Speaking of Art Projects…
I really enjoy speaking about different art projects that I’m engaged in, and get my jollies from seeing their progress, and then the finished article. These past summer months began with making a list of pursuits I aimed to achieve during the break.
Somehow, I kinda thought that the break was eternal, and that I’d have all the time in the world to sew and crochet innumerable projects that have been gathering cobwebs in my mind. Alas that they have nearly reached their ‘achieve by date’.
However! I’ve put great mental and physical effort into getting involved with 3 pieces of art that are not anywhere near completion, but they experience my active fingers for a couple hours at a time.
The first is an oil painting that I started last year–yes, it’s a trend–and had on my list to get-er-done. Well, she ain’t done, but is sniffing a finishing flourish of flowers: The lily pads of Bellows.
The second has been a bit problematical. A friend recommended that I discover the delights of scratchboard, since my detail-oriented style would be well-suited to this great medium. Yep, I have enjoyed the scraping away of black to reveal a drawing, in spite of the scratching sound being very akin to the sound of plaque being scraped off my teeth. After several fanatic scratchings, I saw that this medium doesn’t forgive anything. Once scratched off, the black won’t come back to let you re-do–as in oils or graphite. But then, of course, I discovered that they make inks–specially for scratchboards–that are supposed to enhance the otherwise black and white colour. Of course. I don’t find much wrong with black and white, but then realized that painting black onto my mishaps could be like using an eraser. So, I’ve applied. So far, so good, sort of.
One thing that I do like about my scratchboard drawing of trees, is that they’ve started looking like people, in one giant hug-fest-forest. What do you think?
The 3rd project has been my painting of a scene in Mendocino–of arum lilies growing in a marshland–hundreds of them. The progress requires loads of detail-adding blades of grass of different colours. Not to mention all the bloody flowers. After adding more grass, I shall proceed to adding more leaves to the lilies, work on the water, and all the rest. Much more therapeutic than the sound of scratchings on teeth!
