Can you hear me Major Tom?

(Portoviejo Ecuador)

My dear WordPress Family,

You must feel that I am as far above the world  as Major Tom.

(His Vincent cover is fantastic)

While the computer and wifi are catching the signal between Jupiter and Mars, I lassoed my scattered thoughts, stories and photographs to bounce off the back side of Mercury – and hopefully their trajectory will reach Earth.  Earth looks pretty scary from up here, and I am told that many species are asking what have the humans done to their paradise.

A surprise Friday protest near the museum about three weeks ago. (Portoviejo Ecuador)

I told my friend Giovanni that these young activists (in the above image) need mentors.  Anger reaches no one in positive ways. He replied and said, ‘I know a lot of those people.’

It makes people react in defensive mode.

This group might be equally willing to pick up trash along the rio while waving those same posters.   A grounded and sensitive leader can help them find an effective voice.

There is hope; a growing number of amazing people are crossing paths, moving forward in quiet ways in behalf of the planet.

There seems to be an uptick of positive young leaders – quietly making a difference.   I witnessed many people – young and old – who burn with the desire to learn and do more.

There have been World Environment and Global Big Day events. The municipality has showered these quiet activists with good publicity and opportunities for events.

One museum show ends.. and a brief one-day show the next week.

Giovanni Ruiz gave scholarships to 200 participants for a weekly climate class. He had just arrived from his ‘Ambiente’ job in Mindo (5-plus hours away) and set up just in time to start the class. Whew!

Giovanni peering skyward at a ceibo tree at ‘Jaboncillo’ archaeological site near Portoviejo.

‘The Tree of Life’ Arbol de la Vida/Esperanza – Various people in the park and municipality departments were shocked that my bird list for Parque las Vegas was around 90 species, and that I had photographed over 40 species of birds in this one forlorn Frutilla tree.

July 5, 2021 – 21 birds dropped in while I worked on the drawing.

Members of the municipality were rapt with interest about the birds. Daniel Arias, a bird guide/eBird moderator, specializes in Urban Birding.

Another meeting later that week. Alexandra Cevallos Castro (far right with mike)  deserves much credit for her networking – calling attention and arranging meetings between interested parties.  The wetland area of the park has reclaimed a healthier setting for the local and migratory birds.  I hope that the Soras return, and two weeks ago the Eastern Kingbirds were spotted near the pond.

Remembering…

“The intense focus of art often transports me through a magic portal; time seems to stop as if I’ve stepped into another realm. Sometimes after a long session I am surprised to find that the day has weaned to night – or the night has weaned to morning.  Emerging from a painting trance is like awakening from a deep sleep.” Lisa B.

I have always painted best at night, especially in the city when late-night hours are even more silent than the natural forest!  The ongoing Covid risks have altered the rhythms of the city, and for that I am grateful.  After ten o’clock at night, the city slumbers.

October Big Day Night – Pacific Pygmy Owl – Poza Honda

Barn Owl – Portoviejo (at the back of the apartment there’s an abandoned building, and the owl often sleeps there in the daytime.)

In Poza Honda, three species of owls,  random frogs, insects and the faraway calls of the Limpkins provided a soothing nocturnal soundtrack.  When I paint in the apartment, I often play recordings made at Poza Honda.  Many times I emerge from my painting trance and am surprised to find that I’m in the city!

A Peregrine Falcon often perches on that tower.

In progress – “The Friendship Tree of Life.”

Friday night while painting I thought of two brothers who were classmates of mine. Flashing back in time, I pictured them taking turns skiing behind their boat. The vision was as strong as if it were yesterday, and it made me smile. I recalled their zest for life and how much they loved the outdoors -as did I.

The Mississippi River at Memphis – (Lake Whittington is an oxbow lake that connects to the Mississippi River.)

On Saturday a friend shared the sad news that one of those brothers had died while in the woods. (most likely a heart attack.) Steve was a good man – a very good man, and he will be missed.

Steve and his family were on my mind for the rest of the day – and night. Painting had no appeal, but my lifelong pal the pencil served me well. The pencil study seemed to absorb my numbness, and a pair of Variable Seedeaters slowly came to life.

Below is ‘stage one’ of the drawing, “Remembering Steve.”

“Remembering Steve” – 4B Pencil

(Because I am online in short and random sessions, Comments are off.   One day/week/month I’ll be able to catch up on comments.   Thanks to all of you for your support – you’re the best!   Love, Lisa)

 

Timeout for Art – “Believe in Yourself”

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believe in yourself, painting watercolors of nature

“In order to succeed, we must first believe that we can.” Nikos Kazantzakis

Every so often Life presents tiny-yet-humbling gifts as if orchestrated strictly for my benefit. Sometimes it’s a mystical interaction with a bird – like when the pelican swam across the river, walked up the boulders where I was sitting – and gaped at me from about a meter away. Then it returned to the rio, swam back to the other side and joined its companions. Did they dare that pelican to interact with the human who fought to save their habitat?

