I like their feel as I draw with them and they blend pretty well with a stump. The point on the “flesh”-toned pencil broke frequently though; now, that is the shortest pencil in the palette–usually a distinction reserved for my black pencil.

I’ve done a few portraits now, all in colored pencil. When I started drawing, I didn’t plan to do portraits; I was fascinated by line–especially in old buildings, and I intended to focus on drawing architecture. My first attempts at drawing portraits were merely “flings” at fun and challenges to myself to see if I could draw mouths and capture the life in my subjects eyes. I’m discovering, though, that I do love doing the portraits.I’m going to a family reunion next week in VT. I’m hoping to get some good candid photos of my family–especially of those of us who have been graced with “character” lines on our faces. I’ve been acquiring a collection of drawing pads and notebooks thinking that I would like to dedicate each to a particular subject. Perhaps I’ll be able to fill a notebook with portraits. . . .

Imported from theredstonechronicles.blogspot.com

The Adventure Is in the Journey. . .

Waking up each day presents me with the opportunity to decide how I am going to perceive what I see on the other side of the door. Perception is reality and so, I can create my own reality. Every choice I make is the creation of a new reality.

Living in the peacefulness of the desert environment allowed me to decide to experience the excitement of color. Without being overwhelmed by the cacaphony and hysteria of city life, I can see the subtle color in what others would call a hot, drab, lifeless environment. What could be more beautiful than the kalidascope of colors that are the Chocolate Mountains at sunset? What can be more surprising than barely seeing the many-shaded green and brown lizard as it skitters away when my foot shifts the rock under which it was dozing?

My eyes are now seeing true color. I was surprised one day after I had painted the back wall, to look through some watercolors I had done over a year ago and find that in the watercolor, I had painted the back concrete wall purple–during the landscaping, I painted it a cool, cornflower blue.

While we were relandscaping, we decided that we also needed to paint the house. Most houses in the desert are some shade of earth-tone beige. The house is a mid-century modern, flat-roofed home and its previous earth tones did little to enhance its presence. We wanted a color that would contrast with the earth and draw attention to the bright yellows and hot pinks of the new native plants we had planted in the yard. We spent many evenings sitting in the backyard and gazing at the mountains and the sunset sky beyond the house, and finally, we chose to paint the house in sky-tones. We chose corn-flower blue, silver and white.

The house is now transformed by color. And I see vibrant color everywhere I go.

I have decided that since I have painted all the inside and outside walls of the house, that I now must turn my re-discovered love of color to paper. When I was a child I loved to draw; I learned what I know now of color from our box of Crayola 64. Now, in this next chapter of my life, I will return to the colors and practice what I always loved to do, but that which I always had, until now, to put aside in order to study and to accomplish things that would make me a “success”.

In this blog, I will write about my new reality and will share my adventure with color.