Among the first drawing assignments I learned in the early days of my college education at York College in Queens NY in February and March of 1976, was to create volume using line weight. My first attempt at drawing the extension cord had an even pencil stroke on each of the turns of the coils. This is my second attempt and looking closely you can see that as the object comes forward to the picture plane the line becomes thinner and lighter while thickening and darkening as it recedes. This use of the line supports the 3-dimensionality of each of the objects in a rather subtle fashion.

Line drawing of an extension cord

These 3 drawings were done on cheap sketching paper using an ordinary pencil with an under-sharpened point. The composition of each piece took into consideration the entire page, which is here shown without cropping.

Doing drawings such as these simple objects sharpens the eye for composition and detail. Changing the line weight in one movement of the pencil helps to develop control of your hand and wrist. Selecting simple standard objects removes the complexity of movement, lighting changes, composition of multiple objects and for me allows a somewhat meditative appreciation of the object.

Drawing of a door knob from my home in Queens Village

Looking back on these drawings of pieces of hardware are strangely nostalgic.The doorknob was one of the original knobs in the house I owned in Queens Village at the time of this lesson. The handles were made of clear faceted glass and the bases were brass. They felt good in the hand when you turned them and opened a door.

The vise belonged to my Father who, since he had no need, was not at all handy. I played with it as a child in our basement in Brooklyn, putting small objects in the clamps and tightening the handle gently. I loved the sound of the metal handle as I clanked it from end to end. This green vise has traveled quite a bit in this lifetime and now lives mounted on a workbench in my garage where it is finally being put to real utilitarian use. And now that it is, I no longer notice the sweet sound of the handle and the smoothness of the moving clamps.

My father’s vise

After my introduction to creating art by Jon Gnagy, I decided to take painting classes. The local YMCA where I lived in Queens, NY offered classes on Wednesdays so I signed up, made my first foray into Jerry’s Artarama art supply store with my shopping list in hand. How dizzying to be exposed to so many wonderful and exciting things and widgets and colors and brushes and paper and canvas. Oh the possibilities!

And that began my addiction to art supplies.

I bought small tubes of Grumbachers, some brushes, canvas boards and mediums. We were instructed to bring some pictures from calendars or cards that we could use to copy. I still remember the feeling of holding those brushes for the first time and how transforming it was for me. The brushes felt like an extension of my arm. Like they were physically a part of me. Life altering is too mild a description of the experience.

My favorite brush was so small it was about the size of an eyeliner brush and I used it to do most of my painting. I loved the tight control it gave me and how it allowed me to do fine details. I guess it allowed me to “stay in the lines” like I’d done for years in my coloring books. It was comforting and familiar.

I still have those early paintings. The second oil painting I ever did I copied from a placemat I borrowed from a neighbor. I so loved the image, not knowing at the time that that particular still life was representative of Dutch still life painting. I had not formal knowledge of art history but, being Dutch, and having spent time in Holland as a child I had been exposed to the art hanging in the homes of my extended family. That still life image moved me.

Still life images still do. I find them serene, calming, introspective, and contemplative.

Still LIfe with Peaches my second oil painting

Jon Gnagy Learn To Draw set

Over 30 years ago I started my Art education and I’m still working on it. Since through High School my major was in music, (I was a trumpet player, saxophonist and conductor), I didn’t discover until my mid-20′s my talent for art. Having bought a Jon Gnagy Learn to Draw set as a birthday present for Stephen, the son of my friend Roberta, a few days before his party I tore off the wrapping paper and began my art career. That night, I found what I’d never found in 10 years of musical training. I felt as if those pieces of chalk, pencils and paper were physically part of me and I was now complete.

After putting my sons to bed each evening, I’d pull out a wooden board and set it on my dining room table and begin my classes again. I remember the serenity I’d feel. It echoed the quiet contemplation I’d get as a child coloring within the lines with my Crayola crayons in my coloring books and later with Venus Paradise colored pencil kits. I remember, as a child, the enjoyment of trying to create volume by shading with darker and lighter values of the same colors. His lessons helped to explain what I’d been searching for.