A very long time ago in Louisiana, while making a farm-road detour around a fierce thunderstorm, I approached a rainbow not far from the malevolent clouds.  The left side of the rainbow grew closer and closer and almost touched the car.  Navigating an ‘S- curve’ very slowly, I noted that the rainbow came through the driver’s window – I was dumbfounded and full of bliss – driving slowly, trying to comprehend this rainbow in my lap while approaching another curve. As I turned slowly to the right, the other side of the rainbow came through the passenger window!  There I was with the left side of the rainbow in the driver’s window, and the right side streaming through the passenger side!

A very-subtle rainbow last month at Poza Honda Ecuador

Trying to comprehend this unexpected gift, I exclaimed to the rainbow, to the entire universe, “Thank you thank you thank you” and pondered that no one would ever believe me if I shared what happened! I still marvel and wonder about the science that allowed that ‘just-for-me gift.’  When I emerged from the curve to the straight road, the rainbow stayed behind. Next was the intense rain – and ten or so minutes later, I was home.  The magic was gone, but never forgotten.

Other gifts are not so dramatic, but they leave behind an imprint of gratitude. My neighbor Melissa, with her natural aptitude for drawing and painting, showed me some of her latest work. It speaks for itself – and for her:

“Lisa, Are You OK?”

Tags

Friendship, lluvia 2019 manabi, poza honda manabi ecuador, Timeout for Art

Neotropic Cormorants /Poza Honda/Ecuador

“The friend is the man who knows all about you, and still likes you.” ~Elbert Hubbard, The Notebook, 1927

Our friend Hugh Curtler wrote this week about Friendship, a post worth pondering.  Reading off line, I wrote a reply to send when on line (now) but circumstances  dictate responding via a just-received example of friendship.

In my unhurried off-line reply, I mentioned one dear friend who emails about twice a month.  She always asks, “Lisa, How are you?  How’s your back?   Do you need anything?   Are you OK?”

Dady inspecting the Squirrel Cuckoo watercolor at Museo Portoviejo

This past Tuesday I dropped a music CD at her house after visiting the nearby Portoviejo Museo.  Stocked with ‘survival’ groceries in case the heavy rains provoked more mud slides, I needed to get home before dark.

At sunset I photographed the reservoir, which lacked about a sneeze worth’s of water to send the excess over the spillway.

That night and last night we received more heavy rains.     The waters now reach the high-water level, and the surplus is surely generating enough electricity to illuminate the planet!

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Water hyacinths cascade over the spillway, and chocolate-colored water marks the beginning of Rio Portoviejo.  After taking photos, I drove to Ayacucho to make progress on neglected cyber tasks.

Waiting in the inbox was an email from my friend Dady.  The subject read “Lisa Are You OK?”

“Hmmm,” I thought, “she must know more about something than I!”

The Gift of Sight

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Common Tody Flycatcher, Ecuador Jan 2019, Manabi Province, Watercolors of birds

“After I’d drawn the grasses, I started seeing them. Whereas if you’d just photographed them, you wouldn’t be looking as intently as you do when you are drawing, so it wouldn’t affect you that much.” ― Martin Gayford, A Bigger Message: Conversations with David Hockney

Poza Honda/Manabi/Ecuador — Lluvia! Rain!   The statement, You’d better watch what you wish for, comes to mind when I share that almost daily – or nightly – the rains continue to fall!  Yesterday the nearby stream built enough confidence to roar – a comforting sound to one who lives slightly uphill from it!     A between-rains inspection revealed several fast-growing trees that had sloughed downhill, and a small part of the gravel road showed new erosion.  My camera chip and computer are not on speaking terms, so your imagination is required for the above scene! (Could the most-recent update have caused this new conflict?)

Birds are happy, trees and flowers are happy – and the aroma of the orange blossoms reminded me of a springtime aroma from Mississippi.  What – could – that- be? I wondered, and then grinned.  “Mock Orange.”   Of course that’s why it has that name!

Between rains, I usually take my art bag and spend time near the Common Tody Flycatchers’ nest.  Let’s go down to the water and see what’s happening!

 

Shhhh – artista at work!

Timeout for Art: A Child’s First Drawing Lesson

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a child's first drawing lesson, cosanga ecuador, pachamama birdwatching journey, teaching children to draw, Timeout for Art

The Texas Pachamama Christmas Fairies brought a huge assortment of art supplies. The airlines might have taxed them for extra weight!

“It was amazing what an hour with her sketchpad could do for her mood. She was sure that the lines she drew with her black marker were going to save her years of worry lines in the future.” ― Victoria Kahler, Their Friend Scarlet

Cosanga Ecuador – Napo Province – See Map

The Pachamama Birding Group also brought treats for the teacher… Really really really-nice treats!  Watercolor paper!  Brushes! Sharpie Markers – not used ones like at my drawing table, but brand-new ones with precise points!!!!  But that’s for another post.   Check below to see the view from the table where I took a 30-minute personal timeout for art:

The Pachamama Christmas Fairies delivered high-quality art materials 8 months early!!! Thank you Pachamamas!

