Step Back for the Big Picture

With regards to my artwork, I am typically better known for detailed pieces than for sweeping views. But I have found that sometimes taking a step back and getting the bigger picture is necessary.

Take today for instance. I went to a portrait drawing session offered by a local art group. I chose to set up at the back of the group. One of the other artists expressed concern that I might be too far from the model. But I saw the situation differently.

portrait sketch

charcoal on Mi-Teintes paper

approx. 12" x 10"

©2012 Stacy L. Rowan

Being further from the model keeps me from getting tied up in and distracted by the details. The position makes it easier for me to focus on the shapes of highlights and shadows.

When I sit close to the model I tend to label the parts as I draw. My mental chatter focuses on "What shape are the eyes? What are the lips like?" Labelling the features as I work makes it more challenging to ignore the mental symbols of those features and draw what I see.

When I sit further back I can't really see the details of the features. With a little squinting I can focus on the big shapes. And by drawing the big shapes the features sort of magically appear.

Definitely a situation where stepping back and seeing the big picture works better for me than getting up close and focusing on the details.

Our model today was the sister of one of the artists. She was very good both at getting back in to position after a break and at consistently holding the position. Not an easy task with 20 artists staring intently at you!

My sketch was completed in three approximately 20 minute sessions.

A Moment to Relax

sketch of mug

markers on paper

©2012 Stacy L. Rowan

I made myself hot chocolate tonight. Which is kind of ironic since the 60 degree, sunny weather we had today felt more like spring than winter. But there is something about a warm drink that gives me permission to sit and relax while I slowly sip my treat. And tonight I felt the need to relax.

I suppose I could, and maybe should, give myself that permission without the crutch of a warm, sweet concoction, but I never do.

Do you have a special treat that you indulge in when you want to relax? Or a ritual you follow that signals the start of your relaxation time? Feel free to share the details in the comments section.
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While I was relaxing I decided to play with some markers I found recently while cleaning my studio.

The mug was drawn using a set of cool gray markers. There are 12 dual tipped markers in the set. I really enjoyed the wide range of values. The sketch below is a marker from this set, but was drawn with a markers from a different set.

sketch of a marker

markers on paper

©2012 Stacy L. Rowan

The second set of markers is made up of six brush tipped markers - 3 cool grays and 3 warm grays. I like the brush tips, but found myself wishing I had more intermediate values.

Sketching the Past

I tried my hand at more people sketches today. I am not sure why I feel drawn to do this or where I am going with it, but it feels right so I am following my intuition.

This time I used two old family photos as references. The references are about three inches tall and two inches wide. The dimensions that I posted under each sketch show that I am working quite a bit larger than my reference material.

practice sketch 12

approx 7" x 5"

©2012 Stacy L. Rowan

I stopped during the second sketch for a work in progress scan. Here you can see that I sketched in the outlines of the head and body before adding the facial features.

practice sketch 13 WIP

©2012 Stacy L. Rowan

I still need more practice in order to get a quick and accurate likeness. I am working up to sketching from life. These sketches today required a little longer than I think I can expect in social situations.

practice sketch 13

approx. 7" x 5"

©2012 Stacy L. Rowan

But, the most important thing for now is that I thoroughly enjoyed myself while working on these. I am following my muse to see where she is leading me. So far it has been a fun journey.

I will definitely be finding additional old photos to use as references for this project.

If You Do What You've Always Done...

quick sketch of woodpecker

graphite on paper

©2012 Stacy L. Rowan

...you get what you've always got.

Or conversely, if you want a different outcome, try a different approach.

Today mother nature did a wonderful job of reminding me of this saying.

I was relaxing for a few minutes after breakfast by watching the birds feed at my backyard feeder. I typically see a pair of cardinals, many juncos, a few house finches, and the occasional tufted titmouse or chickadee.

At the time that I was watching there were probably a dozen juncos spread around feeding at the feeder, eating the seed that had fallen to the ground or hanging out in the surrounding bushes.

