Timeout for Art: Bringing a Quotation to Life

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drawing trees, March Skies Denmark Video by ADPhotography, Quotes by John Muir, Timeout for Art: Bringing a Quotation to Life

“Abuelito Ceibo” The Grandfather Tree Still Stands – One block from the center of Jama Ecuador

“Any fool can destroy trees. They cannot run away; and if they could, they would still be destroyed — chased and hunted down as long as fun or a dollar could be got out of their bark hides, branching horns, or magnificent bole backbones. .” — John Muir

Thank you for your positive feedback on the post, In Celebration of Trees!   The tree theme continues with a rollback to last March when my friend Barbara helped with improving the trails. We selected many nature-related quotes then had fun painting signs on rainy days.

Here are photos from last year’s signs:

Shhhhh! Don’t wake the duendes!  To learn more about duendes, go here:  Frigates of Isla Corazon

For the Trails! (Acrylic on old board – words are below)

“Hummingbird teaches us to transcend time, to recognize that what has happened in the past and what might happen in the future is not nearly as important as what we are experiencing now. It teaches us to hover in the moment, to appreciate its sweetness.” – Constance Barrett Sohodski

Barbara/aka Hummingbird not only helped with painting signs; she also helped transform some of the trails.

We pulled grass and pulled grass and pulled grass…

But the efforts were rewarding!

Painted by Barbara!

2-Cans

Before selecting a board for the John Muir quote, I tossed around ideas for illustrating the message then decided that a board was too small.  It deserved to be a more-serious work of art.

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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.