Doodles

A Little Texture Attracts the Eye, Doodle #78

| Whitt’s End Art

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One of the hardest things for me to as an artist is to convey texture in my drawings. Over the years I developed into pseudo cartoonist. I like the simplicity of line drawings which can convey a lot with only a few lines. Once I started to play around with pastels I found textures can be conveyed with a few strokes of the chalk pastel. Even in acrylics I can convey texture by the way I lay down the brush strokes or the materials I use to create mixed media creations.

Now that I have switched back to pencil, pen and marker to create my daily doodles I have again been trying to learn how to create texture with a few strokes of the pen. Today’s doodle is a pencil drawing where I have tried to convey texture in the woman and her clothing using a few pencil strokes. While the work is incomplete I have learned to be more patient with the details and look for the texture in whatever I am drawing.

I think life is the same way. We spend so much time speeding through each day we forget to take the time to look at all the textures which abound in the people we meet and places we travel. It is the textures which give the world and people God created their beauty, their individuality and uniqueness. Life is all about textures so stop trying to smooth out all the rough edges and create what you want, instead be satisfied with what is already there.

It’s All in the Details, Doodle #77

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I must admit as an artist there are times I struggle with the details. I find that I am more creative and more satisfied creating quick sketches with a little color added to make the picture pop. Today’s doodle, “The Sunflower,” is a little more detailed than I usually create. In the back of my mind I would love to be a more detailed artist and have tried various books in order to learn. The problem with books however is books do not give you the feedback you need when you’re trying to improve your art work. If anyone wants to be my tutor I would be glad for the help.

What does this ramble mean? The answer is this. When it comes to living your life whether you’re a person of faith or not it is hard to learn what you need on your own. it is also hard to learn what you need from just a book even when the book is filled with pictures. In the end what we all need is for someone who is more learned than we are to come along side of us to help us learn what we need to know.

As an artist if there are any low cost or free art classes you can take, make sure you take them. It is in these kind of classes I learned I could draw more than just simple cartoons. If you are a believer attend a church where you have access to men and woman of faith who you can go to in order to help you understand the Bible more clearly.

Watch the Mood Set, Doodle # 76

| Whitt’s End Art

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In my opinion art is both subjective and objective. Our main objective in creating our art is trying insure the subjective piece of art will invoke a response in the observers of our pieces. Part of the response is what kind of mood your piece invokes. Is your painting a lighthearted piece with a lot of vibrant colors and a lot of movement or is it a brooding piece done in monochromatic colors or layout. This is why it is important as artists to watch the mood set of your artwork.

As an artist I try to create colorful, upbeat or corny pieces of art because I feel they set a happy mood with their content. Today’s doodle a mixed media, collage illustration of some flowers simply entitled, “A Bunch of Flowers.”

In life just like in art we set the tone of each day by our mood. If we are bubbly and upbeat around others they will respond to us in a kind manner. However if we choose to treat others in a brooding and defiant mood, well you can guess what is going to happen.

I know we all have bad days but I set in my mind years ago to be upbeat each day no matter the circumstance of my life.  I always try treat others in a kind and inviting way each and every day. Believe me there we times during my dealings with my cancer treatment that I wanted to bite people’s heads off not because of what they did but because of the anger inside about the disease. I had to step back and take a deep breath, say a prayer asking God to still my angry words and move on. Paul says in Ephesians 4:32, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

 

The Pattern in Life, Doodle #75

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As an artist the first thing that pops into my mind when I hear the word pattern, today’s prompt, is a zentangle. As a football fan who is in the midst of NFL free agency and roots for a team in need of wide receivers my mind of course went to a wide out.

A wide out or wide receiver makes their by catching the ball thrown to them by the quarterback. A good wide out can find a way to gt free from the defender and catch the ball. A bad wide out, well he doesn’t have a very good pass to catch ratio. What does all this have to do with you? Maybe not a lot but it does offer us an analogy for being and artist as well as in our living our daily lives.

As an artist we must be a good wide out who avoids all the defenders (internal and external distractions to creating our art). These distractions come from many sources, critics, well meaning friends as well as other sources. The key to avoiding the defenders is to keep on moving forward with our art by practicing, practicing, practicing even when every ounce of our being is telling us to just give up.

In life we elude the defenders by doing as Paul says in Philippians 3:14, “press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”There are always going to be obstacles in life, the key to reaching a goal is learning how to go through the obstacles and come out the other side stronger and more knowledgeable.  I hope you enjoy today’s doodle a zentangle of a cat entitled “Tangled Cat.”

What’s Art Got To Do With Life?

| Whitt’s End Art

 

I must admit as an artist there are times I struggle with the whys.

  • Why am I spending so much time creating art?
  • Why do I get so frustrated when I can’t get a picture to look the way I picture in my mind?
  • Why do I think I am any good at this thing called art?
  • Why, why why?

