Rhythm - 14" x 11" - Acrylic, watercolor pencil and gesso on Masonite - $300
This is an exercise from the Expressive Drawing book by Steven Aimone dealing with rhythm. It was easy to do. What do you think?
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.
Expressive Drawing 1.2 - 14" x 11" - House Paint on Paper - $300
This is another automatic drawing, similar to what I did in the previous post. The idea is to “just do what comes natuarally.”
The variation for this one is to create the drawing with your non-dominant hand, which in my case, is my left hand.
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!
"Dwellings Series #1" - 14" x 11" Acrylic and colored pencil on canvas board - $100
Went shopping today.
Went to Barnes and Noble and got an ARTnews magazine. Paid $6 so I can subscribe for $20 and get a whole year. I should have just take the subscription card! Oh well, it gives me something to read in the bathroom.
Then I saw another book, Expressive Drawing: A Practical Guide to Freeing the Artist Within
Then I went to Michael’s and they were having a sale. 40% off stretched canvas. I almost bought armloads of them but then reminded myself, I paint to roughly to use stretched canvas. And besides, I don’t have that kind of money. You know, starving artist and all. I ended up with some woodless pencils, woodless color pencils and watercolor pencils. And a few of those canvas panel boards to get started with. I plan to get some masonite because it is cheaper and I can cut a bunch out of a 4′ x 8′ piece.
It is a 30 minute drive for me to go shopping, so I looked online and found a place called Dick Blick Art Supplies. They sell art supplies and will pay your shipping if your order is big enough. I haven’t compared prices yet, but it looks like they have some pretty good specials. If you want to check them out, you can here.
I went to Lowe’s to get the masonite or “hard board.” $12 bucks for 4′ x 8′ piece. I got two and had the guy chop them up into managable pieces that would fit in my car. I don’t know what sizes I will chop them up into when I get home. I guess I should look at standard frame sizes, so I don’t make it too hard for my customers and force them to get custom frames.
Got home and started painting. First time in years. It is slowly coming back to me, all the techniques I used in college. I really like some of what I did back then and I will try and incorporate that into what I am doing now. I will let you know how it goes.
My first piece is of a village in Italy. I am going to do houses for a while, using the forms in the house as shapes for an abstracted piece. What do you think of “Dwelling 1?” Please comment below. I would love to hear from you.
