Sketching with the NYC Urban Sketchers

If you've been traveling with me on this journey for any length of time, you know that I'm constantly looking for ways to "up the ante" so to speak. This past weekend I took yet another step. I joined the NYC Urban Sketchers group at the Central Park Zoo. I found out about the group through a post from someone else on Facebook. To be honest, I wasn't really sure what to expect. I had been emailing the group leader Mark during the week but aside from that I was flying solo and blind.

My experience left me so glad I did indeed join them. It was a small group this time around (about 5-6 of us). It's pretty open, as you just show up and join in. Sometimes there are a lot of people, sometimes few.

As we made our way around the zoo, we'd stop every so often and sketch whatever we saw. But this day ended up being more than 3 hours of sketching. Some great surprises were:

• We got to interact with people visiting the zoo. Children would come up and peer over to our sketchbooks. Parents would point us out and say "see that, They're drawing. Isn't that cool?" It was a great reminder that we all start out loving to color and draw, but most "outgrow" it unfortunately. It was like having a magical connection with the kids. So great!
• There's nothing like drawing from life - what you see in front of you. Even the most challenging, like when the animals would constantly be on the move!
• I got to meet 4 or 5 new people from all walks of life and parts of NY (and NJ) who all love to draw. You can't underestimate the importance of being with with like-minded people, especially for artists who usually are creating in isolation.
• A few of us went to a local pub following our sketch time, where we shared our sketches from the day, as well as pulled out some of our supplies and let each other try them out. We shared techniques and observations. Although I had just met these guys that day, I felt a bond by the time the day was over.

I think about what I would have missed out on had I let myself listen to the introvert side of me. Sometimes you just have to go for it. Experience something new. And depending on how you are wired, that may be a no brainer or it might seem completely impossible. But as I've been saying for some time now - just take the the right next step for you - where you are and who you are!

If you're local to NY and want to join in the Urban Sketching fun (no need to be a professional artist - most are people who just love to draw!) they meet up every Saturday! Go sign up to receive info. Even if you make it once, I think you'll find it well worth your time.

Oh yeah - and I was asked to do a guest blog post on the Urban Sketcher site. Check it out!

Kick Your Creativity in the Pants

Everyone finds themselves stuck in a rut at some point. Getting out can seem difficult if not impossible. (Where did I put that motivation?) When it comes to creativity, it's easy to fall back on the same ol', and to stop growing, pushing, reaching, risking...

So here's a suggestion. Join me on a journey over the next 100 days. March 6th through June13th.

I was looking through my Instagram feed and happened upon a post by Elle Luna (@elleluna on Instagram) where she was throwing down the challenge to do a #100dayproject. She's even set up a website for it. What is it? Simply put - One thing. Every Day. 100 times.

It could be five minutes a day. Everyone has five minutes to invest. Keep it simple. Small. Light. Portable.  To be honest, I hesitated because I have already committed to doing a drawing or painting for a year (finishing up in April). Did I really want to commit to another goal? Yes. Why? To keep pushing just a little further than where I am now. But I am keeping it light. I'm doing a black continuos line drawing on my iPhone each day based on a photo that shows up in my Instagram feed each day. (So be warned that if I follow you on Instagram, you're fair game). A quick drawing. The challenge for me comes in the size.

Want more ideas? Check out this and this.

This isn't just for artists either. Do anything for 100 days. Send an encouraging email to someone different each day. Take a photo. Get creative in your thinking and approach.

The reason why you haven't moved forward is because you keep doing the same things. The same ways. You can't expect different results when everything is the same (definition of insanity I believe). A small step is better than no step. And you can join a community of others on this journey as well. So...

Who's with me?

And if you have Instagram be sure to hashtag your daily progress with #100dayproject

And spread the word.

LET'S DO THIS!

Creating Summer Troopers

Let's face it, here in the Northeast, we're all beyond sick of snow this winter. So besides complaining on Facebook, I found a little inspiration to follow hoping it leads to sunny days soon. I was perusing my Facebook stream and came across the following photo from the Star Wars page I follow (don't judge). As soon as I saw it, my mind saw the image I needed to create.

The following was my process on creating "Summer Troopers" as a digital art file on my iPad.

First I downloaded the Trooper photo from Facebook to my photo camera roll on my iPad.

Then using an app called "Sketchclub" I created a new document and placed the photo on the first layer. After rotating and scaling, I changed the opacity to somewhere around 50%.

