I am exploring some designs based on the steeple of the New North Church in Hingham. I added two more incarnations tonight. Are you partial to a particular one? Yesterday I drew the first two, and made a few minor changes to the blue one in the upper left. The design may be reproduced as the backdrop for a large display board. I don't want anything too stark, nor too detailed, nor too overpowering, yet graphically strong. Hmmm. Almost there, I think.
This is my sixtieth daily drawing.
I am exploring a few design ideas using the steeple of New North Church in Hingham. I am adjusting the design slightly each time... and will try a couple of more. I can see by looking at the two side to side that I'll make a couple of the following changes. The blue steeple has a ragged edge up top intended to be some of the light hitting the ridges of the dome edge. But, it doesn't really convey the curve, and looks more like Godzilla took a nibble from the dome. I'm getting there... a few more iterations and we'll see where I land.
This is my fifty-ninth daily drawing. Thank you for looking.
Another image from one of my favorite spots on the Maine Coast, the Kresge rocks on Pemaquid Point. I am standing out on the rocks, looking to the north.
In fact, here is a photo of me painting joyfully on those rocks a few years ago. I remember then, a friend asked if I was worried about falling off the rocks. As artists, we know we can get completely absorbed in what we are doing. I guess the worry is that I would become absorbed, step back to look at my work and fall into a crevasse. It's not going to happen. I DO get completely focused on what I'm doing, but stepping back to look at my work is part of the absorption. I'm pretty careful.
This is my fifty-eighth daily drawing. This and yesterday's post are both sketchbook drawings of a couple of my Maine coastal paintings. Thank you for looking.
A quick study of the Kresge rocks on Pemaquid point, Maine. The striated rocks angle away southward. It is a beautiful and rugged spot off Muscongus Bay at the base of the Damariscotta River. The western side of Pemaquid point is quiet and often isolated while tourists fill the rocks around Pemaquid Lighthouse, just a half mile to the east.
"Southern Vista" is my fifty-seventh daily drawing. Thank you again, for looking at the world from my point of view.
This morning, I made a quick sprint into Boston to drop our daughter off near the Public Garden for work. This beautiful city is just coming alive around 8AM on a Sunday. Sun shining, dog walkers appearing; friends and family gathered for a long Thanksgiving weekend are out, finding coffee, and relishing perhaps their last hours together before people go their separate ways. I had a little time before needing to be back in the suburbs for church so I pulled up next to the Public Garden. Have you ever taken a close look at the perimeter fence of the Garden? I did today. It is spectacular! There are three different post designs which you can see in my photo here, and referenced in my drawing. The three designs are related, but each is distinctive. There is beading along the horizontal rail, and where each of the medium-sized posts intersects, the beading is accentuated with a bow-like addition to the beading.
One of the joys of sketching the city is in discovering these sumptuous details in functional structures. The Public Garden is filled with sculptures and monuments nestled in groves of trees and landscaping designed to highlight the art and to catch your eye. But, the functional fences, gates, benches, lampposts are equally beautiful.
As I draw the profiles of local buildings, my pen reproduces a cornice or ledge, or molding, which, on further inspection, reveals a beautiful detail, maybe stories above the street, where only birds have a close view. I love the aesthetic. I love the opulence. I love that my drawing gives me the time for discovery. My senses are activated. As my eyes explore the shape and nuances of these structures, I feel as though I am touching them.... sort of visually tactile. Is there such a thing?
So, I did a little research into who designed the Boston Public Garden fence. I'm still not sure, but an architect named Meachem won a design competition in 1859. The Garden itself was in disrepair in early 1970s when the Friends of the Public Garden and the Boston Parks Department worked to revive it. At that time, the fence was recast from the original design, and replaced. Here's a link to an article about the Boston Public Garden's History.
This is my fifty-sixth daily drawing. As always, thank you for looking.
Today's sketch is an exploration of a window, a reflection of a window and a painting of a window. There's a lot going on here visually, but within the busyness, I find the stimulation very satisfying. I like a lot of activity within my sight, though there is a fine line between visual stimulation and visual exhaustion. Our house is old, with few large wall spaces, lots of windows, and we have a lot of art... which we hang salon style, in every space. It tells the story of who we are.
This is my fifty-fifth daily drawing. Thank you for looking into my world.
