Dear Art Friends,
Mike and I are getting ready for a month-long road trip across the US. I am taking some art supplies: a couple of sketchbooks, pens, pencils, and a tiny watercolor set. Mike and I will take lots of photos along the way for reference. We leave tomorrow, so I wanted to send my art from these last couple weeks.
Mike took the photo of the Giant Canadian Goose. Although the picture had beautiful colors, I decided to practice him in graphite to see how best to show his shape and feather patterns. When we lived in Minnesota for a year, we saw thousands of these strong, beautiful birds. Rochester hosted these geese all winter. Their lake never froze because the water was used in the electric plant. So, Giant Canadians became one of my favorite birds.
I followed Paul Clark’s tutorial for The Bruges Bridge. It was more practice for me with wet- on-wet style painting. As always, it seems, I could have gone darker for contrast. I still find it hard to get shadows as dark as they should be to help create depth.
Finally, all the lines and squiggles. They do have a purpose. I am following The Art Coach, a program of ‘mark making’ to help me get more accurate and confident in drawing and sketching. These are just a few of the pages of practice. These are only from the first 5 of 25 lessons in the series. I’m taking two sketchbooks, one for these exercises and one for line and wash paintings I hope to make along the way. Since I won’t have a scanner while away, you won’t see this work until I’m back home in June.
Psalm 121 has always been an encouragement to me to trust God, especially as we travel. It seems like a good reminder to all believers in this world of constant change.
I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD watches over you—the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life;
8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.
May the Lord bless and keep you, both now and forevermore!
Much love!
Diane