Work in progress
I’ve started another commission that is a bit out of my wheelhouse. I continue to be surprised by how much I enjoy these more realist (as realistic as I get anyway) projects. They force me to slow down a bit and evaluate things more closely while simultaneously working to stay true to my painting style.
Initial sketch
Stage one
Day 327, 5 x 7″ ink on paper
Goal: to create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days
I stood in front of a mirror, taking no more than two minutes to do a quick sketch of myself yesterday. The drawing had very little likeness to me – that was not really my aim. I just wanted to draw a face quickly. I walked back into my studio wondering what I was going to do with the thing. I added a few circles above the head and stared. Hmm. I began drawing circles over the face, varying sizes to build form. It was a bit creepy, yet interesting. Strangely enough, I am a fan of the piece.
8.5 x 11″ watercolor on paper with pinholes
Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days
Some of you may know I have recently become a bit obsessed with creating images from pinholes. I’ve worked smaller scale, larger scale, abstract and realistic, and each time I feel pretty pleased with the result. Yesterday was the first day that left me wondering.
I decided a few days ago that I wanted to create a portrait using pinholes, so I took a stab at it. My feelings on the finished piece are mixed. I can’t say I don’t like it, but it just doesn’t seem to be hitting the nail on the head. Part of me feels like I should have gone a bit more hog wild with the pinholes. Part of me thinks I should have avoided using color (see below) – or at least not used it to help establish form. Maybe the pinhole approach naturally lends itself better to abstraction. Who knows? I guess more experimentation is the only real way to figure it out.
~3 x 5″ Ink on paper
Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days
This weekend was one filled with quite a few art firsts. As some of you may recall I showed my work at a local farm’s harvest festival (first #1) on Saturday and Sunday. The boyfriend and I got to the festival around 8 am Saturday morning and begun hanging my work in a small, dilapidated old barn that had a ton of character (first #2). The barn’s roof had blown off in areas exposing the sky above, and the doors were long gone. Thick straw covered most of the floor creating a soft cushiony blanket below. It really was a pretty neat space.
The barn. The side you see here had all sorts of kid’s art stuff set up.
After hanging a few paintings and setting up a small display table on the squishy straw, the boyfriend headed back into town to do some work and I proceeded to try to stay warm in the 30 degree weather. As a few flakes of snow fell through the open roof, I realized I had never before shown my work in such cold temperatures (first #3). All day temps hovered around 35 and the wind blew. The few folks who were at the event huddled around metal fire filled trash cans, turning their bodies rotisserie style in order to stay warm. Needless to say, Saturday was not the best or busiest day for me or any of the other vendors, for that matter. They shut down the event early and I spent the rest of the night at home trying to warm up.
My space
Luckily though, Sunday was gorgeous! The day was sunny and crisp and folks were out and about. I met a lot of great people, had some friends come out to visit and really enjoyed myself. After wrapping up, one of my friends came back and stayed with us, making us dinner and then she and I did some drawing. Long Neck Lady was one of the pieces I worked on. All and all – a lovely day!
Loved the crazy crown of feathers on the heads of these chickens!
10 x 20″ Acrylic on canvas
Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days
She’d never been a particularly great shot. She blamed this partly on the fact that she never knew what she was aiming for.
This time, though, the girl had spotted her target in the distance and was ready to settle in and take aim – confident of nailing the bulls eye, dead on.
But as it came time to shoot, she found her confidence lagging. Her singular target now presented itself as many. And to top it off, the bulls eyes seemed to be moving. With a sigh and a shrug she considered the positive fact that at least with many moving targets there ought to be a chance of hitting something. nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnm
Love this piece? You can buy it here, if you’d like.
11 x 14″ Acrylic on paper
She was born to perform. Give her a song she’ll sing it, a line and she’ll act it. Dress her in a red tutu and watch her flit across the stage. It is something to behold – watching her imagination play out. The world, it is clear, is her stage.
Both a print and original of this piece are available for purchase. Please contact me micah@azzlsoft.com if you’re interested.
4 x 5″ Ink on Paper
Yesterday I decided to draw a self-portrait to replace my avatar. I sat in front of the mirror and held still as my pencil moved across the paper. I worked and worked, but I just wasn’t feeling it. Original idea nixed. Cat character idea adopted.
The goal in drawing the character was to capture a cat’s no-nonsense personality using human characteristics. Most cats- our cat, Box included- seem to take every endeavor quite seriously. From getting in the middle of whatever project we are working on to chasing string, it is all done with complete focus. The cat is all business, while we laugh at his ridiculousness.
Box is such an inspiration!
This original piece available for purchase at https://www.etsy.com/listing/103904640/serious-business-original-ink-drawing
Prints available too! https://www.etsy.com/listing/103904722/serious-business-cat-character-print
8 x 10″ Watercolor & Ink on Paper
“I could fly that thing blindfolded,” she stated matter of factly. That she would do so using only her teeth, left them all in a state of shock and awe.
Watching her wield the string delicately yet assertively to direct the plane, was something magical. Her patience and attentiveness were not unlike the bonsai master whose trees take years to cultivate. This skill too, had been years in the making and was now receiving its much deserved time in the limelight.
This piece available for purchase at https://www.etsy.com/listing/103114837/fly-that-thing-blindfolded-mixed-media or by emailing me at micah@azzlsoft.com
8 x 10″ Ink and watercolor on paper
Goal: To create one work of art each day for 365 consecutive days
I’ve got a few people in my life who seem to be curious about anything and everything. They are constantly seeking out new information, interested in nearly any subject and can’t help but ask why or how at least 1,000 times an hour. I love being around these people. Not only do I find them fascinating, but they tend to be talkers – which I enjoy since I am not always a big talker. AND, as a super bonus, they are just basically amazingly caring people.
Day 50’s project is a portrait of one of these folks. I have taken a somewhat sci-fi approach to portraying what I imagine his brain is like. Feelers reach out in all directions, trying to get a grasp of and understand everything around it.
This piece available for purchase at https://www.etsy.com/listing/102414410/in-constant-motion-ink-and-watercolor or by emailing micah@azzlsoft.com
Micah Richardson 