Practice versus Self-Expression

At the end of every month, I set art goals for myself for the following month. In doing so, I always struggle with spending time on practice versus spending time on creativity and self-expression. By practice, I mean working through art instruction books, going to classes, and participating in WetCanvas activities such as the Weekly Drawing Thread and the Scavenger Hunts. I have a fair amount of self-discipline, so I typically attain my practice goals. Sometimes I devote so much time to practice, however, that I don't have the time or energy for creative self-expression, which is the whole point of art, I think.

In October, I am going to try to spend 50% of my art time on practice and 50% on creativity and self-expression.

How do others balance practice and creative self-expression?

Obscured Boy 2

Obscured Cat

Another obscured subject; this time my cat Daisy.

Obscured Boy

This drawing is based on two photographs: one of my son and one of a flowering bush. The idea here is to draw the viewer's eye to the subject (my son) by obscuring the subject. Another exercise from Keys to Drawing with Imagination.

Heads with Turbans and Scarves

To create this image, I first sketched a pair of crumpled jeans sitting on the floor. I looked at the sketch and saw a head wrapped in turban-like head gear. I re-drew the sketch, this time emphasizing the rolls on the turban and scarves. I then made a mirror copy of the drawing. I used a light box and Adobe Photoshop Elements as aids when making the copies. I enjoy this type of imaginative work. This is an exercise in Chapter 2 of Keys to Drawing with Imagination by Bert Dodson.

Blue Lady

This painting is based on a Wetcanvas Weekly Drawing Thread photograph. Watercolor on 5" x 8" Acquarello Watercolor Studio 140 lb cold pressed paper.

Oil Painting Class

I'm taking my first oil painting class. It is a continuing education course at a local community college. It is 3 hours every Saturday and goes for 6 weeks. Today is Week 3. I know absolutely nothing about oil painting, so everything is new to me.

Our teacher gave us these 7 steps to success:

1. Art is intention.
2. Composition.
3. Put composition on canvas (i.e., drawing).
4. Preliminary, impressionistic painting.
5. Work with secondary objects or background.
6. Work with midground or frontground.
7. Classical transparent glazes

We finished Step 3 last week; today we will start Step 4. Hurrah! Painting at last!

The course teaches the painting style of the Flemish and Dutch masters.

Here are some artists that painted in this style:

• Abraham Mignon
• Balthasar van der Ast
• Rachel Ruysch

I notice that in addition to being a first-rate painter, Rachel Ruysch had 10 children. Where did she find the time? Wow!

Aye, Matey!

I came home one day and found that my 7 year old son Christopher had inadvertently set up this still life for me in our living room. So I drew it!

Apple

Another apple painting. This one is more colorful than the one I posted yesterday. This is because I used yellows, oranges, reds and blues to define the apple. I am going to do as many apple paintings as I can this month, to practice form, lost and found edges, cast shadows, and backgrounds. Watercolor on 5" x 8" Acquarello Watercolor Studio 140 lb cold pressed paper.

Apples

I painted these two apples this past weekend. I am practicing painting basic forms and using colors. I am struggling with backgrounds, which means I need to practice more! Watercolor on 5" x 8" Acquarello Watercolor Studio 140 lb cold pressed paper.

Wooden Rabbit, Take 3

This time I painted the wooden rabbit with a rainbow background. I did this one about a year ago. The previous 2 pieces are more recent. Watercolor on 5" x 8" Acquarello Watercolor Studio 140 lb cold pressed paper.

Wooden Rabbit, Take 2

Here is the same wooden rabbit, but painted in watercolor and goache this time. I used only red and blue watercolor paint. I wanted to see the range of values I could get from just two colors. I used black goache for the cast shadows. Watercolor on 5" x 8" Acquarello Watercolor Studio 140 lb cold pressed paper.

Wooden Rabbit

I found this wooden rabbit at Cost Plus World Market, which is similar to Pier One Imports but is less expensive. For some reason I really love this rabbit and never tire of drawing and painting it.

Camel

This drawing is based on a photograph my husband took at the Dallas zoo.

Backyard Tree

I am trying to continue with plein air painting back in Dallas, even though the view is not as inspiring as in rural New York state. Here is my first Dallas effort, a tree in my backyard. According to Wikipedia, En plein air is a French expression which means "in the open air", and is particularly used to describe the act of painting in the outside environment rather than indoors (such as in a studio). Watercolor on 5" x 8" Acquarello Watercolor Studio 140 lb cold pressed paper.

Bananas

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Today is my mother's birthday. She was born in 1929.

I painted these bananas using an analogous color scheme: yellows, greens, and blues. Watercolor on 5" x 8" Acquarello Watercolor Studio 140 lb cold pressed paper.

Smashed-In Milk Jug

This is a drawing of a smashed-in milk jug (pulled from the recycle bin). It is an exercise from the book Keys to Drawing with Imagination by Bert Dodson. This is Exercise 9: Creating Destruction.

Rocking Chair

I never tire of drawing rocking chairs.

Vase

My parents bought this vase as gift for my maternal grandmother while honeymooning in Niagara Falls 55 years ago. I painted this when I visited them in August. Watercolor on 5" x 8" Acquarello Watercolor Studio 140 lb cold pressed paper.

Amish Woman Figurine

This is a painting of my one of my parent's figurines, which I painted when I visited them in August. Watercolor on 5" x 8" Acquarello Watercolor Studio 140 lb cold pressed paper.

Urtz Fields

Yesterday I posted the Urtz Farm ... today I am posting the Urtz fields. This is again a view from my parent's front yard. These fields changed dramatically the week I visited. When I arrived, the hay was full grown. While I was there, the farmer first cut the hay and then rearranged it in preparation for harvesting. I painted this en plein air. Watercolor on 5" x 8" Acquarello Watercolor Studio 140 lb cold pressed paper.

Urtz Farm

This is the Urtz Farm in Vernon, New York. This is the view from my parent's front yard. I painted this en plein air when I was there on vacation in August. Watercolor on 5" x 8" Acquarello Watercolor Studio 140 lb cold pressed paper.

Eggs in a Glass Bowl

Watercolor on 5" x 8" Acquarello Watercolor Studio 140 lb cold pressed paper. Painted from life.