Baby Steps Again

Thank you to all who typed kind and gentle and kindred words about previous post.  Those "lost" hours in Magic Uncaring Recliner seem to have helped a bit. 

Here's a Morning State Fair Bunny for us - (Currently working on a mixed media portrait of this lovely creature.)

This dark cold morning I've discovered that ridding house of Quaker Instand Oatmeal Packet by eating contents might have simply been best if tossed in trash, or maybe out to birdies. Birdies,you didn't miss much. I've gnawed on cardboard that had less of an odd taste. But cinnamon, frozen raspberries/blueberries, and half a banana saved bowl into being breakfast.

Also, this morning I have learned about Random Number Generators.
And Day of the Dead symbolism.
I do not know the correct salutations to you who celebrate this day - know that I am appreciating that you are Celebrating.

The house has been rid of over ten things already this morning - mostly paper - some Christmas cards still taped to kitchen wall - yes, they stay there from season to season (a few choice few have been there for years), an unused calendar from 2014..., stuff like that. And the oatmeal. And a paperback copy of "True Grit." This will find it's way to one of Stillwater's many Little Free Libararies. I am thankful for Little Free Libraries!

(Soft guitar jazz is good for this soul. Bareny Kessel is playing on Pandora now.) (And now - Mr. Miles Davis.)

And it is a season for giving Thanks.
What is the smallest bit of something for which you might be Thankful? 

On to whatever Adventures lie ahead today - 
Going to try and tough it out for The Whole of the Day.

(Jazz now - Vince Guaraldi and Band playing "Linus and Lucy." A great way to be up and doing. Come on now, back and legs and head and torso and arms - let's do this day!)

And Best of Luck with yours! Use whatever it takes.
AND - congratulations to the Houston Astros and their fans for winning their first World Series. It was quite the bunch of games.

Fare-thee-well,
Sue

www.suerowe.com
Facebook Page: Sue-Rowe-Studios

Another Bunday

Starting is better than not starting.
So - having a go at a lop-earred lovely found at the Minnesota State Fair.
I forget between paintings how much fun workng in pastels is. Odd. True.

This is as far as this bunny will get today - but it's starting hopping to somewhere.

Initial blocking in forms. I took an odd container of pastels to thecoffee shop. Often one has to work withwhat one has.

Bunny steps. Bunny steps. Don't be afraid of scary old iPhone shadow, Little Rabbit.

Now on to a few last sips of cold de-caf coffee. And reading a few paragraphs in "Tricycle" magazine, and crossing off two things from The List. Then on to the reality of self-employment up in the house on top of the hill.

Fare-thee-well,
Sue

Sigh

Nothing one can type will bring back the lives lost in Las Vegas last night.

Everything is shallow in comparison to the pain felt by families and friends of the dead and suffering.

Here is a drawing of a bunny - for no good reason.

May we carry on as best we can - in honor of those who cannot.

Fare-thee-well,

Sue

Jazz Rabbit #1

Re-use. Recycle. Doing it.

Hubby found a used tablet of paper and rescued it from another person's trash. So...

I cut one of the large pieces of used Strathmore watercolor paper into nine 5" x 7" pieces. Nice paper. The word "Wow" and other large strokes of paint are now abstract background for whatever might happen.

Here is the first painting:

Jazz Rabbit #1

This was FUN. Freeing. I was not completely in charge. Not that I am EVER completely in charge. It was TRASHED paper. Nothing to lose.

Used were the Pentel Pocket Brush Pen to create basic outline, and then some gouache to finish this wascally wabbit. Yes, Sharpie and regular ball point pen were used for whiskers and detailing eyes.

And that's about it.

The Spirit of the St. Croix Art Festival is in Hudson, Wisconsin this weekend. I might put some of these new pieces in clear plastic, and see what The Public thinks.

Ever onward - there are seven panels left (for another day) - the power of putting marks on paper seldom stops being exciting.

Fare-thee-well,

Sue

Back to Mr. Bossypants

Greetings on yet another Winter Storm Warning Day. Tonight the white stuff is pretty much done falling, but is by no means done being on the ground. At this point the plowed banks are high enough that it's getting difficult to see if traffic is coming at lots of crossroads.  "Life is dangerous." But we keep reminding eachother that we are one day closer to that mythical season called Spring. Yup. And daylight's staying till a tad after 6 P.M., so we do see the tinyest bit of hope. On to art!

