Mixed Media

This is a mixed media piece that I have finished (I think!). It is the windows at 28 Rue St-Jacques, Paris. I love the wrought iron at the windows.

This is mostly a pen and ink type of piece, but I added some colored pencil highlights.

I want to branch out from doing just colored pencil works. I used to do oils and acrylics, so there will be more mixed media pieces.

I'm thinking of doing more window pieces from other cities in the world.

Group Effort

My local chapter of the Colored Pencil Society of America, DC114 is doing a group project for the society's conference in Atlanta later on this year.

We chose to reproduce an impressionist painting that is part of the collection of the North Carolina Museum of Art. The work is by American painter, Frederick Carl Frieseke (1874-1939). It is called "The Garden Parasol" and was painted in 1910.

The artwork was divided up into a section for each of us who are participating in the project. To the left is my section.

It was difficult to capture the paint strokes in colored pencil. I had to think about what colors were available in 1910. Certainly some of the newer pigments were not even invented then. I think Frieseke would have had Cerulean Blue, Alizarin Crimson, Cadmium Yellow, Burnt Umber, Raw Sienna, and White. I've seen the painting in person and I don't think he had a pre-mixed green, but made his own from cad yellow and cerulean blue. At least for me, colored pencil is not my first choice for an impressionist work. I think I ended up using my pencils more like pastels. My work is close but it's not quite the same colors as the painting. It will be interesting to see how the entire projects looks when everthing is put together.

You can see the Frieseke's entire work here.

Is it done? Maybe?

This may be my entry to this year's CPSA show. This was my Grandfather's hand drill. He used it many years and I could almost feel the places where his fingers rested.

This drill was a pain to draw - everything had to be so precise. I don't think I could have done it, had I not taken drafting in college.

I didn't set this box on a table or add any background other than the paper color. This is fawn Stonehenge paper.

I'm never completely satisfied with any of my artwork. I always see something that needs improvement. If you're an artist, and you don't see something that needs work, then your ego may be bigger than your artwork. That's just my opinion!

However, I'm fairly satisfied with the wood grain in the box and the gear wheel. I'm still looking at it, thinking about the shadows, and highlights.

This may be the first of a series of old hand tools that have been passed down to me through the family.

In the spring and summer, I want to do flowers, so old tools may have to wait for a while.