The very next time I went to art and crafts store I picked up a box and brought them home where they got put in a storage box on one of my art supplies shelves. This seems to be part of my process. I buy things and then find a place to store them. I even go so far as to buy little storage boxes so everything matches and looks neat and organized. Some day I'll take pictures of my studio and post them.
Since I've been going through an exceedingly long "dry spell" creatively speaking, I found myself desperately seeking an idea or two for something to work on. I tried cutting out paper hearts to stitch together to make ornaments for my Christmas tree but wasn't in the mood to sew. I tried to roll out paper mache clay and cut it with a gingerbread man cookie cutter also to make ornaments for said tree but it didn't work the way I planned; too sticky. I just couldn't think of anything I felt like doing. I was so desperate to find something to do I started going through the supply boxes and found the oil pastels. I also found a Bamboo sketch pad that I hadn't tried yet. Now I had materials to work with so what was I going to do with them? Well, this is the first sketch.
This was the first sketch I made and I wasn't too terrible upset with it although I felt I could do better.
Then I did this one. I had to have a teddy in it for some reason. I'm not sure why. I wasn't too displeased with this but wasn't crazy about it either and I still wasn't loving the pastels. They're just too messy. They get on my hands and I leave smudges and I don't always like where they end up. Not all smudges are bad, you know?
Then I did this one.
Yes, I agree, it's just blah. Nothing to write home about but I'm not going to hide it as it's part of my experience with this enemy of mine. Then yesterday morning I did this next one.
Okay then, this is more like it! As always, my photography leaves a lot to be desired but it's close enough to what the real thing looks like to give you a general idea where this is going. In case you haven't figured it out, here's the sketch from this morning.
Now, this is more like it! Actually this is what I looked like this morning. The eyebrows ain't mine, I really don't have any that you'd notice, and the lips are much fuller, but still.....aren't there mornings when you wake up looking a little bit like this?
Okay, now you've seen what I've been doing the past three days. Do I like pastels any more than I did? I'm not sure. Do I hate them? Not really but I sure don't love them either. I am going to give them a chance and perhaps until I figure what I really want to do I'll keep playing with them. Since I've been using them to sketch on paper not intended for wet work I haven't been able to see how I'd like the water soluble aspect. Maybe that should be my next step.
I know that I said I was leaving the Practical Magic post up for the week ending in a drawing for the pencil sketch but since it's been awhile since I've received any comments on it I changed my mind about that. I'm still going to wait until noon on Saturday, October 1st to announce the winner.
How many of you buy art supplies and never use them? Or buy supplies that you're not sure you will like? Am I overly compulsive and suggestible and easily led into buying things I really don't want or need? Don't bother answering that last question cause I think I already know.
As always thanks for stopping by. Enjoy your day.