… While the ladies were out birding, the two boys and I sat on the front porch for an impromptu art lesson.

Remember Jordan and Rudy?

Please join me as they experience a fresh pad of drawing paper while they discover the magic of a well-sharpened pencil.

Timeout for Art – Let’s Draw a Toucan!

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Drawing, How to draw a toucan, Timeout for Art, using a grid for drawing

OK, aspiring artists! Sharpen your pencils and get ready to draw!

Hold that pose!

“Drawing is rather like playing chess: your mind races ahead of the moves that you eventually make. “— David Hockney

While scrolling through the photos taken over the past week, I critiqued the series of toucan photos with a disciplined eye.   Four are shown below; “A” shows the personality of the toucan. “B, C and D” were similar with subtle differences, but one seemed stronger to me. Which is your favorite? If you were about to draw one of the four, which would you chose and why?

Which would you chose to draw?

Two of the eight or so photos were my favorites, and I toggled between the two to decide which one would be the best candidate for a painting.  The two photos are below:

Toucan B

Toucan C

“B” bird seemed relaxed in its environment.   It also seemed heavy on the right side, as if an invisible line was pulling the bird toward the ground.   “C” seemed to tap into its survival sense, and though I was almost hidden from the bird’s view, it seemed to sense a foreign presence. “D” pose amused me; like many humans who are suddenly aware of a photo about to be taken, this bird lifted its beak just a bit and displayed a classic profile. Most likely, it was definitely aware of a foreign presence, and it was preparing to take flight! For a painting, however, it looked too perfect, although I really liked the backwards “S” curve of its throat and neck.

Toucan D held a classic pose, but it seemed too perfect…

After appreciating the toucan’s body English, I tried – through a teacher’s eyes – to decide what made “C” more pleasing to my eye. It appeared more balanced.   My analytical skills automatically stripped the images into basic shapes and directions, and I realized that I should slow down, decipher my methods and share a few easy ways to stay on track when drawing.

Timeout for Art & Friendship

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Ecuador, mindo, property for sale ecuador, Rio Cinto Ecuador, Timeout for Art, timeout for ecuador

Guess who flew in LAST NIGHT to help Zeebra?

Seeing Cotopaxi blowing off steam was quite sobering. (Photo taken from airport.

Standing at the arrivals gate, I held a sign that said, “Hummingbird.”  – Many of you will know what this means! (The following photo was taken when she helped design the magic carpet;  we had just finished painting the hummingbird for her home.)

(I forget how much taller I am than she is until I see a photo like this!)

Yes, my dear friend Barbara flew in from Panama last night and will be helping with various tasks in Mindo.   I handed her a new pair of work gloves last night, and we’ll purchase the mandatory boots in Mindo!   It will be fun to see what creative projects we tackle while she is here; for those interested, here’s a link to my friends’ property: A Little Bird Told Me

Speaking of gates, the all-seeing eye that watches over Casa Loca did not do the best job while I was in Mindo. My friends on the farm were trying to make the ‘bridge’ easier to use, but the workers forgot to clean up when finished!

Timeout for Art – Beauty Everywhere

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Drawing foliage, Pencil drawing, Timeout for Art

Foliage – Pencil

“If you truly love Nature, you will find beauty everywhere.”
– Vincent Van Gogh

When given a sharp pencil, a blank piece of paper, and ten minutes or more of quiet time, I can usually find subject matter close at hand to occupy my attention.    I have learned to admire the simplest of plants.  A desiccated blade of grass can transform into an object of beauty via a finely-honed drawing.

The meandering philodendrom makes, for me, a fairly easy study.    The basic shape and details of the leaves are forgiving and can be lightly drawn without too much fuss.  The shading can be added later.  This drawing is an unfinished work, though I am hesitant to continue.

My critical eye goes to the two simple leaves in the middle of the drawing.  They seem to have a push-pull effect as if they’re not sure where they belong. Ten or so minutes of subtle shading will place them more firmly in the background.   But wait -overworking a picture often ruins it.

The decision belongs to all of you; should I continue shading and adding depth, or is it time to stop? Thanks in advance for your feedback!

Would any of you consider drawing a blade of grass or three?  I will try to do several studies of grass and will share those results next Thursday.

Sharpen that pencil and start drawing!  🙂  Z

13636 – Whoops, Timeout for Art – Simply Drawing

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drawing sea shells, PENCIL DRAWINGS, Timeout for Art

If many of you are suffering from cabin fever in below-freezing weather, why not pass some of your time with pencil and paper? Drawing can be very relaxing, if you can endure the first five or ten minutes of frustrations and keep working, you might be very pleased with your results.

Go ahead; pick one up and have fun!

While staying at my friends’ home, I gave a drawing lesson, and after a few warm-up exercises, we drew sea shells. I worked earlier in the day on a study to lllustrate the stages of the drawing. Sometimes a simple line drawing needs few details after the dark background is added.

