"Sorrow"colored pencil on canvas
4 x 6"
When you step out of your comfort zone and experiment, good things can happen.
Obviously, I like to play with my pencils on different supports. From those experiences, I have had some wonderful opportunities come my way.
First, due to working on Mylar Duralar, I had a piece (Green Lucidity) accepted into the CPSA Explore This 4 show two in 2007. From that, Ann Kullberg asked me to write an article for her on-line publication, From My Perspective, on just how I did it. (Scaaarrry and way out of my comfort zone.) But from THAT, she invited me to teach my Mylar technique on her colored pencil workshop cruise in November.
And, after experimenting on canvas and hanging a show of a series of twelve small female figurative works like the one above, I have garnered a commission for a woman who wants a small series of these for her significant other. Sweet.
See how that works. It's so important that as artists, we don't get stuck in a rut. Don't be afraid to step out and take some risks. Remember, risk takers do reap rewards.
Here's one of my favorite quotes: "My ship will come in much sooner when I swim out to meet it." Swim, little artist, swim!
7 comments:
LOve the new series!
You'll have a blast on the cruise! Colored Pencils and cruise ships go really well together!;-)
I LOVE this new series of yours! The colors are great against the black gesso, and your figures are so graceful and expressive... bravo for being so brave and striking out in a new way :) I'm sure it will go wonderfully.
Wow, Rhonda, I haven't checked your blog in awhile, and I love your new direction. And your comment to Nicole is right, she is pulling us all along. Thanks for doing your share of the pulling, too.
Rhonda, I've been following this new series...simply breathtaking. In each there is a story and the story belongs to the viewer. What an inspiration you are for others.
Rhonda, your latest is simply beautiful. I've been following this series for a while now. This new direction you're taking is so full of emotion and so easy for the viewer to relate to. What an inspiration.
This series is very beautiful -- as has been said, "full of emotion". From a technical standpoint, maybe I missed it in your previous posts, but can't find that I did, do you put the gesso on canvas on board or stretche canvas? Is it an especially smooth canvas, very think gesso? The weave doesn't seem to show at all.
I have followed your blog (went back and read it all) for a little while. I admire that you have not only acheived so much progress with deserved recognition with your colored pencil work, but also that you have the energy and use it to give to others as you do. A fellow central Ohioian. Angela
Thanks everyone for your kind words and support! It's very striking to me the strongest, most positive responses seem to come from women, even though several are nudes. They "get" the work and the emotion projected, or project their own, onto the work. This is the exact response I had hoped for. Oh so satisfying in a series; and doesn't happen every time.
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