The I went hunting for the additional images I needed to use as source for the umbrella and man's legs/swim trunks. Once I found those I imported them on separate layers, scaled them, cropped out all the excess of the image and change the opacity to 50% as well.

Starting with the Trooper layer, I selected a new layer where my black line art would live. Once I hid the umbrella & swim trunks layers - I was ready to trace over the troopers with a black fountain pen setting.

I did the same process for each the umbrella layer & the swim trunks layer until my black line drawing was complete. Then I selected another layer where i added flat colors for the ground and the sky. I placed this layer underneath the line art. I then created another layer on top of the flat color to add a few shadow spots and set the layer to "Darken" mode and decreased the opacity to taste. The only portions left to color were the umbrella and swim trunks, so I created another layer directly under the line art and applied the color with a brush tool.

Once my art was complete I saved a JPEG back to my camera roll. Then I opened that Jpeg in an app called Snapseed (a great little photography app!). In Snapseed I adjusted some contrast, saturation (in the "Tune Image" area), added a frame from one of the presets (Frames) that gave it a nice messy edge, and lastly some texture (The Grunge feature - messed around until I got the style & strength I wanted), added some "scratches" for final touches. The reason I added a frame and then the grunge waas so that the grunge effect would show on the frame as well as the image area. Finally, I exported again to my camera roll and Viola - the final digital image of "Summer Troopers"

I hope you enjoyed that quick description of my process. Just remember - have fun, play and remember there's a bunch of tools and methods to help you experiment! Happy creating!

You Can't Make it on Talent Alone

When I was in High School I remember a few kids in my art classes who's work was just stunning. They were so talented and made it seem so easy. It was hard not to be either disheartened or jealous. I remember one day, my Art teacher telling us all that "you couldn't make it on talent alone". At the time I thought that was such a dumb statement.

But the reality of that statement started showing true through my years in art school (2 different ones even). We all started out bright eyed, eager, naive... along the way the crowd was thinned. Some people couldn't hack it, others lost interest. I remember one sad extreme example vividly.

There was a fellow student we'll call "Steve". Steve was so naturally gifted. His work was always praised, and seemed to need little reworking following our critiques. I would have bet he was on the fast track for success. Yet he started to miss some classes here and there. And soon he was absent more than present.  Rumors of alcoholism surfaced. And one day sitting on a bar stool at a local pub, I saw this first hand. He confessed he had no hope. His addiction swallowed him. And Steve disappeared for good one day.

I remember thinking that was such a tragedy. From outward appearances he was this shining star, ultra-talented artist. But his demons got the best of him.

Other Art School dropouts just seemed to be victims of wayward passions, dead-end jobs, financial situations... the normal stuff of life. "You can't make it on talent alone." Now I got it. But what do I do with it?

Keep showing up. Make the best of YOUR situation. Take YOUR experiences and create your art in them, through them, and even in spite of them. Keep learning and growing.

For a long time I didn't. I got sidetracked. Lost. Buried with other responsibilities, false identities, believing lies about myself and my art. But it's never too late.

You can't make it on talent alone: A beacon of hope for those who feel talentless; A tale of warning for those who rely too much on their natural giftedness. Take it as you want. But either way - Just show up. Do the Work. Be yourself. Offer the best you can right now. Keep following the path before you.

I heard Will Smith make a statement on the first episode of the Tonight show with Jimmy Fallon. When Jimmy asked what advice Will gave his kids who are in show business, Will's answer was to make their Art a gift to others. As artists we have the opportunity to make someone smile. To brighten their day even just for a moment. Don't make your craft about pursuing success, but rather a gift to the world around you.

Talent gets you noticed and opens doors. Character and hard work lay the track for your best work, work that impacts your life and  the lives of those around you.

Stop lamenting your lack of talent or opportunity. Give your gift of Art today. Someone in your world needs it.

 {Photo Credit: Louis du Mont}

Confession of Failed Art

This past week I relearned a lesson in not ignoring the "small" stuff. You know, the stuff that you do all the time so you tend to not give it as much attention or care. I set out to do a watercolor painting based on an interesting photo I found on the internet. I took this to my weekly class, as I thought it would be good to have some guidance and support in rendering the extreme shadows (just in case).

