koukla carolyn

Hibiscus, watercolor and colored pencil on 5×7 Strathmore watercolor greeting card, Carolyn Pappas, 2008

These days the market has been on my mind more than any other topic. I keep track of it while at work during the day and the obsession seems to have followed me home for the past two weeks as well. I normally try to do some sketching after work, but these past two weeks I have been glued to the tv listening to all the updates on the bailout negoitiations and worrying myself sick.

Yesterday, I decided that enough is enough. I sat down and finished this painting that I had been wanting to finish for a long time. I had the flower sketched out and the blank greeting card taped down to my board but I had not gotten around to acually painting it for a long time now. I experimented by using masking fluid to retain the whites in the spots for the pollen. It was frustrating because I found I did not have a lot of control over my application. And the stuff dried so fast! I ended up going over the whole thing with colored pencils after I painted it in watercolor and I really love the bold color that I ended up with, especially in the background. I found that the few hours of distraction was beneficial to my mood and my outlook.

When all these people on the news are scaring us with images of the Great Depression, the one passage of Scripture that comes instantly to mind is this one from Matthew 6:25-33:

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

 ”And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Macintosh Apples, colored pencil in 9×12 sketchbook, Carolyn Pappas 2008

I made this sketch of some apples this afternoon and I’m honestly surprised that I even did this as I’ve been sick all weekend. On Friday I had an awful sore throat and by the time I got out of work, I had talked so much during the day that my whole neck felt like it was on fire. On Saturday and this morning I moped around my parent’s house and didn’t do much of anything except sleep and play with the puppies. Today my nose is like a faucet and I feel generally achy all over.

I did do two things which made my weekend a tiny bit productive and not a total waste. One, I made this sketch. I tried to keep it simple by only using four pencils more like drawing pencils. I am pleased that at least I did something artistic and I wanted to do something to commemorate the first day of my favorite season starting tomorrow.  I also hemmed a new pair of pants that I’ve been waiting to wear for a few weeks but didn’t get around to hemming until now.  It was so hard to be bent over my sewing while having a drippy nose, but I have something new to wear tomorrow.

Shell Interior, Derwent watercolor pencils (water added), Carolyn Pappas 2008

Shell Interior, Derwent watercolor pencils (dry pencils), Carolyn Pappas 2008

I was looking through my sketchbooks this afternoon and saw that a lot of my drawings for the past few weeks/months have been very dull and colorless. Even though I am not really in the mood for doing really bright and colorful pieces, I thought that I should make the effort to do something in color. Years ago I bought a set of 12 Derwent watercolor colored pencils, but have only used them a handful of times. I didn’t really like that I wasn’t able to get a really sharp tip on the pencils when I sharpened them. Today I decided that I might as well give it another shot.

I made this sketch of a seashell that has been sawn in half so as to expose the inside. First I sketched the whole thing with the pencils and I had the foresight to scan it first in case I really screwed it up somehow by adding water. I was a little nervous about adding water because I was just working in my regular sketchbook and even though it says it is fine for light washes, I was worried about too much buckling and/or water soaking though the page. I put a paper towel underneath the page to absorb any excess water and I wasn’t too heavy handed with the water. It ended up turning out just fine and it also dried very fast as well. I am glad I had the courage to add the water because I think I like that version better.

We are like actors in a play. The divine will has assigned us our roles in life without consulting us….Although we can’t control which roles are assigned to us, it must be our business to act our given role as best as we possibly can and to refrain from complaining about it. Wherever you find yourself and in whatever circumstances, give an impeccable performance. If your are supposed to be a reader, read; if you are supposed to be a writer, write. -Epictetus

Self Portrait, 9×12 sketchbook, Carolyn Pappas 2008

Flattering, no; honest, yes. This does look like an odd pose, mainly because I was crunched up on the floor drawing myself in front of a full length mirror. Even though I have a sort of weird look on my face, I have to say that this is one of my better self portraits in terms of likeness and the speed at which I got it done.

I haven’t been in the mood lately to use big, bold colors. Plain pencil is what I am drawn to using these days. I drew this sketch with a B pencil mainly for the skin and using softer pencils later on. I used to work in graphite by smudging the piece to death with paper stumps and tortillions. Nowadays I am finding that shading by hatching is much more my style. I think I have grown comfortable with using lines after working in pen and ink for so long.

The Lady of the House, graphite (9×12), Carolyn Pappas 2008

My Yiayia (grandmother) kept this little woman nestled among her houseplants. On Wednesday she had an unfortunate run in with my mother’s four month old German Shepherd puppy, but she was unscathed. Seeing her toppled over on the floor reminded me that I had been wanting to draw her for a long time now. I had once done a sketch of her when I was a young teenager but it didn’t come out very well. I made this sketch yesterday after work.

Don’t demand or expect that events happen as you would wish them to. Accept events as they actually happen. That way peace is possible. -Epictetus

Swan Sketch, graphite in 9×12 sketchbook, Carolyn Pappas 2008

I once took a calligraphy class and the instuctor said, “You’ll never see your mistakes unless you work BIG.” Of course she was talking about working in calligraphy and she was explaining why she was having us work in the biggest possible nibs. (She also said she thought I was a monk in a past life!) But I have noticed that the same principle also applies to my art. Today I made this fairly large drawing of a metal swan and it was so difficult. I spent ages just erasing and going over it again and again. I had no idea that it was going to be so frustrating and I didn’t even spend as much time on the details as I could have. Years ago, I drew another version of the same object (see below) but it didn’t seem nearly as hard. I think because it was such a small drawing it was easier to fudge on the details.

Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf. Proverbs 11:28

Fig Leaf Sketch, ballpoint and colored pencil, Carolyn Pappas 2008

Garden Sketch (8/30/08), black pitt pens in kraft paper sketchbook, Carolyn Pappas 2008

Drawing leaves outside has been sort of a theme for me lately. I guess the main reason is that I figure that soon it will be too cold to do a lot of sketching outside and by the time I get home from work, it will be dark. I am already preparing a list of ideas for still lifes and reference photos to use for the colder season.

Despite having an extra day off, I wasn’t very productive in the art department. I have been so tired out from everything that has been going on in my life that I just lounged around at my parent’s house. I had a lot of fun playing around with the puppies, watching tv and finishing a Really Good Book. Sometimes not doing anything important is the best thing to do and I feel really energized now because of it.