this was a week full of creative adventures

and also I cooked a big dinner for a friend's birthday.

i'm pooped and going to give myself a day off.  but only

a day because I have many weekend plans.  

here are a few daily coffee shop drawings.

and continued charcoal love

I did a few monotypes, first applying inks to 

a paper.  after letting it dry, I ran it through a press 

with an image.  finally adding collage.

I worked on this large spring abstract painting.

finally, went to the santa monica hanger artists

open house.  I found it odd that many of the artist 

studies were not open but did enjoy the trip.  my 

apologies for not having the artist names for these pieces.

this is gus.  his mother has a studio next door.  her work is below, 

the pencil birdhouses.  gus just returned from  painting his way through a 

multi country tour.  his  mother said that as a student in college, gus 

was on his way to being an attorney.  when he mentioned that what

he would do when he had enough money was to pursue art, she said,

why wait?  what a refreshing outlook as a parent.  It turned out to be a good 

decision for gus.

each activity had its unique and interesting 

aspect for me to ponder and learn.  as you probably 

can guess, I try to squeeze as much in my life as I can.

thanks so much for joining me this week.

this posting is linked to a weekly art community,

 paint party friday hosted by kristen and eva.  

hello!  this week i attended a two day portrait charcoal 

workshop with robert kelly at kara bullock studio.

this was the second time i used charcoal.  both times 

i really loved the medium but tried to talk myself out of it.

why?  because it is not the free, spontaneous type of 

creating i often do.  still, what i loved won out and   

i plan to explore a lot more with charcoal!  once again,

i realize that the heart and mind often conflict.  i am 

trying to go with my heart.

this is the final drawing and the following 

are the steps she went through.  

all participants were asked to bring their own 

reference image.  i used the same image for two  

drawings, one on 18 x 24 newsprint, one on 

the same size drawing paper.

 some people chose to try another image. 

there is a lot of push and pull with charcoal.  

charcoal drawing was definitely my creative 

highlight of this week!   what was yours?

posting with eva and kristen's who have been hosting 

paint party friday for seven years.

“After silence, that which comes nearest 

to expressing the inexpressible is music.” 

― Aldous Huxley

Music at Night and Other Essays

a lovely weekend to all

XO

linking with 29 faces

a quick charcoal for the last of the 30 challenges,

though i will be continuing to paint a face a day

with 29 faces and gritty jane's 40 portraits.

charcoal on paper, image color changed to sepia in iPhoto

"I am obsessed with the process of creation"

 Zdzislaw Beksinski