My issue became that I just plain rushed the drawing part because I was so concerned about getting the extreme dark and shadows right. I didn't take the proper time to set myself up for success in this project. I rushed and was lazy with LOOKING at my source properly. As a result, when I started painting, things were just "off". No matter how hard I tried to "fix" areas, there was no turing back at this point. I could either commit to finish it as best I could, or scrap it and start over. I didn't have the motivation to start over, and although I wasn't pleased with my results, I pushed myself to finish. When I did, I was missing that satisfied feeling. I felt rather depressed and left myself open to those critical voices that are always looking for an opportunity to tell you that you aren't any good (and here was proof).

But instead of wallowing in my dissatisfaction, I determined to do as I have everyday in the past 10 months - to post it publicly as part of my year of daily drawings/paintings. I reminded myself that tomorrow was another day to create fresh. And I didn't allow myself to "throw the baby out with the bathwater". I asked myself questions: Why did it "fail"? What made it a lesser piece of art? How could I learn from this rather than just feel bad? Sometimes you need those experiences to learn and grow as much as the momentum of doing great work. I know you're wondering what painting I'm referring to, so to satisfy your curiosity look here.

How do you handle your moments of "failure" and dissatisfaction with your creations? Maybe there's a learning opportunity there for you too.

3 Choices That Will Kill Your Art Before It's Created

The pressure to create can sometimes be stressful. There are many outside and inside forces at work that seek to destroy your creative spirit before it even lifts a finger. Here's 3 choices I have found can kill your art before it even has a chance to see daylight:

1. Waiting For Permission

Don't wait for someone else to tell you it's ok to create your art. Don't wait for an invitation. It will never come. And more urgent and "responsible" things will come to sway your attention. Create and create some more because you HAVE to.

2. Seeking Constant Validation

Everyone like's a word of encouragement, or a fist bump for your soul in the form of some Facebook Like's, Retweets, or Instagram Hearts. But basing your artistic self worth on the opinions of others is a recipe for disaster. Be who you are. Be true to YOUR art, even if you are still trying to figure out what that is. Everyone starts there. Give yourself a break.

3. Befriending Perfectionism

Wanting to be excellent is a worthy pursuit. But if you struggle with the voices of Perfectionism in your head you know all too well the following lies:  "You suck, don't even get started on this because you know it's going to fail", "What gives you the right to think someone will care about your Art when there is so much great Art out there already." and "You are not a REAL Artist. Real Artists don't make art like THAT." Kick Perfectionism in the teeth by showing up to do the work each and every day. And if you're brave enough, share your art, especially when you think it's sub-par.

Push Yourself

In this new year, where are you going to push yourself?

This is the question I've been facing. It's easy for me to avoid the next challenge. To get lazy. Or when faced with a new opportunity, to get anxious. All the "what if's" come and haunt me.

But I decided I really do want to move the ball down the field this year. I have yet to show my work in my own solo gallery exhibit. I haven't sold much of my art to date. I haven't entered any art contests.

Well, on one front things are about to move forward. I'm happy to say that I'll be showing my work at the Clinton library in their exhibit space, this coming August. It's small and local, but I'm grateful for a beginning. And this came about because I saw a Facebook post in an art group I belong to. I decided to push myself and inquire.

I also pushed myself in adding my name in the ring to co-host an art radio talk show that looks for different monthly co-hosts. I'm a bit out of the normal range (most are women and have a bit more of a fine art background and presence) but I just told myself to just go for it. The worst thing that can happen is that it doesn't happen. (Which is probably the case but hey, you don't know until you try).

This isn't new years resolution stuff. This is in line with my asking: What's the right next step? And for me, where I'm at on this journey, this is right.

{photo credit}

Scribbling Star Wars

I've been experimenting with a scribble style lately, with Star Wars as my subject matter. This experiment is forcing (sorry for the pun) to keep things fast & loose. It seems the more "successful" ones are where I push myself to just keep moving. Scribble more. Stop & adjust less. My line is a continuous line drawing (you don't pick the pen up from the page at all) using various black inks. Most of the color is watercolor paint, watercolor crayons or pencils. Some spots are non-diluted by water. Every so often I hit a spot with a dark blue china marker. And then I add some white gouache and black watercolor paint. This helps to keep things from breaking down completely, keeping to some highlight & shadow values. It helps give the subjects some form.

