Clues to the Buggy Project

Day Five

After putting off this challenge a couple of days, I went for it.

I tried to photograph the buggy from my sketching perspective.

I tried is all I can say.

RE:  The Buggy Project

In my head, I'm always way ahead of real time. 

Sometimes, "in my head" is a real problem too.

I'm not sure when I'll get around to the Buggy Project but My Little Dog approves so far.

Or maybe he is thinking, "what's the big deal?"

I know I made a mistake of letting him think I needed up close and personal help from him. 

could be a clue to The Buggy Project

A Couple of days before I started my morning sketching and in the comfort of the late night chair zone, I sketched the buggy from the one "in my head".

The one in my head sure was a lot easier than the one in real life.

Day Six

I walked around the Garden Palace looking for sketching inspiration. 

That I had a hard time finding something says more than you know. 

So I chose a pine cone from the basket.

I must get the One Hundred Faces on the wall because they are a huge distraction on the desk. 

After this pine cone affair, I think my truth is being reaffirmed. 

Have you any idea what it is?

Day two three and four

Morning Art Practice

Day 2

Day 3

I continue to read The Zen of Seeing.

But.....

..... today I was extremely distracted by No 66....

...and this guy.

His name is Stupid Kitty but sometimes I call him My Little Dog.

In other words my mind was in the wandering mode.

Day 4

Today

Today was day four and I finished reading The Zen of Seeing. 

I enjoyed some parts more than others. 

If nothing else, Franck's illustration drawings are wonderful.

So far, I have been mostly using pencils.

However, soon I will switch to a dip pen and ink and I can not stop thinking about color on the page so I'm sure watercolor will find its way too. 

The thing is, at the moment neither ink, pen, nor watercolors are available at the Garden Palace.

If I don't take it over there then I can be tempted.

A Set of Three

The Chair

I found this antique office chair at a local thrift store. 

My good luck!

Even though it was a "project", it was exactly what I wanted for the attic studio. 

I replaced broken dowels and glued it all back together.

I also had to replace the worn casters and found exact replacements at House of Antique Hardware.

The Desk

I planned for a long time to use the extra antique table top to make two art desk. 

One for the Attic Studio and one for the Rose Garden Parlor. 

This one is for the Rose Garden Parlor and I cut eight inches off the backside so it would fit the parlor.

Way back when, I found antique table legs for the front and I used ripped 2 x 4's for the back legs.

Here you can see I painted, distressed and waxed the chair.

I also made a thin pad for the chair. 

It's all ready for art making.

The next day, I went over to sit.

It felt like the sit and stare stage that I enjoy after finishing a painting. 

I needed to go sit and stare at my new art desk and chair.

I love the chair so much in the parlor that I'm on the lookout for another for the Attic Studio.

The Footstool

The next day I took the little foot stool over. 

I painted the legs, that yellow and replaced the nasty fabric on the sides with the beautiful floral linen.

I didn't replace the naugahyde vinyl on the top. 

I thought it looked gently used and fit right in.

A Set of Three 

Desk and Chair and Footstool

three projects

I am so ecstatic about reaching this point in my daydream.

I will be hanging the One Hundred Faces over the desk just as soon as I put a hanger on it.

I'm also making a shelf with the eight inch piece of the table that I cut off. 

Yes, I will show. 

Today at the Rose Garden Parlor desk

...I started reading this.

The Zen of Seeing by Frederick Franck.

It is about drawing and sketching and I plan to go over each morning to read and perhaps do a little sketching. 

If you know me and my art practice, you will probably know that I don't particularly enjoy the sketching stage. 

I know. I know. 

But I think in the past when I felt pressed for time, I just skipped that step whenever I could.

And that became my practice.

I do know it is important and my mission now is to enjoy and be inspired by this book to start a new art practice.

You know I will be sharing.

Sing Like Yourself

Sing Like Yourself

One Hundred Faces by Sharon Tomlinson
36" x 12" on wood

 It was very hard to photograph the whole piece.

To get all 100 in one photo (above), I spliced together sections (below).

