Sketches, Sketchbook Project and More Sketches

Sketching is a lot of fun, just relax and don't tell your hand what to do and it'll be fine...!
A Walk, A Sketch, Some Rain
Today my husband and I took a walk and enjoyed the crisp air in a nearby park along Lake Washington. The heavy gray clouds burst open as I was sketching in a non-permanent ink pen, and I caught some interesting rain drop effects on my quick sketch. Got it home later and filled in a bit of color and a few more pen strokes. This area of the lake is filled with water lily pads, old posts from a long gone ferry, and surrounded with some wetlands.

And this is what it really looked like today in our exquisite Northwest, but you do know I like color and always have to add some in my sketches and paintings...
On the way back, a stop at our favorite fruit and veggie market, the Yakima Market at 17321 Bothell Wy NE..... We loaded up with all that fresh goodness and nutrition and headed home and he started up his first big batch of fall tomato soup that he always makes. We freeze several containers of it to savor later when the really fresh tomatoes are gone. Mmmm, it's sooo good.
A Few More Sketches
From here and there, along the way, some places I have been...

.....an escape to Bandon, Oregon, one of my most favorite places, in March, fresh sea air, rocks, exquisite scenery there...
.....a plane trip to Texas to visit family in April, what else could I draw?...
.....a side trip to the Wichita Mountains, Oklahoma in May, a wildlife refuge for bison...
.....the Seattle Woodland Park Zoo in March, brisk weather, but another favorite place...
The Sketchbook Project
I just received confirmation a couple of days ago for The Sketchbook Project hosted by The Art House Coop. For this project, participants around the world are sent a moleskin cahier to fill with art however they wish, and a theme to focus on. These sketchbooks must be returned in January, and then become a permanent part of the Brooklyn Library of the Coop. But first, they digitize so everything is on line to be viewed. Then all these wonderful artful sketchbooks will go on tour to only 8 cities. Seattle is one of the lucky cities to host this exhibit at the Form/Space Atelier from June 10-11, 2011... so mark your calendars!
The focus for my sketchbook will be: a light in the distance, an intriguing theme that I selected and will enjoy... I notice this sketchbook has quite a lot of pages in it, and they are quite flimsy. I'm thinking of gutting it, and rebinding it with less pages, but nicer paper, like watercolor paper (they let us do that). And of course, arting up the plain brown covers.......

For those interested in this kind of project, the deadline to sign up ends October 31...

Sketching and Painting Boats

Moored momentarily, they had been on many journeys... and patiently waited for the next adventure.
Perhaps I am seeing a metaphor for myself, patiently waiting, for my next adventure. Perhaps it is the turning from summer to fall. As I drove down the street a couple of days ago I noticed a few leaves, turned a light tan, dancing on a breeze in front of me. It's cooler, rainy, and full of the seasons moving into change again...

This recent sketch/painting on a wonderful day out started out with a watersoluble pencil. That wasn't enough, so then I added some oil pastel. And that wasn't enough, so then I added pen work. And then heavy watercolors on top of that. And more pen work. Finally I felt satisfied with the saturated colors and look of it, I don't usually do boats. Sometimes you have to just keep experimenting.

And here is where I was doing this sketch painting with some art buddies:

Color, Free Motion, and Dyeing

"When all is said and done, artists need to struggle on their own." Robert Genn
It really seems like summer is over here in north Seattle, today is so gray and rainy looking, cool, breezy, same as yesterday, this mid-August. So I needed a blast of color - and here it is.

These colorful pieces were created last May in my machine embroidery group. So much fun and experimenting. We did spray dyeing of the specialty papers with procion dyes, then zigged, zagged and looped some free motion machine embroidery, and added puff paints for texture... I love the brilliance of the colors and how they wash together like watercolors.
I really like the loopy flowers below, they seem so painterly, amazing what can be done with thread. I am only a beginner at painting with thread, there are those who do very precise beautiful work including words which I find difficult. That will take lots of practice. Here is the reverse side of my loopy flowers which I like just as well, you can see the stitching better. And speaking of stitching, if you look very closely you may see where I stitched these photos together because these pieces were bigger than my scanner. Easily done, but not perfect, in Photoshop.
I'm not sure what I'll do with these or future pieces, they could be book covers or part of another art piece or book. Somehow I'm thinking some of these techniques will find their way into my journey into acrylics and mixed media paintings... Meanwhile, I'm looking forward to our machine embroidery group reconvening in the fall which is only a whisper away.

