Open Studio

I signed up for Open Studio.  A local artist provides the studio and hires a model.  I haven't drawn a live model for over 10 years.  I was a little anxious.  I pondered what materials I would use. Pencil? Charcoal? Pastels? Which sketchpad?  Pastel paper? Would my drawings be any good?

Through the red door and up the stairs, there are 4 or 5 doors on each side of the hallway, a reminder that the building at 217 N. Meridian was a brothel in 1910. The artist's studio was wonderful, just like I would want for myself.  A loft with big windows, skylights. She has her own space where she paints, a small kitchen, and an area for the 12 of us and our model. 

I nervously put charcoal to paper. My first drawing was small, porportions not quite right.  I started again, different paper, conte crayon, and let my right brain take over.  The studio is quiet, each of us in the "zone", channeling our creativity.  This is what I was looking for, a community of artists to connect with, others who love to draw and paint. 

Lauren

It's been awhile since I posted any artwork.  I've been working on a few miniatures for upcoming shows. This colored pencil drawing of Lauren measures 2 1/2" x 2 1/2".  Sometimes it seems the smaller the artwork the longer it takes.

Tulip Petal Study #1

I always buy tulips in the spring.  This year I got some that were variegated, sort of a mauve and white.  When they started to curl and die, I was attacted to the shapes, colors, and the veins in the papery thin petals. I thought it would be interesting to draw them, maybe put together some nice color combinations.  So I bought about every color of tulip available just to see how they looked when they dried. For a while there it was "tulip overload" at our house and I'm a little ashamed to say I couldn't wait till they were dead.

The variegated variety were the most interesting.  Tulip Petal Study #1, in colored pencil, is of a stunning red and yellow parrot tulip that dried beautifully.