I enjoy watching the juncos and the way they jump and flit about, but I was also wondering how I could attract a wider variety of birds. I was thinking about asking some of the ladies from my Tuesday art group what they would recommend.

Then not thirty seconds later, after grabbing my warmed up coffee from the microwave, I looked outside. And what did I see? A woodpecker!

He was hanging on the suet cage pecking at the suet cake. I had just put it out the day before. Normally I don't buy suet cakes because the one other time I did, the only animal I ended up feeding was a squirrel. The birds didn't seem to like it or else never got a turn.

Earlier in the week when I was grocery shopping I saw suet cakes on sale for a dollar. I figured that for a buck it was worth a try even if I only made the squirrel happy.

But instead, by trying something new I experienced a new outcome -- a visit by a beautiful woodpecker.

I know this is a lesson that I can apply both to creating art and to other areas of life. My standard techniques and practices feel familiar and comfortable. I know what to expect from them. It is all too easy to shy away from trying something new in the name of comfort. Or because of fear of an unknown outcome. But, as today showed me, sometimes the unknown outcome turns out far better than I expect.

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My new friend the woodpecker didn't stick around for a long visit. As soon as I realized what kind of bird he was and got over my shock of having a woodpecker at my feeder, I grabbed my sketchbook. I drew exactly one line and then he flew away. I completed the rest of the sketch from memory as best I could. Then I went and grabbed my kids' bird book and using that and my first sketch I drew a second sketch which you see above.

I am questioning now whether the bird actually had the tuft of feathers at the back of his head, or if I didn't see clearly and it was instead a red triangle of feathers surrounded by darker ones. I will have to keep my eye out for him to visit again to see if I can get a better look.

5 Things 5 Years of Blogging Taught Me

These carnations like me have stuck around for a while

graphite in Moleskine

©2012 Stacy L. Rowan

The other day I was looking through the archives for this blog and I realized, much to my surprise, that I have just completed my fifth year of blogging. My first post was created on January 9, 2007.

Looking back over the past five years, I came up with 5 things that blogging has taught me.

1. I am more comfortable in the studio painting or drawing than sitting at the computer writing a blog post.
2. Despite my good intentions to write my blog posts in advance and have several of them queued up to post, it is more typical that my post is written between 8pm on Wednesday and 11pm on Thursday.
3. The closer it gets to 11pm on Thursday without the blog post being completed, the more stressed out I become.
4. The quality of my blog post ideas are indirectly proportional to my stress level. That is, the more stressed I am, the more my initial ideas stink and the more ideas I need to come up with until I find one that flies. With each rejected idea the time until my self imposed deadline seems to speed up exponentially.
5. Given numbers 1 through 4, it is flippin' amazing that I managed to post anything at all these last five years!!!

All kidding aside, I am very happy to have reached this milestone. And I thank you for being loyal readers, even of the most procrastinated posts!

Here's to five more years of fun!!

Playing with New Toys

One of the great things about this time of year is that I often have new toys to play with courtesy of the Christmas holiday. The other day I opened up my new Schminke watercolor set.

The set was actually a gift to myself - what we call in my house a "from me to me". I have been wanting to try the Schminke watercolor pans for some time and saw a great deal in December that suggested it was the right time to give them a whirl.

The set came with a list of included colors. The list has space for painting a swatch of each color. The paper the list is printed on is not a normal watercolor paper, so I had a difficult time getting the colors to bleed. But it was more than adequate for capturing a mid-value of the different hues.

The completed color chart is also useful because it lists the paints in the order the manufacturer placed them in the box. Since the pans are new to me, I cannot easily tell which blue is which just from how they appear in the pans. But with the chart, all I need to do is keep them in the order they came in. At least until I have all the paints memorized.

While I was playing with color, I decided to finally break out the color chart that I bought last year from Daniel Smith.