To be honest, the first one (Yoda) was the hardest. I wasn't feeling loose. I kept worrying about if things looked "right". It's hard to keep yourself moving. That perfectionist voice doesn't like that. So this is another way to beat him. Keep it fast & loose.

Today I did my Skywalker scribble. I chose this scene, rather than a straight up portrait, because this is my favorite scene from Star Wars: A New Hope. Luke's world has been rocked. His aunt & uncle are dead. He's at a crossroads. He must decide to stay behind and try to pick up the pieces or move ahead into an unknown (and potentially) dangerous adventure. This scene always speaks to me of hope, longing and a sense of destiny. Powerful themes in my own life.

What Are You Learning Lately?

It's no secret that if you want to continue to grow as an artist (or a human for that matter) you need to find ways to keep learning. Experimenting and play can only take you so far. There comes a time when you need to learn some new techniques and skills to add to your arsenal.

If you can't afford a formal class, or have no fellow artist friends you can hit up to drop some knowledge on you - don't worry there's hope. Watching video's to learn something new can be tricky. Just open Youtube & you know what I mean. You can spend way too much time just trying to locate something quality and helpful.

Well, I recently came across this site (and app) called Craftsy. At first I was a bit apprehensive, being a guy and seeing all these sewing and cooking video classes. I'm not Martha Stewart, nor do I have any desire to be. But alas, they offer a bunch in the Fine Arts category. I snagged a holiday offer of %50 off and signed up for a few classes. I've been slowly working my way through, and so far I'm pretty pleased.

So how about it? Are you learning? How have you been acquiring new skills?

If you haven't, maybe this new year is a great time to get back in gear!

Pearl of Potential

Last week, I had the privilege of visiting Pearl Paint art supply store (Canal Street, NYC). Pearl represents a certain nostalgia to me. It was the store that my high school Art teacher, Mr. Hijuelos, spoke of, with a glimmer in his eye. It was the store that I visited to purchase a lot of my art school supplies when attending The Fashion Institute of Technology and The School of Visual Arts. As I climbed the old creaky stairs visiting each floor, a rush of memories flooded back to me about those old days. They were days of eager expectation. Days of wonder and learning. Days of potential and future possibilities.

As I walked the isles, I was thinking about not just products, but tools that could be used to create. Tools that would come to life in the hands of artists. This was more than laptops and software -no cold metal and machine, this was hands on, tactile. And it was wonderful.

It was as if each item called to me. Experiment. Play. See what comes. It's the potential of what could and should be in the art of creating. I even splurged a bit and bought a few clearance item watercolors.

The longer I stayed, the more I was reminded of how much Pearl was an appropriate name. It drew me in and caused me to wonder. To think about my passion, my projects and ideas. Sure, I could probably order most of this stuff on Amazon.com, but I would be robbed of the experience of walking the isles. Interacting with the supplies. The Sights - vivid colors. The Smells. The wonderment of new tools I had never seen before.

If you're an artist, do yourself a favor soon. GO visit a local art store. Drink in the experience. Pick up brushes. Feel paper. Smell the oil pastels. You just might leave more inspired. Not to mention, you might have some new fun tools to experiment with!

Arrival

This piece was inspired by something I read in "The Artist's Way" by Julia Cameron.

Remember that art is process. The process is supposed to be fun. For our purposes, “the journey is always the only arrival” may be interpreted to mean that our creative work is actually our creativity itself at play in the field of time.

(Cameron, Julia (2002-03-04). The Artist's Way. Penguin Group US.)

And then there was this on Danny Gregory's blog:

Because being an artist is a cause you choose for yourself, the rewards are in the journey, and there is no Promised Land. You have to want to proclaim your vision, to broadcast your voice, to change the world. The finish line doesn’t lie at the doors of the Whitney Biennial, it lies at the grave. Every day is a lesson and a revelation and they follow one after the other to the horizon, providing their own reward.

I was also listening to Switchfoot's song Thrive, where this lyric struck me:

Feel like I travel but I never arrive. I want to thrive not just survive.

Perhaps if you have a divine discontent, a restlessness of the soul, you can relate. I need to constantly remind myself that it's not only about the future, the end result. When the dream is attained. But I need to enjoy the NOW, the journey, even though I know I am undone. So today, I create again. I start the cycle again. And when Today comes to a close, Tomorrow brings a fresh start. And I must begin again. Every day when I awake I am back to zero. It doesn't matter what I did yesterday. The act of creating helps me live in the moment. So, I must keep creating. I want to THRIVE, not just survive.

