When I get stuck in a creative rut I return to drawing which develops into pen and ink. There’s something about ink that seems to convey a simplistic yet powerful piece. It can be fundamentally linear or a combination of hatching to suggest three dimensional form. Tonal washes emphasizes the drawing.
Inking is an alluring experience; it can be intimidating as it is intriguing. It takes practice to put pen to paper, but once you start to conquer your fear it becomes a meditative art form that is transformative.
It starts with the blending of the paints. There’s a meditative rhythm that begins the process. Mixing the different hues onto the pallet takes time until the right color is achieved. Once the colors are merged you’re ready to start.
Oils are luxurious, sensual and captivating. They absorb your senses and enable you to become part of the creation.
It’s a contemplative process that can rouse you to a state of tranquillity.
Oil paintings takes longer to produce but with profound impressions.
During my recent venture into tulip painting I discovered the infinite varieties that abound. There is a tulip in every imaginable color including the rare black tulip.
This led me to investigate this curious flower…
In the 17th Century tulips were a new arrival in the Netherlands.
Once the Tulips were introduced to Holland the newly affluent Dutch merchant class began to collect and display rare tulips. They became fascinated with rare “broken” tulips, bulbs that produced striped and speckled flowers. It was the white tulip that would take up to nine years to produce a striped or speckled specimen. their changing colours made them a hot product and consequently Tulip-mania began. The prices of tulips began to skyrocket and the wealthy got swept up in purchasing rare bulbs in hopes of reselling them for a profit. Contrary to what has been written about this phenomenon, it was indeed the affluent who were purchasing the tulips, not the crazed masses.
The Tulip was regarded as the ultimate status symbol, the definitive emblem of how much you were worth.
Luckily it was a short-lived market and eventually the bulbs returned to standard prices.
I came across these drawings and recalled my high school class in Mechanical Drawing. That was where I learned about drafting precision drawings with the aid of instruments; T Square, Triangles, Compass, Graphite Pencils, Pen and Ink. These drawings represented engineered items, such as manufactured parts and equipment.
They took a lot of time, calculation and patience. Everything about them had to be done with exactness including the lettering. They were fun to do, they showed me that even a precise drawing of a machine part has its own unique beauty.
I’ve continued using the style of lettering and modified my signature to replicate the look. It was a skill that taught me the discipline of patience when working on a complex drawing or painting
Recently I took an interest in in Botanical Illustration. I have to say that my interest peaked when I picked up my uncle Alberto’s botanical sketchbook. He began his studies at the age of 14 at the school of Botanical Gardens of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
It’s fascinating to observe the illustrations and penmanship in this sketchbook. This was all illustrated in India Ink without errors and composed by a 14 year old! What patience, discipline and dedication to the existence of flowers!
Bravo, uncle Alberto, I take inspiration from your sketches and hope to learn from the beauty of your masterpiece!
Dandelion patches are popping up all over. Whether you like them or not, they are a part of Spring. I remember as a kid picking a bunch for a bouquet and eventually making wishes on the white globes of exposed seeds. Here’s a quick sketch in watercolor and pen and ink. I think that the watercolor dandelions came out better than the pen and ink.
I’ve recently shifted my focus on painting and sketching botanicals. One of the wonderful aspects of flowers is that they are almost always available and ready to pose.
However, some of theses specimens are seasonal so you need to capture them during their debut. It helps to photograph them, but having a live specimen to work from is ideal and sometimes a must.
My botanical sketches and watercolors are purely aesthetic; I am not drawing a scientific study of a plant. My paintings and drawings have some elements of the plant species but not to the extent that it will enable accurate scientific identification.
Goodbye September; ending the month with a watercolor study of the lovely honeysuckle vine – Lonicera Caprifolium. Starting a new series of botanical sketches and watercolors in October…
It’s been a few months since I’ve posted and since then I’ve encountered the tragic loss of a loved one, a job lay-off and the ongoing day to day survival of a worldwide pandemic. Trying to accept all three new realities at once was and is a bit overwhelming still. During this dark time I tried to immerse myself in my artwork but I was unable to produce anything.
I was perplexed, I had a complete mental block and was paralyzed with fear, I couldn’t paint or draw anything.
I began to investigate what this was and stumbled upon Art therapy. It’s a alternative to traditional talk therapythat combines creativity through a series of exercises in visual art; it can be used to explore emotions, improve self-esteem, manage addictions, relieve stress, improve symptoms of anxiety and depression, and cope with a physical illness or disability.
I started with some simple exercises in drawing and painting and within a few days I began to see a difference. The highs and lows are still there, but I’m able to get a better grasp.
It’s like Color Meditation; reaching that state of nervana through the color spectrum in a loose and free style with no set direction.
It’s a new world and we each much find a way to get through this… stay safe, take care of yourselves and remember to continue to be creative.
The winter months have turned down the colors of the season to grays and browns. The leaves are gone and what remains are the skeletons of the trees. Walking through the woods inspired me to sketch some images…
The cold brings winter hibernation to numerous animals and a different sort of suspended consciousness for some humans. Good time to practice new painting techniques, sketches, or check out an art museum for some inspiration…The inspiration for this painting came to me after several days of gloomy weather. Wanted to try some new color combinations.
The colors of Autumn have been dimmed. The challenge is to find new stimulus. Good time of year to experiment with new techniques. The grapes were painted in watercolor glazes and pencil and the window was sketched in pen and ink and watercolor.
Drawing/Painting/ Pen and Ink - Cecilia Ferrin 