I just finished reading the book Luncheon of the Boating Party by Susan Vreeland. I couldn’t resist reading it when I saw it because this is easily one of my favorite paintings of all time. I think Vreeland did an excellent job with her research and you can tell she spent a lot of time making sure it was accurate. She did a great job with the characters and I ended up really caring about them, especially since the point of view shifts between different characters throughout the book. The first half of the book was pretty slow but the end really picked up and I read through the last 200 pages in one afternoon. If you like historical novels and art then I would highly recommend this book.
Multicolor Rose, watercolor and pitt pen, 2008
Rose against Violet Background, watercolor, 2008
These are some roses from the bouquet that Jeet gave me some time ago. The top one was the front of Jeet’s Valentine’s Day card and I did the second one in my watercolor sketchbook. I am not happy with either of them but I also don’t have much experience with white and light colored roses because they are so much more challenging to me. Usually I just draw them in graphite or pass them over all together in favor of the pink and red ones. The multicolored rose was originally cream colored with peach edges. I bungled it up however and added blue in for shadows which was the wrong color to use. The bottom rose was all white but I did the shadows in blues and purples there too and I think I overdid it. All in all though, I think it was okay that I got the practice and I know my next attempts will be a lot better.
Pots on Stove, Pitt pen, 2007
Ann Taylor Loft Bag, Green felt tip pen, 2008
These are some of my better small sketches that I’ve done recently. I know I should be doing more of these, especially since there are more demands on my time these days. I think I’m going to start carrying my small sketchbook with me again just so I can capture little sketches like these.
Today I have off, which is really nice. I spent the whole morning doing errands and chores and other things that I needed to get done. After lunch I baked some oatmeal raisin applesauce muffins. I haven’t tried them but they do smell good. I haven’t done any artwork today yet, but I have been very productive regardless.
Yellow Lily, watercolor (5×7), 2007
I took my exam on Monday and got a 94, which gave me such a feeling of satisfaction. I never have to worry about taking it again, which is nice. The best part is getting to do my own things after work without worrying about studying and practicing sample tests. Now I will have more time to work on art!
This is a watercolor painting of a lily that I did on a blank greeting card a few months ago. I remember that my hands were in intense pain when I did it and at the time I was surprised that it turned out so well. Now that my hands are in good shape again I can do more detailed work, but I really like the looseness of this piece.
Ruggles sketch, ballpoint on kraft paper, 2007
Ruggles on Chair, watercolor and colored pencil, 2008
I did these two versions of Ruggles a few months ago from a photo I found while cleaning out my parent’s attic. I am going to do drawings from all the photos I found and maybe compile some sort of collection of all my Ruggles related drawings and paintings. Now that he is gone, I wish I had spent more time drawing him when I had the chance. I really do miss Ruggles and I can’t wait until my parents get another dog. I won’t be able to get a dog for a few years and my parents getting one is the closest thing available to me having one.
I still haven’t been doing any artwork and I miss it so badly. My big exam is on Monday and I have the day off of work so I think I will spend Monday afternoon getting back into my artwork. I can’t wait until I can come home from work and do my own thing instead of studying for hours on end. Working full time has been a real adjustment for me because over the past year I have gotten used to doing whatever I wanted with no real demands on my time. Overall though, I think that working is just what I need right now.
Rose Corsage (5×7), watercolor and colored pencil, 2008
I did this a few weeks ago from a photo of my mom’s corsage in my wedding. I did change the colors around a bit by making the background and the ribbon blue, but I really do like how it came out. The one thing I don’t like is that I taped one of the borders crooked and the piece isn’t completely square. I haven’t been doing any artwork whatsoever for a few weeks as I’ve been studying for an important exam. I take it in one more week so after that I should get back to my old routine, I hope.