• August 15, 2008 - perhaps a blessings in disguise

I'd like to to begin this post by thanking all my faithful readers for their unending support. Even though I don't reply to all of your comments, please know that they are appreciated and I'm glad that you enjoy the lessons. Many of you have left lovely comments on my drawings - because that is all I let you see. Well, my friends... Today you're going to see my mistakes! For example, here is a fine specimen of a thumbnail I drew. Rough, yet the idea is safe on paper. The composition is simple and quite appealing if I may say so. It was based on a drawing I made last year. Desiring to maintain the original feel, I kept the straight-on shot, directly facing the bookcases. Mistake #1 - I didn't experiment. I had an idea, felt comfortable, assumed it would work, and then took off. Good Idea #1 - I made a color sketch, no bigger than 3"x4". Mapped out where I wanted the colors to go, and got a general feel for the finished look I was going for. Norman Rockwell made a color sketch for every painting he made, and I highly recommend this step. When I posted about using water-soluble oils, I spoke too soon. Mistake #2 - I wasn't familiar enough with the medium to justify the expectation of a masterpiece. You can see the color sketch and beginning of the painting here. After waiting, and waiting, and waiting for the paint to dry, Mom coaxed me out of my stubbornness and had me begin again. This time in watercolors. The base of the bookshelves had me worried for a while. I couldn't quite get it to appear in the shadows while maintaining the that old, warm, woody look. Eventually after painting layer over layer, scrubbing and reworking, I ended up with a very muddy, dissatisfying, crusty-looking angular mass dominating the lower portion of my painting. Mistake #3 - Expecting the combination of cool and warm colors to not look muddy. I also believe the over-use of the ruler and painting within straight ink lines felt very oppressive. It literally felt like coloring in the lines with grainy mud rather than expressing a cozy, imaginative environment. I felt depressed. I didn't even want to finish the books. Mom talked with me a while, letting me pour out my troubles and woes. All of a sudden, she stood up and said, "Come on, let's go outside." As we reached the oak tree, she told me run to the pine trees. I ran to the pine trees. When I returned, she told me to run to the grape vines. I ran to the grape vines. Knowing I needed the fresh air and therapy, I continued to follow orders, running here and there about about the yard. Refreshed, and out of breath, we went back inside. Emily was working at the computers and needed to ask Mom's opinion on something. I lethargically sat at my drawing table and considered the possibilities of actually winning the battle of defeat. Reaching for my black Prismacolor pencil, I jabbed at an idea. A happy stick person. And then this emerged: A humble thumbnail, no larger than a folded dollar bill. But it gave me hope. I proceeded to develop the new angle, a three-quarter shot of the bookcases. Inspired by Jesse Wilcox Smith's "Reading in Winter," I quickly drew another one, this time adding a younger (and cuter and more interesting) young fellow than before. At that moment I began to adventurously wonder if this was "the one." I nearly screamed for joy. In fact, I did end up squealing very loudly. Epiphany and inspiration had collided in one gigantic frenzy, proving that a phoenix can rise from the ashes. I ran back outside and danced around for shear joy. (I've become more emotional about my work lately.) God is so good! To lead me to a point where I was so worn out, and then to lay in my lap a darling composition I am more than eager to work with could only be the Providential hand of God. I can't tell you how much I like this painting I'm working on now! It will require lots of focus, but it will be a cheerful one, striving for just the look I'm going for. -Breezy This was also posted at a bowl of moss & pebbles

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