The Interconnectedness of Nature

“In 1926, the last wolf pack in Yellowstone was wiped out,
causing the ecosystem to be thrown out of balance.
The reintroduction of wolves, starting in 1995,
 transformed the Yellowstone ecosystem,
saving it from imbalance and
restoring its natural beauty.”

 Day 62 ~ SE-62-25

Wilderness is a Spiritual Necessity

“Wilderness to the people of America is a spiritual necessity,
an antidote to the high pressure of modern life,
a means of regaining serenity and equilibrium.”
~ Sigurd Olson

Day 61 ~ SE-61-25 

Wilderness Is A Necessity

“Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people
are beginning to find out that going to the mountains
is going home; that wildness is a necessity.”
~ John Muir, Our National Parks 

Day 58 ~ SE-58-25  ⛺️🇺🇸

See Like An Artist

"The ability to draw depends on one’s ability to see the way an artist sees."

~ Betty Edwards

Day 56 ~ SE-56-25

✍️👁👩‍🎨

Learn To Really See

"Learning to draw is really a matter of learning to see, to see correctly,
and that means a good deal more than merely looking with the eye."
~ Kimon Nicolaides

 Day 51 ~ SE-51-25

Cheerful Fun

"When you focus on the good, the good gets better."  Cheerful and Fun at Sandarosa Studio today with my Merry Maidens. These are my live class watercolor and ink demos.

You can see the students' work here.

Day 42 ~ SE-42-25

Somewhere Over The Rainbow

 “Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue,

And the dreams you dare to dream really do come true. 

Somewhere over the rainbow, bluebirds fly.

Birds fly over the rainbow; why, then, oh why can't I?”

~ Harold Arlen & E.Y. Harburg   

Day 25 ~ SE-25-25

Some Silly Sketching

I keep thinking of this quote by Dr. Suess, “In my world, everyone's a pony and they all eat rainbows and poop butterflies!” So I decided to do more silly sketching. Embracing silliness isn’t foolish and can reduce stress and promote a sense of joy and playfulness. Engaging in silly sketching is not a stupid exercise. It can reduce stress while fostering creativity, innovation, and fun! This is today's Drawing Everyday Watercolor and Ink Sketch called 'Some Silly Sketching' I'll be posting my sketches regularly on our Facebook Drawing Everyday Group throughout the summer. You are welcome to join, even if you don't draw. ✍️

Day 12 ~ SE-12-25

Embrace Freedom

 "Horses teach us to face our fears and embrace freedom."

Day 11 ~ SE-11-25

A LoveThat Lasts A Lifetime

 “Horses aren’t a hobby that you pick up for a while and put back down.

They are a love that lasts a lifetime.” 

Day 10 ~ SE-10-25

Racing Into Your Heart

“I’m not fond of small babies.

I would rather give birth to a kitten or a little pony. “

~ Marie Helvin

'Racing Shetland Foal' Day 9 ~ SE-9-25

Stay Young At Heart

Pablo Picasso once said, “It takes a long time to become young.”

This may seem lighthearted, but it's actually a deep thought about staying playful and creative while nurturing your inner child and creative spirit. Today’s sketch was inspired by this quote, “In my world, everyone's a pony and they all eat rainbows and poop butterflies!” ~ Dr. Seuss See more about this drawing here in yesterday’s post.

Day 8 ~ SE-8-25

My Little Pony

As anyone who follows me online knows, I am a quote-aholic. I often spend a good deal of time searching for just the right one to accompany my artwork. Occasionally, a quote inspires me to create something, like the following one attributed to Dr Suess.
“In my world, everyone's a pony and they all eat rainbows and poop butterflies!”

 Lol, I bet you can guess where this one is going! This quote reminded me of ‘My Little Pony’.  Although I never had much exposure to MLP before, and just learned that they’ve been around since the early 1980s! I found this YouTube tutorial and it was so much FUN! Why don't you give it a try? *My Little Pony ~ Friendship is magic ~ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=302KXlpagA0 I also followed the next video that came up. *Pusheen Cat ~ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RG5BEoejrJw Drawing Is FUN!! 

Day 7 ~ SE-7-25

✍️

A Shetland Pony Mother And Foal

 “Many actors want to play Hamlet and Macbeth.
Ever since I became an actor, from the

very beginning, I just wanted to play a Shetland pony.

I cannot explain why.”

~ Dustin Hoffman

Day 6 ~ SE 6-25

Be A Friend

 “The only way to have a friend is to be one.”

