Drawing as a learning tool

Drawing is a fantastic way to focus on just what's in front of you, a kind of mindfulness that can only be achieved by close observation and recording what you see. That presence in the moment is a sanity-saver when the world at large seems to be falling apart.

Natural history illustration is a fairly exacting discipline. I took the online course offered through EdX, one of their "Massive Open Online Courses" or MOOCs. It's free, or pay $50 for the certificate, your choice. It's a great intro to the field of scientific illustration, which has certain forms and conventions for recording and conveying observations.

Potoo, similar to a Nightjar or Tawny Frogmouth, native to South America. This rendering was my final project for the EdX Natural History Illustration course.

Deltochilum dung beetle. I became fascinated with dung beetles (and drew a lot of them) because of Emily Graslie, who exhorts all of us to remain curious and "be the dung beetle" that makes goodness out of being knee deep in shit, which we pretty much all are at this point. Take five minutes out of your day and watch this video. Guaranteed, it's worth your time.

Trypocopris, Sulcophanaeus, and Heliocopris dung beetles.

A typical format for analyzing the form and structure of a flower, for illustration purposes. Measurements, color notes, dissection, observations.

A recent article in Scientific American discussed the forgotten benefits of drawing as an adjunct to learning. There is really no better way to learn and remember.

Back

It's been a year since my last blog post, and almost that long since I painted. It was already a struggle after the death of a parent last year, but the result of the election and the national tragedy that has ensued took a massive toll and I was unable to continue working as I had been.

I found refuge in drawing. It's always been that way, from childhood--drawing is the true comfort zone, the untouchable place of safety and happiness. For anyone hitting a block in their work, I always recommend a return to the basics.  The 19th century Bargue drawing course became my focus as it has for so many artists over the years. The book and plates are public domain, available on Archive.org. I've completed 60 of the 70 plates, and will post a few.

Nature Journaling has also enabled me to focus on the beauty of the natural world, which has helped combat despair over the recently-accelerated loss of said natural world...  I highly recommend the work of John Muir Laws, for anyone who has an interest in sketching and documenting the beauty around us. His books and free videos are unsurpassable.

Things are looking up. My husband and I have moved across six time zones, and now live near Washington DC. I was accepted as a Copyist at the National Gallery of Art in DC, and have resumed painting now as I work from the Masters, which is something I've always wanted to do. I'll talk more about that and post those works as well.

This blog has been up for 10 years through good times and bad (actually 12, started in 2005, re-started 2007). For now, here are some of my Bargues to get this show back on the road.

Interrupted sunset

6 x 8", oil/primed paper.  After a good start on this one, I had to leave for a while and intended to resume working on it when I got back...but ultimately decided not to, because it had a freshness and emphatic feeling that I liked.  

More car paintings

Both are 6 x 8, oil on primed paper.  Done in the car as we traveled from Las Vegas back to San Diego last month.  There was an unusual quality to the sky color to the southwest, and I didn't know the reason for it.  Eventually we came upon the smoke plume from the huge Blue Cut fire which was raging in east San Bernardino County.  In fact, we were delayed getting through on highway 15 by another fire that had just started.  Sadly, it's the new normal.

Skying in Vegas

6 x 8 oil on primed Hahnemuhle paper.  There were some pretty amazing cloud formations and monsoons happening after the duststorm.  I'm not used to being able to see such a huge expanse of land to the horizon, since the scale is very different in Hawaii.  The Nevada desert and skies seem immense.

3 x 5 oil on primed BFK.  Quick study that was part of the three-a-day.

Painting oil on paper has a long and illustrious tradition.  Corot and the other early plein air landscape painters routinely painted on thin paper which was then mounted onto canvas at a later time.  It's a great way to generate a lot of work when weight and portability are extremely important.

Vegas mountains

6 x 8, oil on primed bamboo paper.  These were actually very distant, but the morning sunlight on them was a welcome sight after having been obscured for a couple days by that duststorm.

3 x 5 very quick study of the clouds.  The unsettled weather did create some amazing cloud patterns.  More of those upcoming.

Dust storm

6 x 8" oil/primed bamboo paper.  

The first day in Vegas, there was a major dust storm blowing in from Arizona/New Mexico, combined with existing smoke in the air from the California fires...so visibility was extremely limited.  Air quality was bad enough that people were advised to stay indoors, so here's the view out the hotel window, extending about a block in every direction.    Thank goodness for air conditioning.

These are little 3 x 5 doodles, imaginary landscapes.  My goal was three paintings a day regardless of size or circumstances, so these were part of that exercise.

On the way to Vegas

These are all very small, about 5" on the long side, oil on primed watercolor paper.  They had to be small, because I painted them in the car on the way to Las Vegas.  This process is great because there's no choice but to release all expectation of recording an accurate scene (because the scene is flying past at 65 mph)...so the focus has to be on creating something that makes visual sense and is nice to look at.  It cannot be an exact record of what is there, just bits and pieces reassembled to create an impression of what it looked and felt like.  It's immensely freeing, and even more fun if an old painting is underneath, contributing colors and shapes that wouldn't be there otherwise.  Control is scarcely possible, so it's an exercise in letting go.

Cholla

Cholla Cactus, 8 x 6, oil/canvas panel.

I've just returned from a three-week trip to SoCal and Vegas, with a bundle of new paintings to post.  But first, here's one that was done during a previous trip to San Diego a few months ago.  At the time, I couldn't decide if I liked it well enough to not just paint over it.  After some time away, I think that it says something, so here it is.  It's a good idea to put away work and look at it later when objectivity is possible.  

