Sandra
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Viewing 8 posts - 1 through 8 (of 8 total)
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SandraParticipantI haven't tried upside down drawing in a very long time, and again, it forced me to slow down, and use all those skills we've learned. After awhile it just became like doing a puzzle - here's a squiggle, it points at that line, it's halfway down, under the bulby thing, same length as this line. But wow those islands were tricky.in reply to: Drawing What You See – Upside Down Drawing #741558
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SandraParticipantI sat outside with my dogs long enough, that the hummingbirds kept landing in the branches above me to sing! (I was near the feeder) Eventually the cardinal and other birds popped in. They kept moving, but as expected, they repeated a lot of the same positions. I started seeing the shape, and dark vs. light. Observing with the purpose of gesture drawing, made me notice the same shape and pattern on another occasion. I was reading a workbook, but looked up and saw a hummingbird and was able to make a quick note on the page - the line of the tail and wing, and where the darks were. We strengthen the muscles we exercise!in reply to: Capturing Behavior – Gesture Drawing #741355
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SandraParticipantIt was difficult to avoid the temptation to look down at the paper. But once again it forced me to slow down and focus, which is the point of this class, for me. I also experimented with drawing counter-clockwise/dominant hand, clockwise/dominant, and clockwise/non-dominant. It didn't seem to matter much for this exercise, but slowing my eye focus was key. I was kind of relieved when I got to the feet of the springbok and saw they overlapped and I didn't have to go all the way up and down the legs!in reply to: Focusing on Your Subject – Blind Contour Drawing #740471
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SandraParticipantFirst, it's October and still in the 100's, so my garden is hot and tired, much like I am. I found two flowers to compare and my dogs encouraged me to clip them and finish the work inside. I didn't have a plan, but words formed around my image in a cluster, much the same as the flowers grew. It was fun to look closely and see the similarities and differences. Shape and color stood out the most. Most plants good for Arizona have tiny leaves, so I'm guessing this vine has grown so well because it has shade.in reply to: The Power of Comparison #739125
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SandraParticipantI spent some time in my local park. The grassy areas had just been seeded, so the sprinklers were going on and off around me. I noticed the sparrows drank water from the puddles, but the grackles waited until the water shut off to walk around the grass. Do bugs crawl up out of the water? Does the freshly planted seed show up better in the wet grass? Does the wet grass feel good on their toes? I wouldn't have noticed this had I not been an intentional observer.in reply to: Noticing Themes in Nature #739031
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SandraParticipantI chose a corner of my yard for the first sit. I love this 'observe and record' method and can't wait to try more locations as the weather gets nicer. Having an assignment really helped me slow down and be intentional. I could smell smoke from a wildfire, the temp was 97º, the neighbor's dog was barking, but I felt it was a positive experience. At one point a hummingbird hovered above me and I was the one being observed. The hardest part of the whole thing was to close my eyes and breathe. I will remember to do that more often.in reply to: Opening Your Senses #738273
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SandraParticipantI felt both relieved the subject wasn't moving, and worried about trying to do everything I could see. The angle of legs and toes is always challenging. If I wasn't asked to draw from the photo I wouldn't see how the toes hang over and curl around the branch. Also the spots on the leaves and just how much lichen there was! I believe nature journaling gives you the chance to find out what interests you most. I can't wait to see how this works in the field!in reply to: Jump Right in! #736473
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SandraParticipantI am an artist who loves nature and birds. I get excited all over again whenever I see someone's nature journal, or travel sketchbook and want to be more intentional about my observations and recordings. When our kids were little we took the time to stop and watch every ant, spider and bee and I want to feel that wonder again. I'm trying to slow down while I find my balance between loose watercolor, and detailed line. I'd like to add more words into my pages, and I love the way the boxes look, so I'm going to try that to unify my ideas. Here is a page from last year - what I really like about it is that my dog walked on the book and left a pawprint. It really looks like a smudge, but the note makes me smile and remember sitting there outside, drawing with my daughter, while our dog bounced around. Pen and watercolor.in reply to: Style Your Journal Your Way #736279
Viewing 8 posts - 1 through 8 (of 8 total)