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Looking Back at an Art Life

| Whitt’s End Art

I have been creating art in one form or another for as long as I can remember. I decided to become an artist simply because I wanted to be cartoonist like Charles Schultz among others. I saw cartooning as a freedom from the constrictions I put on myself in trying to create the perfect painting.

A number of years later specifically in 2015 when my art life was at a standstill I decided to pick up a pencil and get a couple of art books and revive my love for art. Over the past two years I have had many up and downs with my art. I have created pieces in acrylics which I love working with and still use in my paintings but I have also turned back to drawing.

I decided when I was diagnosed with cancer last year I wanted to kick my art up a notch. I started my art challenge this year not to become a great artist but to try an expand on my art abilities. Over the past two months I have created pieces I am satisfied with, others I might rework for later blog entries and some, well lets say I am done with.

I have also discovered over the two months I would rather produce pieces in pen and ink that have more of a doodle feel to them instead of full fledged paintings. I will still produce paintings in acrylic because I love vibrancy of  the colors but am going to head in a whole new direction with my art. The new name of the blog will be Daily Timeout to Doodle.

The whole point of this ramble is to remind you when looking back at your art life and forward to what you will create in the future stop worrying about trying to create the kind of art others may like but be faithful to yourself and create  the kind of art you like.

 

Daily Timeout for Art #55

| Whitt’s End Art

gators

The prompt for today was reptiles. I decided to0 do another illustration for this one because I have always loved cartooning and illustrating. I love the simplicity of the art form and the freedom to draw what you want. The title of today’s offering is “Gator’s Night Out.”

Why Does Art Sometimes Look Better On The Page Than On The Screen?

| Whitt’s End Art

I thought this article was very interesting.

pekoeblaze's avatarPekoeBlaze - the official blog

2017 Artwork Why Can Drawings Or Paintings sometimes look worse on a screen

If you’re an artist, then you’ve probably had an experience like this – you make a really cool-looking drawing or painting, and then you either scan or digitally photograph it, only to find that the digital copy doesn’t look quite as good as the physical copy does.

It’s a strange experience, so I thought that I’d try to think about some of the possible reasons why this can happen. Here is what I came up with after a few minutes of general thought:

1) Too much or too little digital editing: Often, when an image is scanned, it can look slightly “faded”. This can be corrected by opening the image using an editing program (if you don’t have one, there’s a freeware open-source program called “GIMP” [GNU Image Manipulation Program] that can be useful) and adjusting the brightness/contrast levels in the image until it looks less…

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How To Deal With Writer’s Block – Dianne Ochiltree

| Whitt’s End Art

While this article deals with writing, I think it applies to all art forms.

Kathy Temean's avatarWriting and Illustrating

I know I told everyone Dianne Ochiltree would join us on the second Tuesday of each month, but the second Tuesday is Valentine’s Day. I would like to show off Valentine’s Day artwork from our talented Illustrators on that day, so I moved Dianne to today. I know you will like this post.
arcosnacktimedec16

This lovely wintery scene was illustrated by Kris Aro McLeod. Kris is a freelance author and illustrator, elementary school art teacher, amateur chef, mountain hiker, and enthusiastic bookworm. She is represented by Catugeau Agency. Don’t miss the book, Kris illustrated Catch a Kiss, Sleeping Bear Press, 2016. She was featured on Illustrator Saturday in 2011.

Here’s Dianne:

How do you deal with writer’s block?

Excellent question!  Writer’s block and the fear of the blank page is sort of the ‘common cold’ of a writer’s life.  Since I’ve experienced creative blocks numerous times, I’d like to pass along…

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A Messy Studio = A Prolific Artist?

| Whitt’s End Art

art-studio

I am kind of embarrassed to put this picture out there but I am doing so for a good reason. In the picture you see and unfinished painting on the easel as well as one on the floor.

My art studio as you can see is anything but clean. The other part of my studio, which you can’t see looks worse. I find I am more productive when everything is lying about. I do make an effort to clean up my studio from time to time but find I do my best work among the clutter.

How about you, do work best when everything is nice and neat or does clutter equal inspiration?.

Timeout for Art: Whimsical Endemic Species

| Whitt’s End Art

I found this article to be very interesting. I agree. As artists there are times when the piece we are working on morphs from what we had in mind to what the final piece finally becomes.

Playamart - Zeebra Designs's avatarZeebra Designs & Destinations

Endemics at the Artist's Nest --- Acrylic Endemics at the Artist’s Nest — Acrylic

“Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something.”  Steve Jobs

With great pleasure, I’d like to introduce you to seven new feathered friends that have given me great joy!   They can definitely be classified as ‘endemic” and are quite rare;  they thrive in a very petite ecosystem in Mindo Ecuador.

Only one of these hybrid species has a name;  the Purple-crested Puffball might be petite, but it is a bundle of perpetual energy.   The rest are waiting for names, and I hope that some of you will help with suggestions!

This little stinker started it all! The original plan was for a simple design of whimsical hummingbirds. The firstborn insisted it was worthy of a life of glamour! 1.  This little blue and green stinker started it all! The original plan was for a simple design of whimsical cartoon hummingbirds spaced along a straight limb.   Simple.  Fast.  The…

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Daily Timeout for Art #33

| Whitt’s End Art

bird

A little offering,”Little Blue Bird,” done in ink and acrylic on an old book page. I like the pop of color in this piece but if I did it all over again I would make the bird a little more transparent so the words on the page bleed through.