Monday, July 30, 2012

Taffys - another Un-Still Life


I can't stop ...



Taffys  © Paula Pertile
8 x 10, colored pencils on paper

(This scan needs a bit of cleaning up on one edge, but I went ahead and posted it anyway.)

These are so much fun! I liked the idea of them raining down, and one going on through the paper. I hope it reads that way, rather than just a half of one sitting there on the bottom of the page.

I'm looking forward to doing more of these, now that I have my feet wet with this idea. Maybe some larger pieces? I usually work pretty small. I think something like this, LARGE, would be pretty cool on someone's wall, yes? (If you are such a person, and would like to commission me to do something for you, please don't be shy!)






Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Another Un-Still Life

 ~ that is still without a proper title.


Untitled Un-Still Life, © Paula Pertile
8 x 10, colored pencils on paper


These are Red Velvet Pluots and Black Plums. They were so beautiful in the store, in all their purpley splendor, I had to buy them. And now I've drawn this and don't know what to call it.

Ascending Orbs? Something Uprising? Floating Red Velvet Pluots and Black Plums?  Yeah, no.
It'll come to me. 

A fun part of these new pieces is taking reference. I have to be a little creative. I obviously can't tell the fruit "OK, now float up a little ... a little more ... plum, move right a little ... OK, THERE ... "click". (Or maybe that IS what I do, bwah haha). I'll never tell.

Anyways. I'm always a little giddy after finishing a piece. Now I'm off to eat something chocolate and see who they put through on America's Got Talent.


Thursday, July 19, 2012

Figs, an "Un-still life"


© Paula Pertile
8x10, Prismacolors and Polychromos on Stonehenge paper


I think I'm back to my old self, drawing-wise. 
This is what I do best - simple still lifes, with a clean background. I went on a bit of a "draw about" (like a walkabout, except with drawing - and yes, I just made that up) there for a while, and scratched a couple of itches. Its good to get out of your comfort zone now and then and try new things, because that's how you discover new ideas, techniques, or approaches to things. But then its nice to take whatever you learned and come back to your real self. 

I noticed there for a while I was drawing things with a muted palette, and I was struggling with some of the "out of my comfort zone" pieces. I started to wonder what was up with that. Was I depressed? Were my eyes going? Was it the lighting on my drawing table? Were the planets lined up funny, or was Mercury in Retrograde for a way long time? Or what?

I'm pretty sure my eyes are OK, and the lighting on my table is good (although I do prefer to draw in natural light rather than with studio lights, but of course that's not always possible, when you're forced to work at night so much.) Depressed? Well, let's see. The economy is down, the house next door and across the street are empty and in foreclosure, people come around and pick through the recycling on garbage night (which they did all the time in the City, San Francisco, but never used to here in the suburbs where I am now), all the news is bad, and I could go on. But actually, no, I don't think that's why I was drawing muted pictures. Not consciously, anyway. Maybe its seeped into my psyche some. Mercury goes in and out of retrograde all the time, so I can't always blame that.


I think (no, I know) sometimes we artists have 'off' periods, where we're not as productive, or things aren't turning out as brilliantly as we would like. Sure, inspiration takes a holiday sometimes, but also, if you just sit down and work every day, and keep doing something, it all comes back around eventually.

I think I'll take this idea of an un-still life and run with it. I knew I wanted to draw these figs, but didn't know what I wanted to do with them. I was trying to create an interesting arrangement, and it just came to me to have them floated up to the top of the page. I started this idea of flying food a while back with my "Pulling Up Roots" piece, then for whatever reason didn't keep going with it.



Pulling Up Roots, © Paula Pertile


So now I'm mulling over what to draw next, and how to have fun with this idea.
(But first I need a nap. The kitties had a meeting and decided that 4:30 am is the new "getting up" time, and they all conspire to wake me up by jumping or walking on me, meowing to let them out, or in the case of the one who manages to stay out all night, ringing the bell to come in. Bless their little hearts, who's nature it is to torture helpless creatures, like sleep deprived moms.)

Monday, July 16, 2012

Figs again


Its been a while since I've drawn figs.

I bought a little basket of them last week, and left them on the counter overnight. The next morning they were covered in mold spots already. Ewww, super gross. I actually thought about drawing them that way, but decided against it and just tossed them.

