Monday, January 24, 2011

First post in 2011


2011 started off very good for me art-wise. I was drawing, I was painting--I just wasn't posting. The words make me procrastinate. They are this huge mountain, a huge, insurmountable mountain. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to post without words now and then. In reality I like it when others use fewer words because it is easier to get through the hundred or so blogs that I check up on daily. Maybe I exaggerate, but only by a little.

This gal here I thought was from imagination. But, over on Yevgenia Watts blog, Watercolor Hands, I see a woman very similar(on the sidebar, three pictures down below her facebook icon) and I think I may have remembered it when I drew this. It isn't painted the same of course, but I can't help but see the influence. It is small: 1.5"x 2", watercolor and ballpoint pen.


These two are my paternal grandparents. I never met them because they both died when my father was a boy. I think about them sometimes, wondering what they were like. These were both painted on scraps and glued into my sketchbook. The one of my grandmother has the most resemblance. My grandfather didn't turn out very well at all, as far as likeness is concerned. He was very handsome. I suppose that teddy bear belonged to my father. They loved photography and we have a lot of pictures of them, just not any with both of them. Someone has to take the photo, right? I think I may revisit this and try to set them both up in the same picture. She died when my father was four, and on her picture, my grandfather wrote, "My Darling". I love that he did that.


This was done from a morguefile.com photo posted by earl53, ref#179348. I loved the sketch, but felt like I ruined the painting first thing by using a purple for the shading on the lighthouse. It was very sloppy, with me getting out of lines here and there. (obviously not concentrating!) So, I went over it with a micron pen. It's growing on me now. Definitely glad I didn't pitch it in the trash like I was tempted. In fact, I almost didn't even continue the painting after the purple, and only did because I viewed it as practice. My thought at the time was, well, it is already ruined so it can't hurt any.

Every thing else I've done this month has been of the doodle-type. A lot is happening around here, some things I cannot tell you just yet, but I'm excited about it. Dang, I'm terrible at keeping secrets and this one will drive me nuts! I best go now, before I slip!

34 comments:

  1. You know before you mentioned the purple shading I didn't notice it and now that you've mentioned it I think it is actually very adaptive to your painting!

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  2. Fresh, bright, clear, vivid and open are the words that come to mind when I browse your blog. You have such wonderful talent so please don't let 'words' intimidate. Reading what you write is like have a chat with you. That's the best!

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  3. These all look great, even the lighthouse. It's amazing how one's opinion about ones own work tend to change after letting it 'sit' for awhile. Glad you didn't pitch it.

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  4. Wow, these are all so good. I love the colors, the shading, and the perspective. I'm so glad you're keeping them all.

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  5. Raena- These are all great works! The story of your paternal grandparents is poignant- so sad that your dad lost his parents early on.
    I love the lighthouse!
    I laughed out loud about the word issue and trying to get through 100 blogs. Did you hear me? I laughed OUT LOUD!!! :-))
    Looking forward to hearing your news.

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  6. Hi Raena.. Happy new year to you... Loved going through your post.. You are right - that it is sometimes intimidating to read through mountains of words; but yours is one of the few blogs that I actually like reading along with enjoying your drawings.. So please don't write less :) :)

    The paintings of your grandparents are so lovely.. thanks for the story too.. I feel like getting back to India to meet mine..
    Lovely entries!

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  7. lovely pictures...
    interesting to read about them...
    the watercolor effct is beautiful on the woman's picture...

    congrats...

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  8. Happy 2011 - so glad to see that you are painting and posting. I really like the portraits of your grandparents - what wonderful memory paintings for your sketchbook.

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  9. Very nice portrait with the two different shadows on either side. I always worry too that I've been subconsciously influenced by another artist. But we shouldn't get paranoid about that. I don't think it's even possible to really imitate another artist even if one tried! It's like your voice, and every voice sounds different no matter what!

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  10. Very NICE drawings... as a person of few words... they aren't my 'thing' either.. I keep it to a sentence or two... I just don't have that much to say that people would find interesting. So I think it would be perfectly fine to post your work with only a sentence or two... and then do the rounds of all the blogs .... sounds like a plan to me.

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  11. You had a great 2011 art start in-deed, and I like the doodle style drawings. The drawing of your grandparents, reminds me of what I did early last year (I never knew any of my grandparents), it felt good to draw them... Made me feel closer to them.
    The light house is by far my favourite, love the colours and Im glad you didn't "pitch it".

    And Im glad to see you are back to posting again.

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  12. These are all good. Sometimes, the best thing we can do is declare something ruined--then keep going (love the lighthouse).

