Reminiscing and Abstracting

Posted on May 28, 2013 by Micah

11 x 14″ Ink and watercolor on paper

This weekend my mom gave me two postcards and a letter that I had written to my grandma while living in Poland my senior year of high school. Mom had found them while sorting through my grandma’s stuff after she passed away this past winter. The letters were nothing very exciting – pretty everyday even. In them I told her about plans I had and what I had been up to and let her know I missed her.

I think reading those old letters made me think about the painting I did for my grandma a long time ago, that I recently added ink to. I pulled the piece out again. While it wasn’t as bad as it started, it still wasn’t great and it definitely needed some more attention. I think I can safely say it is done now and I am very happy with it.

Sketching With Family

Posted on May 26, 2013 by Micah

Ink on paper (sketchbook)

It’s been a fun-filled weekend spent with family. We’ve planted flowers, hiked, jogged – it’s been an all around good time. The card game Pinochle has also been played quite a bit around here. My family has always been pretty gung-ho about the game, while I, on the other hand, have not. This works out just fine though, as I get some good chunks of time to sketch while they are busy bidding and trumping across the room.

On another note, today happens to be my parents 45th anniversary! Amazing.

Trails

Posted on May 23, 2013 by Micah

8 x 10″ ink, watercolor and acrylic on paper

I have some incredible folks in my life who are beyond supportive of my art making. As a way to thank them, I decided I would give away some small pieces of art. One of my friends really liked a larger piece I had done, called Paths, and so I told her I would make a smaller piece with a similar feel and send it her way. I’m hoping this little guy will do the trick!

Birds Flying Bike

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Micah

18 x 30″ acrylic on canvas

What good was a unicycle with no pedals? Not much to most, but the two young birds flying overhead were certainly not most. They saw adventure and entertainment in the one-wheeled contraption – it had more than just ground potential.

They took to the sky, unicycle in tow. Diving and spinning, heaving and whipping the little cycle moved like a gyroscope through a glorious afternoon sky.

Work in Progress: Circle Trail

Posted on May 19, 2013 by Micah

8 x 10″ ink and watercolor on paper

Upon coming into the studio today, I had all intention of painting more of my last work in progress. When I arrived though, I realized my groggy self just wasn’t feeling it.

Instead I opted to begin another circle painting. Creating the circles allows me to fall into a sort of flow. I don’t quite zone out, but I do get absorbed into the repetition and pattern, which I think is good for the brain from time to time. I plan to build up both the color and the circles further before calling it done.

Work In Progress: Birds Flying Bike

Posted on May 16, 2013 by Micah

18 x 30″ Acrylic and Ink on Canvas Work in Progress

Part of my 365 goal was to complete a piece of art each day. It didn’t have to be large, and if I was working on something larger scale, I could take more than one day to complete it, but I had to complete something smaller that day as well. This was great initially. It forced me to follow through on projects and helped me to stick to the arting. As the year moved along though, I realized this goal was less helpful and I was anxious for the day when I could simply post a work in progress. Today is the first of those days! Hooray.

Biking Bird

Posted on May 14, 2013 by Micah

6.25 x 24.5″ Acrylic and ink on wood

They’d thought him slightly off his rocker and dubbed his antics a waste of time. What sort of bird rides around on such a wheeled contraption when nest building and worm catching should be one’s priority?

To and fro the carefree bird would pedal, scarf sailing in the wind. For hours he would sometimes ride and when he tired he’d stop, flutter his wings, and dismount smoothly – turning his attention to whatever it was birds of his sort do.

Adding Some Color to a Black and White World

Posted on May 9, 2013 by Micah

Color added to original 11 x 14″ drawing in Photoshop

“Go with the flow,” they had said. So he hopped in his rowboat and waited for a tide. But ponds in the middle of suburbia offer little in the way of waves. He sat at the ready – alert to inspiration. Somehow, though, he couldn’t shake the sense that such a tactic may not garner the grandest results.

The tooth had been giving him fits for days now. He’d tried some herbal remedies and ointments but they just weren’t cutting it. After reading up on the issue in Everyday Health Questions Answered; A Guide to Holistic Healing, the progressive lion determined the tooth must go.

While he couldn’t say he was thrilled with the idea of removing his canine, he did feel oddly pleased with his recent choice to switch to a vegan diet – a justification of sorts. As his tooth was being pulled he reflected that, without a doubt, this all natural approach to life was really the best thing he could do for himself.

I drew the original black and white images clear back in July. You can see the rhino here and the lion here. Today I took the time to add color to the saved images in Photoshop. The results make me smile. I hope you enjoyed!

Red Sketchbook

Posted on May 7, 2013 by Micah

I bought myself a wonderful gift. A reward of sorts for finishing my 365 days of arting and blogging.

She’s perfect. Red and hard bound with pages that lay flat. Her paper is heavy, keeping the stories drawn or painted on one page secret from those to be told on another. She’s small enough to hold easily, but not so small as to fall off of a lap if that is where drawing should take place. She has an elastic cord that closes her cover tightly, keeping safe the pages inside.

She does not have a name yet. Certainly someday she will. And when I call it out or ask for an opinion on a line or a color or the state of the world, her pages will flicker in response.

Elephant Editions

Posted on May 4, 2013 by Micah

11 x 14, Block print on Magazine paper

Yesterday I began pulling out older work to hang on my studio walls, since many of my paintings are currently hanging out in Twin Falls, ID. As I sifted through the days upon days of art that had accumulated I came upon some elephant prints that I had done early on. I was reminded how fun a process carving the rubbery material was and how much I enjoyed the end result. I pulled out a bunch of paper and a canvas and decided I would create more editions. I collaged paper using an an old magazine for one edition, created a watercolor for another, cut up a work that I have never really been fond of, and lastly painted a canvas as a backdrop for the final print.

It was as much fun this round as it was the first!

Micah Richardson

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