New Christian Drawings

I have spent a lot of time recently working on my work-ups for my latest Christian paintings. All of my work-ups are in graphite, and are the same size as the paintings will be, which means they are very large!

I am very excited because I have spent the past almost two years trying to figure out how to draw one picture in particular, and feeling very inadequately skilled to do it. I have struggled with a sense of inadequacy ever since becoming an artist, but I do have my moments when I am suddenly so inspired I have no doubts that I can do the job! Yesterday was one such day.

Soon after getting out of bed, I felt the urge to start working on a drawing that had been sitting dormant for months. Eight hours later, I had an almost completed the work-up for the drawing and am excited that very soon I will be able to start on the painting of it!!! Some of you know about the drawing because I've mentioned it a few times, so you know how very long I have been struggling with it. The title of it is: Is Your Name In The Book. I know I'm going to be really struggling with inadequacy once I get the painting started, but I believe that, with God's help, I will be able to complete it ........ and a lot faster than the drawing tool! The painting will be 18" x 24" on Pastlebord.

Today, I spent four hours working on yet another work-up that I had not been able to figure out how to do, but now have almost half of it done. The work-up is for another Christian painting called The Great Compromiser and Deceiver. This one is a bit strange shaped. I think it's going to end up being 14" x 18" on Pastelbord.

Now I just need to sit down and finish my work-up of Cowboys For Christ and I can get that painting started too. It, too, will be 18" x 24" also on Pastelbord. I have several big corrections to make on that one though, so it's going to take awhile before I finish that one. There are many more details to work out on that drawing.

I realize that I did not include any photos with this post, but that is because I have not yet taken any. I will take some pics tomorrow and try to post Is Your Name In The Book.

Lastly, I have to get going on my shelter series!! I have seven more paintings I have to finish before December for my show. Lots of work to do!

One more note. One of my followers requested that I would write the second article on conducting photo shoots and I told him I would do it as soon as possible. Obviously, I have not posted it yet and for that I apologize. I will seriously start working on it tomorrow and get it posted as soon as I can.

And here is a drawing that has absolutely nothing to do with Christian artwork. Just some eye candy to enjoy!

Red-Yellow-Blue Challenge

In my effort to get back to the basics, I decided it would be interesting to do this project. I have learned in my almost six years of being a self-taught artist, that too many self-taught artists have not taught themselves the basics. Maybe because the basics are boring and we want to hurry up and get to the good stuff. I know that was my excuse. I have also found many students in art programs in colleges who are not being taught the basics. They are told to just paint what you feel, to express yourself! The problem is, if we don't learn the basics our art will suffer for it. So, for the past couple of months I've been trying to teach myself the basics again, and this time, really spend some time and effort on it.

This is done on a 5" x 7" piece of Stonehenge. I wanted to try out some Dick Blick Artist Grade Studio Colored Pencils, so I used DB pencils: Pthalo Blue, Yellow, Carmine Red, and white for highlights. I ran out of Pthalo Blue and had to replace it with a Prisma Copenhagen Blue, which was about the same shade as the Pthalo, but the red, yellow and white remained DB. I only used the Prisma copenhagen for the snow, that's it. So, not much.

I left a lot of the white paper showing and some of the paper has very light layers of blue and red on it. In addition, I blended the colors with a bristle brush. Yes, it actually worked, although not nearly as well as on sanded paper or Pastelbord, but it worked okay.

The ref pic is by DaisyRee Bakker at WC (and at Flicker). The colors of this pic are a bit off, unfortunately. There's not as much red in real life. I think I'll try to scan it and see what happens. The background is not as red as this pic appears to be.

I learned a real lot doing the project and I'm glad I did it! I've even decided that I'm going to have my own students do this as well. I enjoyed it very much, especially having to really think about my color palette and how I was going to mix these three colors to get the colors I needed. I would change a few things in the composition were I to do it over again, but overall, I'm pretty satisfied with it.

