I have enjoyed a week of Sketchbook revival video lessons this week and it continues with terrific teachers.... I won't share it all this week, but opened with one lesson in freeing yourself up to color that can be used by any artist.
I will share some of my quilting after this because I enjoy many mediums...
The teacher for that project is Helen Wells.
>Draw an organic blobby shape, >then over that a zigzaggy shape. >then draw a line from top of page to bottom, and one from side to side. Look at the shapes created, color them in (I used tombow markers and colored pencils) trying out color mix, colors next to each other, leaving some areas white, outlining others, and then see if there is a shape you like to use later.
Otherwise just have fun and warm up for other art...
I had to contend with several body failures this week but in between the issues....
I returned to my pineapple ruler (G. Fitzgerald) this week and to my box of green scraps for Rainbow Scrap Challenge color of the month, and made 6 blocks in greens, each one is about 8.5" square
My green scraps are not particularly pretty, but all the prints mixed are!
so far I have made these with that pineapple ruler, and might, just might, have figured out how to use it
but not how to arrange them all
lots of colors to come, no pressure, but it's a good way to convert raggedy scrap strips. I have been changing the method to suit myself. She has us using 1.5" strips and I often cut squares on the diagonal once or twice to use instead. Very little waste that way.
also decided to make a " table scraps" piece for next week at Thejoyfulquilter
Mostly this week, I am immersed in painting, drawing, and color on paper though... I do a small portrait of each teacher, this is the list so far...
so far I've painted beautiful portraits of dogs, people, fruits, in so many different ways, and quite like all of them. I've learned to paint a portrait just adding in shading in all colors! (post next Friday)
my husband says I should just paint, it's less dangerous than quiltmaking but you understand don't you? All art making is good! All of it informs the others. All learning is good too, and fun. I will do a special post of these lessons next week, because it's been such a learning tool.
I am especially focusing on shading and creating depth for myself. That should help also in art quilts.
each teacher leaves us with a nugget of their wise words, but most say be bold and have fun as well
Today I am hoping to use my stick pen, a crystal flamingo used to dip into ink and make lines. I have had it a year and not used it. I don't think it's a fear exactly but doing something very different like using a bottle of ink, a hard glass pen, to leave lines is unusual for me.
do you purchase supplies then not use them? I want to stop doing that! (gouache, here I come) I'll leave you with something silly you can do too...
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| paint blobs of paint, then find images in them |
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| don't dither, just do it |
sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't but it's always stimulating!
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| from the lesson with Mike Lowery |
design wall Mondays at smallquiltsanddollquilts
