Lady

Lady 2 - more contrast, originally uploaded by askthemoon.

I wanted to draw this lady recently for how she was holding her arms. I drew her later from memory, trying to "feel" how the hands would go. It captures the pose pretty well. She was calm and interested in the person speaking to her.

Winter Sun

Winter Sun, originally uploaded by askthemoon.

The winter sun in a thoughtful mood, pausing to consider the year to come. Here in Arizona it usually does just as it pleases. (Another drawing from the pre-sleep subconscious.)

~Wherever its caravan goes~

Wherever its caravan goes, originally uploaded by askthemoon.

Sketching before sleep: I was inspired by reading from “The Calligrapher’s Secret” by Rafik Schami ~

“I follow love
Wherever its caravan goes,
Love is my religion
And my faith”
~~Ibn Arabi, Sufi scholar

Outrage - Sandy Hook Elementary

I found the sorrow of this week's news was eased by drawing. To bear witness in some way to the pain and the disbelief people feel at such times. The news images were overpowering, but this response and other drawings helped

 

Trumpet Man

Trumpet Man, originally uploaded by askthemoon.

Chris Botti from my Art Center's latest flier. The "rib tickling" and 'high flying ' refer to other Art Center acts, but even listening to Chris's CD's is always "awe inspiring." I may not get to attend, but will draw instead.

Sketching Before Sleep: Guitar

Sketching Before Sleep: Guitar, originally uploaded by askthemoon.

I recently went to a wonderful guitar concert that made me feel this way. The Romeros (The Royal Family of the Spanish Guitar.) Drew this before going to sleep that night wrapped in their intertwining harmonies.

From "Wish Me Luck"

French cafe man, originally uploaded by askthemoon.

Draw-in-a-book again. The sketch is fromthe DVD "Wish Me Luck", of a French Resistance fighter in an outdoors café. He had just turned to watch someone leave when I paused it. Used my camera instead of the scanner to show the paper texture a bit more. You can’t do much erasing, though. Is anybody else drawing in books?

Interrogation with Cigarette

Interrogation in a Shopping bag, originally uploaded by askthemoon.

Drawn while watching a Nazi spy story called "Wish Me Luck". I was particularly interested in the hand holding the cigarette. Figure superimposed over an old shopping bag sketch. I practiced the hand again, in case I need it later. (Askthemoon is the blog of Margaret Abbott)

Thankful

Thankful, originally uploaded by askthemoon.

A warm cup and the privacy of a quiet sofa at day's end. Time to process the day's events. Watching the news reminded me how I take these comforts for granted.

This is Art Therapy

This is Art Therapy, originally uploaded by askthemoon.

After a difficult day, I borrowed the red wine from dinner to start this image. Then, watching reruns on CNN I drew the psychotic looking cat with red pencil. I was listening to the story of suriviors from Jim Jones People's Temple. Now the wine color reminds me of blood.
The value in art therapy is putting feelings inside you onto the art, seeing them there, and knowing you can get free of them this way.

Watching

Watching, originally uploaded by askthemoon.

Based a bit on my daughter, who can always give me that piercing look. This is also on Everyday Matters Facebook page.

Black is the Color of My True Love's Hair

Black is the Color of My True Love's Hair, originally uploaded by askthemoon.

I bought old sheet music of this Appalachian folk ballad, intending to draw on it. Am practicing today on my sample ballot.
This is also posted on Everyday Matters Facebook page today.

Morning Coffee

Morning Coffee, originally uploaded by askthemoon.

All the focus is on that first warm sip in the morning.

The same old tools

The same old tools, originally uploaded by askthemoon.

Sketching what was in front of me. The horse sketch is not in perspective. When I drew that, it was just a doodle. Then I began adding stuff and wound up here.

Biblio Buddha

Biblio Buddha, originally uploaded by askthemoon.

I never do read the page until the drawing is done. But I found this one interesting with all the references to death and suffering and belief buried under the lines I had drawn.

St Mark's Horses

Untitled, originally uploaded by askthemoon.

The bronze horses at St. Mark's, doodled with some lettering on a manila envelope.

Cactus Flower

Untitled, originally uploaded by askthemoon.

I paused the DVD of Cactus Flower and tried to draw Goldie Hawn (circa 1969) in a typical feisty pose. It doesn't look much like Goldie, but it still looks feisty.

My Corner

My Corner, originally uploaded by askthemoon.

