New studies

Study 7-9 - mixed media on canvas

What's new today

My commissioned ostrich painting is coming along. This picture didn't get the colors right, but at least you can see the composition. The background is a brighter orange and the birds are black/white/grey NOT blue (I think I need to change the camera batteries). This painting is a follow up to the Okapi painting for my friend's son.

I also happened to stumble upon a new weekly sketch group on Etsy, "Sketch Tuesday". I think this is great because 365 Sketch was way too much to take on but a weekly commitment is just right. See this Etsy thread for sketches from participating artists.

Rollercoaster Ride

New ink drawing called Rollercoaster Ride available at http://www.livefunky.etsy.com/

365 Sketch - Day 6 - May 21, 2008

This drawing is available for purchase in my Etsy shop - www.livefunky.etsy.com.

365 Day 7

365 Day 7, originally uploaded by livefunky.

This drawing began on the back of a used envelope. I then scanned the drawing and altered it in Illustrator.

This rough sketch shows a scene from my dream last night. I was standing with my best friend Emily in the middle of one of the fields on my Grandfather's farm. It seemed like it was in another time because the land looked different. Where there is now a tobacco field, there was tall wild grasses and marshland. My friend and I were standing at the edge of a clearing made for camping. We had a fire going and were prepared to spend the night in a tent. But I looked up into the woods on the hill and saw a wild kingdom of animals. Lions and tigers, rhinos, giraffes, zebras - you name it - if it was an animal that wouldn't normally live in New England, it was there. My first reaction was fear - no way were we camping out there! I worried there were lurking predators in the brush surrounding us. But my second feeling was awe at this wild jungle of life before us. How did these animals get here? What happened on Earth to get us to this moment in time?

365 Sketch - Day 3

365 Sketch - Day 3, originally uploaded by livefunky.

I joined a group on flickr called 365 Sketch. As you can imagine it entails doing a new sketch every day of a full year. I've been tempted for a while to try and do the "daily painting" thing, but at the same time I resist because I don't want to push it when I'm not in the mood. This is perfect because if I'm having a down day, at least it's SOMETHING - something to keep my mind/spirit connected to my hand and to the stream of creativity you can easily cast yourself on the shores of.

So far I'm at day 3, and I've included a sketch on lined paper, an Illustrator altered drawing, and now this sketch on a torn piece of a paper bag. I like how other people in the group are showing pictures directly from their sketch books. I'm thinking I may start doing that too.

Drawing With Eyes Closed

My latest hobby has been perusing other artist's blogs, and tonight I found the original post on Jafabrit's Art blog with her drawing challenge to draw with eyes closed. I loved the idea of this, so I had to do a few of my own.

The first one below is in honor of her drawing - a self portrait with her dog. Here is me with Leo.

In my next "eyes closed" drawing, I didn't have anything in mind... see picture below...


...once I was finished and opened my eyes, I saw an image about creation/pregnancy. I cannot deny these urges towards motherhood...

The last one is seen above. I was thinking about a Joseph Campbell interview when he spoke of a Mayan (pretty sure it was Mayan, that is) statue of the One, the Center, a face in the middle, with the polarities featured on either side. I really enjoyed this exercise and I think I should do more of this. I'm thinking of automatic drawing... and how I'd like to research it a lot more.