Green Paint Chips and My Favorite Chair

Green Paint Chips and a Pencil Sketch

This is a sketch of my favorite chair in the world.  It is glossy black, slender looking and sculptural.  She (don't you think it's a girl?) had been in my family before I could remember  -  so long, in fact, that no one could remember what branch of the family she had belonged to, or how old she might be.  Just a few years ago, I came across a picture of my father, about seven years old, posing for the picture on this chair - maybe about 1924.  Back in the 60s I painted it glossy black, made a pink and orange striped cushion, and glued hot pink ball fringe along the edge of the seat.  It was great.

It is COLD COLD COLD here today  -  in the low teens.  It has finally reached 65 degrees in the house and I am wearing several layers  -  and a down vest and wool scarf!  Maybe if I did something active  .  .  .

I am sitting around reading a book about painting figures, sketching the chair, and making notes about painting with, and mixing, greens.  That "fear of orange" comment a few posts back triggered something in my brain about painting greens.  Makes sense, doesn't it?

For anyone reading this who has been in one of my drawing classes, you might be glad to know that I STRUGGLED with this drawing today.

Coffee Table Pencil Sketch

 not TOO serious

Feeling the urge/need/desire/obligation to do a halfway serious drawing, instead of the cartoon-like contour drawings I have been doing, I challenged myself with the foreshortening of this table.  The top book and bowl got a little floaty, but oh well.

We have a winter advisory warning here this afternoon.  It's a nice day to be working on sketches and lesson plans for my new classes starting this week.  This week we are going to be working on breaking up shapes to keep things interesting and, at the same time, cohesive.   We'll be breaking them up with lines, softened edges, variations in value, additional shapes .  .  . Fun stuff.  Stay tuned.

Drawing Table

A Very Quick Contour Drawing of my Drawing Table

Trying to pay attention to the negative spaces  -  the spaces between things.

This drawing looks as if I wasn't paying much attention to anything, but, hey, there is a lot going on with this table.

I decided to paint my drawing table semi-gloss black, and I love it.  It was a little tricky because there are a LOT of pieces to it, and I was afraid if I took it apart, I wouldn't get it back together.  So, I took off one part at a time and didn't paint its corresponding part until it was painted and replaced. Yeah, I know, a little nutty and time consuming, but it worked.

Tonight we are attending Middle Granddaughter's Christmas program at school.  That's what I love about living in snowy northern Michigan  -  you never know when a scheduled event will actually take place.  Cancellations because of weather definitely keep things interesting.

Are you sketching?