Illustration Friday- "The Blues"

It's funny how life works sometimes. I've been kicking around ideas for the weekly illustration theme. While doing so, I was slashing loose drawings with these Rembrandt oil pastels. I tried ironing the drawing onto another surface, but it wouldn't transfer. So I drew into it some more. Then I started trimming off edges right and left, till all that remained was the central image. Then a phrase from a discarded library book page surfaced, and fit the image, so it got added. Oh, OK, so it is The Blues. I was trying way too hard. When I slowed down it caught me.

Confidence

My next attempt, with a softer paper. I imagine these two people are confiding in each other, and confidence also means I am trying to be more confident in using a new medium.

I read this blog tonight, and took to heart her advice to get to the desk and "do something, anything." So, here it is...something done with confidence. Thanks, Samantha Kira!

Marching on, into Muddy Waters

I joined Wet Canvas, and thought I'd better just work with what's at hand, so hauled out these Rembrandt oil pastels.
It can only get better from here, judging from these beginnings. I put some gesso on the page first. Of course I know I ought to be using a real support: one of the expensive sounding papers, or masonite but consider it my freeing-up exercise.

Tonight there were spectacular sunsets across the valley, but still enough heat to keep birds gathered underneath a nearby palm.

Illustration Friday: Juggle

This week's Illustration Friday theme is "Juggling." Since time and priority juggling is an everyday reality, I started with that. But, ordinary carnival jugglers were out of the question. There always seems to be something to gain and something lost in everyday juggling. So I thought, why not go for the really big stakes? World juggling. So my subject is playing for very high stakes.

It is also a stretch for me, using colors more vibrant than I usually do.
Gesso on cardboard and Prismacolor pencil, 8 1/2 x 11.

Jazz Musician, Listening

This is an experiment using colored pencil with Golden Gesso for Pastel on a square of 7 x 7 inch cardboard. I've never used gesso before, but like the way it multiplies and randomizes the effects you can get with your pencil strokes. The subject is someone I have probably seen somewhere, but for the purposes of the exercise, I imagine him as a Jazzman, listening for just the right note.

The Nighttime House

At night time, my house has a life of its own. Here are four of the things it does while the residents of the house are sleeping, ...or trying to. Since I was still awake, I was a witness. I think some interesting drawings or paintings could come from this, but meanwhile, the photos capture that mood.

Alternatives

Or, maybe I should have selected less information, focusing on a more intimate view of the subject: