Portrait Sketches in Prismacolor

Even though this summer I haven't been able to paint, I draw a little everyday.  For awhile I was doing a portrait a day to practice capturing faces.  In trying different drawing media I fell upon Prismacolor Markers and my drawing people routine morphed into doing some experimental abstract sketches.   Once I felt I was getting the hang of the markers, I returned to doing portraits and now I'm finally getting around to posting some of them (as some are really too bad to share!).  I think they're a bit odd (and a little off) but I'm really loving the medium.  I don't do any preliminary drawing, I just jump right in with the pens.  There's no going back on mistakes---I have to work with the marks I put down.  It's a joy to make these sketches.

Here are some of my favorites in order starting from the most recent (today):

Jonathan Toulin

Mrs. Nolan

Bob Smith

Gloria Smith

Mrs. Martin

Mrs. Sanders

Shane Winfield

LaVonda July

Christopher Koster

The Violin Player

The Chef

Man in Gray

Collaboration

My youngest son and I made this today.  He calls it the Pigheaded Kangaroo.  He made the head and I made the body.  The line at the belly is actually a seam where the lid with the head and the bowl with legs fits together. I think it's my favorite one yet.  I love the way he did the eyes.

Longhorn Red Clay, leather hard stage,  71/2 " tall

Our army of these critters are growing.  One of these days we'll get to glaze them and then I'll take a group photo.

Summer Time

Summer and the last couple of weeks:

When school lets in June our routines and schedules seem to evaporate.   I so enjoy these months but it is difficult to paint.  My boys are young and want to hang out with me (and I want to hang out with them) and I know that before I can blink too many times, that won't be the case---they'll want to be hangin' with their friends, not their mom.  I try to squeeze in painting when I can but I work best when I can do it on a more daily basis with uninterrupted blocks of time. Instead of getting frustrated because that's hard to negotiate and that I'm not painting, I pick projects that I can weave into the rhythm of our days. Right now it's a sewing venture. While I'm working on it, the boys and I orbit around each other. I'll be cutting material on the living room floor while pirate ships are circling about, sword fights are happening overhead (and our dog thinks the freshly spread out material is the best place to lay) or sewing at the table while they're drawing robots etc...---always close to each other. Then we take breaks and go on adventures: to swim, to the movies, to visit friends, to the park, and then return to the house and resume our individual activities. It all makes for a (mostly) peaceful and happy house.

My sewing project now is making a partial slipcover for a antique couch I inherited from my great grandmother.  I know---slipcover---not very exciting, but it is!  I love to sew, especially items of my own invention. The couch is white.  I have three boys and a dog in the house...  For the last couple of years I've draped quilts over it to extend its life --- not a look I like. So, we'll see if my plan works.

I've been thinking of this project since the couch came to me. It's a joy that it's finally coming to fruition.  When it's done, it's so satisfying---well, that is if it looks good---never know until the end.  I think I'll be done next week, I'll post the results.