Pear Set Free is gradually coming out of his little cocoon and will be ready to be released in the next day or so. Once again, I can’t begin to express how nice it is working with pencils that were intended for drawing and what a difference they make.

I’m already set up and ready to go at it again with my project and I’m anxious to see where the little path leads today.

As a woman who loves to dote over hubby when he’s home, it’s now so wonderful to be able to put passion into something such as drawing when he’s away. I am finally discovering a daily routine up here and it feels as though I’ve been released and given a new set of wings.

I started this sketch after I returned with my new Prismacolors yesterday afternoon and have titled this drawing Pear Set Free. Pear Set Free came to me a moment ago as that is exactly how that pear feels to me and I’m also feeling the same way with my new pencil set. I too am set free.

I have at least another days work left but I’m sharing what I’ve been up to since yesterday afternoon.

I just love my comfy new studio and the view of the beautiful snowfall from where I’m setting is absolutely gorgeous.

There’s more work to be done but I’ve totally run out of energy with the pencils I’m using. So, I’ll make a plan to get back to this picture when I get my new set of trusty pencils.

My last couple drawings have been drawn on sketch paper and used the crayola pencils for drawing (the only color pencils the grocery store had). I will not be waiting for our trip back home to pack my favorite pencils. I’ve made a little list of things I need and plan on scoring a few items so that I can return to drawing this week.

I need fine art paper and a set of Sanford Prismacolor pencils to get started. I could also use a set of graphite pencils and I’ll have a look for those while I’m at it. There are a few other necessary items I want but let me just say “It is so difficult working with the basics”.

I’ve added a few pictures below showing how the details came together, starting with the one I call finished. Bobby doesn’t call it finished as I have not signed it. That’s the hardest part as I don’t really have a desire for that and don’t know where to sign it.

It’s so hard to believe that it’s been around 9 years since I’ve drawn and I highly doubt I would have picked up another pencil had we not moved to NY.

I’m so overjoyed to have a built in studio right here at home and all I need is my little sketch pad and pencils and any room can be my studio. I’ve taken my pencils and put them in a mug so that I can easily reach for just the one I want without fumbling with the box. My easel would be nice but I’m finding that I can just sit here with my feet propped up with my sketch pad and be totally in a world all of my own. And I like to think of that “world” as my “zone” and there is no other way to describe it.

I’ve put pencil to paper once again and now the subject is watermelon. I’ll give a sneak peak of the sketch but will not be giving play by play. But I’ll share again when the project is complete.

A sneak peak at the changes

When I started my project I went back to some of my instructor’s words of wisdom when I was in college as I still feel like I’m under her instruction and cratique. And our book Drawing On The Right Side Of The Brain, that was a great book, one of my favorites.

• Remember to start with the light colors and gradually bring in the darks.
• Always remember light against dark and dark against light.
• Look at it and see it, really see every line, shape, fold and shadow and don’t forget to study where the light is coming from
• Look and study the distance and even reflect on the negative space (Once we had to turn in an assignment by drawing the negative space, that was one of my favorite and most challenging assignments)

Perhaps you will notice the bell pepper has the hint of red shadow from the radish and a trace of orange from the carrot. When I took the picture, I didn’t even see those shadows but when truly seeing the whole picture those things seem to pop right out.

There is still so much to be done with this picture but in doing so it would not be in my best interest to rush. So I’ll pick up my pencils once again and see where the path leads.

I’m not a professional and my paintings/drawings would not be highly sought after but I’ve rediscovered these pencils and am so happy I picked them up again. Who knows, I might have a collage of pictures to hang on my dining room wall soon.

As a starving artist, (starving as in ~ I have not touched a medium since we left TX and I’m starving) I’ve been trying to think of different ways to get inspiration. Well yesterday it hit me. Is there any better way to get inspiration than from the produce section in my local grocery store? The more I thought about it the more I had such an urge to just submerse myself in produce a little longer than usual.

I was going to the grocery anyways so I just threw my little camera in my purse and away I went. Now, I’m a little partial to produce as it has to be my absolute favorite section in the whole grocery. There are times I’m just simply in awe at how beautiful the produce department is. I figured “I’ll just take a few pictures for inspiration sake and be done with it”.

So into the produce section I stroll. Out comes the camera and with just one flash an employee was all over me like bees on honey. He kindly told me that I would need to get permission from the manager to take pictures in the store. So I wheeled my buggy towards the front of the store where I asked to speak with the store manager. He asked me why I wanted to take pictures and I told him that it was for inspiration, art and drawing purposes. I got the ok and they then called the employee over in produce letting him know that I was free to take pictures. When I got back over to the produce department, I thanked the employee and he kindly said that I could just snap away ‘til my hearts content.

Here are a couple inspirational shots for sharing purposes.

When I got home, I took the produce and made a nice still life scene on the counter then I snapped quite a few pictures and I’ll be occupying some of my down time with drawing once again.

I started in on my sketch last night and have pretty much the whole still life sketched and now I’m starting to work on bringing life to my veggies. The thing I’m really missing though is my very “good” color pencils back in TX. I did purchase the Crayola color pencils but I’ll tell ya folks, they are just not the real deal. However, they are filling that art need beautifully and that’s what counts.

I’ve started filling in the sketch and there is still lots of work to be done. But I decided for the first time ever to take pictures along the way. Here’s what I have so far.