Simon the Cat, Revisited

"Simon" - Ink and Watercolor
(Approx. 8" x 9 3/4")

If the cat above looks familiar, you either knew Simon personally or you saw a previous painting I did of him from my post on 12/7/16 entitled "Following a Whim."  The painting above was commissioned by a friend who wants to surprise his wife on her birthday. 

Below are some versions of Simon as I take him from pencil sketch to the final painting.  I used my friend's photo for my reference and then looked online to get more ideas, including options for a colorful and contrasting background.

My pencil sketch.  I worked on this for quite a while until I got a sketch I was happy with.

I then used my Micron 005 pen to ink over the pencil sketch.

Looking more like Simon here. ...Need to thicken his tail.

"Simon" - The final version.

Note:  "A Path with Paint" blog will be on vacation for the next two weeks, returning with a new post on Monday, January 9.  Happy holidays!

Influence and Inspiration

"Chair and Table with Peonies"
Acrylic on Canvas (12" x 12")
          (My original, inspired by a chair photo by Laura Wasilowski
and a painting of peonies by an unknown artist.)

In recent posts I shared my experiences of deliberately copying the works of artists I admire as a way of developing my skills.  I really enjoyed that practice.  It helped teach me everything from painting composition, to body and facial proportions, to how to duplicate colors.  More than anything, it helped me develop more patience:  in starting with an original work I loved, I felt a great desire to "get it right" or at least get the painting to my liking, no matter how long it took.  

My painting at the top of this post, as well as the "in process" versions posted here and below,  are my combination of a chair photo I found on the Internet and a painting of peonies by an unknown artist.

The notion of one artist learning by copying another artist is not new, and there is no lack of  critical opinion about the value, inevitability -- or, for that matter, impropriety -- of imitating someone else's work.  A book that deals with this issue in an engaging and playful manner is Austin Kleon's Steal Like an Artist.  Kleon not only normalizes copying others, he endorses it wholeheartedly, with supportive quotes to boot.  I recommend the book for any new  or would-be artists who feel a bit shaky about their skills. Heck, I recommend it  for anyone!

            "You are, in fact, a mashup of what you choose to let into your life."

                                                                                      - Austin Kleon in

                                                                                   Steal Like an Artist

                 "Creative people need time to just sit around and do nothing."

                                                                                      - Austin Kleon in

                                                                                    Steal Like an Artist

"Start copying what you love. Copy copy copy copy.  At the end of the copy you will find yourself."       

                                                                                    - Yohji Yamamoto

                                                                                     Fashion Designer

Close to being done...

The final version.

Pedro Almodovar Sketch and Others

"Pedro Almodovar"
(Ink and Watercolor on Paper - photo reference from New York Times)

A friend recently suggested I do a watercolor sketch of the Spanish film director and screen writer Pedro Almodovar.  Always up for an art challenge, I decided to give it a whirl.  The sketch above took me  a little over an hour. 

***

The sketches below were drawn and painted from Sktchy app photo references.  For the first one I only had 1/2 hour available, so I rushed through it.  Kind of fun to do it that way!  The bottom one took about an hour. For both I used a Pigma Micron 01 black ink pen.

"Two Men Playing Around"
(Ink and Watercolor on Paper) 

"Boy with Cupcake"
(Ink and Watercolor on Paper)

More Learning by Copying and Adapting

My Copy/Adaptation of Jim Flanagan's painting: "The Smoker"
Acrylic on Canvas

As I continue to learn art techniques through copying other artists' paintings, I found another artist whose work I'm drawn to -- Jim Flanagan.  Living in Phoenix, Arizona, Flanagan  paints in acrylics and relishes bright colors.  No wonder I like his work so much!  (You can find a rich collection of his paintings at Fine Art America.  Just enter his name in the "Search" bar.)

One of the sites that hosts his artwork is called "The New Fauves". The French Fauvists were artists whose paintings were characterized by intense colors with bold, distinctive brushwork.  The word "fauve" means "wild beast" in French.  The most famous fauvist was Matisse.

You may have noticed that in my copy of Flanagan's painting "The Smoker," there is no smoking going on and no evidence of a cigarette.  In Jim's original painting, the woman has a lit cigarette in her left hand with smoke wafting upwards. In the foreground of his painting are an ashtray and a lighter.  I opted to omit the cigarette for my painting and put a little tin of breath mints in the left foreground.  

And who wouldn't want a breath mint after a smoke anyway?  Perhaps my painting is the perfect "after" to Jim's "before" painting!

Here are the earlier versions of my painting as it progresses from pencil drawing and light yellow acrylic wash on canvas, through to the finished painting.  

My copy of Jim Flanagan's "The Smoker" in the early stages.