TIMEOUT FOR ART: Capturing Memories

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farm equipment art, timeout for art capturing memories, union county mississippi museum, william faulkner quotes, wooden totem poles

Pencil – 1993 -Hen with chicks beneath forsythia…

The aim of every artist is to arrest motion, which is life, by artificial means and hold it fixed so that a hundred years later, when a stranger looks at it, it moves again since it is life. – William Faulkner

The above drawing hangs on a butterscotch-painted wall in my son’s kitchen. When I recently looked at it, memories of that long-ago 1993 pre-spring day came flooding back, and we were once again at No Mistake Plantation in Yazoo County. Charles had injured his ankle during a sports event, and we were sitting on the grounds of a daylily farm and soaking in the warm rays of sunshine. The hen ambled along with her chicks, fluffed out her feathers and settled into a comfortable pose not far from where we sat. The pencil drawing captured the moment much better than any camera, and the memories were branded with each stroke of the pencil.

New Albany (Mississippi) Heritage Museum

A few days ago I visited the Union County Heritage Museum in New Albany, Mississippi, and the back gardens provided an abundance of artsy material.  They will represent the first of many attempts to capture the essence of Mississippi!

Enjoy the walk through the gardens, and don’t forget to apply mosquito repellent!

Z

The Mystery of Eyes

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art by Lisa Brunetti, ecuador precolumbian artifacts, eye of horus, photo challenge dialogue, ways to protect a house, WordPress Photo Challenge Windows, Wordpress Weekly Photo Challenge

The third eye icon, often associated with the pineal gland and the sixth chakra, dates back to early Egyptian times.  Long ago, the amulets represented protection, power and good health, and the designs were sometimes painted on ships for protection at sea.

Prompted by a desire to find creative ways to deter the neighborhood thief, I mischievously painted an all-seeing eye on the gate to Casa Loca.   (An amulet from the treasures of King Tut served as the model.)

From New Zealand, Gallivanta shared an article that supports the theory that the All-Watching Eye helps to prevent theft. ( Bike thefts slashed by 50% at University after scientists install a picture of a pair of EYES above the cycle racks) ` I am hopeful that the giant eye on the gate will have the same effect on the shrimp farm.

While the monochromatic art transformed the gate, a second, more-serious design evolved in the studio.

When one focuses on a particular subject, more images seem to pop up in unexpected places.  While showing students my museum/archaeology sketchbook, I viewed this old sketch (below) with wonder. I never realized how this tiny detail resembles the Egyptian-Eye Icon:

From Quito’s Casa de la Cultura – Detail from Golden Mask –

From Quito’s Casa de la Cultura

Compare the pencil sketch to the eye of the coconut head (below) which was painted about ten years ago.

Timeout for Art: An Invasion of Ideas

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An artists's studio, Timeout for Art Invasion of Ideas, Understanding Artists

Hmmm, which task comes next?!

The problem isn’t coming up with ideas, it is how to contain the invasion. My ideas are like uninvited guests. They don’t knock on the door; they climb in through the windows like burglars who show up in the middle of the night and make a racket in the kitchen as they raid the fridge. I don’t sit and ponder which one I should deal with first. The one to be wrestled to the floor before all others is the one coming at me with the most vehemence. Werner Herzog: A Guide for the Perplexed — from Brain Pickings

Sundays at Casa Loca are deliciously serene.  The workers on the shrimp farms go to town or to the beach or family gatherings on their day of rest, and the pumping stations (supplying fresh water to the shrimp ponds) stay mute.   Aside from a random car or motorcycle passing on the road, the riverside’s background music comes from the whisperings of birds.

“Yikes! I’m growing feathers!”

The internet signal often works well enough to open emails in the early-morning hours, and most web pages show the text but drop the images.   Comments and emails that I write are often missing in action when I check later to see if they reached their destinations.   Brain Pickings, a once-a-week tonic written by Maria Popova,  arrives on the Day of Rest and delivers an insightful and comforting assortment of reading material that rivals the Sunday edition of one’s favorite newspaper.  Not seeing a Sunday newspaper for a fortnight of years, I look forward to the visual and intellectual tonic that Brain Pickings delivers to my remote location.

(Do I get a prize for breaking two hammers?) Some of the hardwoods are like concrete!

The above quote struck a strong chord as I peered into Herzog’s psyche.  He summarized and eloquently nailed how many artists approach their work.  It’s often difficult to explain the creative process to others.   There are times when one of my paintings is going really well, and after a break, I detour in a totally different direction with a new project!  I often create several small paintings while working on a more-challenging one.

Those small exercises in spontaneity are like little appetizers that sustain me and provide a little kick of energy to resume the larger work.   “The one to be wrestled to the floor before all others is the one coming at me with the most vehemence.”

TIMEOUT FOR ART: Starting Small

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La Division Ecuador, learning to draw and watercolor, timeout for art start small

In the distance, beyond that middle power line pole, is the little beach community of La Division…

“I’ll start with small things.”—Vincent van Gogh

Jama, Manabi, Ecuador 

Looking out the window and over the river and across the shrimp ponds, I often gaze toward the little pueblito of La Division. About a half hour’s walk from the riverhouse, La Division retains a refreshing authenticity that many coastal communities have lost.

