So here's the deal. I am such a perfectionist that creating art is often very painful for me. Take for example the latest picture I drew in pastels of Keo.
I started out with a photo of Keo I had taken this spring. After examining it, I decided I wanted just the head and shoulders and that the background needed to be changed.
I drew up a sketch.
Next I transferred the image to a piece of watercolor paper and did a first layer of paint. That sat on my drafting/art board for about two months while I would ponder what to do next. I really liked the initial watercolor, but was afraid to add more as to ruin it.
One day in a fit of strange longing for pastels I took out my pastels, grabbed the watercolor image and went to work. The picture at top is what I came up with. It drives me insane to look at it. I couldn't achieve the detail I wanted at the edges, this could be due to lack of quality paper, or lack of experience. The background is really really bad. I hate the colors. I couldn't get the colors I wanted with the limited amount of pastels I have. Did I mention this was my first time using pastels. Yea. I should give myself a break, but instead I put the painting away and decided art wasn't for me. Blah. Then my horses in art magazine came. I have to remind myself that the great artists in this world do not draw for 1 hour every other month, but for hours and hours on end.
There, hopefully I have purged myself of this horrible feeling, and can learn from what I did and move on.
Silly silly me. Because, you know, if I put the painting about 30 feet away from me and squint kinda sideways it's not so bad. ha ha ha! I'm contemplating trying this again with a black chiaroscuro type background. What do you think?
Monday, October 23, 2006
The Art
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5 comments:
Don't be so hard on yourself. Do you have any idea how gifted you are to be able to do that? Especially if it is just casually.......it is beautiful.
I think it's gorgeous. But you are right about the fact that the masters draw and draw and draw-- this is something I tell myself about writing and quilting and...living! The good thing is you are so talented and have a great deal of practice under your belt already, so you are already on your way-- although this portrait is really lovely....but then it *is* of a horse and I am, well, partial to horsies...:) LOL...Putting it up for us to see was a good way to make yourself "end it already!" Now, STEP AWAY FROM THE ARTWORK- STEP AWAY FROM THE ARTWORK!!!
Wow. I wish I could do that. I think it's really lovely.
I drew horses all over the margins of my notebooks in school as a kid. Always got me in trouble with the teacher. ;-)
Pax.
Kimberly
I think it's lovely. You wouldn't want to do one of Lulu would you?
I don't know Liz it might do me in!
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