Sitting in the local cafe recently, I saw this family backlit while having lunch. I liked the way the windows and furniture broke the space behind and in front of them. This is my fifty-fourth daily drawing. Thank you for continuing to look at the world through my eyes.
I am working on a silhouette of the New North Church in Hingham. This is close to what I'm aiming for. I drew the church in pencil, carefully delineating the black and white areas. Then I painted it with India Ink, which is such a lovely flowing medium. I like the design. It is the proportions I am looking for. I'm on the fence about the edge of the clock, not sure if it reads as I intend. I'll think it over, and there may be another iteration.
This is my fifty-third daily drawing. Thanks again for checking in on my view of the world.
It's pie-baking night here. Our daughter is home for the holiday so she and I shopped together, then baked and laughed tonight. We made apple, pecan, apple crisp, and a pineapple pie tonight. First time for the pineapple; we await the verdict. No mince pie this year, which I have made for years just like my mom made it for years. However, I'm the only one we're dining with who would eat it and I don't need an entire mincemeat pie... a little sad, but the right choice. Here's our beautiful selection.
This is my fifty-third daily drawing, a quick pie sketch due to all the baking activity.
I have loved the Zakim Bridge, officially, the Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge, since it opened. It is a gorgeous and open backdrop to the beautiful city. I find the contrast of the modern and traditional very pleasing. The Zakim Bridge is lovely as you cross it, the view through the cables shifting constantly, forming a variety of vignettes. A few years ago, my family and I took a Boston Duck Tour. The Duck Boat meandered through a number of small roads in Cambridge, eventually entering the Charles River near the base of the Zakim. I remember being thrilled that I could see new views of Boston framed by the Zakim's cables. This is a view of the Zakim while driving into Boston from the North, and is my fifty-second daily drawing.
Thank you for looking again at my take of the world around me.
Trying looking at some interesting angles of New North Church in Hingham... this one is a challenge, but I like the presence against the sky, which was crystal blue. The clock works now! It is one of four clocks in the town that were put in place around 1848. Back then, the town was responsible for providing timekeeping for the town, and installed clocks in the town. This clock was restored this spring; and I was lucky enough to see up in the steeple. Beautiful gears and mechanics.
This is my fifty-first daily drawing. Thanks for keeping an eye on my work.
There is a special, quiet time by Monhegan's harbor as the sun sinks below Manana. Birds start settling down, people drift back to their houses, and the dark begins to descend quickly. It's a lovely time of day, and as I climb back up to the house we rent, the last glimpse of light disappears and the sky glows. Ahhhh.
This is my fiftieth daily drawing. Thank you for looking.
I used last night's image of St. James Street and rendered it in some pastel on a ground of india ink. The original scene caught my eye because of the light on the side of the Boston Public Library coming in between the buildings. I certainly need a few more pastels, and some practice, but I like it as a study.
This is my forty-ninth daily drawing. I appreciate your thoughts and attention.
When I am looking for parking in Boston, I have a few streets where I make a quick pass before heading into a garage. St. James is one of them. Once in a while I find parking down here and it's always worth the beautiful view of the Boston Public Library with the backdrop of the modern rectangular buildings. Flags are flapping at the hotel on the left, the sun is sneaking through from the left and people are walking in the shade, huddled against the cold. It's a lovely vista. This is my forty-eighth daily drawing, and another of my beloved views of Boston. Thank you for looking, as always.
Tonight my daughter and I spent the evening at the Cutler Majestic Theater watching the Moth Radio Hour (really 2 hours) as a benefit for WBUR. What a great night, in a truly majestic theater. It is so beautiful, opulent. We sat in the front row of the balcony, which is a bit vertigo-inducing when you stand. Sitting up there, listening to well-crafted stories, while surrounded by exquisite detailing.... a feast for the senses.
There are a few photos of the drawing in process.
This is my forty-seventh daily drawing. Many are from my archives of photos of past trips and the others I draw on site. I was so glad to be up in balcony in this beautiful space tonight.
Thank you, as always, for looking.
Anyone who grew up in my hometown of Canton, MA, and of a certain age, will remember Charlie's Donuts. I can still remember the taste and texture of their warm honey dipped donuts. The only donut that I think even comes close, is Kane's. They are situated on High Street in Boston. It's a very-once-in-a-while treat if I take the boat or train into Boston. Last spring, my friend Marianne and I spent a day during our April break painting in Boston. We stopped at Kane's on our way across town, and enjoyed our donuts as we took a break in the Public Garden while painting. I'm a bit of a purist, and don't explore the huge variety of donuts, just a twice-a-year honey dipped. Yum.