View from the dining and art class area

With that authenticity comes the ‘manana’ attitude, and the 2 o’clock classes usually don’t begin until 3. Paying customers trump art class, and sometimes Nely prepares lunches, insists on serving me the family special, then scrubs her kitchen squeaky clean before switching to student mode. On sunny days I usually order a cold cervesa and sit back and absorb the tranquil vibe and practice the Ecuadorian lifestyle!

Timeout for Art – Barter Is A Noble Thing

Nelly and Margarita(right) and Rossi (left) study leaves on their second day of drawing lessons.

“If I had my life to live over again, I would elect to be a trader of goods rather than a student of science. I think barter is a noble thing.” – Albert Einstein

Last Wednesday and Thursday I walked to nearby La Division to give drawing lessons.   When asked what I would charge, I said, “One dollar per class, but you don’t have to pay with a dollar.  You can pay with eggs or plantains or lemons or yucca, etc.” Many people do not appreciate something that’s free – they don’t show up or they talk during the class, and there had to be some sort of exchange.   I supplied the pencils and drawing pads, and they could pay me however they’d like and whenever they’d like.

On the first day, I pointed out that a pencil and paper cost very little money, and the pencil could be a good friend to them. They could pull out the pencil and practice while waiting on the bus or an appointment.  They only needed the discipline to practice and they would improve each day.  If they wanted to paint well, they should first master drawing and shading.

TIMEOUT FOR ART: Be Still, Seek and Find

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ceibo trees, Pencil drawing, Timeout for Art

Pencil (Continued from earlier post)

All that you need is deep within you waiting to unfold and reveal itself. All you have to do is be still and take time to seek for what is within and you will surely find it. ~Eileen Caddy

I am writing from La Division, where I hoped to get away from smoke that’s been wafting ‘downwind’ from some sort of burn pile. The smoke seems to have followed me here! I was also hoping for a stronger internet signal. I was not planning to have many distractions, but they are here as the old battery runs down while the upload functions and pages fail to load!

Perdon for this hurried post!  The quote is quite ironic for a day when I was unable to be still in order to publish this post!    Two of four images loaded, and I am going to call that ‘a good day.’  The battery is now at critical —- some days it’s best to stay home and draw!

Z

Timeout for Art: Pencil Practice!

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drawing trees, PENCIL DRAWINGS, things to do when bored, Timeout for Art

Go ahead; pick up a pencil and have fun!

“To practice any art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow. So do it.” Kurt Vonnegut

The ritual of sharpening pencils preps me with anticipation for drawing. Those of you who feel as if the talent fairy passed over you – stop long enough to sharpen a pencil and practice for half an hour per week, and most likely you will spend much more time in communication with your pencil and paper!  An extra benefit is blocking out distractions and getting in touch with your true self!

Shading the background made the bamboo come forward (Lapiz – Pencil Punta- Point

Choose a forgiving subject and sketch the main areas, make very light notations for dark and medium shading, and be very careful around those light areas! Let the bare paper represent the lightest lights. For those of you who are celebrating holidays, try sketching an ear of corn or a wad of firecrackers, then shade the negative space that surrounds them! (Are firecrackers still allowed in the USA?)

The absence of erasers (while drawing) disciplines me to be careful and to think ahead, and the drawing stays fresh. I also use a second sheet of paper to cover my work. If there’s no available sheet around, I’ll use a paper napkin or a thin board – anything to avoid smudges!   Students often spend as much time erasing as they do drawing; learning to sketch without the crutch of an eraser will reward you with drawings that are not overworked.

Someone requested a pencil drawing of a ceibo tree, so i’m having fun with a series of small drawings!

Pencil drawing allows you to stop at any time and resume later. Little by little, the sketch evolves into a stronger work of art. Trees are my favorite subject to sketch, and after working from life, I can complete the drawing days or weeks or months or even years later! Many times my preliminary sketch is filled with notations so that I remember where the lights, darks and middle values are located.

TIMEOUT FOR ART – Vivid Imagination

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capturing personalities in trees, hurried sketches, Pencil drawings of trees, Timeout for Art - Vivid Imagination

(See the model for this character in the next photo!)

Many savage nations worship trees, and I really think my first feeling would be one of delight and interest rather than of surprise, if some day when I am alone in the woods one of the trees were to speak to me. (John Lubbock)
When traveling through Ecuador’s Manabi Province by bus, I sometimes make lightning-fast sketches of the unique ceibo trees. With only a few seconds to observe and capture the essence of individual trees, I scribble details and thoughts until the next sketch-worthy tree captures my attention.

Some of those trees seem to be waltzing across the landscape, and others wear scowls or humorous expressions. I’ve noted trees with amputated limbs or with bellies hacked open (for honey?) while others are burned or felled for farmland. Peer over my shoulder to see a few typical pages of hurried sketches of these areas.