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson 

 Day 5 ~ SE -5-25

Just Horsing Around

"When you’re partying and horsing around, remember at the same time,

somebody else is working hard. They are growing, getting smarter,

and will be more prepared for success.”

Day 4 ~ SE-4-25

Attempt After Attempt

"I'm the type that makes attempt after attempt
and moves forward like a wild horse." ~ Seungri 

Day 3 ~ SE-3-25

Desire Is A Wild Horse

"Desire is a wild horse to be tamed. Virtue is a habit long continued.

The taming of desire is like the training of an athlete. Discipline is

not the restraint but the use of energy."

~ Guy Davenport

SE 2a ~ First, I drew my subject in pencil, then added permanent ink.

Day 2 ~ SE-2-25

SE 2b ~ After erasing my pencil, I loosely added watercolor to my sketch,

leaving white paper showing through.

A Fresh Set Of Challenges

You can accelerate your development by

giving yourself a fresh set of challenges,

or the same set viewed from a different angle,

every day. Explore a different path.

If it's a dead end, explore another."

~ Paul Foxton

July 1- 9 2019 Sketches on Yupo using alcohol ink

 I went back into some of these sketches and added to them and changed a  few things.

You can see the sketches individually on our Drawing Everyday facebook group.

"I do my best work and have the most fun when I'm not sure exactly where I'm heading." ~ J. Cohen • #DoItOnYupo The process of discovery IS exhilarating! Come let me share my discoveries with you. To help celebrate the grand opening of a new #blickartmaterials store at 401 Park Drive in Boston, MA, ⁣I will be giving a free demonstration using #alcoholink on #YupoPaper from 11-1 on July 21st, sponsored by our friends at Legion Paper! I would LOVE to meet you there! 💖

Stay Inspired and Productive My Friends
Join me for a summer of sketching everyday! 
 

X ♥  O

DrawingEveryday / SketchingEveryday Starts Today!

"Once your drawing skills have been established and refined,

it may acceptable to trace from photographs occasionally;

to correct, fine tune or save time."

~ Sandy Sandy

I feel that tracing before you actually learn how to draw is cheating yourself out of the gift of refined artistic sight and is a detriment to your continued development as an artist. A huge part of learning to draw, is learning to really SEE. Drawing and advanced observational skills can only be developed through using them! Learning to draw, especially from life, teaches you to translate what your eyes see, into a language of two dimensional lines, values and shapes. This is why life drawing is so important; and why it has always been at the forefront in all classical art education!

It is often obvious, to those with the acquired skills, when something has been traced from a photo without a solid knowledge of 3D form. This 'insight' and ability is only acquired through educated study and practice.  In my opinion, tracing, especially when done from someone else's photo, does very little to teach drawing skills or contribute to one's long term development as an artist. 

The photograph, that someone else took, and the perspective that went into creating it, belongs to someone else; even if it was bought or is in the public domain. When tracing, no matter how much you change the colors, or what techniques you employ, it is still not truly your own art. You are not adding your own perspective into it and you are inevitably cheating yourself out of your own growth and unique vision.

I do think it is OK to trace to save time or to refine your drawing, once you are already adept in drawing skills; but it is no way to learn the essential Right Brain Shift and really start SEEING.

Everybody feels awkward and fumbles around with it in the beginning. Even if you can draw, but have been delinquent in doing it for a while, it can make you feel downright inadequate and uncomfortable. But that's what growth is all about! Accept the challenge and enjoy the process. If you work through it, and dedicate some time everyday (as little as 15 - 30 minutes), I assure you, that drawing will become easier and more enjoyable the more you do it.

I used the same grid on my photo and the drawing to help me see the shapes more easily.

I will be drawing again everyday from June - August. Why don't you give it a try? I'm sure you will agree that refining your drawing skills will open up your eyes like nothing else and really make you SEE like never before! Join our facebook group here.



"When drawing lies fallow, the skill diminishes."
"Draw, as much and as often as you can."
~ Gene Black

"As you make drawing a daily habit,
your sight will be enhanced tremendously;
your hand will become more coordinated
and your marks will be more
beautiful, spontaneous and sure."

~ Sandy Sandy

And Please Don't Forget. Time is running out. 
Don't miss this fun adventure.

Join us for

the FUNdamentals of Alcohol Ink E-Course.

Summer 2018 Session Opens June 6th

Thanks So Much for Stopping By

X ♥  O