Take Cover

Today we are sheltering in place from Tropical Storm Darby, so this seemed like a good one to post (done a couple weeks ago).  It's a rapidly-moving storm at Kaneohe which ended up soaking me before I would stop painting it and take cover.  6 x 8" oil on primed heavy bamboo paper.

North Shore Calm.  6 x 8" oil on primed heavy bamboo paper.  Paint applied with rags, almost an underpainting but had too much going for it to paint over.

Clouds, and Sky reflected

Clouds over the Koolaus, 8 x 6", oil on primed wc paper.

 Looking down into the creek below our (10th floor) apartment, where there are goldfish and a sublime reflection of the sky and dense plant life along the bank. 6 x 8". oil on primed Hahnemuhle.

Skying at the Soccer Fields

 View across the Soccer Fields in Pearl City, HI; trees in bloom and clouds.

Gravel parking lot overlooking the soccer fields.

A scattered young tree, soccer fields and Waianae range in the background.

These are all 6 x 8" oil on primed paper.  This was the first "plein air by bike" outing in quite a while (longtime readers will remember that I used to do a lot of that), it hasn't been easy finding rideable roads here in Hawaii.  The soccer fields are deserted early in the morning, acres and acres of open space and sky.  Gotta get out early before it gets too hot.

Skying at the Beach

5 x 7", clouds at Bellows Beach, oil on primed Hahnemuhle Ingres paper.  Winds were strong enough to blow sand all over the painting (visible if you look close) and my palette.

6 x 8", Pyramid Beach, oil on primed Fabriano rough watercolor paper.  This storm was a real soaker.

Cloud studies

All are about 6 x 8", oil on primed paper.  These are the view out my window, more or less.

Constable is not a favorite painter of mine, but he had a great work ethic and made a practice of painting cloud studies.  He called it "skying."  He said, "It will be difficult to name a class of landscape in which the sky is not the keynote, the standard of scale, and the chief organ of sentiment...The sky is the source of light in Nature, and governs everything."  You can see one of his studies on the Google Art Project here.  Such studies are of immense benefit as exercises in concentration and rapid depiction, because clouds do not stand still--especially here!

Found Roses

8 x 6", oil on card

Found a whole arrangement of these in the trash, and picked out the best three to paint.  Hawaiians throw away some very nice, useful things.  Hard to understand, when things are expensive and not always easy to get here.

Whiskeytown paintings

Besides the "Bridge Repair" painting in my last post, these are the works I did at Whiskeytown.

 Brandy Creek, 12" x 9" oil/canvas panel.
Much of Whiskeytown's history revolves around the water.  Brandy Creek is crystal clear, because the waters are snowmelt and rainfall runoff.  Looking down into the creek from a bridge, the full depth is visible as it heads off over the rapids at the upper left.

 Brandy Creek Beach, 6" x 8", oil on primed watercolor paper.
This is where the creek empties into the lake, not far from the Bridge Repair painting in the last post.  The lake is often mirror-like if there are no winds, almost impossibly beautiful and very different in appearance when one is used to painting ocean!  In the summer, this beach is full of people.  In March, still a bit too chilly.

Whiskeytown Boat Ramp, 6" x 8", oil on canvas panel.  

The lake is vast and very much enjoyed by sailors and kayakers.  

 Apple Blossom, Camden House.  6" x 6", oil on Ampersand gessobord.
The abundance of water in the area made it possible for extensive mining operations to spring up in the 1800's.  Levi Tower and Charles Camden were partners in mining ventures, and Tower established a renowned hotel where guests enjoyed fresh fruit from orchards he planted on the grounds between Camden estate and Tower House.  Over 160 years later, many of the apple trees are still alive and producing fruit.  Not far from the orchard, Levi Tower's gravesite is surrounded by a low white picket fence.  That's it, in the upper left corner of the painting.

 Kate Camden, 12" x 9", oil/canvas panel.  Collection Whiskeytown National Recreation Area.
Kate Camden was a native Indian girl (possibly Wintu) who was brought into the Camden family to care for the Camden daughters.  To me, she represents the intersection of the two cultures.  Not much is known about her (a research project is underway), and only one photograph survives of her as an adult.  That photo was the basis for this painting.  Young Native Americans were frequently exploited by the white settlers of the time, but that seems not to be the case with Kate.  She was well loved by the Camdens, who gave her their name but did not formally adopt her.  She died at age 27 of unknown causes, possibly from TB or typhoid.  Her gravesite is also on the grounds of Whiskeytown.

Rider near Horse Camp, 8" x 10", oil/canvas panel.  

Miles and miles of trails wind through Whiskeytown, with expansive parking areas for horse trailers.  I saw a lot of riders enjoying the park, and wished I could join them.

Lake from the Visitors Center, 6" x 8", oil/canvas panel.  

This was a demo on Easter Sunday, with many visitors in attendance.  The sky was overcast and the lake had a subtle, moody look.  The weather is very unpredictable and changeable at the park, at times it seems to have its own climate.  It's sublime, in the 19th century sense of the word.

First sketch, 6" x 8", oil/primed bamboo paper.
The first day of my residency, I climbed the hill near the Artist Cabin.  I found watertowers at the top and a great view, looking through treetops.  Spring green everywhere.