arts

#532 The Siamese

| Whitt’s End Art

I love to draw cats. The reason, like humans, every cat has a unique personality and I love trying to capture some small detail of that personality in my drawing. Like all the others this one is done on an 8×10 old book page using soft pastels.

The View From the End of a Pencil

| Whitt’s End Art

An artist has a peculiar view of the world because we see everything from the end of a pencil or brush. Our world is one made up of angles, relationships and color combinations. An artist’s world can be realistic or abstract depending on what mood we are in when creating a piece of art. So why do we love the view from the end of the pencil? Here are three reasons, for me at least.

1. The view from the end of the pencil is one of curiosity. Can I as an artist create a likeness simply by placing down a few lines or a few brushstrokes? I for one love to see a work in progress seeking to satisfy my curiosity. Is the drawing being created turning out the way I want? I need my curiosity sated so I move on.

2. The view from the end of a pencil is a challenge. As an artist I study a picture in order to seek and learn as much about it’s structure as possible. Then the challenge begins. I add more and more lines. Time passes. I don’t realize how much, but I press on. Soon in front of me is a likeness. I glance from picture to drawing to see if the challenge was well met.

3. The view from the end of the pencil is comforting. As I have written before, art is a mind quieting and soul fulfilling process. When you are drawing the world around you seems to melt away. Also as you place each stroke on the paper it leads to moments of learning and growth as your skills continue to grow. Opening your mind to art also helps you to see the deeper aspects of other subjects because your view from the end of the pencil is one of study.

So in the end my friends art on, art on because life is so much more when you view it from the end of a pencil.

Daily Drawing #198, Celebrate Your Freedom to Art

| Whitt’s End Art

There are many times as artists where we pigeon hole ourselves into one style or one medium of art. It is what we know so we naturally stick with what we know. As I have progressed through this art challenge I have tried to make sure to delve into new mediums, new styles of art. I have learned to enjoy my freedom to art. Today’s piece, while not as colorful as a Dr Seuss picture is my first attempt at a fantasy landscape. The piece is entitled, “Dilbo in the Wilderness.” I hope to do more drawing in this style in the future. Until tomorrow feel free to art.

Daily Drawing #197, Are You Prepared?

| Whitt’s End Art

Over the course of my lifetime I have had various occupations. I have worked as retail managers, in factories and currently in a local school district. As I look back at my various jobs I think the worst place I ever was employed worked was at a fast food restaurant. I only worked there for one year but I learned a lot about dealing with irate customers as well as employees who don’t take there job seriously. You haven’t lived until you try to calm down an irate customer because of an unwanted piece of cheese or a couple of misplaced pickles on a sandwich you didn’t have anything to do with creating.

Still I look back at these times and realize how much they prepared me for later positions I have had in life. In all of life we need to look at our current employment, or training (as in sports) and think about about how much we are being prepared for what comes next in life. So take the time to prepare yourself by working hard to learn and grow. It will pay off later in life.