Illustration Friday prompt: Vocal
Conversation
One of things I enjoyed most about parenting my children when they were babies was observing them develop language. It seemed almost like a miracle to watch a child go from cries and gurgles to a fully fluent English speaker, able to express the most subtle thoughts with expression and fresh perspective.
When my first son was born I couldn’t wait to have a conversation with him. I didn’t have to wait long – we were having simple conversations before he was two and fairly complex ones by the time he was three, although the topics tended to be pirates and Tinkertoys.
Now my sons are 19 and 15 and the things that come out of their minds and mouths about wireless technology and apps and are things I never could have imagined back in the ’90s when they were born.
Illustration Friday prompt: Return
Where she’s been I’m not sure, but I’m glad she is going home. I hope it’s a good home where people love and care for each other. Too many homes are not. But since I get to make up the story, I’m going to give her a good home where she will be met with open arms. Perhaps she is the Prodigal Daughter and they will celebrate here return with a big delicious meal. I’m sure she is a vegetarian so there will be no killing any fatted calves, thank goodness.
Going home
A few camellias to welcome spring…..
Well it’s time to break out some spring pictures. There is nothing more fun to draw than flowers if you are someone who loves to work with color. I learn about flowers as I draw them. I’ve seen camellias all my life but, not being much of a garderner, never gave them much thought until I began to draw them. Same with pansies. I may learn about all kinds of flowers in the weeks to come.
I did this picture from beginning to end today, beginning the sketch early this morning before church and finishing it up late this afternoon. I never feel a day is wasted if I have completed or at least made progress on a good picture. I have a collection of pring pictures I’ve already completed and a few more in the works, but thought I’d draw, color, and post this one all in the same day.
Camellias
IIlustration Friday prompt: Yield
Coming through! All yield!
The foremost thing in life we must all yield to is a child with a big red ball, especially one running fast. Remember those Driver’s Ed films with the balls rolling into the street? And I always yield to any dog when there is any chance he’s going to run into the street. In fact, I yield for any animal: deer, squirrels, possums, cats, foxes, birds—and twice I yielded for a bear.
For lots more great illustrations in response to this prompt visit Illustration Friday. It’s so much fun to see how one word can result in so many different interpretations.
Illustration Friday prompt: Intention
What a good prompt! I had several ideas and several pictures that express this idea, but I decided to use the opportunity to squeeze in one more winter picture. Spring is on the brink of bursting forth here in Virginia, but we may still have a few days left of winter. We’ve barely seen a flake of snow here this year, so the chances of making a good snowball are close to nil, but that’s the beauty of art: if nature doesn’t provide it you can always draw it.
I think this young lady has the definite intention in her eyes to throw that snowball at someone…..
Taking aim
Illustration Friday prompt: Capable
Oh yes, I'm capable. So capable.
She looks capable doesn’t she? Maybe she needs to project a little more confidence, but I’m rooting for her to get the job!
I’ve been to lots of job interviews, a few times as the interviewer, but more often as the interviewee. What an awkward social situation. With few exceptions, the people who have interviewed me have been friendly and encouraging and I often I have ended up with a job offer.
There have been one or two disasters over the years, like the time I had to interview for the job I already had because the contractor had changed, and the manager wanted to give the job to somebody else and kept me waiting and hour and a half past our appointment time; the interview turned out to be very unpleasant and I ended up asking to see his manager. Or a recent interview I had for a technical writing job, in which the guy expressed suspician at all the graphic arts experience on my resume.
“What’s all this graphics stuff on here?” he said, eyes narrowed.
“Oh,” I said, “Some people find it useful for tech writers to have graphics skills as well as writing skills.”
“Well we wouldn’t want you back there doodling,” he said.
I knew then it wasn’t going to work out.
The spirit of a moonlit night
I did this painting for the CreativeEveryDay.com totally optional theme for February: night. And I found a poem by Emily Dickinson that seems to capture that night spirit…..
Full moon night
A Night—there lay the Days between—
by Emily Dickinson (#471)
A Night—there lay the Days between—
The Day that was Before—
And Day that was Behind—were one—
And now—’twas Night—was here—
Slow—Night—that must be watched away—
As Grains upon a shore—
Too imperceptible to note—
Till it be night—no more—
Illustration Friday prompt is Fluid”….
The prompt this week at IllustrationFriday.com is “fluid.” I was a little thrown off by that at first. My first instinct was to draw a dancer. I already have several dancer pictures drawn. Then I remembered a little painting within a painting I did (see below) of a mermaid-like person in the ocean. I took that little painting idea out and gave it its own canvas so to speak.
Mermaid
Here is the picture in which this idea first showed up. It’s fun and interesting how, when you do art regularly, every day if possible, idea begine to come faster and build upon each other.
Day at the gallery
Picture out of a Victorian novel: When they spoke in letters
- Hetta Carbury reads a letter
I had fun doing this picture with my art markers and then applying some additional paining in Gimp software. I recently finished the great novel The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope, a book brimming over with wonderful characters who seem so alive you can’t believe they only live between the covers of the book. This picture is of Hetta Carbury, the girl caught in a love triangle sub-plot. Just in case you want to know more about the book, I wrote an essay about it on my other blog: Carol’s Notes.
In the novel, much of the plot is driven by the receipt and sending of letters. Back in the 1870s and far beyond that, so much important personal communication was conveyed via the handwritten letter: invitations, the news of the day, deepest feelings, marriage proposals, proposal acceptances, and proposal rejections.
With what trembling fingers must so many letters have been opened. I don’t think email can ever match the excitement. So much of the human soul can be carried by a paper and ink letter – the handwriting, the doodles, the well-considered words. I am old enough that I have actually had the experience of exchanging correspondence with friends and family, of smiling to find an envelope addressed to me in familiar handwriting in the mailbox. Now there is a whole generation that has never sent or received a real letter. Maybe we ought to try it again if just to keep the skill and the experience alive. And the U.S. Post Office in business.
Valentine’s Day: A good day for drawing hearts and flowers
It’s late in the day this February 14, 2012 but there is still time to squeeze in Happy Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s Day, if nothing else, is a great excuse to draw some hearts and flowers. Despite the commercialism, I believe it gives us plenty of room to express real love for our friends and family. I talk more about my real thoughts on Valentine’s Day at my other blog: Carol’s Notes.
Popularity – This week’s Illustration Friday prompt
Popularity…. This was a bit of a difficult concept for me since the last time I cared about it or even thought about it was back in high school. But I think this picture illustrates the spirit of the word…..
Popularity
Visit IllustrationFriday.com to see more great illustrations for this prompt!
Illustration inspired by old photo of Mom’s First Communion
I love the idea of using old photos as inspiration for art and plan to do more of this sort of thing. There is an old faded picture of my mother on the day of her first communion which would have been around 1946 or ’47. I always loved that photo and wish I knew where it was now. If I find it I will scan and post it here. Mom looked a lot like Natalie Wood in “Miracle on 34th Street” which was made in 1947. I was thinking of that photograph when I drew this picture.
I did it in color first with Prismacolor art markers and then painted further using Gimp software. Then I applied the “Desaturate…” function to make it black and white like on old photo. I kind of like it that way but also like the colors.
Jean
Jean B&W
