The drawing challenges have pushed me and encouraged me in my development as an artist. I have learned to draw better, and more importantly to explore my own style of making marks. I go down some whacky roads let me tell you. Once again, this is a whacky road for me.
This is a drawing which is only just started and will not be finished in time really, for the showing this current weekend, but I am letting you see what has developed so far. This drawing/painting/mobile/mixed-media piece grew and grew and grew. It was going to be the simplest of drawings with barely a mark and only kisses of watercolour added. It was going to be some lady who loved horses, and which I hadn't exactly figured out how to show yet, when I began the drawing.
As I started to make the first mark, it started to grow on it's own (my muse is heavily involved here.) It is a woman gazing at a looking glass to commune with her animal nature, which we can't see as the mirror is facing away from our view. But, if you turn the drawing to the back, you are able to see what the woman sees reflected back to her in the looking glass. We see that it is a horse.
The paper [THANK YOU Lynne Hoppe] was given to me to try out to see how I liked working with it. I think it was a combination of the automatic pencil and this paper that completely dictated the look and style of the drawing. It kind of drew itself. I am not going to rush it so will show you this simple beginning. I will continue to work on this piece. Here it is:
The paper is a 200 lb. something (I'll have to get more details.) It is so strong and so thin it is like a sturdy wafer. I have erased in one spot it feels like a hundred times, but more likely 15 times (I could not get those chicklet teeth to save my soul.) I splotched watercolor and the color would NOT lift. Good to know.
I wanted you to be able to flip the paper easily to see the back showing the image and so decided a mobile would be in order. Then the muse came up with East Indian trim and I went with that. Then the muse dictated a little 'story' to go with, so I went with that. The back of the mirror is decorated with a Lynne Hoppe species of flower. I could not resist painting in the chicklet teeth with a gel pen from the Ranger line of products. And her red lipstick and matching nail polish. She sports a gold hair clip and after the whole painting/drawing is complete I'm going to glue on a little flat zwarovski crystal on the cabochon. Her pompadour hair style is influenced by Dita von Teese.
Thanks for dropping in today, and I encourage you to go view the lovely Stefanie's blog as she is the host for this drawing challenge and it is she who chose the theme for us to play with. All who are joining in on this theme are LINKED at Stefanie's site so go have a look!!
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Isn't it wonderful where the whacky roads lead us! I love your idea, and the creation is looking wonderful - please make sure to show us more as it develops. I love the look in both the lady's eyes and the horse's eyes - she looks so happy with what she sees, and the horse looks so very gentle. Thanks for sharing it at this stage...I will look forward to seeing it again.
ReplyDeleteHi, Norma, your drawing is fine, very loose, I see right, i like it!
ReplyDeleteI like the details in gold, It takes courage to put them into art. I like your idea, it's great
I loved reading: "kisses of watercolor", wonderful mentaphor :)))
I congratulate you!
have a beautiful week!!!!!
such a fun idea to have a two sided piece
ReplyDeletea bit complicated i can see to work out all the details
how fun that you have let your muse guide you to a more involved piece compared to what you thought you were going to create.
it is a wonderful beginning, i hope you share the final with us.
your kisses of watercolour so far (how lyrical art thou!) do enthrall. as usual, i enjoy your method as much as your result, you are meticulous, and the result to that is already showing.
ReplyDeleteam looking forward to come back to this!
n♥
sweet, sweet Norma, how i love you for trying out new things all the time, for giving that muse of yours the freedom to bring you the unexpected.
ReplyDeletethe gold works fine, the horse has a hairclip too :) and i recognize the Lynne flower.
it's very obvious those two are looking at each other in a very understanding way, soulmates,
i'll be back, take your time, xx
I like that you show us your thoughts and the start and that it's not finished yet. I love to it when you are done, the work process is very interesting! I wonder where the "kisses" will take you!
ReplyDeleteas always, magical and poetic. love it ♥
ReplyDeleteand thanks for your comment. yes!
just imagine ... then everything will change.
Dear Norma, the idea and the beginning is nice, it´s already so far done and it´s a great artwork. The idea of mobile and I love the "thing" on the edge - oups excuse me I hope you understand - the braid, ok. What I like most is what you telling us! yes, it´s so true.
ReplyDeleteI am happy to meet you again and again - thank you, x Stefanie
What an interesting direction you've gone with this, and I love the horsey nature!- the piece looks complete to me but I'm curious about where you;ll take it- someplace fantastic I'm sure :)
ReplyDeletegreat approaches
ReplyDeleteand i love the pencil drawing together with the gold
the hairclips makes me smile
;^))
new theme is up
and i think you will like it ;^))
will you join?
x
Dear norma, to me it doesn't look whacky at all. Its great that you're trying to travel on ontraveld roads and I really like the story you told behind the artwork and this very unique wonderful artwork. Keep on doing!
ReplyDeleteHugs BarbaraBee
Oh Norma...Horsey Face is a wonderful creation. Her hairstyle is so chick and 40's. 40's right? I love it! I really think horses are so sweet too. There is one that we come across on our daily walks and he loves to trot up to the fence to say hello.
ReplyDeleteFabulous. Also love the gold!
ReplyDelete