It's nice to come home from work to this corner lamp, shining on a place to read, draw, and restore the spirit. The wind chime is a little longer than this, and a cloisonee hummingbird hovers among the glass pieces.

Deep Woods Meditation

Deep Woods Meditation, originally uploaded by askthemoon.

Drawing layers of trees is a kind of meditation, each layer deeper in shadow and the difference between figure and ground becoming more ambiguous.
See other photos on my Flickr gallery.

Book Cover with Birds

Book Cover with Birds, originally uploaded by askthemoon.

I enjoyed reading this book, but the cover is much, MUCH nicer than this. Actually, I am considering cutting off the cover and framing it I like it so much. Or maybe just try another drawing.... or maybe feature it in a still life. Now, there's an idea!

Little One

Little One, originally uploaded by askthemoon.

A sketch from the calendar on my desk. Drawing choices at work are limited to sharpies and highlighters of various colors. 2 x 4 inches.

This Way Out

This Way Out, originally uploaded by askthemoon.

My parking garage at work - a strange videogame with bright graphic signs. There is an underlying beauty in the concrete beams and pillars. A fraction cooler here than out in the blazing Arizona sun. When it rains (the monsoons are here) water pours down into this space and we wade to our cars, getting wet feet. Last week there was a huge dust storm and this spot was swirled with dust and broken palm debris. The resident pigeons all took cover and waited it out. As did the people inside the building.

Keep Moving Forward

Illustration Friday: Forward , originally uploaded by askthemoon.

This is one of the best things I've done lately. It's drawn on a page of a book. But since I drew "from life" (my hand in the mirror) I see the importance of drawing from life instead of TV, paused DVDS or imagination. Life drawing has an energy I miss terribly.

Story Teller

Story Teller, originally uploaded by askthemoon.

"He looked down at his hands, then out across the grass. "It started yesterday," he said.
Started with the eyes, and the rest of the face followed. Then came the backstory.

Knight One

Knight One, originally uploaded by askthemoon.

Doing this one reminds me of the energy of printmaking. I miss that.

Debra Two

Debra Two, originally uploaded by askthemoon.

I paused a show I was watching and sketched Debra Winger, but this doesn't really look like her. It was fun to work quickly, before the pause timed out, which it does on my TV.

Prepare Through Practice

Illustration Friday - Prepare Through Practice, originally uploaded by askthemoon.

Is this the easy way out? I grabbed my calligraphy practice book, my wooden artists hand, and an old sketch of Egyptian eyes, shot it with my Nikon CoolPix camera, added a few extra words in Photoshop and ... it was fun! A pure flight of the imagination.

Compulsion

Compulsion, originally uploaded by askthemoon.

It wasn't until I saw this online that I realized what to do with the OTHER side of the book. Something about day/night or heat/cold because of the line between the two colors and how the drawing changes when you draw on each one. Something like the coming/falling of night. Nightfall.

21st Century Petroglyph

21st Century Petroglyph, originally uploaded by askthemoon.

This was a pale blue-on-white paper sketch. With Photoshop help I can make it appear ancient, significant, even monumental. Thanks, Photoshop.

Cast Shadow

White Lady, Blank Slate, originally uploaded by askthemoon.

White Lady, casting a shadow. Another way to look at the "La Dame Blanche" drawing. I'm not very adept in Photoshop but it's fun to play with effects.

La Dame Blanche

La Dame Blanche, originally uploaded by askthemoon.

I didn't draw on the book page. Instead I scanned a blank page and also my drawing, then combined them. I like drawing IN books best, but wanted to see if this would work. It has an old school "illustration" look, like from a magazine of the 1940's.

Illustration Friday's Post-it Post

Grounded, originally uploaded by askthemoon.

Illustration Friday's theme this week was "grounded." I found this from a while back, my Buddha on a sticky note. Drawn at work in a moment of need for calm. I must draw on Post-its more often. They "concentrate the mind wonderfully," (like death or danger as I recall reading.) Also the square shape makes it easy, and the disposable nature of the paper makes it "no big deal."

Hummingbird

Hummingbird , originally uploaded by askthemoon.

I'm trying to add some motion and color to my repertoire. A ceramic tile Joy gave me was the basis for this. I did a very loose rubbing, and then drew into it some more. Then scanned it into Photoshop and added color. It looks a bit like a Hallmark card but I like it anyway.