I Have the Coolest Students

Sea Turtle by Debra Cox

 Every now and then I've just got to do a little bragging on my students.  I have amazing students in my local classes.  Here is a colored pencil drawing created for Debi's granddaughter.  It took many many patient hours to create.

Vintage aluminum cups by Justine Hennessy

My online students at Creative Pencils are no less amazing.  How proud I am of them as they bravely move forward through the workshops to build their drawing skills.  In the Pencils Series, 101, 201, & 301, the students learn to draw what they see and the basics of shading.  They move forward quickly.  These shiny vintage aluminum cups were drawn as a part of one of those shading exercises.  I love that Justine captured the sheen of the metal. 

Cat portrait by Sandra Petersen

Several of my Creative Pencils students have been studying their way through a workshop on creating cat portraits in graphite.  This is one of the examples of the wonderful work they are producing.  Look at those eyes.  They look right into your soul.   Good job, Sandra.

Dancing Swan by Elizabeth Johnson

And now, as promised, today is the day to announce the winner of my drawing from the GYB event held by Vicki of 2 Bags Full.  Thank you Vicki for this lovely event.  I know you worked many hours to create it.  I promised a drawing for a prize on February 1.  The prize I offered was an 10" x 8"  giclee fine art print of my Dancing Swan drawing.   The name chosen through a random drawing was Patty of Patty's Pretty Things.  Patty, I will be shipping this Dancing Swan off to you in a few days.  I hope you enjoy her.  

   

Wind and Honey Creations

Grow Your Blog Party

Dancing Swan

Today I am joining the Grow Your Blog Party hosted by Vicki at 2 Bags Full.   I will begin by telling you the obvious.  I am Elizabeth Johnson of Wind and Honey Creations and Creative Pencils.   Wind and Honey is the name under which I create my own personal art.  I have used that name for almost 25 years now.  --I was but a toddler when I started.  Hahahahaha!!!!!

This has nothing to do with anything.  I just thought is was pretty.

 I have created a variety of types of art.  But in my wanderings, I always end up coming home to my first love, artist's pencils.  The sparkle and excitement of paint and glitter call to me.  But bringing life to a blank piece of paper with nothing but a simple pencil is what makes my heart sing.  Somehow when I've drawn something I love, it feels as if a part of that subject is then in my heart in a way that cannot ever be removed.   My passionate first and forever subject of choice is animals.  I love them all -- domestic and wild.  I strive to capture each one's unique personality and show it to the world. 

Just some of my pencils

Mattie

Creative Pencils is the name under which I teach drawing 

workshops.   I first began teaching in my local community 14 years ago.  I started with children and eventually grew up to adult classes.  I have taught almost as many media as I have experimented with.  But, as with my own art, I always return home to my pencils.  I have taught many students my right-brained approach to drawing.  And it has been a delight to watch them blossom and discover they could do something they thought they could not.  I love watching the look on their faces as they begin to realize they are actually drawing.  Last year I opened an online site called Creative Pencils where I teach online with a video format.  That has been quite an adventure.  

Lydia

I began blogging when I had a shop on Etsy some years ago and it was suggested that it would be a good thing to do.  Oh my!  I had no clue what I was doing or what to say or what to do!  But I stumbled in anyway.  Through visiting other blogs and basically following what I saw in others, I found this to be an enjoyable place to be.  I much prefer blog hopping to spending hours on other social media.  When I visit blogs I feel I've spend time in someone's living room or had tea in their quaint gift shop.  I hope my blog communicates that kind of warm atmosphere too.  And, although I do brag on my students here, and I do show my work here, my blog has become much more than just a place to promote my business.  It has become a place to visit friends and share my world.  

Kenya

As to my personal life, I have been married over 30 years to a man that spends his free time writing poetry.  And yes, ladies, some of those poems have been written to me.  I have to say, its pretty nice. 

I have 2 grown children.  My son is a chef and my daughter is a sculpture artist.   They are the delights of my life. 

I have 2 cats and a Great Pyrenees who grace my home with warm snuggles, lots of laughter, and constant studio supervision.  

Thank you for visiting me here today.  I am giving away a prize!  Fun, fun!  And anyone can participate.  I will hold a drawing on February 1, 2013 using the names of those that comment here.  The winner will receive a Giclee fine art print of my Dancing Swan created with mixed media pencils.  It is the image at the top of this post.   It is 10" x 8" and will come ready for you to mat and frame as you wish to coordinate with your own personal decor. 

 
Wind and Honey Creations

And This Is Why I Draw! or Harold! Where Can I Get One of Those Purple Crayons!?

There was a time in my young adult life when I thought if I set my mind to something that I could do it.  I decided when my children were very small that I was going to learn to sew.  My first project was to sew Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls for my kids!  And my second was to sew a patchwork quilt.  Ha!  How utterly naive I was.  That about ended my career as a seamstress.  I am reminded of this fact because I tried to sew a little something for a gift to a friend last week.  It was an extremely simple project - one that a child with just a tad of experience should have been able to do.  Well, mine did look like it was done by a child, but not one with experience.

And writing.  Well, let me just say that my college English professor had trouble hiding his smirk when I once mentioned that I might do some writing in my career.  I do have creative thoughts that do sometimes involve words.  But my ability to put them together in a grammatically correct fashion is challenged.  If you've been here on my blog very many times, you've probably already noticed that.




And so I draw.  I find that as I attempt to sew or write or even to do elaborate cooking, that the thought, if only I could just draw this, comes to mind often.  I remember the book from my childhood Harold and the Purple Crayon and I wonder where I could get myself one of those purple crayons. In this book, Harold had a magic purple crayon and everything he drew with it became real.  Just think, all the items I'd like to sew but can't, could be drawn.  Now, I'd probably want them to be a different color than purple.  But if I could find one of those magical crayons, I bet I could learn to love purple.  And then all those thoughts I have that I long to put into words, could just be drawn.


This dancing swan is an example of pages and pages of unwritten words poured into one drawing.  Hmmmm.  Maybe I should have drawn her in purple.

I did give the sewing project that I completed to my friend.  Well, I mailed it to her and it should arrive today.  I sent it with all its imperfections and 'do overs'.  I sent it because perfection should not exist between true friends.  I sent it because it was made with much love and prayers for her.  And I sent it because in spite of all its warts, it was still made well enough to serve its intended purpose.

But next time I feel a need to stitch something, I'll be looking for my purple crayons!


Wind and Honey Creations