Sneek a Peek, Scribbling Rubens

judy’s lesson:  Use others who are more accomplished, wiser, creative as inspiration not aspiration.

Combining Carla’s Spark assignment on sketching great masters, Lynn’s on doing portraits and Shari B-P’s suggestion to do more gestural drawings (I always, ahem, do as I’m told) I used Peter Paul Rubens Portrait of Susanna Lunden as a starting point.

After scribbling Mrs Lunden I shut my art book (alas, I don’t have the original as a reference) and took liberties  – I figured neither Peter Paul nor Susanna are around to mount a Twitter protest . . . or sue me.

Peter Paul Rubens, Portrait of Susanna Lundens

Year of the Spark, Carla Sonheim & Lynn Whipple

Sneek Peek into my journal – Loosely Sparking

Sometimes wanting to be “perfect” stops me from finishing projects.  I’m now too tired to strive for perfection.   I figure it’s time to experiment and remove expectation to get my “spark” back.

I’m comfortable abstractly sloshing paint color around but “drawing” is another matter.  Put a pencil or pen in my hand and I tighten both my grip and expectation.

With that in mind, I purposely held the pencil very loosely and literally scribbled “areas” rather than try to draw perfect lines.  I didn’t bother trying to copy anything, look at any references, decide where the light was coming from or have a plan.  I just scribbled.   I like the looseness of the drawing and taking away expectation of being precise was enjoyable.

Maybe this is a good lesson to apply to other areas of my life . . .

judy’s journal – Scribbled and scratched in the face with pencil and pastel chalk

Year of the Spark, Carla Sonheim & Lynn Whipple

Sneek a peek into my journal

I’m either incredibly ego-centric or beginning to emerge from my creative black hole because this is the first Spark assignment (self-portraits) that has “sparked” me.  I’m also feeling a bit better – not great, but better – so my eyes are clearer, although a bit “chalky”, in this picture than my last self-portrait. 

It’s interesting (at least to me) that I’ve had a migraine-type headache behind one eye and I see it in both pictures.  Of course, it could also mean I’m delusional and seeing things that aren’t there. 

I smeared this journal page (literally) with acrylic paint.   A figure emerged who I “helped out” with pastel chalk.  It’s instant gratification since it only takes a few minutes and little thinking. 

I prefer doing “spontaneous quickies” (don’t read more into that!) since I don’t have the focus and energy to do anything that takes much thought or time – not that I ever did.

judy’s journal page – Acrylic & chalk pastel

Year of the Spark, Carla Sonheim & Lynn Whipple

Sneek a Peek into my Journal – Stripping for fun (not profit)

A Year of the SPARK  lesson:  Reverse painting on clear packing tape.  I didn’t like my results so I cut it up in strips.  What you see is the reverse order of the process.

3.  Cut-up strips on black paper

Thrown Around

2.  Cut up strips, a variation

Cut up

Year of the Spark

1. Painted-packing-tape, torn magazines and chalk

Cut-up, pasted down packing strips, torn magazine and chalk

Year of the Spark – one-liners

I’ve been a bit sparkless but Carla Sonheim’s Spark lesson on doing one-line faces I had energy for.

One I drew from my imagination, one using a photo of a real person and another is a person on TV.  Bet you can’t tell which is which . . . !

You can do this too. Just put your pen down on the paper and keep drawing using one continual line.  It’s fun and easy . . . as long as you have no expectation to have it hanging in the Museum of Modern Art.

Year of the Spark, Carla Sonheim & Lynn Whipple

Sneak a Peek into My Journal – Looking for a spark

It’s been a rough several months.  I suspect that in order to flee all the snow in the Eastern United States my “Fibro-Fiend” needed a bit of sunshine so dropped in for a visit.  It’s been sunny and warm here and she just won’t leave.  

She’s a demanding house-guest and almost all my energy is spent focusing on her needs.   She doesn’t have a very good sense of humor either and I have to find ways to amuse myself.  I’ve not had the energy to participate in Year of the Spark so I revisited some old, EASY Carla Sonheim exercises looking for some spark.

Click here – Irritated Birds – to see how I made the birdies.

Put a beak on it!

Blob Critters  (they don’t have names yet)

• Made a blob of color using water-color
• Found critters in the blobs
• Drew a bit

Blob critters

That’s all folks.  Gotta go feed Fibro-Fiend. 

Year of the Spark, Carla Sonheim & Lynn Whipple

 

I need a SPARK. Maybe this will light my fire?

Who’da thunk

my spark needs spunk?

There’s no doubt

I’m pooped out

Carla! Lynn! 

before I expire

light my Fire

BG: Before I let my hair go grey

Carla Sonheim is pairing up with Lynn Whipple for another year-long on-line class.  This time the concentration is simply on having fun making art.  It’s really timely for me right now.  My spark is sputtering – not out, but definitely needs some kindling and a match.

Year of the Spark, Carla Sonheim & Lynn Whipple