Art Heist: What I stole from the MoMA

Recently, I had the opportunity to visit the Museum of Modern Art in NYC . I try to go at least twice a year, as it helps refuel me creatively. On this occasion, I was very excited to see the Rene Magritte exhibit. And It did not disappoint. I also found a nice surprise in an exhibit containing some works from Edward Hopper.

But I walked away with more than having just seen some great Art. As I meanedred around the museum drinking everything in, two overarching themes came to mind that I was intent on stealing:

1. Create Powerful Images.

Love him or hate him, Rene Magritte created arresting images that caused you to stop and engage. He played with your expectations and delivered something unique.

2. Tell compelling stories.

Edward Hopper's painting and Etchings are like a snapshot of time. Cinematic in nature, they seem to be telling a larger story that they are inviting you into. Often it leaves you with more questions than answers.

What great insights have you stolen lately?

Empire of Light, Rene Magritte

Principio do Prazer (The Pleasure Principle), Rene Magritte

Not to be reproduced, Rene Magritte

 Night Shadows, Edward Hopper 

New York Movie, Edward Hopper 

Night Windows, Edward Hopper 

Art Process: A Pear of Grapes

Did you ever look at a piece of art and wonder how it got to the finished piece before you? It's a rare thing to see art as it goes through it's various stages. Well, today I'm going to let you in on my process for this watercolor still life I've called "A Pear of Grapes". First, I set up some fruit and lighting (for some drama) to my liking. I knew I wanted a few different areas to avoid everything all clumped in the same place.

Next, I taped down a piece of Watercolor paper (Strathmore 140 lb) to a foam board. I'm using Winsor & Newton brushes and watercolor paints at the moment. Also pictured in a kneaded eraser, an HB Graphite pencil and two plastic jars for water.

I started off with a simple pencil sketch to block out my composition.

Starting with the lightest color, I lay down some wash of watercolor paint.

From there, I move on to add more color and a bit of texture, still keeping things light.

I keep layering to get things a bit darker, while still keeping some light areas.

I work the main subject until I feel like I'm at a good place to switch things up (or waiting for an area to dry before working a bit more).

Now, I lay down some color to the foreground, knowing that I'm going to add more texture so I'm not concerned with getting my watercolor smooth.

I do the same for the background, as well as now going back into my dry areas on the fruit to add more texture and lines. I've also added some darker shadows at this point

Now I apply the texture in the foreground area using a darker hue and more pigment of the watercolor paint.

Then I add a little more texture to the background and foreground. And to put some finishing touches, I use a bit of white Gouache for some highlights.

And there ya have it folks. Hope you enjoyed a little peek into my process!

Two Reasons I Expose Myself Every Day

Now that I've got your attention...

I've often heard people say that you should only show your best work. By doing so you control the image people have of you, and the quality of your work. While I agree it's important to put your best work out there, I disagree with it being the only thing people see.

We live in a world that has convinces us we must manage our image and PR ourselves to be the brightest and the best. Show no flaws. Never let them see you sweat. Believe your own hype. But the problem is, we all know that's false. No one is capable of continuously creating great work without any flaw. No one is perfect, yet that's exactly what we try to portray. Because that's what we've been told and taught. Not convinced? Just look at our filtered Instagram photos or Pinterest boards filled with professionally looking desserts and home made goodies.

I believe there is greater value in being human. Being flawed. Humble. Authentic. Showing a more complete image - the "good" and the "bad".

Now when it comes to showing our art in the internet, I believe it's no different. When I started my goal of doing a drawing (or some form of art) a day back in April, I decided that I was going to go public and expose myself. Expose my art. Gulp. And not just those pieces I felt good about. Everything. So since then I've been posting everything on Instagram. Why?

Two reasons:

1. Dealing with perfectionism. You see, if I gave in to those voices that told me what I was creating was not good enough, continually needed more work, wasn't worthy enough to share, etc. - I wouldn't post anything. Ever. But by choosing to post the "good" and the "bad" I was poking perfectionism in the eye.

2. Being authentic. When you're authentic, you are more approachable by others. They see the great work you do, but also see your struggle, your weaknesses. And because of those things, you are more relatable. How may times have you heard "Oh, I could never be as good as So-and-so... I mean just look at their talent. I'll never be that good." Wouldn't you rather learn from someone who has (and continues) to make mistakes but has learned through those errors him/herself?

