Well, the art's not finished...
Lisa came over for our Thursday night art jam and we worked steadily for most of the evening together. I've got a pair of kestrels, male and female, on a card with a mottled green underpainting in the background and the male kestrel's about half done with colored pencil -- in exquisite detail. I really want to get intense with these on the detail. I don't know if I'll finish tonight and post it to eBay or not, but I did pick up something dramatic with this.
I kept thinking of the Valentines Day themes that are saturating all the art I see on my eBay groups, and instead of doing something pink and lacy, thought of birds. They get very passionate. On kestrels there's clear differences in the markings between male and female too. So they're together, one in profile and one facing forward -- an unusual pose anyway.
Despite being in pain and getting symptoms, I pushed myself. She helped me reorganize my art area. I've now got the Tote Express moved out of my room. I don't know where the empty Tote Express got stashed, whether it's in the closet down here or upstairs in the craft room. I'll ask later. Lisa moved it out of my room and that's good enough for now. The small sturdy table I picked up from Freecycle in Minneapolis is now sitting where it was, with a neat stack of books and drawing board and Lightracer and big watercolor pads and blocks under it -- in easy reach. My tub of acrylics has only one layer of stuff on it. The small miscellany tub has nothing stacked on it yet except the small set of Prismacolors.
Everything is far more organized except that I've got the pocket contents from the Tote Express to deal with, and those need to be in another small shoebox-type clear tote. I think I may have one upstairs filled with miscellany that isn't art stuff, and I could consolidate that into another tub and empty it to use down here for the loose brushes and pens and pen refills and small stuff. I'll get that bag emptied out and reorganized into other things soon. For now it's enough to have my books in easy reach, the stack that blocks my way in and out of my chair reduced and everything much easier to get at.
I might even find it possible to work on oils over here eventually now that the worst part of the reorganization's done.
I do still need bookshelves and don't see a way that I can afford them this month. Maybe next. But there is a good place to put them where the little table used to be if I get one of the tall bookcases. Some art would have to be moved from behind it but I could do that.
It helps. Every bit of organization helps. Most of all my new sketchbooks are handy right over here where I use them, and that'll help a lot. It's almost time to start using the new one, the big 9" x 12" one is almost full. I'll probably use up the rest of it doing eHow articles. Or just start using the new one anyway and save the last few pages for emergencies when I can't find a sketchbook.
The new ones are so crisp and clean and perfect. There is something about a brand new sketchbook that's irresistible and inspiring.
I worked on it a bit ore after she left, and now the male kestrel is done. I'm not going to post progress, but whether or not I post it on eBay yet or wait till the 4th, I will post it here. I doubt it'll be done in time to not go up during the strike. But I will definitely want to share this one with everyone I know, as it's coming out so spectacular. I got his feather textures perfect and his eye is glistening and natural, his beak is perfect, I got him just right. Now to do his mate and then after that, go back into the background and start developing loose blurry dark and light green foliage, half-seen because it's not in focus and they are.
Working on it is helping me calm down from dealing with the strike and eBay trouble.
I might as well post progress. The background is actually olive green, much greener than the scan. But I think once it's done in pencil it'll come through better.
I kept thinking of the Valentines Day themes that are saturating all the art I see on my eBay groups, and instead of doing something pink and lacy, thought of birds. They get very passionate. On kestrels there's clear differences in the markings between male and female too. So they're together, one in profile and one facing forward -- an unusual pose anyway.
Despite being in pain and getting symptoms, I pushed myself. She helped me reorganize my art area. I've now got the Tote Express moved out of my room. I don't know where the empty Tote Express got stashed, whether it's in the closet down here or upstairs in the craft room. I'll ask later. Lisa moved it out of my room and that's good enough for now. The small sturdy table I picked up from Freecycle in Minneapolis is now sitting where it was, with a neat stack of books and drawing board and Lightracer and big watercolor pads and blocks under it -- in easy reach. My tub of acrylics has only one layer of stuff on it. The small miscellany tub has nothing stacked on it yet except the small set of Prismacolors.
Everything is far more organized except that I've got the pocket contents from the Tote Express to deal with, and those need to be in another small shoebox-type clear tote. I think I may have one upstairs filled with miscellany that isn't art stuff, and I could consolidate that into another tub and empty it to use down here for the loose brushes and pens and pen refills and small stuff. I'll get that bag emptied out and reorganized into other things soon. For now it's enough to have my books in easy reach, the stack that blocks my way in and out of my chair reduced and everything much easier to get at.
I might even find it possible to work on oils over here eventually now that the worst part of the reorganization's done.
I do still need bookshelves and don't see a way that I can afford them this month. Maybe next. But there is a good place to put them where the little table used to be if I get one of the tall bookcases. Some art would have to be moved from behind it but I could do that.
It helps. Every bit of organization helps. Most of all my new sketchbooks are handy right over here where I use them, and that'll help a lot. It's almost time to start using the new one, the big 9" x 12" one is almost full. I'll probably use up the rest of it doing eHow articles. Or just start using the new one anyway and save the last few pages for emergencies when I can't find a sketchbook.
The new ones are so crisp and clean and perfect. There is something about a brand new sketchbook that's irresistible and inspiring.
I worked on it a bit ore after she left, and now the male kestrel is done. I'm not going to post progress, but whether or not I post it on eBay yet or wait till the 4th, I will post it here. I doubt it'll be done in time to not go up during the strike. But I will definitely want to share this one with everyone I know, as it's coming out so spectacular. I got his feather textures perfect and his eye is glistening and natural, his beak is perfect, I got him just right. Now to do his mate and then after that, go back into the background and start developing loose blurry dark and light green foliage, half-seen because it's not in focus and they are.
Working on it is helping me calm down from dealing with the strike and eBay trouble.
I might as well post progress. The background is actually olive green, much greener than the scan. But I think once it's done in pencil it'll come through better.