Showing posts with label pastels. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pastels. Show all posts

Monday, March 11, 2013

currently hooked


The exercises get more complicated as the chapters go by but I am having tons of fun! This is certainly something to feel good about when other things in my life are needing a boost.

I have been having dreams of slaying dragons and I know my subconscious is telling me something very important. Maybe I will meditate on it by painting more.

Sunday, March 10, 2013

pastel techniques with charcoal + Derwent Inktense

An artist friend lent me his brand-new book on pastels and today I started reading it. It is a very useful and easy to understand book which is very helpful for beginners like me.  I applied the techniques on charcoal and Derwent Inktense although I also plan to use pastels later on. Right now I am too in love with Inktense.


The first drawing practice was of grapes and bananas. Here is my attempt. Since I am using Inktense, I have the choice of adding water to the colors afterwards, which I did.


Second drawing was citrus fruits.


What new thing are you learning these days?

Saturday, March 10, 2012

a universe of hope

I had a really bad case of insomnia last night. I was only able to fall asleep at almost 5AM. I suspect it was the sudden surge of creative energy. First it was the Ganesh drawing. Then my fingers were still itching so I made another collage. I started on a third but I was already too tired from the long day of work so I made myself go to bed. And had insomnia.

This morning the first thing I did after making myself a fresh cup of coffee was to continue the third collage. This time it's a combination of images and text.


The text came from a journal entry that I actually do not clearly remember writing. It was written while I was in Hong Kong and I'm guessing I must have written it while I was very very tired and I was just probably taking dictation from the writing muse inside me. When I read it, it feels like reading somebody else's writing. A bit weird, actually, hahaha. I picked this piece of text because it best reflected the sentiments coming from the images I have put together. Also, the fact that I could not exactly remember writing the text adds a bit of otherworldly feel to the whole piece.

The paper folds in from the sides like a window. So when it is opened, one is greeted by a forest of words and flowers.

The full text goes:

Today there was the touching of the hand. Naturally, like it has always been done. Today there were many tiny boundaries crossed. But much more remain un-breached. And still so many walls up.


Sometimes I am on the verge of being overwhelmed. Mostly by the yearning to be near.


I have ten thousand stories lined up in my head. Simple and complex variations on how it could be.


I dreaded these days. The long mornings, afternoons, and evenings of getting to know him. Of getting used to the rhythms of his presence just as I am used to my own breathing.


Sometimes I am suffused with the simple joy of his attention. And sometimes I am crushed by the little ways he does not see me.


Often I would question myself on the spot, at various moments, testing the waters of my own feelings. How do I feel at that exact point in time? There would be times when there is nothing, and I would feel relief. There would be times when there is yearning, and I would feel sadness. There would be times when there is a black void of possibility and I would feel fear. And sometimes there would be moments of very brief flashes of something akin to love and I would feel a warmth and a joy in my heart and a small part of my soul would reach out to him, an unseen hand touching his face in that tender way that lovers do.


Sometimes I get to convince myself that it is all nothing. That it was just the product of inconvenient circumstances and predefined conditions. Nothing fateful, just logic. There is no magic, no fairy tale. 


And then he does something, a little thing, the tiniest gesture. And all that nothing becomes a universe of hope.



****
And now I can feel a fourth piece simmering on my fingertips. Who turned on the inspiration faucet? Not that I'm complaining. :)

Friday, March 9, 2012

true north

This is a portion of a piece that I just finished tonight. I was supposed to be getting ready for bed because I was starting to feel a bit nauseous from having to stay in front of the computer for a whole day and sorting through lots of video and written data.

But my fingers were itching and I couldn't stop seeing colors in my head. So I got the little sketchbook where I drew Ganesha and started drawing again. In my head were images of brick walls and water crashing through and maps. I saw air and water elements, and a compass. 


removal of obstacles

I've been working all day on multiple tasks for two projects. I had an early dinner at around 6pm then resumed working. Then as I was in between tasks I found myself starting to sketch. I got up and took my Ganesha from the shelf to help me along because it was turning out that I was trying to sketch him. I got the figurine when I was in India - when I met that astrologer who told me many things that I have yet to see.

Ganesha is popularly known as a Remover of Obstacles and I can certainly use that on a number of things in my life right now. However I have also heard it said that his favors can also be tricky in some way, like they will manifest in ways you never expect or in ways that will make you think like the opposite is happening.

In any case, he seemed to have helped remove some of my creative block tonight. So, thank you, Lord Ganesh. I appreciate the inspiration. :)


And dear Lord Ganesh, could you maybe help me out with #13 too? :)