Paintings, Sun and Seascapes

The lines blur, who knows where the sun, the light and the seas begin and end.
I am continuing in my series and studies of sun, light and seas... getting lost in the lines of where one begins and one ends... as I paint the textures and rhythms of the waves, clouds, or shimmers. Painting these are like meditations for me, going to a serene peaceful place with no time, swimming in the unconscious bliss...
I have a couple more canvases ready for my brushstrokes, they are waiting for me to bring them to life. Soon, maybe tomorrow I will step into my studio and flood them with color.

Meanwhile, I have been attending to life... travel, my sometimes sick kitty, lots of telephone talk with my family at a distance sharing in the events and ups and downs of days that swim by so fast as we all get older, taking small steps to organize a completely disorganized studio, and participating in the camaraderie of various art groups. And so, also I have not blogged as much as I had for a while, as I attend to all my other interests, and of course, the so short summer we are having here in the Pacific Northwest. But soon, more postings to come, with updates and photos on travels and some fibery art I have been creating....

Art Show, Painting and Seascapes

Summer time, a lovely time for arty events...On the postcard above, the small painting with tulip fields is mine. I have been so busy, painting and painting.... I just hung my artwork for this show yesterday, 18 new acrylic and mixed media paintings, mostly seascapes, suns. Feels great to see them finished and hanging... And this morning I started on 3 more canvases! I am loving the colors and textures....

Join us if you can, here are the details for the art show this weekend, plus the artist's reception on Friday.

July 15-18: Thu/Fri 4-8pm, Sat/Sun 10am-5pm

ArtWorks, 201 2nd Avenue, Edmonds

• Original artwork by over 35 artists • Miniature Sale

• Artist demos • Free admission & parking • Visa & Mastercard accepted

For more detailed information, visit the ARTSplash website.

Artists Reception - You're Invited!

Friday, July 16, 6-8pm, Food & Refreshments
ArtWorks Building, Second & Dayton, Edmonds, 425-774-6049
ArtistsConnect is an affiliate of the Edmonds Arts Festival and Foundation.
A portion of the event proceeds support community arts programs.
postcard design by Spectral Designs, LLC

Painting Sun and Water and Inspirations

Sun rising... a new day... every day... the light comes in... and pushes away the dark

"Sun Rising Over the Glorious Waters" , Acrylic 4"x6" copyright Delorse Lovelady

Painting
I am back to painting one of my very favorite subjects: suns and light, waters and waves. I find it very meditative to stroke those waves into life and those flashes of light, a kind of rhythm in the painting process. I am continuing my foray into acrylics and texture. So far, it has been satisfying, though at times, I find myself frustrated with the paints. They are not so fluid and mobile as those juicy watercolors... but I am definitely loving the dimensional textures that I could never get with the watercolors.

This small painting will hang in the upcoming July Artsplash show listed in my sidebar. If you are local, be sure to put it on your calendar, as there will be over 35 artists represented with a wide variety of style, plus a miniatures show.

Inspirations
Meanwhile, here is another photo from one of my spring trips. Not bad, considering it was shot through a car window on our way. I'm always looking for the ultimate sky photo, or ocean/water photo, my favorites. These are the kind of scenes that inspire me for painting. Most often, I find I'm painting from my imagination, most likely, little pieces of scenes, composites of years of experiences here and there, so that the painting are not usually so specific a place.

Of Big Skies, Red Dirt and Horses...

I was immersed in the landscape and the culture of Texas....

Big Skies... Horses... and Longhorns...

Aside from being a wonderful family visit, my recent trip to Texas re-immersed me into the landscape and some of what defines the area and the culture of being Texan.... More fun with my camera... still sorting through hundreds of photos. Travel is such a wonderful thing for opening your senses, your mind, getting a fresh view, getting re-acquainted, noticing the extraordinary ordinary things...... like the red dirt or the big big skies with huge white clouds...

Red water... Red dirt.... and fishing in the channels...
we went fishing and caught a huge basketful of crappie. Imagine my surprise, I caught 15 of these "barn door" sized fish... and even helped clean them...

Pick-up trucks... and guns... and outdoor BBQ's
(goat, beef, pork, chicken, fish, you name it, and they grill it)...

Seed and feed buildings... and grain elevators... old and rusting and rustic...