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  13. Hi Raena, I LIKE the lighthouse! The purple looks natural enough to me and I would not have thought anything about it if you hadn't mentioned it. I did think that doing a painting of your grandparents was a special way of getting to know them. It's always fun to see what you're up to!

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  14. Love these pages! The girl yeah, you're right... she looks like Yevgenia ^^
    Anyway, for your question, no I haven't decided to go for realistic or manga style. It all depends on the authors and as usual, it takes them forever for them to reply.

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  15. Lovely watercolours Raena, the grandparents page interested me as I'm thinking of doing something similar. There is always something different in your art and I always enjoy reading your posts!

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  16. Raena, I love reading your blog! Your journal entry of your grandparents is so interesting and the painting of your gran is beautiful - the way you did her suit especially.
    Being brought up without knowing either parents or grandparents leaves a gaping hole in anyone's life. I never knew my birth father, not even seen a picture of him. My mother told me very little about him when she was alive. I have since found out quite a bit about him when tracing my family tree, not all good! But what I do know by looking at myself, my son and the way he cares for my grandsons, I have missed out on so much love, and it can bring a tear to the eye. There are so many questions in my mind that will forever remain unanswered.

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  17. Lovely post and great sketches - don't think you need to worry about the words! (Looking forward to hearing your news, when you are ready to tell!!)

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  18. Great drawings & paintings.

    Don't worry about the words. You write well, but they supplement the art.

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  19. gosh i love how in your drawings you can tell so much with such little strokes! i just lll-llove it! simple lines and colors but the result is so vibrant, alive and story-telling! :)

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  20. Love the blond girl, original or not. Hard to believe the painting is that small. Your grandmother's portrait is wonderful. I have the same situation of never knowing three of my grandparents, and I think this would be a lovely thing to do, draw from photos to know them better. Keep writing. I enjoy your commentary. I know you read what I had to say about that on my last blog entry, but I think it is worth trying to relate in words as well as paintings.

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  21. All three are excellent! I love the character of the blonde girl. She's British - I just know. Cool that you are working so small with that no. 12 brush! Great story about your grandparents - I love old photos, and nice portrayals. I love the light house - glad you did not ditch that one. I always find value in what you have to say - some blogs I don't read, but I always read yours.

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  22. Looks like a good start to 2011! I really like the look of the drawing of your grandmother. You can tell just from looking at it, that it's from an old timey photo.

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  23. Raena! You don't need words! You leave enough words for all of us, you can let your art just speak, and it does:) A simple caption and a few lines is all I tend to write. I love your girl, she looks like a sweet pixie, your grandparents look precious and there's nothing wrong with the purple on the lighthouse...I'm glad you kept them all.

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  24. Keep them coming Raena - words or no words, this is all lovely work. Besides, I am a big fan of lighthouses. A lovely quote I came across by writer Annie Lamott is: "if you are writing the clearest, truest words you can find and doing the best you can to understand and communicate, this will shine on paper like its own little lighthouse. Lighthouses don't go running all over an island looking for boats to save; they just stand there shining." I think it applies to art too :)

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  25. I love your drawings and the words are icing on the cake! I think the lighthouse is perfect, the purple shadows work beautifully! The story of your grandparents was so touching! Great start to a new year.

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  26. Your work is always so neat, it looks "easy" when it's you doing the drawings : ) !
    The drawings of your grandparents are great (and touching, too, with the words of your grand father). Love the first face, she's pretty and I love her expression. And the lightouse looks amazing, with its striking colors - it would have been such a waste to throw it away!
    And, a secret? I'm not very curious usually, but now I really want to know ; ) !

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  27. I just love your work ! Keep it coming !

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  28. Fantastic, Raena. Love the way you handle each issue
    Congratulations ^^

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  29. Wow! I LOVE your work! It's shiny here!
    And I specially adore the way you plan your pages, with sketch and text. I need to learn a lot from you!
    Hugs!
    (and thanks a lot for your encouraging comments!)

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  30. I love the grandparent sketches - the work and the sentiment. Seems like a great way to get to know them, since you weren't able to know them conventionally.

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  31. I like the way you get inspiration from such different things! I love the lighthouse, the colours are well balanced and render the light on the surfaces very well. The grandparents sketches are delicate and moving, a very good way to keep the memory of the people who have been important for your life, although you hadn't the chance to meet them.

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  32. I NEARLY missed this post. My, but you have been busy! I like the way you do your sketchbook like a journal - what a treasure of hand-made books and art you are accumulating!

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  33. Nice journal. I really love the presentation. I love the way you captured the sentiment of your subjects.

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