Floral play continues in sketchbook.
Well, I definitely won’t make it to 100 painted florals in my sketchbook before the end of December..
Already, the art room is filled with Christmas commissions and other work to be donated in the coming months.
More about that in another post.
While I haven't been in the mood for painting much in the last weeks and even months, it doesn't mean I wasn't doing any art at all. I finished sketchbook entries that had been started during earlier commissioned work.
However, I seem to have gained a new burst of energy lately. Fall activities have given me a sense of purpose once again.
Choir practice sessions have started again – this is my second season with a local choir, and I am having so much fun now that I have gained a bit of confidence! This was an activity totally out of my comfort zone in so many ways.
Last year, as we didn't have enough men in the choir, some of the women, myself included, who would usually be altos, were asked to sing tenor instead. Let me tell you that tenors and bass singers have the most challenging parts in choral singing as they rarely carry the melody. Each note seems off key but complements the sopranos and altos so beautifully!
Somehow, we all learn our parts, more or less, and together, we don't sound too bad. The audience at our Christmas concert certainly was very appreciative.
So this group activity has energized me this fall. Can this activity have a spillover effect in my art? I think so!
Sketchbook work.
When I paint a larger work, or a commissioned piece, I keep a sketchbook close by or paper bags, or small canvases, or …well, I think you get the idea! As much as I was organized as a teacher (my students often told me this so I am not bragging), I am very scattered in my art work. I need lots of variety because I get bored if I simply repeat the same thing over and over. Having a sketchbook close by, I can add leftover paint to the pages. Ditto for paper bags or small canvases. Then when I have a moment, I might add collage, or use a marker to sketch in some florals. Really, I am just playing and letting loose with paint.
Each year, around this time, I am commissioned to paint all types of cats and dogs to be gifted at Christmas.
This year, commissioned work includes painting whimsical pets on flat oval glass ornaments.
But that’s not all I paint! – and Christmas is when I can really let loose painting cardinals, snowbound forests, poinsettias, angels, …Expect to see some new work on wood slices in a future post.
Floral play in sketchbook.
While I had wanted to get at least 50 florals in my sketchbook before the new year, that's not about to happen. I am ok with that.
Everything I paint allows me to grow as an artist while giving me hours of pleasure and some amount of pain. While not everything turns out the way I would like it to turn out, surprisingly, (for me anyway), my best florals have the texture of a previous painting (or two or three) underneath the final version. Just layers and layers of interest.
And so, as the seasons change, so does my art. How does your art change depending on your mood, or the season? Or does it change at all?
I would love to hear from you! Contact me or leave a message below. Happy fall!
Nice to hear you have plenty of commissions, Louise. It’s always very affirming when someone is enthusiastic about your work, enough to pay you for it. That really shows that they like it.
As for changes to my practice in the cooler months – well I wont be getting outside so much. Though I do have a plan with my pastels for some outdoor work – we’ll see.
This is the busiest time of year because everyone is looking for something special for Christmas gifts and painted pets are always appreciated or so it seems from the comments I receive afterwards. Pastels would work well outdoors – keeps all the dust out of the house. Just make sure to keep your fingers warm! Thanks for stopping by.