CREATIVE TUESDAYS: SNACK




It's a new week and another CT offering for this summer. The theme for this one was snack. I snack on chex mix but didn't feel inspired to draw that. However, I also love to snack on fruit and figured a couple of Bing cherries might work well for this. I used pen and ink again, my current favorite medium, and drew and shaded with stippling. There's some line drawing found around the stems and the form of the cherries. It's fun to alternate from line to stippling to give it a bit more depth and to play with the values in an unusual way.

Make sure to check out all the CT entries and look for the montage this week to see what the new theme will be.

Happy snacking!

CREATIVE TUESDAYS

( Nevermore: The Raven's Nook- Pen and Ink illustration on Arches cold-pressed watercolor paper)

Here is my Creative Tuesday offering for "Nook"...Granted, it isn't a conventional nook or cranny. However, it is to this 'Raven' who is perched in its own nouveau tree nook. The Raven, by Edgar Allen Poe was of course the inspiration behind the drawing.

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
`'Tis some visitor,' I muttered, `tapping at my chamber door -
Only this, and nothing more.'

CREATIVE TUESDAY: DOTTY



Here's my offering for this week's Creative Tuesday, "Dotty Lady Bug". I was stumped with this one for some reason. The other day I wondered out loud, "What can I draw that has dots?" My three year old then turned to me and said, "Mommy, a lady bug has dots!" So, here you have it. A very quick non realistic 10 minute pen and ink lady bug drawn with dots:) Happy CT, everyone...( dot dot dot) :D

CREATIVE TUESDAY: PURE IMAGINATION



(Past Dreams - paper cutting-pen and ink)


For this Creative Tuesday theme, Pure Imagination, I decided to try another paper cutting. First, I sketched the figure and then cut the paper from the drawing( using it as a template)..I discovered mid-way through that I really needed sharper scissors ...You live and you learn, though, right? I added an Art Nouveau-inspired design and then some outling(dots) around the figure and the decorative design with my trusty Faber Castell pen.

Dreaming or a euphoric dream-state was sort of the motivator for this one. Well, that and studying Pre-Raphaelite art for the last several months for a writing project.

CREATIVE TUESDAY: EASTER


( Pieta` )


I was so thrilled with this Creative Tuesday Theme, Easter. This is such a beautiful celebration of Resurrection, redemption, rebirth, and renewal. It was fantastic timing because I had another project underway that fit perfectly with this theme. Our church issued a call to parish artists to create art for the stations of the cross, to use at our Good Friday service. I chose the 13TH station( 9th in some other observations), Jesus taken down from the cross. It didn't take long for me to know where to find artistic inspiration for this piece. I turned to two Pieta's, one of course by Michelangelo and the other by Carracci. The latter of which I drew the most inspiration from, with the poses of Christ and Mary. I used Michelangelo's work to inspire Mary's garment and head covering. I rendered the drawing with Derwent Graphic pencils on acid-free Strathmore smooth drawing paper.

The artwork will be on display at our church through Easter Sunday when after the service, there will be a silent auction for all the works. The proceeds will be donated to our mission team's Haiti relief trip.

Have a wonderful Good Friday and a very blessed Easter!

CREATIVE TUESDAY: Muse Within


( Muse Within )

For this week’s Creative Tuesday theme, Muse , I did a simple pen and ink line drawing.

My ‘muses’ are always artists from the past. Of course the Pre-Raphaelite painters hold the greatest inspiration for me, along with 19th century Paris Academe masters. The latter required their students/apprentices to use sculpture from antiquity as models to perfect the human form and I do this with my students as well. I actually still use a lot of statuary for models in my own drawings/illustrations, altering them in subtle ways, even idealizing them to reflect a certain mood or to give a particular appearance. This drawing was a combination of those influences and resources. My ancient muse here is gazing into a mirror, searching for her own inner muse.

MR. TOAST'S CREATIVE TUESDAYS: MUSIC AND MERRIMENT





This is my offering, Music and Merriment, for Mr. Toast’s Creative Tuesdays:

For the last couple of weeks I’ve been listening to a Celtic Christmas CD with predominately Irish fiddle music (blame it on my ancestors) :), and I must say that the ultimate festive Christmas song for me is I Saw Three Ships. That song was really a catalyst for me to start thinking of Christmases of the past way before Internet, i-PODS, CD’S or even radio was around to entertain. So, my concept is a festive 19th century evening( could be in Ireland, England, or even in Appalachia) with a father playing fiddle for his two young children as they sit opposite one another on stools, clapping along to the lively accompaniment.

The illustration technique is called Scherenschnitte ( German for paper-cuts). It's often referred to as "drawing with scissors". I also added some pen and ink accents. This takes silhouette cutting a bit further by incorporating scenery and also line drawing(outline) into the image. I first drew a line drawing of my subjects, then used the drawn figures as templates to make paper-cuts ( with surgical scissors and a sharp scalpel to cut out/in really small details). I then added the musical notes and scrolling design with a pen…

What a fun theme…I hope you enjoy!