"Who has decided – who has the right to determine for the countless regions of people who were not consulted, that the supreme value is a world without insects, even though it would also be a world ungraced by the curving wing of a bird in flight?"
~ Rachel Carson, Silent Spring, 1962
Day 17 ~ SE-17-25
Life is a Circle
By Black Elk
Oglala Sioux Medicine Man
1863 - 1950
is done in a circle.
The sky is round
and I have heard that
the earth is round like a ball,
and so are all the stars.
The wind in its' greatest power whirls.
Birds make their nests in circles;
for their's is the same religion as ours.
The sun comes forth and
goes down again in a circle.
The moon does the same
and both are round.
Even the seasons form a great
circle in their changing
and always come back
to where they were.
The life of a man is a circle,
from childhood to childhood
And so it is with everything
where power moves.
"When nature made the bluebird, she wished to propitiate both the sky and the earth, so she gave them the color of the one on their back and the hue of the other on their breast." ~ John Burroughs This morning, a vulture was on our bluebird house with two more nearby. My heart sank as I feared the worst. All morning, I watched the parents fly around the field with binoculars, but none went to the opening in the house, as they had been doing about every 5 minutes for the past 10 days. I knew the babies were about to fledge, so I kept my fingers crossed that all went well. Later, Jerry and I went out to check, and all five were gone! They have fledged successfully, and I am thrilled!
Day 15 ~ SE 15-25
"The ability to draw from life determines the artist's skill.This is why live drawing classes have always been at the top of the curriculum for properly structured academic workshops."
Igor Babailov
Drawing from photos is all well and good, but we also need to draw from life,
because our brains process 2D and 3D information differently.
What do you love?
If you don’t have something you enjoy drawing, it can get really hard to keep going. What do you love? I love whimsical things, but you don’t have to! Get yourself a "study buddy" that fits your preferences and sensibilities. Toys and figurines make great models.
Go to your local thrift shop or to a garage sale with something specific in mind.
Or just be open to a little serendipity. The
consequence of serendipity is sometimes a brilliant discovery: (happy)
chance, (happy) accident, fluke; luck, good luck, good fortune,
fortuity, providence; happy coincidence.
I have sketched Rudy and my other favorite "Study Buddies" so many times, that the actions involved in doing so are ingrained into my muscle memory. Just like a musician practices the same piece of music over and over, if you want to improve as a fine artist, you must train in the same way.
"Repetition is the key to mastery."
Sandy Sandy
See How I Use My Study Buddies To Improve My Skills Here
"Drawing, or in other words 'the art of sketch' is the highest point of all Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. Drawing is the source and the soul
of any painting, it is the root of all the sciences in art."
Michelangelo Buonarroti - on drawing from life
Relax and Avoid the Overwhelm of T.M.I
(Too Much Information)
This Summer, My Motto is: K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid)
For Myself and for My Zoom Course Students
Even if you are not planning on joining me for our 2021 class,
I'm still hoping YOU WILL get into sketching and painting
this summer!
Join our Facebook Group
and participate in the
Free #SketchWithMeChallenge!
Make Progress and K.I.S.S. This Summer!