Beginning to get more color on the canvas.

I struggled with the foreground, trying to get the nice variation of colors and textures that Jim achieves in his painting.

Defining her eyes, adding more blue shading to her face.

My Final Version

Following a Whim

"Simon"
7 1/2" x 10" Mixed Media 

I did the paintings shown here in the past few days.  "Simon", above, was the dear cat of  some friends of mine.  I never got to meet Simon but my friends gave me a couple of photos of him and I used those to make this composite painting.  On a whim I decided to give him a colorful background, with the intention of having him stand out more due to the contrast.  ...And yes, I do like bright colors.  

Here's the painting in it's earlier stages:

Below are two "in process" versions and then the final version of "Afternoon Stroll".  I 

took about  and hour and a half to do this one.   You can click any image to enlarge it.  (Photo reference from Sktchy app.)  

Painting cast shadows (the shadows that are cast by an object) has been daunting to me in the past, but over time it's getting easier.  I find they're not really hard to do if I just paint what I truly see instead of what I think I see. When done well, they make such a difference in creating depth to a painting.  You can see what I mean when comparing the final version of this painting and the one preceding it.

"Afternoon Stroll"
Ink and Watercolor on Paper

Learning by Copying

My Copy of Annie O'Brien Gonzales' painting "Santa Fe Summer"
Acrylic on Canvas

This week the assignment in my art class was to find a work of art I liked and copy it.  I loved this assignment!  It meant I could scour the Internet for a painting that "sang" to me, and then go about recreating those same colors and shapes on my own canvas.

I found a beautiful still life entitled "Santa Fe Summer" by Santa Fe artist Annie O'Brien Gonzales and chose that for my project.  

I began by painting a very pale yellow acrylic and water wash over the entire canvas.  After that was dry, I drew the images of the olla and blankets in pencil.   Then, through trial and error, I mixed paint colors to replicate as closely as possible the colors Gonzales used in her painting.  Easier said than done!

Work in Progress:
My Copy of Annie O'Brien Gonzales' Original Painting "Santa Fe Summer"

I spent many hours on the painting and would hazard a guess that Annie spent far fewer hours composing and painting the original.  Yet because I loved the painting so much, I was willing to put in the time and effort.

I'm happy to say that I've been in touch with Annie.  She graciously gave permission for me to post my version of her painting on my blog.  I hope you'll visit her website where you can see an extensive collection of her bold, colorful artworks!  (www.annieobriengonzales.com)

As for my experience of the process of copying another artist's painting, I recommend it (as long as you credit the original artist).   It made me slow down and observe carefully, particularly when it came to reproducing paint colors.  There were times when I had to step away from the painting and give myself a break from concentrating.  In the end though, I was very happy with the result. 

Racing the Clock

"Man with Cocoa" - Ink and Watercolor on Paper

I kind of like racing the clock in the mornings, trying to complete a sketch in ink and watercolor before the rest of my work duties begin.  I usually have about an hour before I must trade my artist's hat for my psychotherapist's hat.

"Father and Son - I" - Pigma Micron 005 pen on Paper

My tendency is to draw slowly and deliberately with my pen, and then feel a mild sense of panic when I realize it's almost the top of the hour and I have yet to apply watercolors.  I then have a choice -- I can either postpone finishing the sketch, or I can rush through, slapping down paint before my time runs out.  

"Father and Son - II" - Ink and Watercolor on Paper

Believe it or not, it's often the sketches where I've hurriedly splashed down color in the final minutes that I look back on later and enjoy the most.  Maybe that has to do with the fact that what I often like in art is a sense serendipity, spontaneity, or imperfection -- what painter Bob Ross calls "happy accidents."

***

(All artworks shown are drawn using photos from Sktchy app.)

Kindness and Letting Go

Thanksgiving Dinner

On Thanksgiving Day I came down with a cold.  One of those nasty colds that takes over your world.  So instead of being able to do what I'd originally planned -- have a day  to relax and do art, I had to obey the dictates of my body.

I was mad -- all that conscientious hand washing during flu season, eating fairly decently and taking supplements -- all for nothing?!  And I felt physically crappy.  My energy was gone.  My art mojo went out the window.

Ink, Watercolor and Watercolor Pencils
(Sketched the day after Thanksgiving)

Often at times like this, I struggle with whether to push through or give in.  The truth is, on this occasion I felt I had little choice.  Sneezing and breathing were taking everything I had.  Lying on the couch watching cooking shows (somehow I always find them soothing), talk shows, and reruns of sitcoms seemed like the best option -- all in hopes that the TV would lull me to sleep and out of my misery.

Ultimately, I chose to be kind to myself and let go. For me on this day, that meant doing no art.  Doing no art until my body was stronger. 

