Drawing Lesson: The Graphic Mark & Roses

 

I'm giving drawing lessons to a friend. 

In exchange, she is coaching me 

on my organizational issues & unfinished art projects.

We began by looking at drawings of Felix Topolski

in his book Paris Lost: A Sketchbook of the 30's.

We used viewfinders to isolate small sections

to observe the variety & sensitivity of his graphic marks.

 

I'm in awe of so-called scribbles that

are an integral part of many drawings.

We then made a sheet of our own marks using

a chopstick with simple fountain pen ink.

  My friend was interested in creating a card with a rose theme

for her friend Rosie's family. 

I happened to have a vase of roses nearby!

A simple, gestural interpretation emerged 

on my marks sheet.

I cut it out to separate it. 

And added Prismacolor color.

V.'s was beautifully alive, almost shimmering.

A lovely experience, relaxed & focused,

with Andrea Bocelli in the background,

because V. is an opera afficionado.

Thank You, Friend V.!  

Nothing like Homemade Valentines!

 

At our library art group we, adults,

reverted back to childhood pleasures, & made Valentines.  

 Valentines Pot Luck: Rather than 

food to share, we brought ideas, art papers, & frills.

I brought some leftovers home.

 My three Valentines made at the meeting.

Très simple. Often when in a group,

I work quickly, creating sort of rough draft ideas

for future, more finished products.

This pop up was bought at a bookstore,

so I could bring it to show to the group.

 I bought these little girl cards at a stationery store

that's been in Portland for about 40 years.

The Paper Patch.

We used to have anonymous Valentines 

planted all over downtown on this day, 

on store fronts, on tree limbs,on brick walls, 

all tagged saying,"If you love me...take me...free!"

The anonymous makers, we hear, 

have moved away now, 

but this year one of our group has left Valentines 

in various shops... for people to take....for free!

Happy Valentine's Day, to you my blog friends!

Lists and Collections

 I recently wanted to buy a new handbag. 

There were so many styles that

I made notes. It was helpful, if not obsessive.

(Here, only a snippet of several pages.)

 This wasn't the 1st time. Some years ago, I had drawn a 

bunch of bags, & eventually cut some of them out

to save in one of my "repository", catch-all journals.

In 2011, at a city Farmer's Market, 

I devoted a page in my small sketch journal 

to various shoppers' bags. Fascinating variety!

An interesting book : Blackstock's Collections. 

He draws collections at a very intense & obsessive level.

Also interesting:

Lists, To-Do's: Illustrated Inventories

Collected Thoughts & Other Artists' Enumerations

A page from Lists, To-Do's...

Collecting quantities verses buying one of something 

has an economic tie-in in our consumer culture. 

Folks on YouTube show & tell us that they have not one,

 but a multitude of 

bags, notebooks, pens, shoes, etc. 

& they encourage us to buy more, more more.

(They are often given these things at no charge 

or at a  discount. Or, it is their profession.)

What does the average person do who can't afford 

or doesn't need too many of an item?

Me: I admit, sometimes I buy more than one...

But drawing is more affordable.

For a related post please click HERE to my post called

26 Mugs, 100 Monkeys. 

What would YOU choose to draw (or buy)

 if you had to have a collection of 100?