Timeout for Art – Periods of Incubation

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Immersion in Nature, Mindo Cloud Forest, natalie merchant where i go, relaxing with nature, Timeout for Art - Periods of Incubation

Across Rio Cinto – An entrance to one’s imagination!

Wherever I go I need a period of incubation so that I may learn the essence of nature, which never wishes to be understood or yield herself. -Paul Gauguin

(Ecuador) Immersed in Mindo’s cloud forest, I spent more time watching and absorbing the beauty of the area than taking timeouts for art this past week.   Several ‘exercises’ of art were photographed, and a few slipped by (like a weird armadillo rock!) without a photo!  The attempts at serious painting seemed stiff, so I tweaked my attention to the abundance of beauty of the area.

Lunch in the cloud forest comes with lovely feathered surprises!

While we waited on landslides to be cleared, Julie and I enjoyed a leisurely walk along the road that parallels Rio Cinto.

How’s this for an entrance? Rio Cinto/Ecuador

We’ll skip the swing today and will stay close to the road!

Rio Cinto – near Mindo Ecuador

A leisurely walk allows us to discover hidden jewels.

With no particular destination in mind, we ambled down the deserted road and wondered how many landslides were between us and town!

The stroll rewarded us with an endless bounty of beauty!

Timeout for Art: Listen to Yourself!

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letting go, painting concept from start to finish, struggling with a painting, Timeout for Art Listen to Yourself

Hi from Mindo Proper (Ecuador)

We cleared one small problem while waiting on the road grader to clear beyond their home.

Julie and I have made a fast trip to Mindo while the mountain road is open, though the road graders have cleared dozens of mud slides, and many of them were HUGE.  The roads between their home and town are sloppy and un-passable unless one is in a four-wheel drive.  We are in town to buy supplies and return while there is still light.   It’s been raining since noon, and I predict more mudslides.  The roads are ugly, and I am amazed that some of the large landslides have been cleared!

With a 30-hour power outage, some of the items in the refrigerator/freezer were questionable, and we were out of staples like garlic, onions, spinach, eggs etc.  The kitchens will be well stocked when we return! (Their car had been in the shop for two months, and they had just retrieved it (and me) from Quito and returned Saturday evening.)

 

And then the rains came pouring down.

And down.

And down.

Most of the timeout for Art was written last week, so now here’s the rest of the post!

Z

June 2012 – Post Painting Competition at El Matal Ecuador, when trees and boat shelters lined El Matal’s ample beach.

“Someone else’s vision will never be as good as your own vision of your self. Live and die with it ’cause in the end it’s all you have. Lose it and you lose yourself and everything else. I should have listened to myself.”
― Georgia O’Keeffe

While I photographed the young artists at work, these skulls caught my attention in 2012. They patiently awaited in incubation…

Thanks for your feedback on the ‘Zebra-Energy’ (ZENnergy) painting! I treasured every comment and critique! While answering the comments, I realized that you’ve all earned a more in-depth explanation of the creative process of this particular painting.

The inspiration has been tap tap tapping at my senses for years at nearby Playa El Matal, where the beach is quickly vanishing. The skulls first tweaked my attention from the young artist who was painting a nearby post, and a year later I photographed them again. I worked out a concept on paper while having lunch in town.

The skulls caught my attention again in July 2013, and I tossed around ideas on paper while waiting on lunch.

Another nine or so months passed, and I sometimes glanced at the sketches and thought, “I really need to bring you to life!”

Timeout for Art: Blocks

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Drawing, magic carpet, Painting, Timeout for Art Blocks

A simple line drawing, photographed (gray) and converted to black and gray.

“When I can’t paint, I can draw, and this simple but very powerful tool gets me back to the very door of creativity.”  (Pat Corbin Henson)

Sometimes when I find myself going ’round in circles, I look through my archives and play with the designs waiting in limbo.   Rolling this drawing into a ‘bronze’ application on Irfanview provided a much-richer work of art with zero effort!

After tossing around options on the computer, I am usually eager to return to my pencil, which in turn preps me to return to my paints!

Timeout for Art: Reminders

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art by Lisa Brunetti, frog paintings, Timeout for Art, watercolor, zebra frog paintings

“Keep a bad drawing until by study you have found out why it is bad.”  (Robert Henri)

A watercolor instructor (Tony couch) once stated, “You should frame your worst mistakes and put them where you see them often.  They will remind you to NEVER  do that again.”

This week I’ve resorted to using a flimsy paper that was the best I could find almost a month ago in a basic art supply store almost two hours away.  Fair for pencil, it does not serve well as watercolor paper.   People have often stated that I’m a bit too hard headed at times, and after drawing the PEEPERS  in pencil, I wanted to take it a step more with color.  I KNEW that the paper was going to be difficult to use, but…..

