Sketchbooks: Pencil and Watercolor

Pencil sketch looking west heading south from Logan

North end of Franklin, Idaho

Farm along Mink Creek (Water color)

From the Sketch Books

Trees at Versailles  (colored pencil on paper)

Geneva Junction (W.C. Pencils on paper)

A couple of small sketches - tree lined lane in early spring and a slightly wilder scene where the elements aren't quite so gentile- Geneva Junction on a cold January day.

Escher "Enspirations"

"Sultches & Hipdles"  Colored Pencil on paper

Or we could title it When Sultans, Hippies, Candles and Witches Collide.  We studied Escher's work in the high school this fall.  The first assignment was to create a work of our own using his tessellation methods.  It's great fun to make a pattern by cutting two sides of a spare or polygon then sliding or rotating or reversing then sliding, etc. to the other side.   Lots of sites to give more instructions if you're interested.  I left one pattern blank to show the shape before we filled it in.

The kids have some great ones on the way.  (Unfortunately some of the social butterflies will be coloring their precious fingers to the bone this weekend to meet deadline). 

Graineries near Logan

Set of Three,   W.C. on Cold Press

Revisiting Black's Fork

Sunny Meadow on Black's Fork  w.c. on cold press

More of the Non-Representational

24" X 36"  This one reminds me of the dot candy or fizzy bubbles.

24"x 30"  Updated version of the blue, white and orange.

Not quite sure where this falls on the artistic development curve, but it is sure fun and relaxing - I could spend hours at it - color, shape and texture (for the HS Students wondering about my elements) and for the principles - how about pattern, movement and unity? 

From the sketchbook -

We took the "road less traveled" last weekend.  Marvelous scenery and buildings you just don't see anymore.  That area is one of the better kept secrets in the region; full of dairy farms, big barns, and enticing snippets of family history. 
Update:   Below is what we thought was the Ovid school, but I researched a little and found it was the church - dedicated about 1896.  The steeple has been pared down to the shape we saw this weekend - but it had been tall with a bell tower type look at the beginning.

Ovid, Idaho Church, (graphite over a watercolor wash)

Mink Creek School, (colored pencil over watercolor wash)

A Break with Tradition

#1  18"x 24"

#2 18"x 24"

#4  18"x 24"

#5   24"x 30"

A couple of new ideas hit this spring.  So you're the first to see the "Non Representational" side of my art.  (It might be a logical progression from some of our glass work)   They're not even named yet.

 There's something about  the tight control of the squares against the randomness of the circles and lines and inclusions that appeals to me. It's really fun and liberating to play with the color combinations and textures.

Mike is still making up his mind about them.  He asked me last night if I had always dreamed of doing things like this.  He seemed a little nervous...

Opinions would be welcomed.

#3  18"x 24"

State Art 2013

Our H.S. Students with their glass fish, Pita the Great.  

We are just back from a wonderful State Art Experience.  We took 9 students(Jordan, Tyrell, Tori, Beth, Nancy, Isabelle, Ashley, Taylor and Brianna), spent 3 nights in Casper, helped set up and take down the huge show in the Events Center, grappled with hot issues of unlawful transportation of art work  from one spot to another, pot smokers in the hotel, where to eat- what to eat,  and how much shopping is too much shopping, etc.  The weather was fantastic - warmest I've seen in years, the company was great, and the kids came away with 18 ribbons out of 58 entries.  

I'm very proud of all of them!

Dining experiences are always special at State Art

Mike and his Glass Creation, Mathematics, at the Nicholaysen.  

Mike has always been such a supporter of the arts and whatever projects I'm involved in.  This time he was our star!  The photo marks his first exhibited piece in the faculty show!  I anticipate more to come.

From the Sketch Book

Jenna in  Graphite

Watercolors

Bear Lake Pioneer Home with "detached" porch - watercolor

 Thought this was interesting because a mud porch or front door had been taken off the north side of the home, but the outline remained because the wood inside the porch had been protected from the elements. Construction would be typical of the homes built after the first small one story log cabins had served their purpose. 

Randolph/Woodruff area brick home, watercolor

This stately brick home stands abandoned - trees overgrown, some dead.  Another mute testimony to better days in the ranching communities of northern Utah.

From the Sketchbook - Esther Sarah Frewin

Thought I'd try a sketch of a great grandmother, Esther Sarah Frewin Seward, from a very little genealogy photo.  My hope was that the details might emerge which escaped us in the photo.

I realized a few things about her as the sketch took shape.  The hat - must be crocheted or lace with lots of ribbons added and tied under the chin.  She had perhaps lost some of her teeth by now judging from the angle of the corners of her mouth.  I hadn't appreciated how beautiful her eyes were.  Judging from her face, I would guess the photo was taken later in her life - maybe sometime between the 1870's and her death in 1885.

She came from England,  was widowed a second time shortly after arriving, moved with her only daughter to pioneer settlements in Utah and Idaho.  Her grandchildren remember her with great fondness.  She lost her sight near the end of her life.  I would like to know more about this courageous little pioneer.

From the Sketchbook

Willows in a High Desert Meadow, Colored Pencil

Life Drawing from the Sketch Book

 I would like to get time with each little grandchild while they are engaged with something else so I could observe and try drawing them from life.  Here Reagan was absorbed with a puzzle and paid very little attention to me.

From the Sketchbook

Turnerville and Grover Park sketches from photos

Bedroom Window  (Watercolor)

Tried the old window in a 20" x 14" size.  It's getting there, but I'd still adjust the brick color, though I do like the texture of the bricks.    Leaves are coming.  I blew the top ones - need to apply the resist better.  Live and Learn...

From the sketchbook this month

Colored Pencil

Watercolor from photographs

Colored Pencil

I guess I'm dreaming of warmer days... But I love being forced to work in the studio and really try to get things down on paper - like snuggling up to a book on a dreary winter day.  The hours fly by.

Lost Creek from below the Hardman,  2012 Colored Pencil

The Bedford place had such lovely scenery - any direction was a visual treat.  This scene was done on textured mat board with Prismacolor colored pencils which are fantastic  for the range of colors possible. 

New Watercolor

Bedroom Window #1  (Water Color on Cold Press, 5 in by 7in)

Had a great adventure associated with this lovely old brick home.  If you'd like to read more, check out our Kennington family blog spot site.

I happened on to the south side of the house just at the right time on a hot afternoon.  Shadows were lovely, brick color and texture were great!

The bricks need some adjustment - and the bright red one needs toned down.  Next time I'll paint the rose bushes in the foreground and then mask them off to try and preserve the definition - same with the cottonwood leaves in the upper left.  The shadows need some toning down too - they should all be the same depth of blue, maybe wash the brick with yellow.

But for a starting point I was pretty pleased.

From the Sketchbook

Francis Peak

Francis Peak at Sunrise

We lost a beloved daughter-in-law in March.  These are scenes from her kitchen window.  I spent a lot of quiet time looking out that window.  The top scene seems to reflect my initial mindset to get everything right - frustration at not being in control of the situation.  A few days later I sketched the second.  It seems to mirror my acceptance of what had happened and a desire (subconscious) to hope for a better day coming - the promise of sunrise.  There are always brighter tomorrows.