Saturday, October 27, 2007

Sketcher's Block



Thursday started with the arrival of my dear friend Joan, just back from her 5 week visit to Africa. After much chatter and 'show and tell' we headed to the studio and while Joan painted I created another 10 minute self portrait from life in ink.

I sketched my way through seven pages of my Seawhite sketchbook and found each and every one a challenge. For the first time in a long time I felt I couldn't get a thing right!

I found it hard to decide what to sketch, what to use to sketch ...but I persisted and worked through it.


The results are pretty bland and in most cases I have been most unfair to the subject, albeit unintentional.

You know you have a true friend when you make them look like a fairground attraction with a beard and they don't care!
The day was saved by the company of two wonderful friends, conversation, laughter, snacks and plenty of wine.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

You're living the life of a true artist where the days(and sometimes weeks) will haunt you with lack of inspiration, unproductivity...and then, like the true artist you are, you'll persist, even if nothing is to your satisfaction..like you did here. I can only learn from your example!
ronell

caseytoussaint said...

I've been working through a time like that myself! I really love the wine bottle and glass though. It's always hard to comment on portraits when you don't know the subject...

E-J said...

You look so grumpy in the self-portrait! It's great that you're sharing the sketches you felt didn't go as well as you'd hoped ... I am not always that honest with mine ...

I love the colours in the wine sketch - is that the gouache or the Inktense?

Good mates and a bottle of rosso, though. Life's not so bad sometimes, is it. Xx

Anonymous said...

It's good that you worked thru that block. ISn't that just terrible? We all have bad days, some more than others. :-)