Timeout for Art: Power

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art by Lisa Brunetti, butterflies in art, paintings of butterflies, studying nature, Timeout for Art, watercolor

“Let whoever may have attained to so much as to have the power of drawing know that he holds a great treasure.”  (Michelangelo)

When I block out all distractions and stay focused on my subject, drawing is like breathing – or like taking a refreshing nap!  After half an hour of drawing, I often trade my pencil for a paintbrush.  I quickly wean into a never-never land, and time seems suspended until something pulls me back into the present.  At times I am painting, and at times I am drawing with my paintbrush.

Timeout for Art: Creative, Happy and Well!

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having fun with art, keeping the brain healthy, relieving stress, Timeout for Art

“I Found It at Playamart!”

An article in Scientific America’s Scientific Mind  prompted a huge smile!    “… creative thinking reduces stress and keeps the brain healthy…” (Creativity Predicts a Longer Life)  This made me think of the many items that come from Playamart!

Timeout for Art: STILL WATER

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I can do this painting sessions, Lisa Brunetti art, Painting sessions, the calming effect of art, timjeout for art: Community

I Can Do This – Opening Reception/The Mola Series -Museo Cancebi – Manta, Ecuador 2012

We can make our minds so like still water that beings gather around us, that they may see their own images, and so live for a moment with a clearer perhaps even a fiercer life because of our quiet.  (William Butler Yeats)

Instead of babbling about art tonight, I’d like for everyone to gather ’round and absorb a bit of the serenity that often floats through the I Can Do This sessions.  Peer over our shoulders and experience the essence of calm!

Timeout for Art – Selective Editing

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bamboo drawings, Drawing from Nature, Lisa Brunetti art, Pencil drawing, Timeout for Art

I devour nature ceaselessly. I exaggerate, sometimes I make changes in the subject; but still I don’t invent the whole picture. On the contrary, I find it already there. It’s a question of picking out what one wants from nature.  -Vincent van Gogh

Working from nature marks our drawings and paintings with an original freshness; instead of drawing the forest or the tree, draw a leaf;  admire the details in a cluster of bamboo or the delicate tendrils of a vine.    Instead of drawing the entire scene, focus on a small area and edit the parts that seem too cluttered or too boring…

Don’t get discouraged; YOU CAN DO THIS!

Z

Timeout for Art: In Tune

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Pen, PENCIL DRAWINGS, Sand Dollars, Timeout for Art:In Tune

“Drawing is one of the best ways to meditate, while staying connected to the world around us.”  (Elsha Leventis)

After 48-hours of travel, I was happy to reach my friends’ home, sleep until 9 (!) and awaken to enjoy an unhurried visit with them.  As we walked part of their property, several woodland scenes held my attention; these trees would make great subjects for pencil studies!

A plan incubated!

Timeout for Art: Discipline & Patience

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Art Quotes, Discipline and drawing, Pastels by Mary Gentle Compassion, Patience and drawing, Patience Quotes, timeout for Art: Discipline and Patience, Timeout for Art: YOU CAN DO THIS

Detail: Gentle Compassion – http://oilpastelsbymary.com/

I felt my energy revive, and said to myself, In spite of everything I shall rise again: I will take up my pencil, which I have forsaken in my great discouragement, and I will go on with my drawing. From that moment everything has seemed transformed for me. (Vincent Van Gogh to Theo)

The TIMEOUT FOR ART posts started in May, and Mary of Pastels by Mary climbed aboard and pledged to devote thirty minutes to drawing each week.  (See Thursdays will be for Drawings)  Here’s what she said back in May, “…Oh boy – I’m not sure what I got myself into, but I’ve joined in with Z of Playamart to draw for 30 minutes each Thursday.  I haven’t been drawing lately and decided it’s a good way to polish my drawing skills and discipline myself to pay attention and concentrate on my subjects – drawing always had a way of doing that for me. …”

What impressed me with Mary’s weekly Timeout for Art posts was that she disciplined herself to STOP after half an hour of drawing, and she set aside the work until the next week.

Having the discipline to stop a work of art when it’s going well is like taking one bite of pizza and saying, ‘That’s enough!’  Having the discipline to resume a week later is like getting motivated to run after eating an entire pizza!

Week after week, Mary devoted half an hour (or slightly more) on her pencil study of a retired racehorse named Pacific Reach.   During Week 8, Mary shared the sad news that Pacific Reach had died.   How sobering is that?  See: Gentle Compassion #7.

The following images show the evolution of Mary’s drawing, “Gentle Compassion.”

Timeout for Art: TEACHERS

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birthday posters, cumpleanos feliz, teachers and students, teamwork, Timeout for Art

Completely absorbed, Sonia stepped into the world of art!

“Teachers open the door, but you must enter by yourself.’  (Chinese Proverb)

Nellie switched from pencil to knife!

This afternoon while visiting neighbors at La Division, I volunteered to finish an abandoned Happy Birthday poster that waited for Nely’s attention.  (Nely’s hands were busy with kitchen duty for the beach crowd.)  Sonia, who had just arrived from a 5-hour drive from Quito, volunteered to help with the poster.

