CLEOME Leslie Fehling’s post of this drawing attracted a lot of attention when she first posted on her blog. We’re happy to repost it now along with Leslie’s Artist Statement: “I drew this Cleome, or spider flower, in Maine at the lovely Thuya Gardens on Mount Desert Island in Acadia National Park. The line drawing […]
June 4th, 2014
Watercolorist Laure Ferlita writes about an issue that confronts most artists: staying mindful of the investment of time made to a sketchbook drawing. After all, unless the artist is prepared to remove the page from the sketchbook, the drawing cannot be framed or sold. This is a summary of Laure’s insights:
“My brother went down […]
March 8th, 2014
My use of sketchbooks is quite varied. They are very much working tools but each one is a treasured possession; for example they can take the form of a holiday ‘diary’ or used to make drawings/paintings during a day walking in the landscape. I will also draw/paint from photographs and experiment with different ‘techniques’. All […]
February 5th, 2014
Winter in New England hardly seems the time to be going outdoors to sketch, but if you can find a day that’s not bitter cold it’s worth the trip outside to experience all the subtle, parched and tattered colors winter has to offer. This sketch has been a favorite of mine this winter. I’ve made […]
January 12th, 2014
This sketch of the Pearl Brewery in San Antonio was done with Micron pens and Tombow water-soluble markers. When I approach a sketch like this, I wander around for a bit to find a good spot (hopefully with a bench) that works well as a composition. While I didn’t find a bench and had to […]
August 29th, 2013
“Try not to paint the scenes and objects in front of you. But rather, try to paint the light that illuminates and gives them identity.”
This little bit of advice is what I always tell my classes (and myself) as a way to begin to redefine – as painters – what it is we choose […]