Then I remember art is in my blood. It is something I feel compelled to do with my time. Not because it is essential to my life, no wait, yes it is essential to my daily life. Art to me set up everything else in my life. It helps me to see the details in every situation. It helps to insure I have as much determination and drove to learn in everything else I do in life. Most importantly my art helps me be me by allowing me to show my creative side.

Art is life drawn from the inside. It helps you relax when times are tough. It allows someone to express themselves when words can’t come to mind. We were all created to create art in one form or anther..

Motion Settled Down, Doodle #74

| Whitt’s End Art

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The prompt for today is to draw motion. Well on the surface it sounds like a simple challenge after all motion is everywhere. Look around you cars speeding down the highway, people running to and from. We are a nation on the move, at times to much on the move. There is an old adage, “Stop and smell the roses.”

I’ve often wondered where the saying comes from but no matter the meaning is obvious. We all need to take the time to stop what we’re doing and sit back and enjoy life. When was the last time you did nothing? If you’re like me I don’t like to sit still. I always feel like I have to be doing something but every so often I feel the need to stop and sit back and enjoy the moment or moments. Some of my past enjoyments include watching my kids create their own little worlds from nothing, watching the ocean roll and the people rollick in the surf and sitting on my grandma’s porch and watching the world around.

The main point of this whole ramble is the fact that God created all there is for our benefit and it is high time we take the time to enjoy the world in which we live. So strap on some head phones, go to your local park (if you’re an artist take along your drawing pad) and enjoy some time alone or with family. Oh yeah, I hope you enjoy today’s doodle “Motion Settled Down,”

 

A Strange and Wonderful Feline, Doodle #73

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When I was young I had a lot of cats. Most of my cats were of the grey and brown tabby variety. I also had some whose coats resembled tortoise shells, LaPerms I think they’re called. The variety of cats I owned seemed endless except I don’t think I ever owned a Siamese cat. I still love cats more than I do dogs. Sorry to all those dog people out there.

While I had a lot of cats growing up there is one cat which stands out as my favorite, my Manx. I don’t remember the cat’s name but I do remember the cat had the tortoise shell look with brown around one eye. Why did I like this cat more than the others?  It was that the cat stood out from the others. It had an exotic look which stood out from all the rest. If you don’t know a Manx has no tail but a little stub kind of like a Lynx.

My Manx was a cool looking cat. I don’t know where the cat came from. How I ended up owning the cat or as cat people a cat kind of owns you, but I loved the cat and it’s look. The cat was set apart from the other cats. Thinking back to the Manx it is a reminder to me in my life as a believer of Jesus the Christ I must stand out from others, not because I think I’m better but because of the love I have for others.

As followers of Jesus we must show the love of Jesus to all. Not the ones of we select to give our love to but to all.The Bible says in Luke 6:31, “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” If you treat others like crap don’t expect them to treat you like a kind person. Cats are interesting creatures they can sense those people who like truthfully like them. I have news for you so can people. So don’t be hypocritical in you love, be truthful in order to be fruitful.

A Sign of Warmth, Doodle #72

| Whitt’s End Art

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I live in the greater northeast and am looking forward to warm weather returning so I can take my sketchbook and hit the road to make some drawings. Sorry to all you skiers but I have been looking for the first signs spring is on its way like flowers peeking through the soil and the robin’s return. Today my wife saw the first robin this year.Woo who warmth and sunshine are on their way back.

I learned long ago, like the robin is a sign spring is on its way bringing the warmth, people are looking for signs in your life to validates the claims you make about yourself. This is true about your faith as much as many other areas of life. People can spot a fake a mile away.  Proverbs 28:18 says, “Whoever walks in integrity will be delivered, but he who is crooked in his ways will suddenly fall.” While this verse is technically not about being a warm person it is a part of living a life of integrity.

My mother instilled in me a long time ago the need to show warmth to others in everything I say as well being generous in all I do. I may not have a lot of money but I do have a lot I can give. You never know who you touch in life so you must always be who you are not who you feel people want.

 

Not So Shiny After All, Doodle #71

| Whitt’s End Art

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It might seem odd me to offer up a horse and buggy for a prompt such as shiny but it’s not really. I live near Lancaster, PA so for the last thirty plus years I have my share of the black and grey Amish horse drawn buggy’s. The Amish from what I was told when I first moved to this area do not like shiny objects. There are various reasons why but  leads me to an explanation of today’s  drawing.

Life is made up of two types of people the shiny people and the people like the Amish who try and avoid being shiny people. Shiny people are those who love to flaunt what they have every chance they get. They brag about everything shining their accomplishments in your eyes trying to blind you to what lies beneath.

On the other hand people who are not so shiny do their deeds in the background. They shy away from shining the light on themselves. These are the people who may or may not have a lot themselves but use what they have to benefit others. One of the aspects of the Amish community I love is the fact that when one member of the community is down the others rally around them in order to help them get back on their feet.

One of my favorite verses is Philippians 2:3 which reminds me as well as others to, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”