Earth on Tilt

OK, so the earth is seriously on tilt. Wouldn’t you agree? I’m finding this to be a particularly fruitful time for contemplation, and I don’t just mean the specifics of how we will get life back to “normal”, whatever that was. Sometimes that means plunging in for a peak at the darkness. But then I recommend taking a piece of paper and your paints with you as a companion.

inks, gesso, collage, pen on w/c paper, 10 X 11″

It’s all flowing downstream, but at some point starts to back up.

The Doctors get called in to treat the damage.

The epidemiologists sound the alarm. Chaos ensues.

What the global warming crisis has not yet demanded,

This microscopic virus now  accomplishes, bringing everything. . .to a . . . halt.

Sit up and pay attention, It declares.

The earth’s axis is on tilt and you’re sliding off.

You may have a chance, if you sit still in your chair at home, for months.

Pull in your feet. The jagged teeth of this monster threaten.

And you elders beware!

Count your days.

Breathe deep.

If you can.

I read this to some Muse friends and they gasped a bit and were silent. If that is your reaction, I recommend one of those comedy clips you find on Facebook or Youtube to clear the palate.

I find that one of the most effective ways to navigate each day is to open the mind and heart to the tragedies playing out, and then to clear the palate with humor and a massive serving of natural wonder. (that and good food and music and. . .fill in the blanks)

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How (not) to Draw a Car

I’m not much of a car person and normally try to avoid drawing them, but when my Meet up sketch group suggested cars as a subject that would not get us in trouble with the Shelter in Place guidelines, I figured it might be a time to build some mechanical skill of the auto sort.

Sitting out in my driveway I got closer than 6 feet to my car to challenge myself with the extreme foreshortening of the angle. . .

I figured at least I would be able to see the details. I even did some measuring comparison, though it sure doesn’t show!

So I took a picture and determined to try “getting it right” by drawing from the picture in pencil.

The tire looked pretty flat, though the sketch was more convincing, automotively speaking. But was this the same car??

Still determined to “get it right” I tried again the next day, sitting in the same spot and taking a bit more time. If you don’t look at it for more than a couple seconds, it looks almost right. . .until you start to get the feeling it’s waiting to get fixed at an auto body shop after getting side bashed.

If I were really serious about drawing cars I would try again. Only honestly. . .I like the first one best, because it looks like it’s just about to say something interesting. All it needs is a bubble above it with “toot! toot!”

Are you finding things to do that you wouldn’t normally attempt, either because there’s no time or you feel it is too frivolous when the hospitals are filling up with people suffering from the pandemic? I hope so. We all need the frivolity as an antidote to terror.

Inks and Gesso: Another Free Lesson

Ready to try another free Muse Group lesson?! I’ve taught this one over and over for at least 12 years now. It’s a foolproof way to get excited about making art and to activate creative fancy. You’ll need watercolor paper, inks (preferably with droppers), gesso, and optional: scrapers, rollers, and rubber stamps.

Click here to watch the video demo. But don’t stop there. Give it a try!