My Mother

This is a drawing of my Mother.  She passed away about four years ago.  I was trying to decide who to draw for this medium (I wanted to try charcoal and white) and she seemed like the perfect subject. I also have some old photos of her that I think would be fun to draw - from her college days.  But, this is how I remember her - before she got sick, before she lost weight.  This kind of captures her - the beads (she wore beaded necklaces a lot) and the big smile - she so often had a big smile on her face.
When I started this drawing, it looked like a man with a helmet.  I would walk by it and think, "how is this ever going to look like my Mom?"  But it evolved and then there was a point where I suddenly looked at it and said, "oh, there she is!" and it was finally her. It was kind of cool for her to suddenly be right there in front of me, as lines and shapes suddenly became more than that, and became my Mother.  Maybe she helped me with it a little :)

Summer is here

Summer has officially started. My kids are out of school. And, despite the fact that I tried not to overschedule my summer, I am finding it to be very hard to get time to draw.  This happened to me last summer, and it wasn't good for me. Doing art is my outlet, my serenity.
I am currently working on, oh, at least six portraits. I have a big list of other things I want to draw too. I want to try another landscape - I haven't done one in awhile. I want to do another one of my "moments" drawings. But, really, I need to just finish something.  One drawing is going pretty well so far. Another one is causing me enough anguish to make me want to tear it up and start over. Others are just sketched out, and one is just barely getting started.
My art class is going well. I am bummed though - my teacher is moving at the end of July. She has been great - I have learned so much from her.  I kick myself for not going in and starting classes sooner, but what can I do now, except to try to fit in what I can before she moves.  My next assignment, I think, is going to be a self portrait done by looking in the mirror. It ought to be interesting. I have kind of put off doing myself. I don't know if I want to examine my face that closely - all the wrinkles, etc. :)  But, it would be good for me to try it, so I will.
Hopefully I will figure out how to get more time to do art. Otherwise, this site may be quite sparse this summer. We shall see. I did say I would post photographs on here too. (As in pretty pictures I took with my camera, not photographs of my art). Maybe I will get some nice ones of the Oregon coast or Yosemite.  We shall see....