Spring. ish.

February 29.

Sky's blue.

Birds a-chirpin'.

Ants a-conniving.

Garden's a-happy.

And LumiB's macro mode rocks!!!

.

ArtPact #22

(Originally published on June 19, 2007).

So, yes, I did go on that Hike & Sketch last Thursday.

It was fun, though it made me realize - yet again - that I am sooooooooo not a plein-air nor a landscape painter.

I mean, it was fun to walk around the park, be in the fresh air and the scorching sun (it was a hot day), wash my eyes with the views, and look at the various birds flying cheerfully or hanging out in the slough. But - every time the people I was with cheered, "Oh, let's stop here and paint this!!", I wondered: "Paint WHAT?".

Don't get me wrong: I envy those who look at hills and grass and trees and make a beautiful painting out of them.

I can't. I can look at the most stunning vistas, take tons of photos, but I won't try to paint them. Been there, tried that - and failed. It just doesn't do it for me.

I'm the one who sees an interesting face, a unique outfit or just an intriguing person, and think, "Ah, I'd kill to paint him/her".

So, I did have fun that day. Yes, I sketched, but I am not very keen on what I came up with.

Until we reached the geese!!

We had with us a guy who's amazingly knowledgeable about birds, and in general, paints animals. He keeps trying to convert me from painting people to painting birds (why!?), and at the end of the hike, he gave us a quick lesson about bird drawing. I started off listening out of boredom, but - I have to admit, it was truly fascinating! I'll never look at a bird the same way.

So, after the short explanation and demo, we started to sketch the geese that were posing for us all over the place.

And finally, FINALLY, I did something I am happy to show here. These are merely very quick sketches, done in 1-2 minutes each (well, those geese move fast!), but - that's more like it!

"Shoreline Geese", Ink on Paper, 11" x 7"

And yet:

My name is Nava, and I am not a landscape painter.

By the way, all these sketches were done in the brand new sketchbook, which is my prize for the Honorable Mention Award I received on the painting I have entered at the CCP competition. They sent me this sketchbook, plus a pack of watercolor paper postcards, so I can paint my own on my next trip. Nice freebie, Eh?

ArtPact #11

(Originally published on February 23, 2007).


Since I hardly had time for painting before we went to Grenada, and couldn't really paint while there, I turned to sketching.
It's a fun activity, very elating, the best way to pass time, and very, VERY asocial, as the person you are with gets totally bored.
And yet, 5 minuets here, 15 minutes there - and you get your daily exercise for the hand, the eyes and the right side of the brain.

Obviously, most impressions - and sketching time - were while on the beach.

Here is one from our brief visit to the pretty beach of Lance Aux Epines:
These two highly energetic toddlers kept the sand, the waves - and mostly their parents - very, very busy.

And, at the same beach, some older local kids, who were hanging out, jumping into and out of the water, pulling their boat, exercising like crazy and pretty much having a great time and looking very, very dude-ish.



A couple of days later we took a ferry to the little island of Carriacou.
The trip there was great, as you get to see the whole west shore of Grenada in quite a slow motion, then the ride gets bumpy - as you go over the infamous Kick 'Em Jenny - and when you get to Carriacou after the 90-minute trip, you have an interesting color, something between sickly-green and tan...

So, here is an obligatory sketch of boats anchored in turquoise Caribbean water. I skecthed it while we were waiting for the ferry to take us back to Grenada.
It just started to rain, so this one is sketched with ink, watercolor pencil and a couple of raindrops. Oh, and maybe a spot of two of coconut ice-cream. (they didn't have the nutmeg ice-cream there!).

And - just before the ferry has arrive, that one is of a local Carriacou man talking to some tourists. (who obviously weren't interesting enough to sketch...).

A day or two later, back in Grenada, The JohnnyB and I have finally succumbed to what an island vacation is really all about: hanging out on the beach, having a lazy lunch, reading a book, falling asleep on the beach-chairs, and getting the ultimate sunburn. (that part was reserved for The JohnnyB, that is. I was good, and used sun-screen!).

We chose the beautiful and quite-secluded beach of La Sagesse for that day, and while the JohnnyB was being roasted, I sketched the people, one of them a very sweet elderly tourist, who would giggle all the way to the water, and then start screaming like a teenager, as the water were a bit cool.
She did it each and every time she went in the water, to the merriment of us all.

ArtPact #3

(Originally published on December 8, 2006).


OK, OK...

I admit: I've been stalling until now.

I've had all the good reasons: It's been a crazy week, I was sick, sleepless, over-stressed and busy.
And yet - a pact is a pact.

I actually started the second painting of Nitzku, and it's now reached that depressing stage of being beyond the start (so I can no longer cling to the convenient excuse of "Oh, it's just the first layer"), but not even close to be finished (and I have no idea how to continue).
If you are a painter yourself, you know this stage very well.
It's when you are sure you've lost every hope of ever painting well again.

That shall pass, but not today.

And yet, since I made a pact, I need to post something.
And, since I have nothing else from this week, I am reverting to the sketches I did yesterday at the Presentation Center paint-out.
While the rest of the group was capturing the wonderful landscape, I didn't even try.

You see, I'm one of them peoples that when I see an incredible landscape, I absorb it through my eyes (and the eye of LumiB), then I take a deep breath, and then I look around for people, so I can paint or sketch them.

That's me.

It's a gift

And a curse.

(and if you have no idea what I am talking about - go watch Monk.
.You'll thank me later.
.Wipe!!).


Anyway - at the Presentation Center, BlaineyC told me that four Master Gardeners of California were working in the little golf course that was turned into a garden, so I cheerfully went there, asked their permission to sketch them, and spent 2 great hours with the group of four hilarious gardeners.

I did not produce many sketches (as they were way too fun, plus my favorite sketching pens decided to die on me), but these are the first two sketches I did .

Both sketches done on location, both watercolor and ink on paper.
And some footprints of a stray ant.