Feb 2, 2016 The Gesture

Feb 2, 2016
 
I confess.
 
I took the day off yesterday. I earned it.
 
But here I am again.
 
One of the best things about drawing and painting are those moments when you can to do some life drawing. Whether it's a dressed figure, a draped figure, a nude figure or a portrait, it is quite simply the best and fastest way to develop your drawing skills.
 
People can get into a tizz wuzz about it. But any artist will tell you how quickly you forget it's a person. That figure becomes a bunch of shapes or lines, tones and colours. And every second you are trying to fit it all together like a jig saw puzzle.
 
Everything in you is so focused on making the thing (person) fit together you simply don't have time to spare for anything else. The human figure is exactly like a landscape at it's best and most difficult.
 
All those hills and valleys. All the different kinds of shadows. How does this fit with that? You're looking at size relationships, and proportions. Then there's always perspective to drive you straight around the twist ...
 
As for colour, you can only pray you come close. Every skin tone is different and presents it's own problems. Each drape and fold of cloth does it to your head too.
 
Never mind the actual structure, which you must get right first, if it's even to look human. Then there's making it look male or female. After all that there's the work required to make an actual likeness.
 
No, my friend. It's all work once you begin. The intensity of concentration required can bend the the strongest mind.
 
The simple act of drawing becomes a celebration of life. In the end you are filled with an incredible sense of wonder.
 
For myself, I especially enjoy the warm ups. We call them gestures.
 
Sometimes they maybe only 15 seconds long in which case you have to remember what you saw to get in down on paper. Then one minute poses. Then two mins. Five minutes, on to a ten minute pose, then perhaps one for 15 minutes and now you are on your way to a sustained drawing which presents it's own issues.
 
Make a mistake in the beginning and it comes back to bite you. There's something screwy about that mouth, that shoulder that ... well you name it
 
Remember the clock is ticking the whole time too. No pressure ... each medium is it's own task master
 
So today I thought I would show a few 15 to 30 seconds timed gestures.
 
Either I got it or I didn't but the doing of it is my greatest joy


Here are today''s treasures
Alice Edwards
various sizes
pencil on paper 

 

Collage Jan 31, 30 Paintings in 30 Days

Jan 31, 2016

30 Paintings in 30 Days

Day 31 Final Collage 

Here is the Collage of all 30 Paintings in 30 Days for Jan 2016

All my treasures for the month of Jan

 by

 Alice Edwards 1949 --
30 Paintings in 30 Days 
various media and supports 


 

Day 30 - 30 Paintings in 30 Days

Jan 30, 2016

30 Paintings in 30 Days

Day 30 - Not Forgotten

On November 11th, 2015 I attended the Remembrance Day Ceremonies in Alliston. I was incredibly moved then and I still am.

There were all kinds of todays’ military there, school children, and veterans of all ages and stripes.

Before the ceremony began a huge, Commemorative larger than life mural, commissioned by the local Royal Canadian Legion Alliston, Branch 171, painted by Greg Hindle and his artist wife, Susan Hindle, was unveiled by two Canadian Afghan veterans.

When the soldiers dropped the tarps there was a heart felt Ah... from everyone present, then a collective silence.

In that moment, and since I’ve thought about remembrance and art, because I realized painting, in particular, and art in general, touches the human heart of us in ways that can not be measured in dollars and cents.

There wasn’t anyone among who did not recognize that we saw and felt something so intimate, so personal yet collectively we felt as one.

That does not happen everyday.

After the ceremony proper was concluded, ( Alliston did her sons and daughters proud that day ) all the school children clamoured to have their pictures taken sitting front of the 158 painted poppies.
 

One poppy for each life given from the town in service to their country. In service to you and me.

Those kids ran up and plunked themselves down wanting and demanding to be part of something bigger than themselves.

Art did that.





Here’s today’s treasure:
Alice Edwards 1949 --
Not forgotten
8” x 10”
Oil on stretched canvas

Day 29 - 30 Paintings in 30 days

Jan 29,  2016

30 Paintings in 30 Days

Day 29 - A Gentleman's Gentleman

Yesterday, after I left you, a painter friend dropped by and I discovered I had been saved by a miracle again.
 
I made us tea, curled up on the couch feet tucked under me. I felt good I'd posted. all was right with my world.
 
She asked me right out the blue how I'd cut myself like that?" pointing at the sole of my left foot. she said, " that must hurt."
 
"I haven't cut myself." I said. I could say that with a considerable degree of certainty because nothing hurt anywhere.
 
"There." She said pointing again at my foot. I looked and sure enough there was a nasty looking wound on the sole of my foot. Only it didn't hurt.
 
I looked again, realized that the carefully hoarded little piece of burnt sienna paint had fallen off my palette and I had stepped on it.
 
The miracle was I had walked all over the place to make tea, dump cherries in a bowl for a snack, gone into a back room, back into the livingroom, sat down, pulled my feet up and tucked them under me. Did all that.
 
And. There. Was. Not. A mark. Anywhere on the carpet.
 
The whole place is carpeted as you remember from Skip's palette adventure.
 
I'm calling it a miracle!

