July 11, 2011

     These two crane figurines (and assorted chunks of coral and shells) are in a corner china cabinet. At first I intended to do a simple contour drawing since today is busy with closing up and packing to head north tomorrow. China figurines are a good thing to do in contour as they have clear delineated edges and can't get too complicated or they would be too fragile. 
      I kept being drawn to the knot between the cranes on the back wall of the china cabinet, and to the space behind the cranes, so I put the knot in almost without thinking, and then realized that although I surely Could put in a background and leave the cranes in contour, I would probably rather fill the cranes with a little worked surface. I think that part of what I liked about the cabinet space was the tiny, safe aspect as well as the contrast of cranes as a subject matter with the boxed space. 

May 24, 2011

    I'm skipping the sketches I did earlier to jump to this one... who cares about the order? This one has a story! I had some of my lizards out to sun today and the turtle pushed two of the cages over and they burst open so I was hunting for two lizards when I discovered a nest of baby birds. They all sat up straight and opened their mouths; Momma was here! I let go of the leaves guiltily but soon decided to go in and get my camera... I turned off the flash so as to avoid scaring the babies and crept up, parted the leaves, and couldn't quite focus on the babies. There should have been about three tiny pink frowzy little bodies in the cavity of the nest, but it was just non-descript brown. There was a round black eye. It was Momma, back on the nest, looking at me bravely and accusingly! I released the leaves and backed up slowly... trying not to alarm anyone; act casual... 
    Thwarted, I sat down on the bench. What to draw? I was facing the same old pond, the same old vegetation. I needed a sketch. I didn't have my paints. 
    Just about then, a bird flew out of the magnolia, into the bush for a few moments, out of the bush and onto the top of a branch we've inverted into the garden to provide a "stump" for interest (and, apparently, bird seating). It sat very very still and eye-balled me; so still that I managed to throw down a quick likeness. I wouldn't try to identify it from the sketch, but still... I think it was Pappa bird checking me out and seeing if I seemed threatening. I passed muster - he flew off and I continued with sketching the stump under him. 
    Oh - and a bit later I found the two missing lizards in near-by trees. All's well that ends well... 

May 9, 2011

     This is one of a set of six little glass humming birds I bought around Christmas time. They were intended as Christmas ornaments, but I left them hanging up on fine twisted filaments under my kitchen light for the rest of the year... they seem like Spring to me.     

March 22, 2011

     I have several bird statuettes; chosen not because of the maker or for some collectible valuation, but because I like the bird and the piece's workmanship (or, occasionally, the absurd or engaging lack of workmanship) or the way some of them evoke an era. This one is a china canary, sketched in pen. 

Feb. 21, 2011

     I used black pen in order to do a very quick drawing of a parrot figurine. Tonight was unusually busy so I needed to do a fast drawing - and a simple, easy, relaxing one - so I turned to a black pen that would encourage me to Stay simple. I think I'll add this pen to my "desert island" drawing pack; it has a nice feel.