I will try to post a better photo of this later.

Cowboy Sketch WIP

Here is an update on my cowboy sketch. It's a work-up for a huge cp painting. Getting a lot of details and values figured out before putting it on the board.

Lots more to do still. Got to work out a major flaw in the saddle as well fix the values in the flag. I hope to have another update at the end of this week.

Drawing From Life I

In keeping with my theme for back to the basics, I have been trying to draw from life as well as from ref pics. The gallery director asked me the other day if I wanted to start a drawing class or workshop at the gallery. I told her I would think about it and let her know. So, along with back to the basics I've been doing lately, I've decided it's time to get back to drawing from life and make sure my drawing skills (from life) are up to snuff! If I'm going to do this class, I want to do a lot of life drawing, so I'd better have my skills up to par.

In addition, I've been asked to do a colored pencil workshop by both people interested in taking the class as well as the gallery director. So, I'm thinking up a lesson plan for that as well.

Here is a quick little drawing today from life. It's a small pitcher I bought for still life set-ups. This pitcher has some strange ornamentation near the handle. It's a very small pitcher, and the ornamentation was hard to make out, especially in this lighting.

It's only a quick sketch to practice drawing. I apologize for the bad photo. The weather here is bad today and the sun has not even come out all day. Snow and rain. Love the snow, hate the rain! Yuck!

Lessons Learned This Week

This week I have been in the gallery everyday doing demos of my artwork. I started a new horse piece before going in on Monday and have been working on it all week. It's just like when I've done "Artist In Action" in the past at art stores. I just sit there and paint all day. When people come by, I greet them and explain my work. I explain my medium, my techniques, and have several completed pieces on display for them to see. The piece I have been working on all week is very close to being completed! During the course of the past five days, I have learned some important lessons:

1. Shutting yourself into your studio to work is a good idea .... initially, but........ it takes getting out into contact with other people, especially other artists, that will really motivate and inspire you. I have accomplished more this week, even while teaching others how I work and talking to many interested people (and potential clients) about my art. I had become lazy, unmotivated, and uninspired by staying at home working in my studio day after day. By getting out into the middle of the local art world, I was rejuvenated and my confidence was boosted. I had many inquiries about commissions, about selling the art pieces I had on display, and many, many compliments and a great deal of encouragement. Everyone needs encouragement and support. That is exactly what I have received this week. Not that I don't get that at home. This is different. It's by people I don't know and who have no reason to say something simply to please me. That is important and makes the compliment more effective.

2. Don't blow dust and pencil particles off your painting while chewing gum ........... you might get unexpected ...... and undesired ....... results.

3. Be prepared to market yourself at all times ..... even at the most unexpected or unplanned times. Unwittingly, I have been marketing myself all week ....... and I hope to be feeling the effects of that for some time to come. You just never know who you will run into while you are out there in the world working on your art - potential clients or people who know potential clients and will recommend you to them. I also ran out of business cards and desperately need to get more made ASAP!! Never run out of business cards!

4. Exposing your art to the public will give you name recognition in the future....... people will talk about that animal artist that was demoing her art at the gallery, you know Nancy Pingree Hoover ...... ! And if they forget my name, they now know where to go to get it, and my contact information.

None of this means you need to paint in public all the time. It simply means not to be afraid of getting out there and exposing yourself, and your art, to the world! I feel that I have completely changed many of the public's previous (and prejudiced) view of colored pencil artwork now that they have been able to see it done and had it explained to them by a colored pencil artist. I feel more confident in displaying my art locally. Chances are, it will be better understood than it has been in the past, and if someone makes a disparaging remark, I bet there will be someone nearby who can correct them now that they themselves are better educated about colored pencils.

By the way, goals one and two are now completed for this year! I am now established in an art gallery AND I have, as of tomorrow, completed one week of being the featured artist at the gallery! I am psyched and ready and rearing to go with completing a lot more artwork!!