Inspired by Emerson

O birds, your perfect virtues bring,

Your song, your forms, your rhythmic flight,

Your manners for your heart’s delight,

Nestle in hedge, or barn, or roof,

Here weave your chamber weather-proof,

Forgive our harms, and condescend

To men, as to a lubber friend,

And, generous, teach his awkward race

Courage, and probity, and grace!

(Text from Ralph Waldo Emerson's "May Day")

Just a quick note...I had to look a few of these words up, so in case you also wondered, a lubber = a clumsy person and probity = integrity or uprightness.  Am I the only one who didn't know those words?

I'm happy today to share with Sunday Sketches!

Something Higher

Gian Lorenzo Bernini, the Italian artist and architect credited with developing the Baroque style of sculpture was the real deal.  His dynamic, highly expressive figures revolutionized seventeenth century sculpture and continue to grace the streets and churches of Italy centuries later.

A friend and I made a day trip this week to view a collection of terracotta sculptures by Bernini and his apprentices.  These small works are like "sketches" in clay, used to work out the design of some of the most spectacular sculptures in Rome.  They were exquisite.

What an incredible opportunity to study these pieces up close.  I was particularly interested to learn how historians identify which pieces were actually sculpted by the master and which ones were made by his assistants.  Bernini's works bear identifiable fingerprints and stylized elements specific to his way of handling the clay...marks that tell the story of how the artist's ideas began to come to life so many centuries ago.

What an honor it is for us to follow the creative path.  The skill and dedication of the masters can inspire even the most novice among us to develop our own gifts...to reach for something higher, something greater.  It's what we were born to do.

Linking up today with:

Paint Party Friday

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Quotes, Tags, and Creative Every Day

Happy Monday, my creative friends!  I have a great quote to share with you this morning:

Have you read The War of Art by Steven Pressfield?  If you have that little voice in your head that repeatedly undermines your confidence or if you have trouble staying committed to your art I beg you to get your hands on this book as soon as possible!  Let me warn you, though, Pressfield doesn't cut you any slack.  He is serious about the discipline of art.  

Everywhere I turn lately the message is loud and clear: You have to do the work.  This book challenges and equips you to stay the course and make real progress toward your creative goals.  It truly is a gem.

I also want to share the tag I created for an Easter Tag Swap organized by Kirstin McCulloch of Lillibean Designs.  If you haven't visited her blog, I hope you will do so by following the links here.  Kirstin creates the greatest images of beautiful, brave girls and always has a great story to share about them.  Her latest collage/painting of the Princess and the Pea is just fabulous.

The tag I created for the swap features one of my favorite Rilke quotes (Just about any quote of Rilke's is one of my favorites.) and some sketches of spring blooms.  I sent it off to Liza Thomas in Australia just a few days ago.  I hope she likes it!

I am also excited to share with you the tag I received in the swap.  This beautiful bunny was created by Chel Marie of Chel Marie's Creative Corner.  Stop by her blog and be inspired by her beautiful artwork.  

Meeting new online friends is one of the really fun aspects of participating in swaps.  I have had a wonderful time perusing Chel's posts and reading a bit about her artistic journey.  

And speaking of online friends, I am happy, as always, to link to Creative Every Day today!  Leah Piken Kolidas does an amazing job of keeping us all organized and giving us the opportunity to connect with other creatives every week.  Won't you join us?  All are welcome!

Line in the Sand

This week I drew a line in the sand.  I'm not going to let watercolor scare me anymore.  It's intimidated me for far too long!  As part of my fear of watercolor recovery program, I've decided to... 

trust that less is more.

try to communicate with fewer lines.

respect the white space and not obliterate it.

keep the lines loose, organic.  (Holding my pen very loosely really helps with this.)

 

and make bold marks (but not too many).

.

I'm actually feeling rather brave these days as my sketches move in a direction I truly enjoy.  It is so worth the commitment to sketch every day (or almost every day).  Drawing that line in the sand definitely set something into motion.

Are you taking a few chances, gaining momentum in an area of your life/art?  I'd love to hear about it!

Linking up today with:

Sunday Sketches

Not So Desperately Seeking Balance

There are just too many good things to do this time of year...I feel inspired to create, to garden, to do a little spring cleaning, to get in better shape.  There's never enough time, but most of the important things get done...sort-of.

Remember the list of intentions I posted on my studio wall a few months ago?  There's one phrase in there that always trips me up:

Is balance really a realistic goal?  Sometimes I think not...especially for creatives.  We tend to hyper-focus, to disappear into "the zone" only to emerge hours, days, or even weeks later exhausted and full to the brim.  If we are very blessed, the people in our lives understand our need to go to that place where beauty and truth beg to be expressed.  Sometimes they don't understand but love us despite our flightiness and unpredictability.  If you're someone who does this for me (and you know who you are) I thank you from the bottom of my ever-lovin' little heart.