Flatland... and oil pumpers... and pastures,
and seeing for miles and miles...
in the Lone Star state...

Spring, Flowers, and More Flowers

Savoring the Texas spring beauty, overflowing with color...
On my recent April/May trip to Texas I saw so many wildflowers everywhere. I had plenty of practice with my camera's macro setting.

I love the spring in Texas when it is so green, and yes, temperatures are even balmy. During my visit it was mostly in the 60's and low 70's with thunderstorms rolling in one after the other, so dramatic with lightning skies. Sometimes I miss those, as in the Northwest we get mostly quiet slow drizzly rain. Right after I left at the end of May, the heat began with days of 90's, and soon all those lovely greens and colorful flowers will have burnt away to those dulled yellow and brown fields.

I tried shooting a few pix out the window as we were on a road trip to Arkansas too, and some are not too bad. Here you see a vivid yellow field of flowers. The highways were shouting with flowers all along the way.
I am still sorting through photos from my several spring trips and have much inspiration for creating new paintings.... so many colors, textures, shapes to get lost in.

Sunday Meditations, Light, Just Be, and Oceans

Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are.... Kurt Cobain

This photo is of an antique crystal chandelier in the Ashland, Or Cabaret Theater.

Planning for future museum trips I found that one of our local museums has a Kurt Cobain exhibit on, he being the Seattle founder of "grunge rock". Now I never was a follower of same, but I like his quote above.

Somehow it ties in with my photo of this exquisite chandelier that I've often admired when we trek to Ashland for theater, as we did in March.

The lone candle in the dark among all the lit ones... seemed like such a metaphor. So, sending out thoughts today about...

Seeing the surrounding light outside shimmering,
No matter how dark it seems for you...
Let that light enter your eyes, your heart, your being
Join in the circle, the everlasting circle of life
And Just Be, today, Now, whoever you are ...

Peace

This photo is of beautiful Bandon Beach, Oregon from our March trip.

Gratitude for our beautiful life-giving oceans and beaches,
And all the creatures they feed, including us.

Shame and sadness on our abuses of them.
Praying for Restraint on the corporate dinosaurs who pollute,
AndWisdom for our politicians,
And the Voices of the people standing up for what is right.

Paintings, Clouds, Sea, and Rock and Art Shows

Floating among the clouds and the sea, unbound spirit, limitless space...

"Floating Among the Clouds and the Sea" , Acrylic 4"x5" Delorse Lovelady Apr2010

Ocean Inspirations
The painting above is one recently completed which was inspired by our recent travel in March to the Oregon coast, a place of breathtaking beauty. I composed the 17 syllable Haiku above to attempt to convey the expansiveness that being near the sea brings, not an easy thing to capture in words.

Here is another of my paintings inspired by this area. This one is more specific, as we stayed in a small motel on a bluff in Bandon, Oregon overlooking the sea, haystacks, and stunning sunsets. There was a set of stairs built into the bluff that we climbed down every day to get to this rugged beach. I will share more paintings and photos of this area in a future posting.

"There was a Hole in the Rock", Acrylic 4"x5" Delorse Lovelady Apr2010

Here is a photograph of this place, and as you can see, I have taken artistic liberty to use different colors and alter the actual look of it.
A June Art Show
Both of the paintings were juried/accepted into the Edmonds Art Festival miniature show which will be held from June 18-20. I was surprised and actually thought that my two other paintings entered would be more likely to be accepted into this show, as they are more colorful. You can see them here. It just goes to show, you never know! Anyway, I am pleased that two are accepted, and I will continue my exploration in the world of acrylics and mixed media, and more abstraction in my work.
Meanwhile I am planning and painting for the July Artsplash show in Edmonds sponsored by the Artists Connect. My space will be 48" x 48" plus a table for smaller items... which means I will be very busy the next couple of months!

Travels and Art
So far, my year has been full and some changes are occurring. I have withdrawn from some retreats and swaps, and instead have focused on my own art. It's good to hear myself and not get drowned in the tidal wave of following the crowd or the super-saturation of our culture...

And we have taken several trips that always provide much fuel for creativity. In fact, I just returned from a month long sojourn with my family in Texas, which included a road trip to Arkansas to hunt for diamonds... No paintings produced, however, I spent time and had fun with family and entertained myself with art journeling and sketching, esp., birds. I will share more about these travels in future posts. Stay tuned.