Getting Ready....

Today I framed my drawings for the 2009 Holiday smART Show. I will be showing 13 drawings again this time around. That seems to be a lucky number for me. The show runs from December 11-13 in Chicago.

2009 Holiday smART Show

I will be showing and selling my new drawings at the 2009 Holiday smART Show December 11-13.
Flat Iron Arts Building
1579 North Milwaukee Avenue
Chicago, IL 60622

"Eve"

This is my latest commissioned nude. It will be featured, along with "Adam", at my upcoming show & sale at the 2009 Holiday smART Show at the Flatiron Arts Bldg in Chicago, December 11 - 13.

"Adam"

I will be showing this and other new works at the Holiday smART Show in Chicago December 11-13, 2009. More details will be posted. Many works for sale.

Art on Track 2009

"Art on Track is a mobile art experience aboard an eight-car CTA train, which circles the Chicago loop for a day long celebration of fine arts culture."


My latest piece entitled "Tuesday Evening" was displayed in the October show Art on Track. I was unable to attend the event, but it looked like loads of fun! Find out more and see photos from last year's show by visiting their website.

Tuesday Evening

I recently acquired an A4 size Moleskine so that I could work on a larger surface. I am disappointed with the results. The paper is completely different in color and texture than the buttery soft, coated paper that my pencil is used to gliding over in the smaller size Moleskines. I struggled to achieve tonal range and the texture I was looking for. Nevertheless, I decided to finish the still life I had started.

Amendment: I should probably clarify...I am disappointed with the inconsistency of the paper, but I am actually pleased with the results of the finished still life. This one is also for sale, and will be featured in an upcoming show. Email me if you are interested in purchasing the finished piece. It measures 6.25" X 9.25".

river rocks

The 2nd Annual smART show at the Flat Iron Art Building in Chicago was a great success this past weekend. This was my very first time showing my fine art, and I ended up selling 5 drawings. I had a great time and met so many wonderful artists, all with unique styles all their own. I hope to participate in the Holiday smART show show this year. I will post a few photos from this weekend's event when I empty my camera.

I was so inspired to keep drawing, I came home last night and drew river rocks.

getting ready....

I am spending the week framing my artwork for the smART show in Chicago this weekend. The batteries for my camera are bad, so here is a little snapshot I took with my computer. I will take photos at the show, but if you are in town, I hope you will stop by and say hello!

come see my first fine art show and sale!

Please visit the official smART show website for more information. I will be showing my work in studio 214. Hope to see you there!

rhonda

joan's bowl

morning nude

female nude #1

Illustrations Friday - "Idle" (summer's seashells)

One of my favorite things about summer is idle time. I found the joy of drawing again tonite.....

lunch

garlic whimsy

lidded bird jar

(see my demo in previous post to learn how I draw accurate ellipses)

demo - drawing ellipses

I have not posted in a while. My day job is illustrating children's books, and I am deeply involved in my 5th book right now. But....I really miss just drawing! So tonite I took out my Moleskine and sat down with one of my favorite and also most challenging items to draw - ellipses. I thought I'd turn this drawing into a little demo to show you how I begin my process.

I draw my ellipses freehand, starting with a center line and adding cross lines as reference points so that my ellipses are all as they should be. The rest, well, I "eyeball" the entire object as I draw it, measuring it in my mind and on paper. After drawing an ellipse, I turn my paper 180 degrees and recheck the ellipse. I may turn it 90 degrees as well and check it that way. When it comes to drawing, our minds have a tendency to lie to us and tell us everything is okay when it's not. It always pays to spend as much time as necessary checking and rechecking your initial sketch, since way too many mistakes are caught only after a drawing is finished. Mistakes can easily be avoided as long as you are not hasty in moving on to the rendering stage. In the end, it is worth the time taken to make sure your drawing is accurate.

My drawing looks pretty good, so I think I am ready to begin rendering it now.