I have a friend who has been asking me to post some of my art work. The pure and simple truth is that my art has recently been spent on helping to raise a child, my grandson Sam. His other grandmother and his father each take a week and I take the third week. Then we start the process all over again. I travel 6 hours by train there and six hours by train back. Another 45 minutes is spent each way in travel by car, and that doesn't count packing and unpacking at which I have become expert. One of the best ways for me to pack for the same place repeatedly is to leave the things in the suitcase that I always take as travel items and a list of the things I will always need. One must consider as well, that I have horrible food allergies and must pack all of my own food for the trip and part of the food I will eat while there for five days. I have my bags down to a small computer/overnight bag, and a backpack. So, that has been my most current art work - the art of being a loving grandparent and parent.
When I have free time I have settled down to work on a pad of Bristol paper that I bought as a sketchbook. The first drawing it was so much fun that I decided to do a series of all of the pieces of paper in the pad. I use the same #2 pencil for all of them to keep things transportable. Each drawing originates with one single shape, which is then repeated over and over until a texture is knit upon the page. Then I add darks. If I run out of room for large shapes, then I make underlayers of those images beneath the existing ones. A close up shows the scribbly and scrawly filling in of dark values. I'm not fussy about coverage, just the value. I have only six of the pieces finished, but two are total failures. There are 20 papers in the pad, so that means that if I'm really lucky I'll end up with 13 or 14 good pictures, but then one can never count on luck, only skill and practice. I don't think there will be 20 six by six drawings.
Please accept apologies for my editing errors. I am unable to find a 'delete image' spot on this editor, so there are two of one image.
5 comments:
I found your blog. Your artwork is wonderful. I am a stitcher and that is my art.
I too am a grandmother, of 2 boys. When the first one was born it filled my heart so. I could not imagine loving someone the way I had loved my daughter. And yet I did.
Then number two grandson came. Mixed feelings. I was sure there was no way my heart was big enough to hold more love for another child. But, yes, it was big enough and they are both such a blessing to me.
I read sort of an undercurrent in your blog that something has happened to Sam's mother. I don't want to pry. It does make me sad though to think someone that young would not have a mother to help raise him.
But you will learn, as I have, that helping to raise a grandchild is one of the greatest things you will ever do. You will find that all the things in life you have learned help to make you a much better "parent" than you were to your own child.
Bless you.
Donna
These drawings are great! Such detail, they must take a very long time to finish. Thank you so much for sharing. Finally!
The drawings take about 48 hours each - about 4 days. I love detail, so these small drawings alllow me to get that out of my system in preparation for my loose work.
OK, I'm jealous! But it's my own fault - need to make "art dates" with myself. You wouldn't think it would be so hard to take time to do something you love and has so much soul connection! Good for you, grandma!! LOVE the little details, I'm showing these to one of my detail-oriented grandpunks who is quite an artist.
Marilyn,
These drawings are delightful. It must be so satisfying to do them. I recently discovered an art group that meets every Tuesday just after my Family History shift. It didn't take much encouragement on their part to convince me that I need to join them. The opportunity to be creative unlocks a very important door in our souls! Also, it is very hard to put into words what a blessing it is to be a parent and grandparent, isn't it?
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