Cruise Recap

Our ship, the Carnival Pride

Here's some news and a few pics from my class on the Mexican Riviera Colored Pencil Workshop cruise. Thanks to Ann Kullberg who organized the entire workshop, I was invited to be one of the workshop instructors with Ann, of course, and Gemma Gylling. It was a wonderful trip with a wonderful group of workshop attendees. (I think I've made some new arty friends!)

In my workshop we focused on drawing marbles on two layers of Dura-lar Mylar. With this technique you can render an intense, glowing depth of field which works particularly well for glass objects. Below is my sample drawing.

This technique can be a little tricky and complicated since you have to work on both sides of the surface and ,therefore, draw backward from your reference photo several times. I wasn't sure how the class would handle this or react to it, but I was so pleased as they all came away with some wonderful pieces!

And, because I, too, thought of this trip as a little bit vacation, I took some time out on our balcony to enjoy a little refreshment afterwards. In the big comfy robe they provided. With warm sun. Ahhh. (See even if you're an introvert, like me, you can put yourself out there in the world; you just need a little R & R after!)

Swim Out

"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!

Big News!

Welll......................

Now, I can tell all of you because she has posted it to her site (until then, I kept thinking I had been dreaming!), but I have been invited to teach a colored pencil workshop with Ann Kullberg and Gemma Gylling on a Mexican Riviera cruise this fall!

When I returned from Bolivia, and had to wade through all 500 e-mails (350 of which were in my junk box), there was a message from Ann Kullberg asking me if I wanted to teach with her on a cruise..... Mmmmm..... Let me think about that..... for half a second! I am a blonde, but not stupid (most days). What an opportunity! Of course I said yes!

Ann has asked me to teach students how to use colored pencils to draw on three layers of Mylar (I use Duralar) to create the illusion of depth in a drawing. She had seen my use of this technique with my marble drawings, one of which, Blue Lucidity, was accepted in the CPSA Explore This!4 show in 2007.

Ann Kullberg, who is noted for her portrait drawing ability, will be teaching students how to paint smooth, glowing skin tones, beautiful expressive eyes, and realistic looking hair. Gemma Gylling, whose animal portraits are fantastic, will be teaching techniques on drawing believable, touchable fur and (this you need in any pet portrait) how to really get the expressiveness of the eyes in your pet portraits.

Needless to say, I am honored and thrilled to be included in the company of such wonderful artists. Yes, I'll be teaching, but I plan on doing a bit of learning from these gals while I'm there, too. No matter how long you've been an artist (or writer, doctor, teacher, dog groomer), I believe you can always learn something new at every opportunity. These ladies, I'm sure, have a lot of knowledge which I plan on soaking up while I'm soaking up sun and fun on this trip!

And for those of you who set goals for yourselves, I have to share, too, that my one "reach big" goal for 2008 was to be invited to teach at a workshop. Scary, huh?

Layers of Fun

“Blue Lucidity”
Colored pencil drawing on 3 layers of Duralar drafting film
10 ½ x 8”

(Backed by Stonehenge white vellum)

I am currently a member of a Studios on High Gallery in the Short North Arts District in Columbus, Ohio, where we work weekly and demonstrate our art. During one such demonstration, while working on velum, both the front and back, a couple came into the gallery and stood watching for a bit, as our customers do. They then suggested, as they were both architects and use the product, that I try Duralar film. Of course, I ran out the next day and bought some (it is usually carried in most art stores in their drafting supply section.)

So then, what to try? While shopping at a flea market, I ran across a woman selling marbles which were perfect for a new project on film. Since I knew I wanted to try to draw something transparent, I bought the entire box and now have a fabulous-o collection (as my son tells me).

Marbles are such simple objects and yet the way the light plays through them and casts such interesting shadows and reflections, I knew I wanted to try to capture that by drawing on the drafting film. But after trying to draw on the front and back only of the film, I wasn’t getting what I had hoped; the film is colored pencil friendly, but only allows a couple of layers at most. Because I usually draw with many, many layers, I then decided to try layering the FILM instead.

1. On sheet 1 (the top sheet), I applied my first two to three layers using lighter shades of yellows, greens, lavenders and blues. Then I flipped the sheet over and applied some darker blues, purples and greens (indigo blue, dark green, peacock green, black grape and imperial violet). This alone could have been my finished drawing, but I wanted the viewer to feel as if they were looking at a three-dimensional object; to really “see” into the marbles.
2. On sheet 2 (the second layer), I wanted to highlight my focal marble by using orange/red, which complemented the blue/green of the marble and created the depth I wanted. For the marble just to its left, I decided to use more blues to create its depth and to push it back behind the focal marble a bit. I used various shades of blue, gray and orange in the others to accent their swirls and reflections. Again, the color was also applied to the back of sheet 2.
3. On sheet 3 (the bottom layer), I decided to created the background. I layered on both front and back shades of orange and blue to create a luminous and interesting grey and also to complement the marbles and pull the composition together.
4. Knowing that I would be backing all three layers with Stonehenge white paper, I wanted the white highlights to really stand out and the background to really recede. So my final application was to apply white to the marble highlights on the front of sheet 1.

All three complete layers:

Keep in mind that the colors of each layer become a bit muted by the opacity of the film; it’s as if you have added a layer of white.

Assembling the pieces:

Here, I am holding the assembled layers in front of my studio window. (It's my "poor gal's light-box", but I do have an awesome view!) This step helped me to see clearly my pencil strokes and a true view of my assembled layers.

The process was not as labor intensive as many people may think. The drafting film pushes you to be selective in your choice of layers to apply, since it only allows a few. It was such a joy to be able to achieve my goal with this extremely colored pencil friendly support. I think the possibilities are many and I plan to keep “playing” with it!

"Green Glass"

colored pencil on 3 layers of Duralar Mylar film

8 x 10.5"

My First Article - Ever!

"Blue Lucidity"

10.5 x 8"

colored pencil on three layers of Mylar

"Green Glass"

10.5 x 8"

colored pencil on three layers of Mylar

At the beginning of every year I make a list. I hate New Year's resolutions; they just seem like more "rules" for me to follow and I hate those. No, it's a list of personal and professional goals for the upcoming year. Somehow, if I write them down, they begin to become a little more real, a little more attainable. Maybe I just see them as more than dreams because I've committed them to paper and so made them separate from my imagination.

One of my goals for last year was to be in a magazine. Just that; no specifics. Guess what? It happened. This month I have an article in "From My Perspective", an e-zine, where I give step by step instructions on how I drew "Green Glass".

Ann Kullberg, a very talented colored pencil artist, book author and magazine publisher contacted me about showing "Blue Lucidity" in her magazine. But when I told her that it was on three separate layers of Dura-Lar Mylar, she asked if I would do the step-by-step article. How scared was I?! But, what the heck, you have to jump and give any great opportunity a try.

I have to thank Ann for the wonderful platform for me to jump from and her encouragement about my artwork and my writing (the last thing most artists want to do!) . Thanks so much, Ann!

Her magazine and web-site also offer video instruction classes, drawing how-to kits, the e-zine subscription (get it now so you can see my article!), and HUGE discounts on Prismacolor pencil sets.

I am always amazed at how many of my goals I actually achieve at the end of each year. Currently, I am pre-thinking (that's really daydreaming) my list for 2008. When I really get ready to write it all down, I go to a quiet coffee shop, order my huge Mocha coffee, and commit these dreams to paper. Then the magic starts.