A Drawing a Day

To all my subscribers of "A Painting a Day" (which hasn't been an accurate description for a long time), I am launching a new blog of a new project for 2011, "A Drawing a Day". I'll try to do a drawing every day of the year, and I'll post them on here. I invite and encourage others to do the same! The drawings can be any medium, any size, any subject, any length of time, careful or casual, detailed or simple. If you have time, do a long study. If you don't, dash off a quick scribble. But date every one, and by the end of the year we should have a unique record of the last 12 months. I'm excited, and can't wait to start on January first!

Papi

Commissioned portrait, charcoal

"Cousins #2", commissioned portrait for another recipient

My client wanted two of the same portrait - gifts for different people. I thought it would be interesting to see them both on here. Of course they're not exactly alike. I don't know why the second one looks more beige - they are on the same kind of paper, in color more like the first one..

"Cousins" (commissioned portrait), charcoal, 15"x22"

"Ethan", pastel, 15"x12"

"November Oak", oils, 22"x16"

I went back to the oak tree this morning, because the weather was exactly like yesterday. I figured it would be much better than trying to work on it in my studio, because the photographs just didn't show what I saw and felt out there. I include this photo of my painting on the easel, because the colors are much truer than the one below, which I took indoors.

I really didn't do all that much to it. Just adjusted colors here and there, added more density to the far background trees, and worked on the foreground. Don't know if it's improved or not.

"Oak tree, November morning", oil on canvas, 22"x16", unfinished

Here's the spot I decided to paint today. It's right in my neighborhood - a short path through a bit of woods. I've walked through it many times, and have been thinking of painting there for while. It was a perfect fall morning, and I didn't have to be at work until 3 pm, so I grabbed my chance.

Here's the painting on the easel, in progress. It was interesting - I went through all the stages of painting today - excitement, anxiety, sublime happiness, struggle, confusion, despair, acceptance of a sucky painting, and suddenly, it came together and wasn't so bad. Altogether a very satisfying morning!

Another shot of the painting on the easel, showing more of the panorama I was looking at. Sun and shadows are creeping across my canvas.

Here's the painting at the end of the morning. I will go back into it and mess with it some in the studio, after it ages a bit.