Gift Buddha New Start

What a surprise was waiting for me on my table at workshop. One a big 7 x 11.5" handmade sketchbook from heavy watercolor paper, filled with owls and owls and more owls. The background for this was that last week I made a small one-page sketchbook that I learned from Kiala Givehand as part of the Sketchbook revival that I took part in. Sadly they have taken it down already. She also has a great number of youtube videos, but couldn't find the specific one she had on the revival session. I did find one similar but she doesn't show the hidden pages. Anywho I showed Traudi how to make it and she taught her granddaughter while making me the OWL book. Traudi also gave me another sketchbook like the one she previously gave me, she decided she wasn't going to use it and since mine is almost filled, it should be mine! Thank YOU Traudi, I so wish I could share some of her work but alas she hasn't a blog or Instagram etc. Maybe someday! And now you ask, why OWLS.
Well, we were discussing our project and I mentioned that I took an online quiz and OWL is my soul animal.

Cover

 1-2

3-4

5-6

Hidden Pages

lifting pages 1 -2

Full Spread

Back Cover

We all have some down days where our mind takes over with thoughts and we can't seem to get rid of them. With me, I take a nap which is like an escape sleep. After a shower decided to get it out on paper. In the sketchbook revival, I learned that scribbling and writing on the page has great power.

It really helped and this Buddha was the result! I also remembered the HUGE Buddha at the RISD Museum that I often visited. It was so calming and peaceful!

15 x 13"

Pencil HB on Light Sketchbook Page

 Well, hope you've come this far. This week at Workshop we had our guest mentor Ariel Asseo.

Since his specialty is in realistic figure painting I decided to do two figures. Not happy at all with this WIP. But in the spirit that I show what going on on my easel.  Have to fix the drawing mistakes particularly the left arm and decide on a color palette. It was the end of the session so I used oil sticks instead of getting out my paints. 

WIP

Charcoal  Oil Sticks 

Colored Matte Board

21.5 x 27.5

Hidden Blocks and Dolls II

Remember Hidden Blocks and Dolls?  Brought it to class today to tweak. Decided to listen to Reuven and not touch it.

Hiding Among the Blocks

19.5 x 16.5"

Cut Canvas taped to cardboard

Oils  Cold Wax

Collage

One of the best parts of our workshop is toward the end when Reuven walks us through the various works in progress. So much is learned during these sessions. One such lesson was to listen to him when he says to stop. He explained that sometimes we reach a point that we don't recognize or understand, we still feel is not complete. That is when we want to satisfy what WE feel and usually not in the interest of the painting. I am so glad that I didn't tweak my painting and started something new!

Recently I saw Jen Walls new cover image on FB at reminded me of the Annapurna Circuit that my daughter and family did last month. She said she worked from photos "inspired by photos from my brother-in-law's trips there". Decided to use one of my grandson at the same spot as my trigger. The Thorong La Pass, Thanks Jen for the inspiration. 

WIP

27 x 19.5"

Dark Blue Matte Board

Oils and Cold Wax

PS Have already scratched into this and pasted a collage piece!

I Am a Happy Camper

Time was well spent on the computer running my painting through some of the abstraction filters in Studio to help me "see" the whole image. Reuven gave me permission that every tool is Kosher so using a digital tool is just as legitimate as using a ruler of camera etc. That said I used the image I made but when I felt that I was using it more as a reference rather than a new direction I closed the tablet.

I felt I had a good day and I am a Happy Camper.

It Finally Came Out of the Wash

20 x 28 " cut canvas mounted on cardboard

oils  cold wax collage

Palette Knife