Finally Starting my Sketchbook Project

I think I've finally figured out what to do with that Sketchbook Project. I have, in my possession, a photo album belonging to my late grandmother. She was a part of my life until my 30s, but I feel like I didn't really know her. And when I look at these photos, I know I didn't. So I've decided to base my project on her. The two themes I was considering were "memoir" and "strangers". This will be a combination of the two.

Flight

I seem to be fixated on birds lately. Not really sure why... maybe it's the endless dreariness of grey skies and rain getting to me, or maybe it's the tedious nature of my day job that has me dreaming of some kind of flight. Whatever it is, the birds are an ongoing fascination for me.

The Colour of Simplicity
11x14" acrylic on canvas

Pursiut
11x14" acrylic on canvas

As a side note, I recently purchased a tube of Tri-Art acrylics Pyrrole Red. What a gorgeous colour. I've got a bunch of new pieces started... I think this red is going to replace, or at least stand alongside my current staple, Quinacridone Crimson.

Drawing from Life

5 minute pose,
drawn entirely with my left hand.

I took a workshop years ago where my instructor insisted that we draw with our non-dominant hand. At the time I was somewhat less than enthusiastic... I had trouble enough getting the drawing down without a lack of control over what kind of marks I was making. The results were interesting though... everything looked different. As someone whose drawings all looked similar, I was intrigued. So I kept at it, and over the years whenever I went to a life drawing session I made sure to do at least one left handed drawing.

Lately I've been having some trouble with my hands. My doctor tells me it's carpal tunnel, caused by excessive time on the computer. What can you do when that's how you pay the bills? I put on a brace, and kept going. Unfortunately this kind of thing just gets worse over time. Now I'm glad I kept up with that left handed drawing... I've got much more control than when I started. And now that I have a bit more time to get back to the life drawing, it's going to come in handy.

Enter that sketchbook project that I've been putting off. So many themes.... how to decide? I've narrowed it down to "Strangers" or "Memoir". I thought I'd let it stew for a week before I decide. I need to gesso the pages anyway, and if you don't let them dry between spreads they stick together and make a mess when you pull them apart. In the meantime I went off to a life drawing class and found a stranger to draw. I think I'm going to do the whole book as a lefty. It's different and experimental, and I think that's the whole point of the project.

30 minute pose, drawn with both hands alternating. I think the artist parked beside me thought I was a little nuts.

Final 30 minute pose, also drawn with both hands. After 3 hours I was feeling much more comfortable.

Another Project

Aside from these musician paintings that I've been working on for months now, I have another, much smaller project going. I posted one image already, but I've since done a few more. I'm not sure exactly where the bird imagery came from or what it means just yet, but it keeps showing up when I'm working in my visual journal, so I know there has to be something to it. Here is another from this developing series.

"Untamed"
11x14" Acrylic on Canvas