Don't look too close, the splicing is not so perfect. 

found poem "100"  by Sharon Tomlinson

 100

For a moment she wondered about something to entertain

before blinking she picked faces.

She picked

beautiful dreamy eyes

spicy lips

unruly hair

sweet cheeks

teeth

a

shy and inquiring

smile

and

a hand

The

moment

was

to see

her

voice

echoed

forward

saying

"sing like yourself"

♥

ps: I still have more to say about One Hundred Faces but will leave that for another post. 

Dont' forget, sing like yourself!

Face No 100 deserves her own post

She Deserves a Post of Her Own

Face No 100

Although I have more to share and show about the ending of One Hundred Faces, I thought this last face must have all of the attention of this post.

She deserves the lime light, if you will.

Some of you encouraged me to paint a self portrait in this No 100 position.

Even though I declined, in my eyes, (pun intended) there is a likeness.

I do have green eyes.

And I do have a look of sadness, gloom, or sorrow when my face is in a relaxed state.

Some folk even might accuse me of being mad.

My nose is not that long.

And I don't think that is my lips.

Even though I don't wear head gear as such, on close observation you might see a tuft of gray hair at the edges.

All the flowers are me and I don't know whose gaudy dangle that is. 

beginning with a sketch

 Three weeks lapsed between No 99 and No 100. 

Only because I am so involved in other fun stuff.

Still, I began to put a little pressure on myself to finish, as you do, when being pulled between passions.

So, one morning, I picked up a little piece of yellow card stock and thought to myself, "if I just get a quick sketch out of my head, I can go forward." 

So I did. 

I loved the sketch so much, I enlarged and transferred it to the No 100 position and started to paint.

I do regret that she is so solemn; however, my feeling about such is perhaps it is representational of the little splashes of self portrait that shows up in all of our faces.  

Row One and Two in the scheme of One Hundred Faces

♥

There were no birds in the dime-zone

Face No 98

 I had to push myself to paint one more tiny dime size face. 

The last one.

But then I thought to myself, "there are no birds in the dime-zone." 

That's all it took. 

Face No 99

It was like a warm-up.

I was then in a groove and so ready to paint No 99. 

I was full of inspiration to do it different.

I'm not sure you can tell, but I went about painting her with a little different technique. 

Well, I thought I it was different.

I built up thin watery layers of paint. 

And I used my finger a lot. 

Oh yes, I just want to tell you about that luscious greenish color you see in the top right and lower left area and even on the face.

I mixed Raw Umber and Primary Cyan.

I'll be doing that again.

♥

I thought she was a nobody

Face No 96

 During and after painting number 96 this morning, I kept thinking she is just a nobody.

My thumb covers the whole square. 

How could she ever be seen in this crowd. 

Face No 97

Same thing about number 97. 

Just a nobody.

Faces 96 and 97 with a bunch of .......

Yep!
They are all nobodies.
I mean, look!

But in the scheme of 97 faces, they fit right in.
♥

Face 95 gave me Joy

Face No 95

Row 3 of One Hundred Faces

love this group of faces

A Bird Performer

Face No 94

 No 94 has a story (as they all do).

It is no coincidence that No 93 and 94 are very similar. 

My muse takes me slowly down the path sometimes.

Row 4 of One Hundred Faces

OK, here is the story, it just came to me.
She is a bird trainer and circus performer or something like that.
She being No 93 and No 94 who are one and the same.
And
Specifically, she trains the Yellow Tailed Blackbirds, which is why she raises them from baby chick.
The adult bird changes to black except they do keep their yellow tail.
I'm so happy she, like others, made it into One Hundred Faces more than once.
♥

A bunch of faces

My Muse helped yesterday

No 93 with Preliminary Drawing

 I slowed a bit on One Hundred Faces mostly because so many other things on my to-do-list. 

To get back in the groove yesterday, I did a quick little sketch of what I might paint in this row 4 spot.

As you can see, things changed when my muse showed up. 

I listened. 

Painted. 

And was happy. 

I think I will use the same little sketch for No 94 and see what happens. 

Face No 93 in Row 4

 Here she is with the Sam and Vickie

Face No 93