Nomad 3 - Blue Wall

Still trying to make time for my art, which for the last five days was kinda tough, as Robert was home due to mechanical problems with the truck he drives at work. I would be in "drawing mode" and he'd come into the room to use the computer and want to chat while he surfed the internet. I finally had to tell him, "Um, I'm not trying to be pissy here, but, I am not going to talk." He finally "got it" and left me alone. It gave me a hint of what it will be like when he retires in five years, so there are some things we need to work out before that happens. Like, I need my space, and he needs his.

So, once Robert and I came to an understanding about me being "In the zone" I worked on the third in the Nomad series. Since the last drawing I did "I Am Watching" was really complicated and busy, I wanted to keep this one simple. I kinda had no choice, since the size of the drawing is small, only 8 1/2 x 11.

Nomad 3 - Blue Wall. Colored pencil on paper.

I found the photo of that beautifully textured wall on Pinterest, along with a photo of a woman (not pictured) dressed like the one in the drawing. After I finished the piece, I decided it would have looked better painted rather than done with pencil. Even with wanting to keep things simple, I couldn't get that great rough texture of the wall, or the deep blue of the paint. But, I still like the way it came out, and I think the colors work. Color is still something I struggle with...a lot.

Even though I am having a hard time getting the deep colors I want with the pencil,  I am going to  keep slogging away at it until I feel like I'm ready to move on to paint. I need the drawing practice and color studies. By the time the weather is reliably warm, I will be able to move out to my drafting table in the garage (and Robert can be free to use the computer without me grouching at him) and work on larger pieces, although I doubt I'll go much bigger than 16" x 20".

It also appears that I now have three series to work on, which is fun. First it was the Nomad Series, then I added the Gypsy Series, and then, out of nowhere, came the drawing "I Am Watching" which is what I refer to as the Mother Nature is Pissed Series. I have lots of ideas for all three, and have been collecting photos from Pinterest, or will use my own photos taken around our place, as sources.

My plan for the summer is to rotate my days between horses/yard/garden and artwork—which will include beading, sewing, and jewelry projects along with drawing/painting. Going back and forth, one day on, one day off, rather than trying to do, say, artwork in the morning and outdoor work in the afternoon—which wouldn't work, because once I get in the zone, I lose all track of time. Or the reverse, which would be worse, because by the time I'm finished, temps can be over 100 degrees and sometimes as high as 107-110. Sweating in the summer heat working horses all morning doesn't put me in the mood to paint. A bit of beading might be okay, but that's about it. I'm usually so wrung out and tired by the time I come in, I don't want to do anything but take a shower, sit on the couch, sip iced tea, and read. 

But despite that, I love summer, and look forward to playing both outside and inside. Beats the hell out of days and days of gloom, fog, and rain, which turns me into a major grumpas!  So, bring on the sun, the blue skies, the summer garden, and BBQs. I'm ready!

Nomad 2

This is another drawing from the series I am working on, so far called Nomads & Gypsies. I like the composition of this, but don't think the colors are quite as successful as the ones in Nomad 1. Color work is hard for me, so I struggle with it and don't always get a successful outcome.  But since these are for practice, to get back into drawing and using color, I don't think it came out too bad. I like the pose so much I am thinking of doing the same one, only bigger, and on illustration board instead of paper.

Anyway, here is the process again, for those of you who are interested in this kind of thing.

Drawing with source material...again, found on Pinterest.

Here is a better one of the drawing. Sorry, I didn't realize the photo was so crooked until I uploaded it, and by then I had already done the color work, so couldn't re-shoot the photo.

Next is the drawing after I inked it with a Pigma Micron 05 pen in dark blue. I started to add color then went, "Whoops, need to photo ink drawing first" so that's why there is that bit of blue on her head scarf.

And at last, the finished drawing. I think I got a nice melancholy expression on her face, as if she is day dreaming of something a bit sad. The design on the green (meant to look like tile) was a stencil I drew around then colored in.

