Over the last few months, as the number of my photo based posting have declined, some have inquired about my health. I'm fine. I've just moved to a more deeply engaged type of observation.
On Monday last, I walked out my door to explore the nearly snowy woods. Found a nice scene to create in this week's sketchbook:
.JPG)
It began as a photo with the camera almost touching the icy layer of white.
.jpg)
I feel the watercolor more closely shows what was key to the scene and leaves out unimportant "stuff" that the camera presented. The red oak leaves and the textures of snow on the tree bark are the subject. Rough bark is brown on the left side but tinged with olive green on the right. The green is likely moss. The oak bark texture was complex. The wet-on-wet application of the background was in better balance than in the photo. I wanted the viewer to see the scene in those minutes when some warm sunlight came in to play.
My new direction in art began for me in October 2023 when a found this book that returned me to sketching and watercolor:
Look At That!
Discover the Joy of Seeing by Sketching
by Bobbie Herron
now available as Second Edition
It is a simple, refreshing approach to learn how to really see, and to escape the idea that you need to please others with your art. You draw to satisfy yourself. Any mistake is a lesson to move skill forward. Since that day, I have found something to sketch nearly every day. I discovered that there is always something to draw nearby. Less mileage required. You will see that I have expanded my subjects well past the natural.
In December, I was at the Rockwell Museum's Gingerbread Invitational. Here is one (of many sketches) that offered much more than a camera could present. Somewhere Over the Technicolor Rainbow was an entry created to remind the viewer of the magic and beauty that color brings to story telling, creativity and our own imagination. I love the red shoes peaking out from the shed roof. Poor witch!
The central sketch was done on a first visit, but I knew there was more to say. In the far right was a swirling tornado that did not reach to the top of the shed roof. There was a huge empty white space at top. It needed a sky. I returned to push the tornado to the top plus add a violent storm above. Then made two smaller sketches of a green skinned witch and the little mushroom houses. Added text. A photo could not include those inputs. These are some of the pluses of sketching.
Previously, I was at the Rockwell's Dia de los Muertos celebration and sketched the ofrenda - an offerings- display. The time preparing a sketch provided deeper insights than a quick snapshot captured in haste.
This was so enjoyable that next year is already anticipated, with more time allowed.
In sketching, it is nice to simply omit or move something that upsets composition. No expensive software to learn. Here is an example.
In the photo seen at right, the heavy trees in the distance detract from the interesting briar and the solid beech in the near field.
Too many trees and one that intersects the largest tree close to the briar.. Gee, I even shifted the big tree in the back.
Easy to clean up and put attention at the form of the briar. When capturing the photo, the photographer likely would never remember the edges of briar leaves or the crooked twists of the stems. I do now. See below.
.jpg)
Sketching naturally leads to entries in a field journal. There are two different species of dogwood in our gardens with different in leaf shape, colors and seed heads, . I created this journal entry to compare the overall details.
.jpg)
