May I introduce you to BC (and KC)

I thought you needed a break from my artwork so as promised in my first post here are some photos of the cat(s). On the left atop the heater vent is my buddy BC. He entered our home on Superbowl Sunday 2003 at the age of about 6 months. I brought him and his sister KC (she died of FIP in May 2003) into the bathroom when we got home. I read where a small sized environment can help make the transition easier (yeah right). We stayed in there for over an hour. As soon as I opened the door they ran out made an immediate left turn and ran behind the washer/dryer and stayed there for a while. I finally coaxed them out and then she ran and hid UNDER the Lazy Box chair in the office. BC joined me for part of the game but KC was still scared. The next day she decided to join me as I used the computer. It was very sad when she died, she was getting more comfortable around strangers and was a great companion for BC.

Until my next post,

Diane

Design I black and white

This was an assignment in how to make an ordinary simple object look interesting through repetition. The object I chose was a simple clip that you can get at any office supply store. Draw the object in a few different views and pick the one you like. Next turn it 90 degrees and keep doing that until you get an interesting pattern. It is a poor mans way to try to imitate M.C. Escher but without the wonderful dissolves and illusions he did. This was painted in black gouache with the edges in Prismacolor marker for more precise work. As I was painting the design I started to see the inverse and decided to do a set.

Until my next post,
Diane

Design I first assignment

This was my first assignment for Design I. First find a twig/branch/leaf or something with some shape. You should have seen the class walking around campus looking at the ground. You would have thought someone lost a contact lens or something. Draw the item. Take tracing paper and make a mirror image or copies until you have an interesting but simple design. Possibly add a design element like I did since my item was a bit too simple. The whole point is to emphasize the negative/positive aspects and to learn to paint with gouache (pronounced like gwash). Gouache is an old style paint. It is a watercolor but with an added ingredient to make it opaque. It dries quickly to a matte finish. It comes in MANY colors but for class we only had two yellows, two reds, one blue, one violet and one green black and white. We “made” the rest by mixing. Since this was our first project we used the paint right out of the tube and didn't need to mix. We only needed to get the correct consistency by adding water.

Until my next post,
Diane

Drawing II

I took Drawing II the summer of 2006. We started with pen and ink then progressed to washes. After that we dove into color starting with colored pencil and then ending with oil pastels. There were four of us mixed in with Drawing I students. We got different assignments from the beginning students. This was my best work from the class. The first is an 18x24” landscape scene of Verona from inside their coliseum. It was done with Prismacolor colored pencils. I used a 4x6” color photograph that was blown up to 11x17” in black and white so I could make a grid. I kept going back and forth from the color photograph for color and detail to the black and white for placement. This project took a LONG time to make but I’m very happy with it. The next one is a 9x12” oil pastel of an onion and garlic done in student grade Lowell Cornell Oil Pastels on Bienfang paper. The last on was our final project a 18x24” reproduction of Paul Cézanne’s Farmhouse and Chestnut Trees at Jas de Bouffan. The Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, California has the original. Until my next post, Diane

Drawing I

In the summer of 2005 I began my transition from taking classes in IT (Information Technology) to Computer Arts. I decided I didn’t want to know how to write software I wanted to learn how to creatively use software. My school has a fine arts foundation of two classes in drawing and then two classes in design. My regret from this semester is that I didn’t use better paper. The instructor was very loose about letting us use newsprint. I guess she thought is was cheaper and since it is a community college she assumed most people were on a strict budget. Near the end of the semester I transitioned to drawing paper. This is the best of bunch. It was drawn from a handout not real life. It is 18x25 and drawn in pencil on Bienfang paper.

Until my next post,
Diane

A threefold win for UConn

If you are a fan of UConn (University of Connecticut) like me today was a great day. The football team won the International Bowl in Toronto, the women's basketball team beat LSU at their secondary home in Hartford and the men's basketball team beat Rutgers on campus at the Gampel Pavilion.

Until my next post,
Diane

Susan and Don

I mentioned in a previous post I had attended Art & Soul in Hampton, VA in 2006, 2007 and am scheduled again this year. Last year I had two classes with Susan from the same teacher, Albie Smith. I was having trouble coloring outside the lines so to speak, and Susan was my muse. I'd like to borrow the way Don (Susan's husband) did his intro to further introduce myself. Don has a great intro of how one thing in his life "naturally" led to another.

My lack of taking SAT's in high school led me to the local community college where I took a placement test for math and english. English no problem - math on the other hand not so good. Probably because I was in the "business" program in high school and hadn't taken algebra since 8th grade. I was placed in Math 101 a credit class but struggled. Late in the semester the instructor asked if I guessed at any of the questions on the placement test. I said yes. His reply "you are a good guesser, you don't belong in this class. He said what's your major. My dumbfounded look prompted him to ask "math/science or english/history". I replied english/history which resulted in his reply of I'll give you a "C" but get the rest of your math/science required classes in science. I did. I transfered to the 4 year state school without a goal (again) so I majored in History and Social Sciences. This soft science major "naturally" led to me joining the USAF and becoming a navigator. I stayed in for 22+ years which "naturally" led me to takes classes upon retirement in computer arts.

I guess the moral of the story is that sometimes you don't know where you will end up but keep putting one foot in front of the other. The other moral is that you don't need to know the value of X to become a navigator (and if I do say so myself a pretty good one).


This photo was taken a while back when I was at Desert Storm in Saudi Arabia. All the phones are hotlines to the units we had in the area. Sort of reminded me of the stories I heard about the old Russian phone system where they didn't have phones with extensions but MANY phones -- all direct lines. The more phones you had the more important you were. I guess we were important -- we had LOTS of phones. We controlled the air refueling (KC-135 and KC-10) in the area. Thus the acronym NKAWTG...N! (Translated -- nobody kicks a** without tanker gas...nobody!)

Until my next post,
Diane

Neat book artist

Jackie is a local book artist. I took a class from her just a little over a year ago in early Dec 07. I was surprised she didn't cancel the class since I was her only student. I'm glad she didn't since I got to learn two great techniques for making quick and neat mini books. We made a ribbon hinged book and a neat variation on a mini exploding star style book. I made three more of the mini exploding star books and gave them away to the gals I went to the UK with. (More about that later...). The ribbon hinged book is a signature book. While you are making the signatures you put ribbon in there and then cut a slit in the binding and tie it on the outside. I'm sure the pictures can give you a better idea than my words. The exploding star book would make a great graduation card since it looks like a mortarboard. In class we used card stock so it had color on both sides. I sort of forgot about that when I was making the ones for my friends. I then used some rubber stamps and direct to paper inking to make it double sided.


This is the ribbon hinged book.


I did the yellow and blue book in class and then made these next three at home for friends.

Until my next post,

Diane

Another Christmas season back in the boxes

While watching the Rose Bowl parade today I took down the Christmas tree ornaments and put them away. I also took down all the other decorations in the house. I suppose it wouldn't have hurt to wait until the weekend but this seemed like a relaxing day to do this. It took a while since I'm just a bit Type "A" regarding how things are packed. The pictures above are some of the Christmas needlework kits I made back in the 80's. I guess I've been "crafty" for a while. I just had other things going on in my life to distract me from creating. I'm terrible with a sewing machine but can do this type of needlework.

Until my next post,

Diane

Happy New Year!

Here's two New Years cards I made. I used a blank cardstock background with an overlay of handmade paper in bulk that I got at Costco. Next is some Punchinella (a.k.a. sequin waste) by SkyBluePink. The next layer is the gold paper by DCWV. The final touch are brads in the corners and the die cuts.

Until my next post,

Diane