Starting a New Year

 

I've ended my year, 2024 with the completion of this image, a drawing done from a snapshot my mom took of me and my younger sister, Jean, in 1956. Featured are our brand new bikes.

I used a rendering technique with pencils and erasers and powdered graphite to achieve this realistic image and here is the link to the 2 plus hour long video.  First Bikes

I am happily ensconced in the world of graphite and ready to tackle my next memory from snapshots of my past. 

In the world of YouTube I am fast approaching as in by the time this blog is posted 10,000 subscribers. So pleased to be reaching so many people.

Thanks for checking in and Happy New Year!

About to enter a New Year

 I've drawn a few more images. Some I've saved, some not. I did a couple of dog portraits for the family and bird portraits but I'm not sharing those here. I worked in Inktense and did a good job, but not great. I've said it before and I'm not going to keep mentioning it again, I promise but Covid a year ago did me in as an artist. I have fnally accepted it even though I've complained about it. I can't paint with anything as I used to. Not watercolor pencils, or acrylics for watercolors or guache; not anything. The only thing I can sill do is draw with graphite ( on white or toned paper) and white pencil (on black paper with a touch of white pan pastel.) Grammar rules have changed so much I don't know if the punctuation goes inside or outside of the parenthesis. 

I once again rearranged all of my art. I put away anything that wasn't serving me and hid it from view. Just graphite and a touch of charcoal. Mostly graphite. And I'm changing my focus; subject matter. Less wildlife and more people in urban settings starting with really old famly snap shots. I have the first one selected. Me and my little sister. So very obviously the 50s. It doesn't matter. Time doesn't matter. Memory matters and I intend to draw memories for a while. I resolved that on the 23rd during a meditation after a frustrating session with my Inktense. 

Yesterday, during the family Christmas Eve dinner (Swedes do that, dine and exchange gifts on Christmas Eve) my younger sister called and she needed to talk. Life in Colorado is rough and expensive and health problems all around. But she wanted to hear good news and speak with everyone and she told me her grandson, my Godson, was interested in writing and art and that he had been watching tutorials and she had been unpacking long unused gifts with art supplies for him. This just lit me up like the Grinch who stole Christmas. She asked me some questions about colored pencils and I said I has come I could share with him. Today, Christmas Day, we lay low, I gathered some art supplies and wrote a letter of instruction and a tiny bit of advice about good content creators he could watch and will mail it on Friday. The post office has to quiet down by then.

My joy about art is back. No matter that I won't be using color anymore. I love drawing and obviously, drawing loves me. But I'm excited again about new videos and sharing what I know with my subscribers. I'm happy about art again. I'm happy from the inside out. It's like G-d, Spirtis, the Universe (pick one or all) planted this interest in my Great Nephew for me as well as him. 

Happy New Year! I wish you all joy in 2025.

Moving Right Along on YouTube and with Glazing

 Here are four of my recent glazing projects. I'm using watercolor pencils, intense and graphitint to glaze graphite and water soluble graphite drawings. It's called grisaille but that's not really acuate. The grisaille portion of the graytone image. The part where I add color is the glazing. I have YouTube videos on all of these pieces; well two are still in editing. I don't know why I left this method of painting way back in 2019. I do love it and it is beautiful. It combines my love of drawing and the ease of glazing to create a colorful image. I have my next promect in mind; I've pulled out 16 x 20 illustration board and I'll be using Derweint Inktense for this project.  Oh, the first three images are Derwent Inktense glazes. The fourth is a Derwent Graphitint glaze.

Okay, so now very quickly onto YouTube. I am finally able to promote my channedl and I am on my 3rd promotion. That's the Barn owl just aboe. I went from 800 plus to 3.3K subscribers in three weeks. I am amazed and delighted.  Once I have 4000 hours watched in a month I can monetize and make better use of Community. I realize that people are clicking on my videos and subscribing and liking and sharing. Also my demographic has changed from the "organic" growth of my channel. It used to be mostly 65 plus aged women in the US and India. Now my subscribers are mainly in the 20s and 30s and slightly more men than women. Oh and it's still the US and India although in both cases the numbers ar are much smaller in India. I follow several East Indian artist. Click on the Barn Owl to see this video.

Yes, I did mention that my next piece is 16 x 20. I'll be creating several glazed paintings in this size and for a while staying away from 9 x 12. I'm channeling my inner James Audubon san the rifle and all of the killing of entire species. I love photography.

I'll be sharing with you soon.

Unwrapping Inktense Pan Paints

Decisions made based on subject matter.

 Everyday I sit down to my computer or look at the wall behind me and I see the most adorable image:

This is actually the last Christmas card I created. Renard passed away this past January. My life is empty for his loss but filled for the joy he brought me.  Recently I have been creating painting of Tomte with Inktense and pastels but the truth is the best that I create are done using what pastel on black paper so from now on I'm painting/drawing all Tomte/Gnomes with this medium. The, the Tomte, like it best. They told me. Not in words but visually. I can see the joy and humor in their faces when they are rendered at night in night scenes dressed in shades of gray. So....birds will be rendered in Inktense and Neocolor II, with ink or without,  and graphite. Dogs will be rendered in graphite and white pastel and Pan Pastels. Humans will be rendered in graphite. I don't know why I hadn't realized it sooner. No, I'm not fallen off my rocking horse. Certain subjects just call for certain media, at least for me. That just solves so many issues for me. 

Certain media allow me to capture the joy of the subject. All media have, for me, a different energy. 

Here are a couple of Inktense Tomte Paintings I've recently completed.

 

Ink and Inktense painting

 Okay. Once again I am shifting direction. As my hands heal I see new options. I'm still in love with graphite and as long as I can I will continue but I tried glazing with watercolor pencils again and wasn't in love with it. So I went to Derwent Inktense and Ink. Back to loving it. I just made a 1 hour 44 minute YouTube video and don't worry. You can skip ahead. During the video I share a variety of methods I use with the pencils and blocks as well as sharing my medium. 

Here's the image and click on it to see the video.

I think he's adorable. I'm going for humorous and lighthearted here. I'm not quite clear of the next project but there will be at least one bird in. 

Thanks for taking a peek.

My coloring book is available on amazon.

My coloring books: Birds, a grayscale coloring book for adults, is now available for purchase on Amazon.com. Click on the image of the cover to go to the order page.