One Artist's Journey

Expressive Drawing 2.3 "Leaves" - Graphite, colored pencil and gesso on paper - $300

There was a variation for this one. We were supposed to start writing and doodling and let the words dictate the lines and drawings, and so on. I started writing and it didn’t suggest ANYTHING. Nothing at all.

I decided to change tactics and started just drawing my long looping landscape lines. I continued that and filled in areas and ended up again – with nothing. I sat down on the floor of the studio and couldn’t figure out what to do.

Then I looked at the negative space between the areas I had filled in. I thought, “Hey, this space looks like a leaf. Oh. This one too. I can fill in two here…” And so on.

So I filled in the spaces with leaves. I really liked how it all turned out.

Expressive Drawing 2.2 "In My Garden" - Graphite, colored pencil and gesso on paper - $300

This one grew naturally into a painting about plants, growing, roots, seeds, leaves. It was fun to work on. At least it wasn’t about castles!

Expressive Drawing 2.1 "Above and Below" - Graphite and gesso on paper - $300

PAINTINGS COMPLETED TODAY: 3
PAINTINGS COMPLETED TO DATE: 64

I am really trying to get the hang of this cover up technique. I see art that uses it and I really like the idea that there is a hint of something that was lost and covered up in a painting. “What can it be?” “Why was it covered?” These are some of the questions that are asked when things are covered up as you paint.

It adds depth – not just physical depth, but an emotional depth to a piece.

I can talk about it, but it is difficult to cover something up that I have put into the painting. It isn’t like you cover up a mistake. It is something good, but it is just less essential to the art you are working on right now.

The following three paintings are designed to help me learn how to cover things up. I think I was successively more successful.

Expressive Drawing 1.4 - 14" x 11" - House Paint on Paper - $300

This one was fun. The variation was to take my brush and tape it tot he end of a long stick. I used my boys’ practice sword. It was fun painting with a long sword. The marks came out very calligraphic and lyrical. This was a fun exercise that I would like to try again with the eliminate and cover up technique.

Expressive Drawing 1.3 - 14" x 11" - House Paint on Paper - $300

Third variation: Start with eyes closed. I started with my eyes closed and created the blue lines. I continued a little longer with the blue paint, but it wasn’t dark enough, so I switched to the black paint.

Me teaching my first art class in a school

Today I taught an art class in my 2nd grader’s class. I had spoken with his teacher during our parent/teacher conference. I mentioned that I was an artist and could teach a class. She took me up on the offer and today I taught my first real school art class.

I did the second exercise in Steve Aimone’s “Expressive Drawing” book. We did some automatic drawing with a little “veiling.” the kids did a great job and I think I blew it when I said “OK kids you have 2 minutes left…” because they just started whiting over everything and scribbling over everything they had just done. There were a few really nice pieces.

I told them their parents just might not understand what they were doing because it wasn’t really a picture of something. So they should just tell their parents it is “Expressive drawing.”

One little girl was crying because she scratched her paper and the teacher wouldn’t let her get a new one. I asked her how she felt and then told her to draw how she felt on the paper. She started scribbling within the lines she had just drawn and it looked really cool.

One boy's "Expressive Drawing. I like the use of color to add a focal point to the drawing.

I will have to try this again if the teacher will have me back!

Expressive Drawing #2 used as idea for abstract series # 10, 11 and 12. I really liked the bottom left corner.

PAINTINGS COMPLETED TODAY: 3
PAINTINGS COMPLETED TO DATE: 29

Today is Saturday. Soccer games are over. Everyone has gone somewhere. I think I have about 4 hours alone today and I am in the studio. I’m excited. Here we go!

I started the day working on an expressive drawing. I don’t really like it, but then I wondered if I could learn something from it.

I looked at different sections and realized I really liked the bottom left corner. I then took that idea and made a series of abstract paintings. I am happy with them and I really like the last one. Here is what happened…

Expressive #1" - 30" x 40" House paint and gesso on paper - NFS

I have been reading the Expressive Drawing book and have been anxious to start drawing. I bought a roll of white paper that I will use on my plywood easel. I taped a large 30″ x 40″ piece up on the board and went at it.

I scribbled with a 1″ house paint brush. I even used house paint because it is more liquid and flowing. Then I “obliterated” or “erased” with gesso. I think it turned out OK.

It was fun to do.