Vegetation & Ink

These are from the latter pages of my June 2016 sketchbook. I bought this sketchbook in Liege, Belgium: unsized, cream colored Lana spiral bound. It took some getting used to the absorbent paper. If you're curious about the ink used here, I'll do my best to describe it: It's a combination of a bunch of things. Really pretty bad things: dark gray fabric paint that contains mica or glitter, some sort of deep purple iridescent craft ink, dregs of some FW Hookers Green acrylic ink, dregs of whatever was in the jar before it started to run low. I diluted it more because the paper was so thirsty. Now it's nice. Kind of silvery and it never gets too dark too fast. That's where the charcoal or litho crayon comes in. Shop talk. :)

The Utility Pole
06-20-2016
ink, charcoal

Christina's Garden
06-19-2016
ink, charcoal

The Island
06-17-2016
ink, charcoal

Reid State Park, Maine
06-18-2016
ink, charcoal, colored pencil

Reid State Park, Maine
06-18-2916
ink, charcoal

Problems

I was up and out early this morning (I'm sure I'll pay later…or even now because I'm blogging instead of working on an illustration commission). As the birds awoke, I was working in the studio. Later, I set out for a walk around Lake Waban at Wellesley College.

The question is always the same: to bring drawing supplies and camera or not? The accessories make the walk a bit longer. I think about my outing and how I might share it. Is that nuts or what?! Can't I just go for a walk because I am a living creature and not be concerned with sharing or broadcasting on social media and adding to my teetering stack of drawings? Why this need to share my experiences or thoughts?

It would be nice to simply walk and feel and think and not have the burden of the artistic impulse or worry that something of artistic merit might pass me by. Be off the grid for a while… it's a pervasive sickness where the dog and it's tail both wag and both get a bit mixed-up.

Well, I did bring my sketchbook, ink, brushes and pencils and camera. It was so beautiful, I had to share a few photos. It was so beautiful, I had to do a few very quick ink drawings. And I shared them as I'm doing here. Dog and tail both happy.

Ladies and gentlemen, these are "first world problems" as most of the artist's problems are. It's a dilemma. Believe me though, I have many other problems and, yes, they are mostly of the self-inflicted and first world variety. Such is the artist's life: a dilettante in Life yet generous and courageous in battle! Onward and upward!

06-10-16-swirlyland
ink

06-10-16-cows
ink, charcoal