For all you drawing types, I thought it might be fun to show the pencils used in the creation of "Mr. Bossypants." Through the years the Primsmacolor brand colored pencils have multiplied not unlike rabbits around here. Many were purchased at full price at art supply stores, but we've lucked into MANY at garage-sales, thus balancing out prices per pencil to a more reasonable amount. Last summer I lucked into a full little-used set of 24 still in metal case, for fifty cents. Have yet to put them to use, but it's nice to know that they are waiting in the reserves.

Here, again, is the bunny (phase 1):

He was blocked out, in outline only, with a regular old HB 2 pencil.

Pencils matching local colors on original photo were located in the pencil stash. Also, a mix of warmer and cooler colors to play with while layering. It's all about the layering.... (Note: see that slash of Indigo Blue between ears? At the time I'd THOUGHT it was the right tone to put down there. Wrong..., but even with numerous attempts at covering the area with more appropriate colors that blue would not be denied. LESSON: some colors cannot be second-guessed. Go easy with the cool colors at first, especially with a warm subject.)

On to the pencils used for "Mr. Bossypants." Unless noted, all are Prismacolor brand.
In no particular order:

*Indigo Blue
*Black Grape
*Plum (Pedigree/Empire brand)
*Dark Umber
*Dark Brown
*Sepia
*Sienna Brown
Yellow Ochre
*Goldenrod
*Bronze
*Artichoke
*Gingerroot
*Cream
*Blush Pink
*French Grey 90%
*French Grey 70%
*Warm Grey 50%
*Warm Grey 20%
*French Grey 10%
*White

Also, tortillions, or blending stumps, sizes #3 and #4:

I don'd often use blending stumps when drawing, preferring more often to use the pencils themselves. However, with this subject  these paper goodies were quite useful.

My thought on art supplies in general is: Use whatever you need to use to get to the result for which you are questing.

An artist does not need to have everything ever created in the filed in which you work, but it doesn't hurt to have a number of goodies on hand. I VERY seldom use those pokey things, but I was glad that they were waiting in the studio.





So, after layers and layers of the above pencils blended with the above stumps, and a few trips to the mirror, and conferring with husband and daughter, and looking at photo to make more and more  similar shadings, the bunny known as "Mr. Bossypants" came to be. Most pencils seem hardly to have gotten any shorter, though they were sharpened early and often. Blending stumps were sanded down from time to time. And, yes,  a hunk of trusty rubber eraser was put to use a time or two.

And here, once again, is the final bun-neh in all his flat furry glory:

Yup, that Indigo Blue is still haunting me... Oh well, lesson learned? Hoping so!

And, Yes, it's time to get back to the bears. And hoping for Spring!

Fare-thee-well,
Sue

Mr. Bossypants

Just a quick something that happened because:

* Daughter has friend with house bunny.
* Daughter photographs rabbit and gave me all of the pix.
* One day I "need" to drawing something that isn't a bear.
* This toned charcoal/pastel paper is just sitting there waiting to be used.
* The backside image of bunny is most intriguing.
* Grid ratio on ruler works great with paper size.

* The bag of Prismacolor colored pencils is near at hand.
* I allow myself large chunks of a couple days to "play" with this bunny.
* Comments on posts of progress on Facebook help cheer me along.
* The more I look at photograph the more detail becomes apparent.
* I decid to play with a large variety of warm and cool colors, while staying true to fur color.
* The mirror image helps in changing outline just a tad.
* Bunny becomes more and more "alive" as pencil stroke layers grow and grow.
* At last I had to decide "just fifteen more minutes" - or the piece would still be thought unfinished.
* Even after he is done..... I have to tweak the drawing just a little more.....
* And I do regret slightly that bit of Indigo Blue near the top - a color I'd thought fitting when first layed down... Oh well. Lesson learned.

So, now..... introducing "Mr. Bossypants"!!!

Backside.

Tomorrow, it's back to the bears.

Every once in a while, or much oftener if possible, dare to try something different - Yes, hop to it! Time to rabbit up tonight. (sorry....)

Fare-thee-well,

Sue