I'm still trying to keep up with Sketching My World for March although I am woefully behind.  These next few sketches are from last week's spring break.  We spent some time in Dallas, where the concrete and architecture stand in stark contrast to my everyday woodsy surroundings.  The patio homes where we stayed offered plenty of interesting angles and textures to try to work out on paper.  

Some of the angles are a little catawampus...makes me think I should try my hand at cubism. (Or possibly invent my own artistic genre, catawampism???)

Today for my Paint Party Friday friends I'm sharing an intuitive painting in progress.  This one is starting to take shape.  I can't wait to get back to it!

I hope you have lots of creative fun or maybe some needed rest in store for you this weekend.   I look forward to a little of both!  Whatever you have planned, enjoy!

Linking up today with:

Paint Party Friday

Listening to the Marks

We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.

Thornton Wilder

Yay for spring break!  The weather has been gorgeous...I mean absolutely gorgeous this week!    Keeping up with with Sketching My World has been a bit of a challenge since spring break = extra mom duties, but I do have a few things to show you.

Monday's sketch is of weeds wildflowers in a pretty blue jar.  I have to confess I find it hard to resist adding a little watercolor here and there (and everywhere) so my sketches keep turning into paintings.

Tuesday morning's blueberries lasted just long enough to be immortalized on paper then they were history.

On Thursday (Did you notice I skipped Wednesday?)  I sketched a montage of spring flowers, once again crossing the line between sketching and painting. 

With watercolor less is definitely more, which fights against my propensity to splash paint everywhere.  Too much paint and poof... your beautiful white space is gone forever.  It is not for the faint of heart.  Watercolor artists are my heroes as they know just when to stop and let it be.  

I believe art mirrors life.  Our art wants to inform us and give us direction.  I find myself wondering, "What does my way of creating art say about me?  Why do I find it so hard not to add more marks, more paint when I so love the peace and vibrancy of white space?"  

I crave simplicity in my daily life.  For the past many months I have been in reduction mode... clearing away the unnecessary, enjoying the openness of empty space.  I want to learn what I truly need and let that be enough.  Sometimes I desire these things in my art as well and this begs the question:

If art mirrors life, does life, in turn, mirror art?

If I follow a desire to work with less color, fewer lines, fewer supplies, will a peaceful, vibrant simplicity spill out into my every day?  If I listen carefully will I hear my heart whispering through the marks as I make them on the page? 

And, while we're on the subject, I can't help but wonder...What is your art saying to you?  Do the marks you make whisper of your heart's true desire, your calling, the next step on your path?  It might be worth a listen.

Linking up today with 

Paint Party Friday 

***It's a special day at Paint Party Friday today as Eva and Kristin have arranged an Auction Blog Hop to benefit Sandy Hook Elementary School.  Be sure to check out the lovely artwork up for auction as well as the usual links to some amazing art blogs.  It's a great way to get your weekend off to an inspired start!***

Details

I have found much joy in my commitment to daily drawing practice this month.  It really helps me appreciate the details of things I usually take for granted - sort-of like looking at everything through a macro lens. 

On Friday I was inspired to draw butterflies.  As there aren't a lot of them flitting about this time of year I drew from a book of vintage illustrations.

Because these sketches are based on illustrations they have a very different quality from sketches directly from life or even from photographs.  They seem almost like cartoons to me but they were fun to draw none-the-less.

To be honest, I've never tried drawing butterflies from life but I'd like to try.  It would be an interesting exercise since they are in constant motion.  While sketching I thought about how illusive butterflies can be...as illusive as peace and contentment are when we chase after them instead of just accepting their presence as a gift.  I jotted a few thoughts down to ponder later.

Many things we chase in life are like butterflies...always just beyond our reach.

Yesterday I walked through our woods and found some interesting dried blooms and seed pods that I thought would be fun to sketch. 

I do love the way the dried leaves of old rose blooms twist and curl.  It's quite stunning.

All of the pods I found are empty now, their seed scattered on the breeze.

This lumpy bumpy pod was my favorite.  It has this wonderful blobby hole in the side where it appears the seeds made their escape.  It looks like they burst out as if shot from a teeny little cannon. 

Just for fun yesterday I also put together a Pinterest board full of beautiful images of seed pods.  If you're a Pinterest fan as I am, you might like to check it out here.  And, just so you know... you're always feel free to pin from this blog :-)

Finally, early this morning I sketched the bird's nest I found the other day.

I hesitated to start this one as I didn't really know how to handle all that detail.  I finally decided just to go for it.  Following the lines of the twigs and fibers was very meditative. 

Drawing the nest had the same affect on me that creating mandalas does.  I felt very peaceful and centered as I added the final strokes with my pencil.  It reminded me of a day last November when I created a mandala with daisies and birds as I prayed for my sister.  I still love looking at that one.