The chart I purchased contained samples of 238 of their "most popular" tube colors. Each sample is in the form of a "paint-able dot" of paint. And the paper used for the chart is actual watercolor paper.

To test the samples, I individually wet each dot and bled the color out trying to get a range of values. I also painted a single line of saturated color next to the dot.

In addition to the fun of trying the colors, I was pleased that each paint had it's common properties printed below the dot. This information included name, transparency, staining, granulation and light fastness. The only addition that I would suggest is the inclusion of the pigment number.

I currently have about 5 or 6 Daniel Smith tubes in my collection. Now that I have this visual tool I think that number will be going up.

What new art supplies have recently made their way into your studio? Are any of the additions something you would recommend to others? Please feel free to share your finds by leaving a comment.

The Space Between

sketch of gift

sepia ink in Moleskine cahier sketchbook

©2011 Stacy L. Rowan

I always enjoy the days between Christmas and New Year. The kids are off from school and on a break from all activities. My husband typically takes vacation so he can be home with us as well.

Although we often schedule time to visit with family or plan a fun activity or two, life during this week generally moves at a slower pace. It gives time for relaxing after the bustle of the holidays, for reflecting on the blessings of the current year and for planning for the year about to start.

During this time I tend to allow myself time off from studio work, but I do like to plop down with a sketchbook and have some fun.

As part of my review of the year, I counted how many sketches I had scanned into my computer files. Since the start of 2011 I have created and scanned 37 sketches. I have to say I am quite pleased with that number since one of my goals for the year was to sketch more frequently. I have already decided to make it a goal to improve on my number of sketches again in 2012.

My most recent sketch is shown above and is of one of my Christmas presents.

Do you have any presents that you receive every year?

I do. Every year my aunt gives me a glass ornament for my tree. Most of the times it is a glass icicle. And every year I look forward to this gift. It is always one of my favorites!

This year I received a beautiful purplish-pink twisted icicle. I only started adding colored icicles to my collection a few years ago (most of my icicles are made form clear glass) and now I wonder why I didn't do it sooner. They are fabulous!

So is there a gift that you receive every year? Is it something you look forward to or something you can't wait to re-gift to someone else? Or perhaps you give the same gift to someone on your list every year? Either way, I'd love to hear about it!

Happy New Year! I hope you are enjoying the last days of 2011 and looking forward to the start of 2012!

Happy Holidays!

Christmas greens and flowers

approx. 5" x 5" watercolor on paper

©2010 Stacy L. Rowan

sketched on one of the quiet days after Christmas last year

Wishing you and yours a holiday filled with laughter, love and all things joyous!

Finding Balance

drawing #8 WIP - tap dance series

graphite on paper

©2011 Stacy L. Rowan

This week I went with my family to see the documentary "Being Elmo". It is the story of how Kevin Clash became the puppeteer behind Sesame Street's most beloved monster.

It is an excellent film about a man who followed his passion to become one of the most respected professionals in his field. I highly recommend the movie!

Based on the trailer, I expected the feel-good side of this story. But within this uplifting story there was also a little regret.

Mr. Clash spoke about how the demand for Elmo meant he that he traveled a lot and worked many hours. His passion for his work took him away from home and his daughter. You could see his sadness at missing out on some of the moments in her life.

I really appreciated his honesty on that topic. It was good to see that mastery doesn't come without tough choices. Many times that detail is glossed over in Cinderella-like stories of success.

But the truth is, everyone has to find a balance - the combination of working towards mastery of something they love and living the rest of their life - that works for them. It is often a trial and error process of testing different combinations until you find the balance that feels right.

Mastery is not a gift that some lucky people are just born with. It is the result of action, choices, decision and hard work.

I regularly evaluate the choices I am making to see if they support the balance that is important to me. I check to see if my actions support my priorities of family life, taking care of my health and spending time on my passion (art). If I've gotten off track, then it is time to start making different choices.