I want my art, as well as my life, to be approachable. Relatable. Everyone is on a journey. And that journey has ups and downs. Success and failures. To pick out a few "best of" moments or "Masterpieces" isn't an accurate picture. And most often, just results in frustration and separation.

So I want to challenge you today. Go expose yourself. Show ALL of your work. Be real. Relatable. You just might find you inspire more people with your work and journey.

The pen is mightier than the... pencil?

Back in April, I picked up a book by Danny Gregory called "The Creative License". This was a huge step in reintroducing me to a drawing habit. One of the things he encouraged in his book was to use a pen not a pencil. Why? Because when using a pencil, we have a tendency to make less confident lines, and erase again and again. That coupled with a perfectionist streak can spell trouble for a completed work ever seeing the light of day.

So I took the challenge. At first it was awkward. I wanted to redo some lines and strokes, but had to learn to live with the lines I had made. I had to learn how to make mistakes a part of the beauty of the work. Pen has taught me to make a more confident line. I had poked perfectionism in the eye.

The funny thing is, when i returned to pencil recently, there was less erasing and fretting. Less giving perfectionism a foothold. More confidence.

Back in the day when I first started learning to play guitar, I had an old Yamaha acoustic guitar that had a tree trunk for a neck. At least that's what it felt like. I struggled and filleted my fingers until I had my chord changes down. Over time, I got used to it. And when I got an electric guitar, I marveled at how smooth and easy it was to fret my chords.

Sometimes we need to push ourselves to embrace difficulty, discomfort or resistance. You just might be amazed how it impacts your growth.

What's your next step?

I've been pondering the question of "What's next?" as of late in terms of my passion to create. That is, when I'm not taken in different directions in the busyness of my project lists and the tasks of life. The question is always there in the quietness, when things do finally slow down.

To be honest, I have no big revelations. At least not yet. But what I am convinced of is simply showing up and taking the right next step. Some days that's making sure I get myself in my sketchbook. Or recently, signing up to take a watercolor class (which I'm loving BTW). Still, others days, it's finishing a project I've set out to do (like the art above, commissioned to do based on a page in my sketchbook project) or reading another chapter in The Artist's Way. The only thing that is certain for me is that I must find new ways and opportunities to keep creating more. Creating the stuff that flows out of my heart, and hopefully finds a way to touch someone else.

Part of me feels like it's starting to wake up to more of what could be. I'm leaning into a phrase found in the Bible in the book of Ephesians - Immeasurably more. I want to know what that looks like in my life. For my Art to be immeasurably more that I could ask or imagine - for it to go places and touch people that I don't know.

I'm not talking fame or success. I'm talking usefulness, and being a blessing in some one else's life. I'm not talking grandiose dreams. I'm talking me - fully alive, using my gifts and abilities, and trusting God to use what He desires to - in breathing life into what I create. You might think that's crazy talk. Or prideful. But, you see, for far too long I haven't given my art the value it deserved. And at one point, I almost let it die.

So at this stage in my journey, I'm not interested in "playing" art. I'm interested in real and true creation. Creation that moves me and the people around me. Creation that somehow brings a smile, or a tear, or an acknowledgement of some beauty around us that we miss most of the time. Creation that I'm is born out of passion.

I saw the following video by artist and design Elle Luna (love her name BTW) on a talk she gave entitled "Find Your Must". That's where I am. Where I've been. Where I will continue to be... (at least for a little while I think). Finding and rediscovering my "Must" - what I and only I can & must do.

I resinate with the journey. Maybe you will too. And just maybe it will help you take the right next step on your journey, leading to a new path.

http://vimeo.com/77436516

Embrace the Shake

I came across this TED talk from an amazing artist, Phil Hansen. Instead of trying to dissect this video and make commentary, I'm going to let it speak for itself. It just might be the best 10 minutes of your day. [ted id=1747]

How This Moth Took Flight: My Artist Process

A couple of weeks ago I announced the winner of my contest. Jeannie Pauly (@rovingsprout on Instagram) was the lucky winner with her submission of her huge moth photo.  A perfect Autumn subject (and yes, kinda creepy). The original art will be en route to her this week!

