I’ve decided to do some sketching every Sunday this year. It helps me understand my subjects better and gives me an opportunity to work on values and composition.
Today I pulled up a photograph of AshLynn, my great niece. Her mother is a children’s librarian. Last July we were at story hour. I was snapping away with my cell phone and was charmed by Ashlynn doing an exercise called Flitter Flutter.
Waving her chiffon scarves while looking back at her beloved Grandma.
Ever since I have been wanting to render the scene in watercolor. My first step toward that goal is this quick sketch.
The author titles Week 5 “Recovering a sense of possibility.” This chapter presents some hard questions that have me examining the ways that I put myself second and my family members first – something that I had accepted as necessary and virtuous. I learned today that this behavior can be a trap. But then, moving on from self-sacrificial actions, the Way gives me exercises to explore what I would and could do if it weren’t too selfish a thing.
The exercise, Forbidden Joys, asked me to list things that I would love to do, if I were allowed to do them. When I completed my ten things, I felt – exhilarated. Writing the list down made me smile. Reading it afterward warmed my heart. The theory is that writing about one’s forbidden joys breaks down the barrier to doing them.
Next, the Way tells me to post my list somewhere highly visible. Awwww! do I dare? After all they are Forbidden.
In the spirit of the Artist’s Way, what follows are ten things that I would love to do if they were allowed. To provide a full experience, I chose photographs illustrating my forbidden things. Half are my own photographs and half come from internet sites.
Swim naked.
2. Climb onto a roof to watch the sun set.
3. Run up and down the stairs.
4. Eat chocolate cake once a week.
5. Interrupt someone who is speaking – especially when they are boring or pompous.
6. When travelling, stay the night at the finest hotel in town.
7. Have breakfast for dinner, or dinner for breakfast.
8. Take out the carpet in my studio and paint the concrete floor.
9. Pet every dog that I meet.
10. Hug every toddler that I meet.
There, that wasn’t so bad. I hope you tolerated my self-indulgence in revealing these forbidden joys. If you liked reading mine, perhaps you should try to make this list for yourself. You might just be convinced to actually do one of them.
My week was not typical at all. I spent 3 days in a watercolor workshop led by Sonya Terpening. It was a bit of a rollercoaster for me. On the one hand, my confidence seemed to improve. On the other hand, I found the environment a bit chaotic, so it was difficult to focus. I found myself rushing to finish instead of taking my time.
Anyway, here she is. I call this work Woman in a Shawl.
The reference photograph is mine. I had asked my daughter to serve as the model for a shawl I knit back in 2022.
Other sketches I completed this week, taken from lessons by Kateri Ewing in her book Watercolor is for Everyone.
Dream Feathers
Tiny Being of Light
And finally, I just finished the mid-tone layer on my portrait of Reggie the Dog.
I’m pretty happy with the dog at this stage. Darks and shadows will be added this week, if I have time before we leave for Madison.
I’m also happy that I finished embroidering a panel on my Dragonfly art quilt.
You will likely not be able to detect any difference from the photo I posted last week, since all of the stitching was in the background. Now I am moving on to this panel.
This one makes me so happy, because the background is a profusion of flowers and leaves. Embroidering it will be sheer pleasure.
Thank you for visiting, and please do share your own creative projects.
In week three, The Artist’s Way has me focus on Recovering a Sense of Power. The words for focusing are Anger, Synchronicity and Shame. In Watercolor is for Everyone, the daily practice work seems to be mostly representational, as opposed to abstract.
I am also sharing my fiber work from this week. Let’s start with that.
Knitting: I’m a bit errant in not posting about my newest project. I’ve chosen a cowl design by Andrea Mowry. It’s super lovely.
I’ll do a full post on this project next week.
I have also returned to an art quilt that has been languishing since last year. I call it Here be Dragons. This week, I spent my evenings hand-quilting one of the panels.
Bill’s photographs provided the reference for my dragonflies. The background and dragonflies were painted onto white cotton fabric with textile paint and micron pens. Next I embroidered detail on the dragonflies. The final step is to work embroidery stitches into the background as a way to marry together the three layers of the quilt. It is slow work, but I am determined to carry on and get this piece mounted and displayed before year end.
Here are the watercolor exercises completed this week.
This little landscape was based on a photo I took of a Wisconsin farm.
My magical hummingbird is inspired by Janet Weight-Reed’s beautiful hummingbird paintings. I used a photograph from this month’s National Geographic for reference.
I am following simultaneously The Artist’s Way, by Julia Cameron and Watercolor is for Everyone, by Kateri Ewing. Here are the exercises and practice paintings I completed since Sunday.
Twin TreesAbstract inspired by a melody of BrahmsA Trio of Great Egrets, based on photographs by Bill RileyAutumn Impression. Painting on rice paper that was embedded with plant materials.Portrait of Tiny, copied from a painting by Janet Weight-Reed
Daily Fiber 