Work In Progress, remember? Wowsa, that castle is full of teeniny little parts. Have a look at hours and hours and hours of drawing. Of course I exaggerate to make a point – you knew that, right?
Back in the olden days, the latter part of the last century, before digital cameras and personal computers and all that, I used to regularly draw from 3-1/2 x 5″ photos from a film camera. Hard to imagine. These days a 4×6 seems like a pathetic little miniature photo!
That means Work In Progress. I just made it up, but I’m probably not the first to do so. I’m also making this up, revising as I go, and Mrs. Bob said the most wonderful thing to me about that:
“Do whatever! You’re the artist and I relish that…I love your work so do what you think looks best!”
Wow! This is the most fun possible with art – the challenge of a collage, Ireland (sigh), drawing with pencil, and complete freedom to use whatever ideas develop. Life is good. 😎
Did you really think those were armadillos??
Mrs. Bob reviewed the sketches. To my delight, she had an immediate first choice! Bob looked it over and suggested a change. To their delight, I immediately erased and redrew the good suggestions, and we were all pleased with the results.
Isn’t that a royal mess? Good thing Bob and Mrs. Bob know that I can draw or they might just say “I’ll think about it” and hit the door!
Drawing is one thing; planning a drawing is another; planning a collage is on another planet of complexity! I love love love to do these. The first time I thought of it was on a backpacking trip. In order to take my mind off my aching feet, I began designing pictures in my head. Because I wanted the trip to be a real vacation, I brought no pencil or paper along. This meant I started scratching in the dirt with a stick so I could see if the idea of multiple subjects in one drawing was even feasible. When I got back from the trip, I began the planning of 3 pictures I referred to as My Big Fat Masterpieces. This will have to become another posting, because the point of today’s post is to show you the beginnings of the collage for Mrs. Bob, lovely wife of My Favorite Customer.
Here are the steps involved.
Here is the result of those six steps:
Hint: Turn your head sideways for the 2 on the bottom. Which arrangement do you like best? Hard to decide, hunh?
This is the photo provided by Bob, My Favorite Customer. (That is a lot to type so I will refer to him simply as Bob for the rest of this posting.)
It is in color, and probably taken with a wide angle lens which makes the perspective look a bit distorted. In addition, there is a lot of unnecessary and unsightly material in the photo. Real life is messy and artists get to clean it up without even getting sweaty!
Here is how I drew the cottage. Bob was very pleased with the results, which is always a great relief to me. (Someday I may do an entire posting on the emotions of commission work.) Now, his wife and I have plans for a collage of the high points of the entire Irish trip. He may have the title of Favorite Customer, but she is an utter delight to work with! Would you believe we have known each other since 1973?? I just love living in the place where I was born and reared, unlike the adventurous and determined man who was born in this cottage, emigrated to the USA, and now has a descendant who is a great patron of the arts!
I am creating a piece of art to the specifications of Bob, My Favorite Customer. (Since he calls me his Favorite Artist, it is only fair that I return the compliment!) He and his family discovered a piece of their history while in Ireland, and I have the privilege of drawing it in pencil.
Bob requested a sketch before I began because the cottage is dilapidated and needed some artistic remodeling. That’s to be expected of something built in 1873.
Good thing Bob knows I can draw or this sketch might have frightened him away. Instead, he approved it, and I began the drawing. Notice the use of 2 separate words to describe what is taking place – “sketch” is loose, rough, for the purpose of conveying visual ideas. A “drawing” will be much more careful and refined.
Bob likes to see the process as it is taking place. Some people prefer to just be surprised at the end; others like to be included and involved. I do my best to accommodate my customers’ wishes.
In teaching drawing, I urge my students to develop the habit of shading from top to bottom and left to right (left handers should move right to left) because it lessens the smearing. Me? I’m experienced enough to do it any way I want and not have a smearing problem! Or it may be that I am experienced enough to know how to deal with the smearing problem, should one occur!
My customer is so happy with her poppy window that she said she’d like to be a guest in her own home! That is just doggone high praise for her decorating abilities combined with my painting – what a team we make! I guess she really believes that “Poppies will put them to sleep!” (If I ever decide to run away from home and these bossy cats, I know where I’m going!)
I am, because I got an order for 12 paintings of oranges. There are a couple of realtors who specialize in ag property. Whenever they sell an orange grove, the buyer receives one of my paintings. Isn’t that just the best idea? Thank you, Diana, for thinking of it and suggesting it to Matt, and thank you, Matt, for agreeing with Diana! Oranges are just the most fitting symbol for central California, and this California artist from Tulare County is the daughter, granddaughter, niece and grand-niece of many orange growers.
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I hate to say it but “Here I go again”. The window looked brighter with the paint side toward the wall, but of course it hid the detail of the poppies. Now I am repainting it on the side that will be out. Live and learn, live and learn. (If I’m going to repeat the window, I need to repeat the maxim.) Ahem. (I am a California artist, painting California poppies – are you listening, Google?)
First layer continued/completed
Second layer on flowers, first on leaves and stems
Ooh, ooh, am I finished? More will be revealed in the fullness of time.