I figured I'd take this opportunity to not only show the final illustration that Jeannie will be receiving but also show a bit of my process. I know that as an artist I love to see other artist's process. So here we go:

First, I go right to drawing out the moth and surrounding pole / background with my Staedler pens (black waterproof ink - 4 pen set sizes .1 .3 .5 .7). I start with a .3 in size and work my way up to a .7 where I want to add a little thicker lines and darker areas. I used to start with pencil, but found that I erased too much & was too noncommittal in my line. I switched it up after reading a book challenging me to go right for pen, as it helps you with more confident line. And it forces you to work with the line you've made, rather than to get stuck in constantly erasing & redrawing, never moving on to the rest of the process.

Then I lay down some watercolors - starting with lighter colors and hues. A little wash here and there. A happy little moth. For brushes, I primarily use water brushes like these. But on this one I also used a few watercolor brushes I have kicking around. Nothing special.

I build that up getting darker and darker, defining more of the shadows.  I have several sets of watercolors I use. It usually is more about selecting the right colors than sticking with a certain brand. I used a few different pan sets for this one. I tend to like colors that pop, and didn't want to keep the brown and almost monotone feel of the original photo.

Then once the watercolors are dry, I'll go back in to a few spots to hit with a darker black Take-sumi ink (that isn't waterproof). I use my TWSBI pen for this finishing touches stage. And, voilà...

And there you have it folks.  Here's the original and the final art! I give you "Moth-er, May I?"

And the Winner is...

Jeannie Pauly! Congrats Jeannie! I'll be working on your sketch in the next week or so.

To everyone else, thanks so much for submitting your photos & being a part of this little experiment of mine.

Jeannie's entry was a HUGE moth from an Instagram photo she titled "nightlife". Speaking of Instagram, follow Jeannie @rovingsprout

 {photo credits: Juditk  /  Jeannie Pauly}

Did the Church Fail Van Gogh?

I've been on a Van Gogh journey for a little over a year now. I realize that as an artist, it's almost cliche to like him. Some might scoff, he's not "indie" enough to like. But I really do appreciate not only his work, but more recently, exploring his story. I have watched several films about his life (most not very good BTW, but I did like Lust for LIfe starring Kirk Douglas & Leonard Nimoy's one man show of Vincent). I have also started reading his biography Van Gogh: The Life (but truth be told I'm finding it a little dense reading).

Something I never heard about Van Gogh in my Art school years was that he was actually in the ministry. As an Artist and Christ follower, my faith has always been an integral part of my work (not always in theme but sometimes in attitude and work ethic). So this particular part of Van Gogh's story was intriguing to me. (Not to mention that I used to hold a pastoral position myself.)

Van Gogh... taught in a Methodist boys' school, and also preached to the congregation. Although raised in a religious family, it wasn't until this time that he seriously began to consider devoting his life to the church. Hoping to become a minister, he prepared to take the entrance exam to the School of Theology in Amsterdam. After a year of studying diligently, he refused to take the Latin exams, calling Latin a "dead language" of poor people, and was subsequently denied entrance. The same thing happened at the Church of Belgium: In the winter of 1878, van Gogh volunteered to move to an impoverished coal mine in the south of Belgium, a place where preachers were usually sent as punishment. He preached and ministered to the sick, and also drew pictures of the miners and their families, who called him "Christ of the Coal Mines." The evangelical committees were not as pleased. They disagreed with van Gogh's lifestyle, which had begun to take on a tone of martyrdom. They refused to renew van Gogh's contract, and he was forced to find another occupation.

(Source Biography.com)

Van Gogh's relationship with the Church was rocky for sure. He was a rebel. Stubborn. He didn't play by the rules. The life he wanted to lead didn't match the code the Church demanded for him. Did you catch this: The evangelical committees were not as pleased. (Ah, yes the "Committees".) So, they fired him.

Did the Church fail Van Gogh or did Van Gogh fail the Church? Perhaps both. Van Gogh's life and story is fraught with strife and struggle. He was far from perfect. But the same goes for the Church. It's very complicated and I don't mean to skim surface issues to reach my own conclusions, but it made me wonder what would have happened if Van Gogh never left ministry. Would the world ever know his name or his art?

Van Gogh's life and story prompts me to consider a few things further: What can Artists who are Christians learn from his story and interaction with the Church? What can the Church learn about Artists and how to help them find their place in the Church?

{Image: Van Gogh's The Church at Auvers}