where do ideas come from?

I get my ideas from the still life table.  Here’s one of my favorite things to do — pull out favorite objects, set them on the table, start drawing.

Usually I draw the same motif over and over.  I am loving this motif so much I think it’s destiny that I draw it again.  But I am trying to train myself to reshape the set up regularly and do faster drawings of different arrangements for the sake of the variety.

The above is 24 x 18 inches on Strathmore 400 series pastel paper using Caran d’Ache Neopastels.  Seashell, ginger jar and honey pot, with a bit of blue compotier peeking in from the left.

something a little different

An easily distracted artist like myself needs some forms of entertainment so I set up my plein air easel and drew this landscape on a 24 x 18 inch sheet (Strathmore 400 pastel paper) using Neopastels.

Indoors.

I did my plein air indoors — at the window — because — MOSQUITOES!  Even Accuweather reported yesterday that the mosquito situation in Washington DC was intense given our recent weather.

Our weather has been lovely and mild too.  You’d think that mosquitoes would give us a break.

Anyway, I had difficulty actually seeing the whole scene I wanted to draw — long story — so I decided — what the heck — throw all caution to the wind — I took off my glasses, drew with my left hand.

And voila!

I kind of like the wacko gestural effect …