The other day I bought some new ones, and this time put them in the frig. They've survived long enough for me to take some reference photos and start this ~






This is a fun one. I'm back to my idea of levitating food. I don't know why I'm so taken with that idea, but I am.

This is 8 x 10, and so far Polychromo Purple and Prismacolor Black Grape. On Stonehenge.


Saturday, July 14, 2012

I think the bad taste in my mouth is just about gone after that rejection of my (Olympic) Pretzel Rings art by Zazzle (see last post). Onto other,  non- unintentional intellectual property rights infringey pursuits! (How's that for a headache - let's just say, onto fresh art and other creative stuff.)


I've signed up for a couple of free art webinars this next week, which you might be interested in too.

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The first one is by the wonderful illustrator Carlyn Beccia. She's doing a webinar on how she creates her art with Corel Painter. Its Tuesday July 17th, 12-1 pm Eastern time (so, 9-10 Pacific ... can't help with any of you across the pond or anywhere else, sorry).

I have Painter but haven't used it too much. I would like to learn more. Her art, and how she uses the program, are certainly inspiring!

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Next up is called "Designing E-books for the New Tablet Reality, Fighting Distraction and Delivering Quality".  I very much want to do some e-picturebooks, and need all the help and info I can get. 
This one is on Thursday July 19th, 12:30-1:30 Eastern time (9:30-10:30 Pacific). 

Be sure to read the system requirements for each of them before you sign up. (I'm so glad now to have an upgraded Mac, so I can listen in on these things.)

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The Colored Pencil Society of Canada has posted its 1st National Exhibition 2012 winners, here. Congratulations all of you! There's some beautiful work there.

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Remember that colonial scene I was working on a few posts back? Well, I thought I had the drawing the way I wanted it, then slept on it, and decided it needed more. Lots more. So I started sketching in props, and a kitty and a mouse, and also reworked some of the figures and costumes. Again.


click to see it bigger

Back then it would have been very common to have a shotgun hanging on the wall over the fireplace, but I didn't that was a very friendly image to draw, authentic though it may be. So I've opted instead to draw homey objects and bits, like a coffee grinder, candlestick, iron, pots, a piece of needlework, etc. I figure no one really lived like the austere recreated rooms we see in books and at historic sites. Families have always had 'stuff' and some clutter, and shelves full of it all. Right? 
So this is still a work in progress, in between other art projects I have going, and I will share as I go.


I'm starting to "think Fall and Winter", and am working on some new art and knitting for my shops. Even though its hot weather still. I am so thankful for my air conditioning! When I was a kid, before we had central heat and air installed, we had an air conditioner in the bathroom window. I'd go in there and crank it up to "high", and lay on the bathroom floor until I was a popsicle. Several times a day. I don't have to do that anymore, but I still love sitting under the blower. Which is where I will be knitting (see, I brought it back around.)

Rambling now, so I'll sign off. 
Stay cool ~


Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Pretzel Rings

Update: I started making products with this image on Zazzle, and received an email from them saying the image infringed on intellectual property rights (by the official Olympics, I'm assuming), so had to take it down (actually, they removed all the products for me, thank you.) 
I should have known, but honestly, it didn't even occur to me that this would be a problem. I did wonder why there were no good  Olympics images on there when I did a search, and was amazed that no one had thought of this idea before. 
So now I have this cool image and nowhere to use it. Sigh. 


Original post:

I had this idea as I was going to bed the other night. I was thinking of what I wanted to draw next, and thought "ooh, maybe pretzels", then BAM, from wherever these things come from, this fell and hit me.



Its all done with colored pencils. I could have done a digital piece, but that wouldn't have been any fun.

(Apologies for the © notice overkill, but I figure this is exactly the kind of image that will be ripe for plucking.)

Is it hot where you live? Its 100 and something here. Bleah.



Wednesday, July 04, 2012

Cracker Jacks

A little something red, white and blue for the 4th of July.




Cracker Jacks 
colored pencils on paper



I ate sooooo much of this stuff when I was a kid. I think you could buy a box for 35 cents. The prize was the best part! I remember a ring, and other odd little things you'd make out of snapped together bits of plastic. And I think little wee tiny books. 

Did you eat these too? What prizes do you remember?