As a child I believed that you couldn’t be an artist unless you could draw a straight line. Using loose-leaf paper as a guide I tried endlessly to draw straight lines freehand with a pencil and failed miserably. With this fact I knew I couldn’t be an artist and this freed me to just do whatever I did. It wasn’t art, it wasn’t creative, it was just me.

I used rulers.

And yes, I bought another Learn To Draw kit and gave it to Stephen in time for his party. We both ended up as art majors in college.

Mary’s Garden By Ellen Thompson, in the Long Islander newspaper

Gallery Art Show

“Welcome To My Garden”

Harborfields Public Library

31 Broadway – Greenlawn NY 11740 – 631-757-4200

Artist Reception
Sunday February 4, 2007 – 2:00 – 4:00 PM

Artist Lecture
February 27, 2007 7:30

Topic: “Creativity & The Business of Art”

During the entire month of February of 2007, I will be having a one-person Art Show at the Harborfields Library in Greenlawn NY. At the show I will be featuring both my Traditional Botanical Fine Art and my Digital Paintings.

My Botanical Fine Art is composed of paintings in watercolor and oils as well as my highly detailed graphite drawings. My new Digital Paintings are a combination of  graphic design and virtual painting.

All my Art models and subjects are drawn from either my own garden, my own collections or from specialty florists.

The "Welcome To My Garden" Show at the Harborfields Library in Greenlawn NY.

In making the decision as to whether or not to blog I came up with a few Pro and Con positions.

Reason #1. Use the disciple of writing a blog to organize my thoughts. (I discussed this issue in my posting of 2007-12-5 Why Blog?)

Reason #2. Give back some of my knowledge of the world.

During this journey through life I have zigged and zagged through many fields of interest and a variety of careers. Often I’ve been asked to lecture on various subjects or to sit on a discussion panel of one subject or another. Several subjects I’ve spoken on in the past have been:

• Creativity and the Business of Art.
• “Creating, A Life” A presentation showing & discussing the evolution of an Artistic vision and the application of that vision as it applies to Fine Art, Business Development and Life in general.
• Careers for women in electronic publishing.
• Use of the Internet in a comprehensive marketing program designed for businesses in the field of horticulture.
• Use of color measurement and management devices in the development of multi-media design projects for use on the Internet and in print.
• Presentation of my fine arts catalog raisonne with a focus on the evolution of personal style and artistic influences.
• Electronic Paint Systems and Character Generators. Defining their use in creating graphics, illustration and design for television stations and production houses.
• The Shady Garden. Plants I grow and why.
• Garden tools I can’t live without.
• Techniques I use in my creation of my Digital Mixed Media Painting.
• “The Future Through Both Ends of the Looking Glass. Broadcast Computer Graphics. Where Has It Been and Where Is It Going?”
• Oil Painting techniques I’ve learned and use from studying the old master painters.

I could go on but compiling this list helped me to recognize that I have enough subjects and material to justify a blog. What a waste it is it if I keep this knowledge bottled up inside my head. I believe that some of my learned experiences will touch others in new, different and unexpected ways. Isn’t that where innovation and evolution comes from? I’m just part of the process.

There are quite a few reasons to blog or not to blog. I’ve struggled with justifying whether to spend my time writing, considering that I’m primarily a Visual Artist. Here are some of the thoughts I pursued as I worked towards a decision.

To Blog or Not To Blog?

For:

1. Organize my thoughts.
2. Give back some of my knowledge to the world.
3. Open up my rather cloistered existence for greater conversation.
4. Drive people to my website.
5. Sell my Art.

Against:

1. I’ve never been naturally drawn to writing articles or letters to people.
2. I’m a bit of a hermit.
3. It will take time away from creating new Artwork.
4. I’m already too busy. (I’ve just added Pilates to my schedule)
5. If I’m going to do it I have to stay committed to it.

Obviously I’ve decided to Blog so here is an elaboration of one of the reasons.

Organize my thoughts.

I have a head full of ideas that it makes my brain spin. I want to write down and categorize the ideas, the priorities and the projects. I’ve always been a goal-oriented person and this is how I’ve always arrived at goals. And yes, I always arrive at my goals if I go about them systematically. So one of the things this blog is going to do is to help me create and organize my steps towards achieving my next goals.