My balancing act this week included fitting studio time and some exercise in around our Christmas preparations. I tried a new-to-me approach this past Monday.

Monday was a cool, overcast day and as soon as I crawled out of my warm, cozy bed I was chilly. I have learned from experience that when I sit still at my studio table for a few hours I often get cold. I am too "in the zone" when I am working to notice it happening, but once I stop I realize I am quite chilled! (It doesn't take much to get me cold. My husband claims I only have a 5 degree temperature window in which I am actually comfortable.)

I decided to try and avoid the chill by chopping up my exercise into intervals. I started with about 7 minutes of brisk walking on the treadmill. Then I spent an hour drawing. Followed by another 7 to 8 minutes of walking, an hour of drawing, etc.

At the end of my time I had managed about two and a half hours of drawing and two and a half miles of walking! And after my first interval of walking I wasn't cold the rest of the day! This is a balancing tactic that I will definitely use again.

My drawing time was spent working on the above tap piece. I am really happy with how it is coming together.

7 Tips for Having a Less Busy Holiday Season

Quick 2 minute sketch of holiday decoration

Sketched while out to lunch for hubby's birthday

Sepia Pitt brush pen in Moleskine cahier sketchbook

©2011 Stacy L. Rowan

In my last blog post, I shared how I burned myself while preparing dinner. It was the second burn in as many weeks. And although I could claim the two burns as an impossible-to-correct short coming and use them as an excuse to never cook again... oh wait, now there's a thought!
...But to be honest, the culprit here is distraction and not my lack of cooking skills.

So I promised that in addition to telling you of my kitchen woes, I would share some tips for how to be less busy. I have decided it makes sense to focus on tips for being less busy during the holiday season.

And here they are...

1. Decide to be less busy
This is the first, and I believe most important, step. You need to decide that you are done with the "run around like a chicken with your head cut off" busy-ness. And I don't mean a knee-jerk "Of course I want to be less busy" type decision. I mean a real, clear decision backed by the commitment to make the hard choices necessary to give this decision life.

2. Decide what is most important for your holiday season.
Is it most important for you to spend time with friends? Is the holiday nothing without the family traditions you grew up with? Does the true meaning of the season come to you when you are elbow deep in volunteering opportunities? Or is your main goal to win the neighborhood decorating contest? Whatever the answer, determine the two or three things that make the holiday special to you. Then make sure to get those things on your calendar.

3. Make a list of what needs to be done and what is optional - Be honest!
Okay, so it is probably unlikely that you can go the entire holiday season without grocery shopping - unless you can bribe pay someone to do it for you. And the kids will probably disown you be a little upset if they don't get any presents. But do you really need to string popcorn garland for each of the thirteen evergreen trees in your yard. Will the birds really appreciate it so much more than the feeder full of store bought birdseed? I think not.

4. For the optional list, decide in advance what activities you are not going to participate in.
If you are committed to being less busy, then it only makes sense that you are not going be able to take part in every opportunity that the holidays send your way. Make it easier to turn down the events that don't make the cut by making the decision in advance and determining how to graciously decline. Not only will your schedule be more open, but you will be less stressed if you don't have to come up with a reason to say "no" on the spot.

5. Relax your standards.
I tell my kids that it is unreasonable to expect to be the best at everything they do. The same goes for us adults.It is okay to plan to do some, or even many, of the optional items. But if you want to leave time to squeeze in a few hours of sleep or peaceful reflection over the next few weeks, you might want to lower your standards. Try only putting up the decorations that have the most visual impact or the ones that have the most sentimental value. Instead of cooking 27 different varieties of cookies, focus on the two or three you really love. Instead of running around to every store within a 50 mile radius trying to get the best price on that gift, be content with getting a good price at the second store you visit.

6. Ask for help.
This one is especially for the women out there. Yes, I know that no one can do things exactly the way you like them done. And yes I know it would take longer to train them how to do it your way than to just do it yourself. But the kids might love to get out the decorations or bake the cookies or put the stamps on the holiday cards. Yes, it might not be the way you would do it, in which case I would suggest you refer to tip #5 above.

