On My Worktable Today

Kate, Micah, & our duck Gretchen

My daughter has a gift for color.   She has done unusual things with color her whole life.   When she was 7 she used to wear 2 pairs of socks - every day.   If she had on an outfit that was red and black, she would wear a pair of red socks and a pair of black socks.  On one foot, she wore the red sock under the black sock with the red one turned up and the black one folded down.  On the other foot, she would do the opposite. 


I wish I had a photograph to show you.  But in those pre digital days, we didn't take as many photos as we do today.   You'll have to imagine it.  She made this look up herself.   And the funny thing was that after a while all the other little girls started doing it too.  The mothers would tell me they wouldn't wear their socks any other way now.  I was never sure if they were ok with it or if they were frustrated with me for letting Kate do it.

As she grew older she would see colors in objects that I didn't really see.  We had an old, old, think older than that, door from a family home that had been torn down.   As I looked at the door, I saw a dirty yellow door. Kate saw yellow and white and green and even purple in it.  And when she painted anything, those colors would come out and it was beautiful.   She painted some images from the old house.   Here is a photo of the house and one of the paintings.   See the difference?   It isn't that she imagines the colors.  She sees them!

I have often longed for that gift.   But, alas, it is not in my head.  But recently I have been determined to grow in that area.  I cannot create the gift Kate has, but perhaps I can foster the skill.  So, with that in mind, I've been piddling with art in unusual colors.  I have just finished this elephant.   Ellie is tiny - 2.5 x 3.5. Artist Trading Card size.  She was done during a collection of moments when I was caught in a lobby or in the car with nothing to do but wait.   Ellie was created with Derwent Inktense, Prismacolor, & Derwent Sketching pencils on Strathmore mixed media paper.  Working in unusual colors was a challenge for me and definitely stretched my thinking processes.  But I enjoyed it and I am pleased with her.

 

 
Wind and Honey Creations
Creative Pencils - Online Drawing Lessons

A Tiny Little Artbar

 

 

A few months ago Derwent sent me a set of their new Artbar. They only sent me the set of 12 which was such a teaser!  Of course I was sure I needed more.  I was very busy at the time they arrived and I was not able to find time to play with them.  I watched the demonstration videos and found them intriguing but not really in line with the art I usually produce.  I did find some interesting uses for them in my art journal pages.  But not much else.  I did purchase the set of 24, though.  Because even in the art journal backgrounds, I was pretty sure I needed those soft pastels in the set of 24.  

I was happily surprised when the set of 24 arrived and I discovered that there were only a very few duplicates from the set of 12 I already had.  And they were basics like black and browns - colors you will use up more quickly anyway. 

Then recently, in the Tiny Masterpieces Studio Group on my Creative Pencils site, we were discussing the fact that it had been a while since any of us had worked on any artist trading cards.  So, on a whim, I pulled out a tiny Strathmore canvas precut to just the right size for an ATC, and I opened up my newest set of Artbar.  

The ATC nest full of eggs with wind blown feathers that you see above is the result.  I used a tiny paintbrush and the scraper tool to help the process.  I loved doing this.  In fact I was almost late for my afternoon class because I found it difficult to stop.  I loved the soft gentle look I was able to create quite easily with them and I delighted in the way I was able to embellish it with the scraper tool. 

The Artbar are compact and, based on this project, I believe they will last a long time.  I predict I will use them a lot.  I love that I could take them along with me so easily should I choose to.  Perhaps that will be a way to keep me from being late for class.  I'm looking forward to trying them on a number of surfaces.  I'll share them with you here when I do.

Wind and Honey Creations