I am going to have to press this one for awhile, as the paper wants to curl up on the corners. I tried carefully rolling the paper in the opposite direction of the curl, and was only marginally successful...barely enough to get the photo. And, in looking at this, I think the green background needs more work. It still looks rough. Like I said, these are practice runs, nothing too serious — yet.

Other than working on these drawings, I have been practicing mounted archery in order to get ready for a clinic in two weeks. So far the weather has been steady, except for a few rain sprinkles, so that has helped. I have also taken a deep breath, for fortitude, and started reclaiming my garden from the weeds. I bought a cherry tomato plant and a basil plant, which are still sitting on the deck in their original pots, so those need to go in the ground soon.

Best part of the warmer temps = sitting out on the deck in the evening, sipping wine, sampling snacks, and having a nice relaxing moment with my husband...who drinks a beer instead of wine, 'cause tasting wine makes him make funny faces and hand the glass back to me.

Signs of Spring/Summer

For most people the first signs of the coming warmer days are groups of happily blooming daffodils, Easter candy in the stores, and for those of us out in the country, the soft, subtle colors of wildflowers. If, like me, you have horses, it’s also the flying hair of a shedding winter coat. However, for me personally, there is one sure sign that the gray days are passing. My local Fred Myer store pulls out dozens of racks of flip flops. They are the first thing you see when you enter the store. Yup, there’s your sign.

When I was a kid, raised by parents born in the depression era, and with W.W.II still a vivid memory, we all called this new form of footwear Jap Flaps. That’s not politically correct these days, and rightly so, but that’s what all the kids called them back then. They were cheap, and the rubber bit between your toes a bit rough at first, so you always got a blister, which eventually became a callous. They came in a few fun colors, but nothing like what you can buy now.

Oh lordy, now it is a veritable cornucopia of choices—stripes, dots, checks, tattoo designs, happy faces, and even the logos of the two big Oregon college teams. And that’s just the foot part. The thong part is even better. You can still get basic plain rubber (which is what I get to wear while doing yard and garden work, ‘cause I can hose them off when they get dirty), but oh my, the choices here are mind boggling. In my latest cruise of the racks, I saw the thong part adorned with fake flowers, sequins, rhinestones, and bead dangles. Some were made of soft suade-like material in every color of the rainbow. Then there are the fancy ones. Wider straps in an East Indian pattern of paisley picked out in silver or gold thread. Western themed ones in black leather and silver conchos. I even saw some with brass bits for that Steampunk look.

Every year I pick out a few new pairs, usually waiting until they have the “Buy one pair, get one pair free” sale. I live in flip flops all summer, and am pretty hard on them, especially the garden work pair. What I love most about “flops” is you can just slip you feet into a pair and are good to go. And since they make all those fancy ones, you can wear them pretty much anywhere—always making sure your pedicure is neat and tidy. Don’t want to turn someone off their food.

But, despite their jolly cuteness, flip flops can be hazardous to your health. I had one of my few near-death experiences while wearing a brand new pair. Here is the equation: New flip flops + wet deck steps = hydroplaning body flying off deck. It happened so fast it took me a minute to figure out how I ended up on my butt in the pea gravel of the terrace. I also thought my right arm was broken, since I couldn’t move it or feel it. Fortunately, all I ended up with were a lot of very colorful bruises in some very interesting places. Lesson learned.

By the time November rolls around, and it becomes too cold to wear them, I have a pile of battered flip flops—their soles worn thin, the straps faded, and the rubber with a permanent indent of my foot. They are the sign of a full, fun summer soon to be drowned out by months of rain.

I haven’t picked out my pairs for this year. They haven’t put them on sale yet. But I saw a new design that I must have. Decorating the sole of this one is a red skull on a black background. The annoying thing is, they only put that design on the man’s sizes. So, next time I’m in "Freddy’s", I’ll search for the smallest size they come in and see if they fit. If not, oh well, there are dozens and dozens of other designs to choose from, which will get me through the summer just fine.