Paper and Threads

My Blog is 11 years old on January 4th, and it continues to be an extremely important part of my post-retirement connection to a community of artists and friends.  Last year I posted twice each week, fulfilling my ongoing goal.  In the beginning, commenting on blogs was part of the interaction in the blog world.  Now I also share my blog posts via Facebook in several art groups. 

Art Goals for 2018:  Develop better drawing and painting skills on paper and with dye-painting and surface design on fabric. 

1.  Take classes to keep me inspired and motivated:  Sketchbook Skool, Craftsy, Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), MoMA, and then keep open ears and an open mind about other opportunities for continued growth. 

2.  Maintain a Community of Artist Friends through participation in the:

NYC Urban Sketchers, Battery Park Conservancy Adult Art Programs, Central Park Sketching and Art Meetup.

Return to regular drop-in drawing sessions at the Society of Illustrators

Museum Exhibits and Galleries to draw the Masters with my friends, especially NYC Master Drawing Week in January and Asia Week in March.  

3.  Deliberate Practice:  Maintain my dedicated sketchbooks to practice drawing hands and feet, and to draw from my imagination. I should also continue practicing fast drawing of figures in motion (Suhita Shirodkar), and loose watercolor sketching using Anne Watkins method. 

New Project:  Learn how to do drawings on toned paper with black and white chalk or charcoal - using my newly made, dedicated, grey-toned paper sketchbook 

4.  Bookbinding:

a.  Make everyday sketchbooks for drawing and watercolor paintings

b.  Recycle old books as vacation travel sketchbooks

       My Tutorial:  http://www.paperandthreads.com/2012/02/watercolor_sketchbook_tutorial.php 

c.  Make a new accordion sketchbook for outdoor NYC USK paintings.  Create a tutorial for my blog.

d.  Make a 2018 "Remains of the Day" Scrapbook for Art Adventures with my friends

5.  Special Project Ideas:  I love to have ideas for special projects when I'm thinking about the new year ahead. 

These are some ideas for 2018 - but I always remain open to other possibilities:

Idea 1:  Draw and Paint everyday in January - again challenging myself to draw from observation in my own apartment.  I already missed one day!

Idea 2:  Watch videos about "drawing on toned paper" and start my newly bound sketchbook to practice using black and white from photograph references.  Then move to direct observation and drawing from museum sculptures. 

Idea 3:  Use a dip pen, Brause nib, and brown/black ink to copy drawings from my photographs from assorted exhibits, including the current drawings from the Thaw Collection at the Morgan, and Drawings from both Sotheby's and Christies' Fall Auctions. 

Idea 4:  Study new "Paste Paper" designs and make sheets of paste paper that are big enough to make two covered boards for new accordion sketchbooks. 

Idea 5:  Deplete my stash of Christmas Fabrics by making a simple patchwork quilt during the cold winter months (machine piecing and quilting).