Timeout for Art: A Species of Writing

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art therapy, Museo Portoviejo, Pencil drawing, transferring tension to art

Student Exercise Sheets – (10 samples)

“Drawing is the artist’s most direct and spontaneous expression, a species of writing;  it reveals, better than does painting, his true personality.”  (Edgar Degas)

This time last year (July 2012) many students toured the Mola Series exhibit at the Portoviejo (Manabi/Ecuador) Museum. The director of the museum said that a group of girls would be visiting the museum and asked if they could tour the exhibit. She said that the girls had ‘problemas.’   Some came from abusive homes, one was pregnant, and they all deserved some positive experiences. I suggested that we buy pencils and paper and give them a quick drawing class!

Timeout for Art: DRAWING

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Art Projects, Iguana painted on a wall, jama ecuador, Luchy Cevallos Sabando, Palo Santo Cafe, Timeout for Art: Drawing

“Good drawing forms the ‘bones’ on which a strong painting hangs.”  (Chris Bingle)

Jama Ecuador – Last week I sketched this cow skull then did a test to see how it would look with zebra stripes.  What do you think?  Would it make a fun painting, or should I consider this an exercise and move on to another subject – like bright colorful coffee cherries?

Palo Santo Cybercafe

Today I spent time at Palo Santo Cybercafe, which is more cafe than an internet service.  Opening around 7:30 most evenings, Palo Santo has a brisk business and an easy vibe.

Luchy whips up many fruit drinks as well as cafe specialties!

Luchy and I had discussed doing a joint painting project in his “VIP” room, and today we began that task.

Luchy’s drawing and painting skills are excellent, so I was amused that he chose to watch instead of paint!  He wanted a backdrop for photo moments, and since the word “Jama” means “iguana,” he visualized a large iguana draped across a limb a little higher than shoulder level. We discussed several ideas, and then he watched as I mixed paints and began to ‘draw’ with the paint.

“Aren’t you going to use a pencil first?” he asked cautiously.

“No,” I smiled, “it’s not necessary… there’s no need for pencil…”

Timeout for Art: Bones

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Group Painting Projects, I can do this painting projects, Lisa Brunetti, Signs for Hostals B&Bs, Timeout for Art: Bones, Where to stay in Mindo Ecuador

Using $1.00 film-canister sized containers of acrylics and very cheap paper, I painted these one afternoon while at Hostal Charito in Mindo Ecuador. The bones of the studies had been drawn the night before, so filling in the color was a joy.

“Drawing is the backbone.  It is no good having a lovely sense of light and color if there isn’t the firm foundation underneath.”  (Alexander Creswell)

Iliana and Hostal Charito

This past week found me in the cloud-forest community of Mindo Ecuador. The hostal where I normally stay was closed, and someone pointed me down the street to a flower-draped hostal beyond “Hostal Charito.” The owner of Hostal Charito and I shared eye contact, and there was something in her posture or her eyes that nudged me to her door.

Timeout for Art: Happy in Nature

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Lisa Brunetti, Painting birds, Painting butterflies, Rufous naped wrens, Timeout for Art: Nature

“The aspect of Nature is devout.  Like the figure of Jesus, she stands with bended head, and hands folded.  The happiest man is he who learns from nature the lesson of worship.”  (Emerson)

“…and not, when it came my time to die, find I had not lived…” Thoreau

Pencil 24″ x 36″

Today’s Timeout for Art addresses nature, and my artist’s statement from a show in the year 2000 stated, “I am at my best when alone with nature.”

Timeout for Art: Both Sides Of The Line

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Drawing Negative Space, Learning how to see, PENCIL DRAWINGS, Timeout for Art

“Draw on both sides of the line, not just what you’re enclosing.  The shape you’re making on the outside is as important as the one you’re making on the inside.”  (Leon Polk Smith)

From Quito Ecuador –

Tonight I’m taking a timeout from art for a timeout for art!  A full day of painting leaves me tired, yet when I switch to pencil, I quickly float away in a meditative trance!  It’s as if I am asleep with my eyes wide open!  I could draw all night!

Rough sketch of center area

This pencil study is in Alastair’s behalf;  last month he tackled a complex design, which challenged me to break part of it down in an analytical method.

Timeout for Art – When Inspiration Strikes

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painting by lisa brunetti, painting of cat and flowers, painting on walls, Restaurant Exclusivo Jama Ecuador, Timeout for Art, where to eat in jama ecuador

Timeout for drawing… Inspired by a photo…

The past ten days have filled my life with power outages, a broken water line, private tours,  a painting competition, watercolor lessons by candlelight, a dress-rehearsal parade, and the challenge of transforming a restaurant dining area.  I’ve sharpened my pencils countless times, though I have had little time online.

While waiting on lunch, I added more background to bring the snowy egret into focus.

Precision requires a sharp point!  One more session will complete the above drawing.   Instead of finishing the egret drawing yesterday, I focused on the cat for part of the restaurant’s new ‘artsy’ look!

Enjoy the evolution of a fun impromptu painting that was prompted by the suggestion, ‘What about a window with a cat – painted in the same style of the tables? Simple lines and basic colors.”

I veered a little off course!