7. Remind yourself to relax, take a few deep breaths and enjoy the holiday.
I think I often feel busier than I am because I tell myself that I am busy. The list of 'things to do' runs around in my head along with the phrase "busy, Busy, BUSY!" said in the voice of the magician from Frosty the Snowman. But when I slow down my mind and take time to enjoy what I am doing, I often find that I still have plenty of time to get everything done. The way I feel is wrapped up in whatever story I am telling myself. So why not make it a story that makes me happy?

And now one bonus tip to help you with next year's holiday season...
This year when the celebrations are over and its time to take the holiday decorations down, instead of putting them all together in one box, pack them away in smaller containers. Label each bag or box with the room where the decorations came from. All of the items from the kitchen go in one box. The stuff from the living room is in another bag. You will be amazed at how much time this saves next year when it is time to decorate again.

I hope you find these tips helpful and are able to enjoy a less busy, more relaxing holiday season.

The Dangers of Multi-Tasking

Vase of flowers - sketch

Pitt brush pen and Inktense pencils in Moleskine watercolor sketchbook

©2011 Stacy L. Rowan

Forgive me for any typos you find in this blog post. I am trying to type without using one of the fingers on my left hand.

I burnt my pointer finger tonight while I was making dinner. I accidentally grabbed the handle of the frying pan below the plastic portion. Not smart. Especially since I did the same thing two weeks ago. (Luckily I am right handed so I can still hold a pencil or paint brush.)

You might be tempted to believe I am a slow learner, having made the same mistake twice in one month. But I believe the truth to be more about distraction.

I was in a hurry trying to get dinner on the table before everyone had to be run to their evening activities. I was thinking of all the things I had to do after dinner. And tomorrow. And the next day. And every day between now and Christmas.

I wasn't thinking about how this pan is lighter than my cast iron skillet so I don't need to grab it so far down the handle. I wasn't thinking about how the plastic handle doesn't continue all the way to the bowl of the pan.

Distraction from multi-tasking seems to be a pretty common part of modern life. From applying make-up or talking on the cell phone while driving, to reading the paper while eating breakfast, or taking care of emails while "watching" kids sporting events.

People pride themselves on being able to accomplish multiple things at once.

However, one of the things I have realized that I love about days spent is my studio is the luxury of concentrating on one thing at a time. When I am creating art I have a singular focus. And I love it.

I love not having to juggle multiple tasks. I love getting engrossed in the creative process and not caring, or even noticing, that the hours are sliding by.

The act of creating art quiets my mind. The quiet feels peaceful, relaxing. It allows me to enjoy the activity at hand, and the moment I am living in, without thinking about or worrying about what the next hour or day or month will bring.

I want more of that feeling in my life.

I want less of the busy, multi-tasking, grabbing the hot pan feeling.

Next time I'll tell you some of my ideas on how to have a less busy life. I realize the blister on my finger points to my needing more practice with this concept. After tonight's run in with the frying pan I suddenly have a burning desire to do just that.

Hoping You Have Much to be Thankful For

sketch of a decorative turkey

created with Pitt brush pen, Inktense pencils and water brush

©2011 Stacy L. Rowan

As those of us living in the US celebrate Thanksgiving, my wish for my blog readers is that you each have much to be thankful for.

I am very thankful for all of you that read my blog, both here and on Facebook. I am grateful for every comment, every "like" and every "share". I value your support, both the loyal supporters who have been cheering me on for years and the ones who are seeing my art for the first time today.

I have been blessed with much good fortune in my life - a loving family, great friendships, wonderful experiences, good health - getting to do what I love is the icing on the cake. Thank you for being part of that icing.

No matter where you live, I hope today finds you surrounded by love and blessings and feeling like you have much to be thankful for.