Here's today's 

Alice Edwards 1949 --
A Gentleman's Gentleman
9" x 7"
oil on canvas board

Day 28, 30 Paintings on 30 Days

Jan 28, 2016

30 Paintings in 30 Days
 
Day 28
 
This inventing people has got to stop. I sit down with a small drawing of someone and arise with a painting of someone else. The small drawings are a jumping off point
 
The spirits are pushy some days. Days like this make me wonder just who is driving the paint brushes.
 
They aren't bad days. Just days where the question of who is in charge nags.
 
Take today. I have no idea where the red earrings came from but they had to go in. And not just any shade would do. Nothing but that glorious red.
 
When I was a kid my father told my mother to dress me in red so they could always pick me out of a crowd. It wasn't so bad in the cool true reds. They had a cool blue under tone. I felt pretty good in that.
 
But sometimes, they would go off the rails and I would wind up in warm reds that were yellow based
 
I didn't feel good in those shades but money didn't go on trees in our back yard. My mother being a frugal woman would buy it a size big.
 
Those were the years I couldn't grow fast enough to get out of those colours. Sometimes I had to wear them for what felt like forever. Maybe two plus years.
 
I know there are people who say I was selfish wanting something I liked but wearing the street hand me downs wasn't easy either. I did that too.
 
When I got that paper route at age nine no one bought me clothes. I bought my own and you can bet they were not red.
 
I went strictly cool blue. Period. Deep rich greens if I could get them. I needed those colours because my spirit shriveled in those warm reds.
 
Lately though, I've had a hankering for true red.
 
Maybe my inner me is telling my outer me to go dancing in red. 

Here's todays treasure








Alice Edwards
Red Earrings
4" x 5"
oil on stretched canvas

Day 27 - 30 paintings in 30 Days

Jan 27, 2016

30 Paintings in 30 Days
 
Day 27
 
Funny the things that can trigger a memory.
 
I sat down at the easel to mind my own business today when it occurred to me that one way or another I'm been doing "arty things" for the past, well, my entire life really.
 
Dance skater, photographer, sculpting (I started that when I was 3 according to my mother. Apparently I was scary good). Always drawing, painting, making things with my hands
 
Then in grade 6 our teacher, Mr Gough, took us to the Art Gallery of Ontario. I'd never heard of the place. Art had no place in our house. He wanted us all to see the Vincent van Gogh show. I'd never heard of him either. And I thought it would old master stuff.
 
I didn't much like the old masters. I thought there was something wrong with me. I just didn't like their pictures. Somehow, I felt I should, but they were all dark brown to me.
 
Now, of course, I know a lousy reproduction when I see one but not back then. I've see a great deal of the real thing in the flesh since.
Miracle of miracles, my parents said yes.
 
Anyway. off we went to the AGO. I was so stunned by the inside of the building I wanted to go everywhere at once but Mr. Gough herded us like a good sheep dog.
 
"In here," he said. I was busy staring behind me trying to see everything. He gently took me by the shoulders and turned me around. There directly in front of me was

" Sunflowers"
 
Shocked, I just stood there, my mind being flooded with colour. I stood there forever or perhaps only a minute but to me I'm still standing there frozen at the sight before me. I could have stayed there forever. I did stay there forever. I'm still there.
 
He steered me over the "The Bedroom At Arles." I thought it looked all cockeyed but the colour!
 
I heard and saw the teacher pointing out the distortion in perspective but again I was slain by the colour.
 
I must have taken it in because I remember the things he said and it all makes sense now.
 
But back then, colour rocked me back on my heels right off my feet in my mind. It set me free. I've not come down to earth since.
 
I wonder what Mr Gough would say if he knew what he did for me that day?
 
If there's a place for good teachers I'm sure he's there.
 

And if he isn't, he should be. When I get there I'll look for him and tell him Thank You for opening the doors of my heart and mind. You made all the difference in my life.

Here's today's treasure: 
  
Alice Edwards 1949 --
Red box
9" x 7"
oil on canvas covered board

Day 26 - 30 Paintings in 30 Days

Jan 26, 2016

30 Painting in 30 Days

Day 26

Sometimes you just like something or someone and you want to show the world.
 
So today's treasure is of one of my large, in process paintings. Something about this particular painting stirs my heart. I have worked on this over a longer period of time.
 
Yes, it is not finished but it will be.
 
I work on her a little every day because she deserves to come to life. I know where her home is going to be. I'll be able to visit. I thought you might like to meet her. Beside her is the little study which began it all.
 
When you enlarge a study things change. An artist friend told me she has become presence now. She has gravitas and I can feel that too.
 
I use the word "study" loosely because I created it and her from my imagination during a demo one hot July 1st Canada Day celebration at the local museum.
 
She's been with me through all of my moves and the various ups and down in my life lately. Still, as I work on her, changing this and that, I learn more about her and how she came into my mind that afternoon in front of 200 people.
 
Pretty soon now we'll part company and I wanted you to meet her and her red blanket.
 
Maybe before we part she'll whisper her spirit name to me

Alice Edwards 1949 --
Study Red Blanket
9 1'4" x 10 1/2"
oil on birch

Today's Treasures:
 

                   

Alice Edwards 1949 --
The Red Blanket
36" x 36"
oil on canvas