This is my forty-sixth daily drawing. Thank you for taking the time to look at my work.
Last week we flew out to San Francisco to be with an old friend. It was a quick and special few days. This is a drawing as we taxied onto the runway on our return flight. I love the combination of angles and immensity of the planes dwarfing the food truck on the tarmac.
This is my forty-fifth daily drawing, using ink and some warm marker. Thank you for looking.
Between some afternoon errands, I spent a bit of time observing the boats in the local harbor. One fishing boat was coming in during the afternoon dusk. That is some serious cold work, and takes a hardy soul on an afternoon like today, gray, rainy, raw. The boat in this little harbor "cul-de-sac" have a backdrop of tall reeds during the mid to low tide. It's an unusual looking arrangement, as if they have a wall behind them. The jumble of boats is appealing as they bob and shift in the tide.
This is my forty-fourth daily drawing. As always, thank you for taking the time to look.
This afternoon we went to Boston's Symphony Hall to watch the Handel and Haydn Orchestra play live to the film "Amadeus". It was astoundingly wonderful. The orchestra and chorale accompaniment performed beautifully with the movie. At first, I wasn't sure whether to watch the movie, or the performance, or how to alternate back and forth, but pretty quickly it became an easy balance of back and forth. As everyone was getting settled I did a quick sketch of people moving to their seats and the orchestra tuning their instruments. The concertmaster moved to the front for tuning, and just as the lights went down I grabbed the slightest indication of the conductor. When I got home I added shadow to everywhere except for a few music stands and the movie screen itself.
I have never seen this movie, though it came out over 30 years ago. It was breathtaking. However, I DID see "Amadeus" on stage. When I first moved to Washington DC in my early twenties, I bought a subscription to The National Theater. I was only twenty-two, didn't know much about this new city, and I bought the ticket series thinking it would be something on my calendar, and I could invite someone to each performance. The first play I saw was "Amadeus", with Ian Mckellen, Tim Curry and Jane Seymour. Wow! Having shared a room, albeit a big room, with Ian McKellen puts me in the gallery of greats with my daughter.
"Amadeus Live" is my forty-third daily drawing. Thank you for continuing to look.
I love a sleepy Saturday or Sunday when we have time to shop and cook and take care of errands and paperwork and puttering about. Steve cooked up a crockpot stew tonight and we roasted a great pan of Brussels sprouts for the week. Great smells emanating from the kitchen on this early cold afternoon.
This is my forty-second daily drawing. Thank you for taking the time to look. I appreciate your time.
Tonight, I picked up our daughter at her works space, and she gave me a tour. The conference room overlooks Congress Street as it exits the city. Here's a sketch of the street from the window closest to her desk. I created a black background, then overlaid with pencil and pastel. I'm a pastel neophyte so finding the right color and value is an interesting exploration. I liked the bank of lights receding into the distance on this early November evening. The city is beautiful at night, shifting, alluring. I love it.
This is my 41st drawing in my daily drawing challenge. Thank you for looking, as always.
Hunting through my photos from a trip to Greece a decade ago, I stumbled on this detail from a Greek Candelabra. No other details, except that the candelabra was in the National Archeological Museum, and it caught my eye. The carving of the angel is primitive, but the carving of the wings, and other details is more sophisticated.
This is my 40th daily drawing. Thank you for looking.
A number of years ago we visited Athens. I had been there 25 years before, and was astounded at the growth in the city over those two + decades. Flying in over the city, it seemed to sprawl out and up against the mountains like the housing had been poured into its space. This is my 39th drawing for #dailydrawing. I was drawn to the large columns in the foreground framing the distant space. I drew the image in pen, added gray marker and some black colored pencil. As always, thank you for looking.
A number of years ago, I was in Paris on a trip with school. We had a free afternoon and headed up to Montmartre. I can remember the air, even the way it kissed my face on that beautiful afternoon. There are certain memories that stay with you... we were traveling with a friend and her 12-year-old son who was reluctant to eat anything that seemed unusual. To her credit, Mom handled it beautifully, whisked him down an alley occasionally to ply him with pizza or a hotdog, and they were back within a few minutes. We were sitting outside eating crepes above the city. It was luscious.
