When you just want to draw and paint: the Self-Portrait

      The first painting I made in a class as a newly-wed in New Haven a half century ago was a self-portrait in pastel. I haven't worked in soft pastel since then. There was the allure of oil paintings on canvas that didn't need framing and were more permanent. But pastels are fast to put down on a textured board. Years ago I found boxes of Sennelier pastels labeled for figure, landscape, marine and flowers inexpensive at a rummage sale, but never dove into them. I decided it was now time.

        Also, few weeks ago, I just looked out my window and wanted to sketch the tops of trees and houses in the sun.  Since mirrors were all around, I signed the sketch, with a self portrait in pencil. After watching a free art class on the Internet, I indulged myself in ink pens and brushes for that medium. I am eager to do some ink drawings with new pens.

        Whereas some artists LOVE self-portraits and make many, others have no interest. I find it the easiest start because with the self is where the ideas begin."Rembrandt, Reynolds, Courbet and Munich have had full exhibitions dedicated to their self-portraits."* I have led small groups in self-portraiture and love to re-read all my handouts on books, work and play recommendations. I suggest a dive into the fun of a self-portrait in a new media if you just feel like drawing and painting. Of course you can always let loose and go wild!

Note: I don't usually, or ever, think of what I am trying to communicate in a drawing or a self-portrait. But, in the portrait,  the watch must say something about our age.

LindaHicksweb.com  (click on Narratives and Self-portraits at my website)
*See The Self-Portrait: A Cultural History by James Hall

Route 64: a birthday card journal quilt

   Sometimes I think I spend all my time celebrating. Tonight we are taking out my painter friend Kathy for her birthday and her husband for his retirement. I was tired of my usual Comic card and decided to make a journal quilt about the 64th birthday. This year Kathy is all over the place...at home in Sharon, at her studio in North Adams, up in Montreal at one of her grands. The bonus is seeing lots of leaves while she celebrates and hangs several art shows.I got her Defining Moments in Art and Rembrandt: See and Do Children's Book for her grands. Kathy loves Rembrandt and painting to opera music.

(click to enlarge)

    The birthday girl used to paint lots of fish and trees but the paintings at her website this year are more abstract or more about the brushstrokes and the paint. I still think of those fish, and I thought it serendipitous that I would go to Catch of the Day at Abby's blog to see the new felt fish she posted...and that I would have an e-mail from Alice about the paella pans at TJMaxx which would be perfect to gift the retiring professor husband, a good cook and lover of seafood. He will have more time to create romantic meals. Evidently, according to Alice, the  paella pan achieves the crust on the bottom that is supposedly one of the most delicious parts of paella. 

    The fabric of Route 64 is perfect for postcards for our recently departed guests from Texas who drove up to see the changing leaves. Must make those next.