*content whatever thing, some nudity in the form of drawings included in this post, probably safe for work but only if your boss is cool
Welcome to May 2024’s Sketchbook Confessional! This is a blog where I look at all the drawings, paintings, and other art pieces I created in any given month. This blog is my “done” list rather than my “to-do” list - it is an objective way to review what I have done in a limited time frame. I also catalogue other pursuits such as reading and exercise in these blogs.
May was a good month for my work.
In May 2024 I made several pieces of paper, painted the paper, and created animal bookmarks from the paper. Mostly: dragons!
Aside from paper art, I did get outside a bit to oil paint en plein air. I found a few waterfalls to paint and really enjoyed it. I also tried a new size of painting canvas panel for the outdoors - 12 x 16. It just so happens that I have a painting suitcase that was designed to hold panels of this size, so I gave it a try. The larger format is working out for me, though I do need a decent amount of time to cover a 12 x 16 canvas, it’s been worthwhile to get these done because more space has meant more brush movement and more possibilities for me. I do have to take a whole backpack of paint for these, instead of measuring out tiny daubs of paint beforehand and packing those. Luckily at this point, I’m pretty strong from lifting my 30 pound toddler all the time, and the easel and wood suitcase are already heavy, so I figure what is the harm in taking a few more pounds?
I was really happy with this 12 x 16 plein air painting.
Here’s a painting where I had a bit less time, but still really liked ultimately and … it’s always fun to make these even if some seem to turn out better than others.
As far as drawing, I got to North Boulder ArtofModeling Figure Drawing for one session and finished some drawings I was happy with.
The above drawings were all done with a Kuretake no. 55 double sided ink brush pen, and a Chromatek water brush. I had fun. The model was amazing! I hope to get in to do this once a month or so.
At the very end of May I got a little fed up with the smell and cleanup of oil paint, and I think too that I was exhausted from plein air trips and hikes, so I bought myself a simple watercolor set. It’s been fun to fall back into the arms of watercolor. I’m still a little confused by it, so I am reading as much as I can about watercolor to bring myself up to speed. It makes me feel a bit better when I look at watercolors by masters and I can see that something eluded them in the painting.
As soon as I finished the watercolor above, the next day was June 1 so I’ll post those in another blog!
Reading:
I finished Haruki Murakami’s Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and loved it. I could not put this book down and I read it for hours at a time at night. Probably the best book about the theme of ghosting and closure that I never expected to read. Or, not a spoiler, it is sort of about Ghosting before it was a thing. I didn’t realize that it was considered the best book of 2014 by a few critics before I started reading it. I can certainly see why people felt this way. It’s my favorite book of his, though I think his book about running is kind of in its own category. Usually I give books away after reading them, or I put them in Little Free Libraries or sell them, but I think I’ll be holding on to this book for a while. There are a couple paragraphs about life that really stood out to me, that I want to go back to.
Books published from 2008 to 2019 before 2020’s coronavirus crisis strike me in a certain way. It’s the recent past at this point. Many of them seem optimistic to me. When we were all in the thick of spring and summer 2020, I could hardly bear to read some books that were published in 2018 or so. The problems or goals of the people in the books didn’t seem important to me. I guess it was one of those moments where life is so dramatic that the need for any kind of entertainment that has an ounce of drama is grossly diminished. Does a person read a mystery book while an earthquake is happening? Does anyone need spy movies if there is a forest fire nearby? In 2024, books published in this timeframe still feel to me like watching someone in a haunted house (due to the global financial crisis) walk into a room where a Covid-19 monster is waiting.
In May I also finished The Origin of Creativity by Edward O. Wilson and enjoyed it. I am not sure if he finds the answer to his questions. Much of the book’s information about the human brain was fascinating to me, as to how it is pretty much the most complex piece of matter, and our main talent as a species is to think. Regardless of whether the book has answers I will be going back to it. It is interesting to note that few other species create anything at all. I feel since this book has been written there might be more to say about animals creating kinds of art, though.
Running?
For workouts I’ve walked back most of my running and much of my fitness routine is integrated into my daily life. I carry my toddler around and if I don’t have him with me, I am usually carrying my easel and backpack. It’s been a strength spring, with bursts of weight-bearing activity rather than endurance activity. I think I will keep going in this way for a while, it’s working well for me.
This is what I got for May 2024! Catch you next time.