This is my thirty-eighth daily drawing. As always, thank you for looking.
I had a chance to visit Sorolla's home while in Madrid a number of years ago. We were on a busy tour schedule, and had an arduous 24+ hours of flight/wait/flight/run/flight to arrive in Madrid, as tour companies sometimes do. The next day we were supposed to visit the Prada, but I knew time in Madrid was short, so arranged to grab a taxi up there with my daughter, then 11 years old. Walking across the threshold took my breath away. It was as if Sorolla just stood up and walked away from his studio. His home is now a museum, with paintings hanging throughout the rooms. It was wonderful. I love the blue and white jars in which he kept his paint brushes. I'm not sure what they contained originally.
I hope I get the chance to visit again. This is my thirty-seventh daily drawing. As always, thank you for looking.
This lovely house overlooks Monhegan Harbor and Manana. You can see the harbor through its lower windows. On this day, the local resident was working in the studio. I like his silhouette against the beautiful beyond. This is an ink drawing, overlaid with gray marker, then watercolor pencils. I added some warmth to the indoor spaces.
This is my thirty-sixth daily drawing. Again, thanks for looking.
Once in a while, I pick my husband up from work on High Street in Boston. It's a pretty straight shot up the expressway, and a surprisingly reasonable ride in the afternoon, going against the mass exodus of homeward-bound drivers. Just as I turn onto High Street, this is my view. I enjoy the shadowed buildings against the sky, with some late sunlight sneaking behind the buildings.
I drew the scene with fine point indelible marker, then added warm gray to all the shadow areas, which is the dominant shape in this scene. I used colored pencil, black to emphasize the shadow, and a little red and orange in the stop lights.
This is my thirty-fifth daily drawing... thank you for looking.
I love the angles along the city streets. This is the corner of Mass Avenue, Boston, close to Boylston Street. I lived in this neighborhood when I first returned to Boston years ago. It is hemmed in between Symphony Hall, Northeastern University, and the Mass Pike and includes Berkeley School of Music and the Christian Science Center... busy and diverse. There are narrow alleyways, and big open spaces and every few yards the light and view change dramatically.
This is my thirty-fourth daily drawing. Thank you, kindly, for looking. As always, I love your comments.
I spend a lot of time at the Marshfield Fair in the summer, volunteering in one of the departments. I try to spend time watching the horse pull each summer. I love the way the horses work in tandem, and how they seem to want to pull the ever-increasing weights. This pair of horses are being led to the sled carrying the weights. It's a complex dance, the pair swinging wide, their handlers lining them up, holding the horses in check while they back the team up to the sled, drop the hook, and the team takes off. In each team, one horse seems to dominate, setting the pace and direction for the team. Both horses wear blinders. I'll try to see it again next summer.
This is my 33 daily drawing using ink in some form. Thank you for looking.
Today was a professional development day at school, a well-needed post-Halloween day of rest for the students and a day of meetings and grading for teachers. We began with a meeting in the music room to discuss the changes we can expect this year with the MCAS tests, and the results from last year's tests; interesting information efficiently presented. Drawing often helps me focus. Today I made this sketch of my spot in the music room, music equipment sitting idle, while we looked at bar graphs and charts during the presentation. I added the pie chart as a design choice. Good day, lots of information and lots accomplished. Ready for students again tomorrow!
Having finished my 31-day #Inktober challenge, I am continuing on. Technically, this is my 32nd daily drawing. I am enjoying the daily focus and concentration. As always, thank you for looking. I love your comments.
Our challenge for Girls Just Wanna Paint during October is "chiaroscuro" which is a pictorial representation of values without color. (Click the word for the entire definition). I have been doing a series of drawings using ink for the #Inktober challenge, this being my 31st. I decided to create an image in approximately five values, one being the tint of the paper I chose. I drew this image of Paris in ink, then used a brush with some india ink for the darkest value, following with white conte crayon for the lightest value. I also used my warm gray marker and layered combinations of the warm gray and lightly applied conte to soften the black and the edges. The black is a little heavier than I prefer, but I am very interested in the experiment. Chiaroscuro drawing traditionally involves tinted paper and an indication of values. As always... thank you for looking!.