Why not take time to study the lovely details of a few familiar objects in your life today?  Maybe you could take a few moments to sketch something out or capture an image with your camera.  You might even like to write a little bit about it.  Notice the details...Honor the beauty...Enjoy your beautiful life.

Linking today with:

Sunday Sketches

***Thank you all soooo much for your comments and encouragement.  I'm a little behind on answering  (Last week was a doozie!) but this coming week looks to be much more manageable.  Time to play catch-up!***

Old and New

No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn.

Hal Borland

Already I'm a bit behind in my March project, Sketching My World, but I've decided to let myself off the hook.  Five out seven days is a pretty good start.

I did manage to drag my silly self back to the park (the one I wrote about on Monday ) to walk and work in my journal this morning.  I really should have checked the thermostat before leaving the house.  It would have been nice to have gloves on as I tried to sketch in 45 degree weather!  Good grief.  I guess I was just in such a hurry to get out the door I didn't realize how cool it was.  As you might remember from Saturday's post, I'm a wimp when it comes to sketching in cool weather.

This time of year the woods is an interesting mix of dried and withered fall foliage and fresh green spring buds and shoots.  The juxtaposition of old and new seemed a nice theme for a journal page...

I sketched it all out in pencil but forgot to take a photo at that point.   At home I added pen and watercolor which, of course, gives the page a completely different look.  I had so much fun doodling in more lines and splashing paint around that it became more of a painting than a sketch.  Next time I'll try to remember to take my small watercolor set with me.

The words on the page are just some random thoughts I had about the seasons and the way they help give my life rhythm and flow.  I also wrote about my gratitude for the message of hope contained in each budding plant and sprouting seed.  

No matter how long and hard the winter, it is always followed by spring, the season of new life and new beginnings.  It's one of the few things we can count on no matter what!

Sketching My World Day 4

Us sing and dance, make faces and give flower bouquets, trying to be loved.  

You ever notice that trees do everything to git attention we do, except walk?

Alice Walker, the Color Purple, 1982

There is a gorgeous stand of pines in a park near our town.  This morning I walked the trails there, camera and sketchbook in hand.

The pines are very tall and sometimes they sway wildly in the breeze.  Often the branches creak and pop as the wind blows through them and I imagine entire trees are about to blow right over and smash me flat.  I am oh so brave as I walk defiantly through this dancing cathedral of leaves and limbs.

Today was a linger in the park kind of day...a take time to breathe and appreciate the beauty kind of day.  I stopped and took notes about the swaying creaking pines and made a few sketches in my journal.

I sketched part of a dead tree so I could study the forms of the branches without the leaves being in the way,

and experimented a bit with layers and textures.

This Sketching My World project really helps me remember to look closely at everything around me.  Today I noticed that pine branches extend almost horizontally from the trunk except at the top of the tree, where they reach upward.  I looked for patterns in the bark even though I'm relatively sure I'll never find one. 

What about you?  Do you sketch daily?  How does making that kind of commitment help yo move your art forward?

Intuitive Painting Progress and Sketching My World Day 3

Finally, finally I feel like I've had a breakthrough in my intuitive painting adventure.  Up until now I've only come up with pieces of paintings I felt were starting to work but not one entire painting came together until today.  I was doing my usual mark making, turning the canvas a lot and stepping back to see what might surface when I saw a really great bird bending over to get a drink right there in the marks on my canvas.  I tried not to show too much excitement...didn't want to scare him away!

I started coaxing him out onto the canvas as I painted some blue sky around his pudgy little body.  I just have to show you what it looked like at first, which is crazy funny to me.  My husband was confused as to why I was so excited to find a big yellow sausage in the imagery of my painting.

I took a break after a bit and sketched some bird gestures.  (It seemed the only logical thing to do.)  Here they are...I'll count them as today's Sketching My World sketches.

By the way, that's what I've decided to call my project for the month of March.   I will post sketches each day of the things I see and experience and call it Sketching My World.  Birds abound in our woods, so I really need to hone my ability to sketch them. 

As I went back to the canvas I re-sketched the bird a bit and added concentric circles where his beak dips into the water.  Eventually here's what emerged on the canvas.  I still have work to do but I love the direction it's going!

Sometimes when I watch songbirds drinking from our birdbath I am struck by how vulnerable they are in that position...their gaze turned downward, absorbed in the task at hand.  I always worry that the cat will sneak up and nab one of them.  (Thankfully I have never actually seen this happen but it certainly could.)

The idea of the bird being so vulnerable yet so free brought some words to mind so I scratched them into the paint:

He watches over me...

and meets every need.

"Because he loves me," says the LORD, 

"I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name."

Psalm 91"14

And then it occurred to me; I am that little bird... free because I am loved and cared for... free because someone much bigger and stronger than I watches over me when I am vulnerable.  So my first intuitive painting really turned out to be a self portrait.  How about that? 

Linking Up Today with:

Creative Every Day