scribblings !
The online journal of a passionate artist, writer and educator.
Summer 2007
Dates in reverse order.
Sitting Around Time
"An artist needs time to do nothing
but sit around and think and let ideas come to him," Jacob Kahn said to me one afternoon
on that porch after I had sat for hours, gazing at the sunlight on the water and the
sand and the houses farther up along the dunes. "Gertrude Stein said that once. She
was an impossible human being. But she was wise." --from My Name is Asher
Lev by Chaim Potak, page 239
Summer is almost gone and I have found
myself in some of the most unlikely places with time to sit around and think. I hope
you find some time to let ideas come to you as well.
August
27,2007
Looking
for Ideas
One of the things I love about Mary
Cassett’s work is her point of view. Her painting of baby’s bath time captivates me
because it is as though I am looking down on the scene while talking personally
to the mother. I participate in the painting rather than merely acting as spectator.
That
is what I’m after when I look for painting reference. One of my goals as an artist
is to draw you into my world and allow you to see it as I do, to participate in it
with me.
August 14, 2007
Working Notebooks
People work differently and what works for one may
not work for another. The same applies to keeping an art or writing notebook. Having
said that, here is what I’ve done throughout my career.
In the past, I used 5 by 7 notebooks to keep ideas for
art and writing. They became a jumble of lists, sketches, notes and miscellany, looking
messy and making everything difficult to find. After years of struggling with them
in this way, I settled on a system that works for me.
Now a set of small moleskin books with elastic keep essentials
tidy and easy to find. Ideas and inspiration go in one moleskin, plans and actions
in a second, and sketches in a third. Keeping plans and actions in a separate notebook
eliminates the messy, scratched out lists that I lose if they aren't in the notebook
and make my notebook unsightly if they are.
In the top outside corner of the pages, I place a keyword
that helps me locate the information later. As I go, I create an index on the
last page.
August
13, 2007
Where Do You Get Your Ideas?
One of the most frequently asked questions I receive lies
in the realm of inspiration. Beginners stare at the big blank surface and wonder what
to put there. Personally, I never have a shortage of ideas.
The
problem for me centers on eliminating the bulk of them and focusing my efforts in
one direction. Ideas are everywhere—sometimes all at once. Today, start an idea notebook. Leonardo had many.
I have several, two nearly full and two more underway. Use them. I’ll tell you how
in the next blog.
August 10,
2007
Pencils
Ever wonder how pencils are made?
A student asked
me something about that last weekend in a workshop. Her question: "What do they mix
with graphite when they are making a pencil to make the particles of graphite stick
together?"
In searching for the answer, I found this site
complete with photos and description: http://www.generalpencil.com/how.html.
By the way, the answer is clay.
August 9, 2007
Summer Trips
Summer is too short. Already July 2007 has
reached its expiration date and my list of must-do items remains nearly intact. July was filled with reference material jaunts.
I visited Florida, poked around in cypress swamps, dipped my toes in warm gulf water,
and encountered more birds than I ever remember when we lived there. And I took numerous day trips around the great
state of Washington. I even got in some plein-air painting at Lime Kiln Point Lighthouse
on San Juan Island. My reference file is rich with new material and my fingers itch
for brushes and paint that I can’t get to right now.
And speaking of things that can’t be done…
Did you know that it is virtually impossible to match some RGB colors with CMYK colors?
Using a color bridge to view Pantone colors, many of them print gray and muddy. As
far as I and a certain commercial printer can tell, it is impossible to successfully
reproduce in CMYK the beautiful clear colors my trusted HP 3550 produces in—yes—CMYK!
Go figure.
July 31, 2007
Finally!
Occasionally we are granted an idea that grows
into an opportunity beyond our wildest expectations. It’s exciting—thrilling, in fact.
Three years ago, one of those ideas settled in my mind, took root and began to grow.
Now—Finally!—The first part of the project stands completed and has begun
to show up in stores. The project is a set of eight laminated
Quick Reference Guides on a variety of art topics that can be purchased individually.
Each guide is a concentrated set of essential art notes. Their durability and portability
make them perfect for taking anywhere.
Creativity Press now produces the line of
Quick Reference Guides. The first eight include: Watercolor, Oil, Acrylic, Drawing,
Color, Create Exciting Art, Insider Tips and Wisdom, and The Business of Art. Look for them in a store near you. To
get them into your local art store, encourage the manager to contact Creativity Press.
If they aren't available locally, check
them out or purchase them online at: www.CreativityPress.com.
July 7, 2007
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