nanke's stuff

I can't call this finished because it isn't.  There are too many things about it that disturb me.  However, it is over.  I'm tired of fiddling with it, so I'm moving on down the highway.  The question, of course, is which highway?  Yes, I know this was supposed to be the prelude to a watercolor.  The paper is sitting on my drawing table with tape around the edges as a sort of frame.  The tubes of paint are on the table, too, but not the brushes.  Hmmm - a Freudian slip in neglecting to get out the brushes? 

I did do a quick pencil sketch on the paper .... and by quick, I mean I spent about 2 minutes on it.  Now in the past when I've done watercolors, I've spent a great deal of time on the sketches - both the value sketches as well as the finished sketch on the watercolor paper.  I think my approach to this one is indicative of how I feel about starting it.  OK, I'm getting entirely too self-analytical and I'm feeling a bit silly about it all.  So, without anymore comments, here's the colored pencil drawing.

So,  I'm still struggling with my art.  I've had this strong pull to return to watercolors for quite some time, but I find I've lost my confidence.  So, recently I decided to do a painting of a small corner of one of our gardens.  I could have photographed it first to make it a tad easier for myself, but I didn't.  I decided that I would do a quick sketch followed by a value sketch, then I'd sketch it out on the watercolor paper (which, by the way, I've had sitting next to my drawing table for I don't know how long all stretched and ready to go), and just dive right in.  It didn't work out quite that way. 

I did the sketch, started the thumbnail value drawing, got impatient, did a quick sketch on the watercolor paper, and then just froze.  I even picked out my palette - the tubes  of paint are sitting on my drawing table as we speak.  What I did instead is get out my journal and start a colored pencil drawing of the scene.  I haven't finished it, but since it's been so long since I've posted anything on my blog (another stumbling block, I might add), I thought I'd share with you where things stand at the moment.  As you can see, the drawing isn't finished yet, but I'm hoping to finish it tomorrow.  But here's the thing..... when it's finished, I won't have any excuse not to start the painting.  The thought fills me with dread and fear.  I know, it's totally silly - who the heck cares?  But there it is ..... it's how I feel right at this moment ...9:06 PM on Father's Day, 2010.

We spent this past weekend in Nashville with our son, daughter in law, and our wonderful, 2 year old grandson.  It was Hot and Humid and we had a Great Time!!  CC, our grandson, has taken to running full-tilt boogie up and down the sidewalk.  Since it's right next to the street, someone has to be with him every step of the way.  I ran and ran, back and forth, every now and then trying to coax him back up to the porch.  Finally I spied 2 sticks that had blown down in a storm - one his size and one my size....Walking Sticks!!  Of course you can't run with a walking stick, and he was completely taken by them.  So then we spent a lot of time walking up and down, discussing many things.  It was fun, interesting, and oh so much easier than running in the sun.  He's so cute I can hardly stand it.

OK, enough grandma talk.  I took a wee bit of time to do a rather quick watercolor of a lovely plant holder that they have hanging outside next to the door of the porch.  It's a very cool piece, and Sarah had put hydrangeas in it cut from one of the many lovely flowering shrubs they have.  I'm so out of practice and still struggling with the inner beast, but I'm happy that I did something, at least!  Oh, I recently bought the book The War of Art, but I haven't had time to start it yet.