Bernadette an Wallowitz from "The Big Bang Theory"

By the end of the day, I still felt crappy but I was able to sit with my sketchbook and do a quick sketch of people on TV. That brought me some happiness.  I am convinced though -- art or no art -- that kindness and letting go are necessary ingredients to living the good life.

May we all be kinder to ourselves and others.  It's truly the best way.

"The View from Where I Sit"
(Purple Uniball Pen on Paper)

And Sometimes I'm Without Words...

"Play Date"  (Ink on Paper)

"Woman with Coffee" (Ink and Watercolor)

"Woman in Glasses" (Ink on Paper)

I used photo references from the "Sktchy" app for the above drawings. 

Please note:  A Path with Paint will be on vacation for the week of November 20 - 27th.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Urban Sketching: Meet, Sketch, Share

"Radio Coffee and Beer" - Ink and Watercolor

Over the weekend I had the chance to sketch with Austin Urban Sketchers at Radio Coffee and Beer in Austin, Texas.  If you're not familiar with Urban Sketchers, I can tell you a bit about it.  Founded in 2007 by Gabi Campanario, Urban Sketchers is a nonprofit international organization of folks who gather in urban settings to draw observationally with others.  The motto of Urban Sketchers is short and sweet:  ""Meet, sketch, share."

"Urban Sketching at Spider House" - Ink and Watercolor

I've been sketching with the Austin group for a few years now.  What I enjoy about this group and Urban Sketchers as a whole is the friendly sense of community and camaraderie that sets the tone of the group.  All levels of skill and all ages are welcome.  There are more than 100,000 members of Urban Sketchers worldwide and close to 200 chapters.

"Central Market" - Ink and Watercolor
(Done in June, 2015 - Not my best work!)

A lovely aspect of the organization is that it is noncompetitive.  My experience of the group is that other sketchers are happy to share information about the materials they use, techniques they find helpful (I want help with perspective, please!!), and online classes they've taken and enjoyed.

"Young Violinist at Farmers Market" - Ink and Watercolor

Once a year Urban Sketchers holds an international symposium where people from all over the world meet to sketch, connect, and share their work.  Previous symposia have been held in Manchester, England, Singapore, Paraty, Brazil, Barcelona, Santo Domingo, DR, Lisbon, Portugal, and Portland, Oregon.  The 2017 symposium will be in Chicago.

"In Front of the Driskill Hotel" - Ink and Watercolor

Local chapters organize sketching events at a variety of venues including coffee shops, parks, public and governmental buildings, farmers markets, city plazas, and more.  On occasion,  "Sketchcrawls" are held in which sketchers opt to go from one sketching location to another all on the same day, thus getting the opportunity to draw several sites and have a more diverse record of the day's efforts. 

"Georgetown Square" - Ink and Watercolor

Another fun part of all of this is after a few hours of sketching, everyone reconvenes to share the results of their labor, photos are taken, and those who want to find a nearby place for drinks or a meal.  It's one of the best ways I know to promote the creation of art and a spirit of international goodwill.

A Few Sketches from the Past Few Days ("Make Positive Effort for the Good." *)

"We Are Family..." (Ink and Watercolor on Paper)

"Girl with Toy" (Ink and Watercolor on Paper)

"Father and Daughter"  (Ink on Paper)

"Joy Ride"  (Ink and Watercolor on Paper)

* The quote "Make positive effort for the good," is from Dainin Katagiri, Soto-Zen master and founder of the Minnesota Zen Meditation Center.  Often quoted by Natalie Goldberg, author and artist.

Three Portraits of Neil Gaiman with Quotes

Neil Gaiman Portrait - Ink and Watercolor on Paper (5" x 7")

I'm pretty new to discovering Neil Gaiman, having learned about him first by watching his "Make Good Art" commencement address on Youtube.  It's worth watching if you haven't seen it.  His advice applies across the board, no matter your chosen creative outlet. Many folks are fans of his comic book series The Sandman.  I have yet to delve into it.  He also wrote the dark children's fantasy book  Coraline.  For now, I'm enjoying his inspirational words for artists and writers. Some are posted below.

"I hope you'll make mistakes.  If you make mistakes, it means you're out there doing something.  And the mistakes in themselves can be very useful."

Neil Gaiman Portrait - Ink on Paper (5" x 7")

"As an author, I've never forgotten how to daydream."

***

"Empathy is a tool for building people into groups, for allowing us to function as more than self-obsessed individuals."

Neil Gaiman Portrait - Watercolor on Paper (5" x 8")

"When you start out, you have to deal with the problems of failure.  You need to be thick-skinned, to learn that not every project will survive."