WR #10
I got my acrylic paints setup where I can get in/ out of them quickly. I also found a drawing class (from Marla Baggetta) that I’m planning to buy with my spending money next month. I want to build my foundational drawing skills, but I’m finding books on the topic to be a bit of a drag.
Last week’s focus
Dialing in my acrylics setup so it’s not so daunting to get them out.
Helpful inputs/ resources from the week
I re-listened to this Journeywomen podcast interview with Gavin Ortlund. In that conversation, he and Hunter talk about God’s patience for us. We just have to get back up after our mess-ups and keep running to Christ. They also highlighted that God uses the journey of our life to “get the Egypt out of us” - (like He did with the Israelites in the wilderness).
Nick and I have said this time of our life feels a bit like a “wilderness season” for various reasons, and I’m feeling that in my art too. I can get in such a hurry for my artistic skills to catch up with my artistic vision, that I forget it’s the process that matters… not my finished artwork.
Same goes for life… It’s the journey that God uses to sanctify us. He’s patient with us on that journey. You can’t rush the process of sanctification. If you try, it’s like heating up food in the microwave instead of the oven, and it just doesn’t taste quite as good.
Basically, I’m trying to remind myself not to microwave my art practice… or my relationship with Christ. 🙃
STUDIO TIME LOG
Monday | 03-18
Quick sketch of Scout… fur is hard! This spurred me to start looking for drawing classes. Hence, the Marla Baggetta course I mentioned earlier.
Tuesday | 03-19
Cholula bottle sketch 🌶️ 🤤
Wednesday | 03-20
Porcelain cat sketch… reinforced my need for a drawing class… and for patience 😂
Thursday | 03-21
Started bird painting (acrylics) in my giant Moleskin sketchbook
Friday | 03-22
Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain book + quick exercise
Saturday | 03-23
Continued bird painting
Sunday | 03-24
Missed :(
We’re currently helping Mom and Dad move and doing a bunch of stuff with the business… everything just feels chaotic and crazy and my brain feels fuzzy all the time. We want to start prioritizing Sabbath, and I hope art will be part of that.
SKETCHBOOK REVIEW
March 23, 2024
What question did I ask my sketchbook with this spread?
How can I use the color swatches I made to help me during paintings? And what is it like to work on a painting on and off over several days?
How do I feel about it overall?
I like that I just did it, ya know? I could have kept working on it to try to fix some stuff I don’t like, but I decided I just wanted to move on. Here are some positives:
I thinned down my acrylics and used matte medium… I like the texture and feel of the page much better than the paintings I did with full-thickness paints.
I like the subtle details added with Neocolors
I challenged myself to fill the page
I referenced my color swatches for mixing ideas, and I think my colors are less “muddy” than they have been previously.
What am I curious about?
I’d like to get a wider range of values — most of my colors are mid-tones. I need to practice mixing more rich darks and lights that aren’t chalky.
Maybe do a bit more planning and choose my color palette before starting the painting?
I have no idea what I’m doing with composition… definitely want to work on this.
Playing with scale — maybe really big greenery? Or make the birds disproportionately big?
Adding more colors to the sky? Sunrise?
What do I want to carry forward?
Just keep painting! My artwork is not where I want it to be, but that’s ok. I just have to keep going and enjoy the journey. But it’s hard to keep myself hyped up and not get discouraged.
FINAL WRAP UP
What has God taught me this week about glorifying Him through my art?
He is patient with me, and I can be patient with myself as I learn art.
What am I excited about/ what’s my plan for next week? Any changes to initial 2024 planning?
Keep breaking out the acrylics. Be mindful about how I can connect art and worship in my daily life.
