Paper and Threads

I was at an annual meeting yesterday afternoon for My Own Book Fund, an organization for which I volunteer.  We meet with 3rd graders in over 40 schools, in all 5 boroughs of New York City, and share our love of reading and books.  We then meet each class at a local Barnes and Noble bookstore and help each child select $50 worth of their "own books."  For many, it is the first time they have been in a bookstore - or owned any books.  I love going to the meeting to hear the annual progress report and plans for expansion for the next year. 

Yesterday we also celebrated the National Book Foundation 2011 Innovation in Reading Prize that was given to Burt Freeman who set up the foundation and the program.  Four organizations were given the award out of nearly 120 applications!

I had lots of time to sketch other volunteers in the audience - and I cut my drawings from the meeting agenda and pasted them on a pre-painted background when I got home.  The first lesson in the free online Strathmore Workshop 3 with Roz Stendahl was all about prepainting backgrounds in sketchbooks and journals.  She used acrylic for most of her samples.   I used watercolor.

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Monday was a day about town with my art buddies.  Gwen Diehn was visiting New York, so we planned several fun sketching venues - and then were told, several times, "no photos and no sketching."  And the current exhibit at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) Museum was even closed.  But we had a great time walking, talking, sketching, eating, drinking coffee, and buying art supplies at the FIT Bookstore.  Here is a composite page I sketched during the day and painted when I got home.

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The Sketchbook Challenge for April is "branching out" and I definitely added another way of sketching in my watercolor journal during this time.   

I went back to the German Expressionism exhibit at MoMA on Monday, and took notes and made some drawings from the Bridge and Blue Rider artists -  while listening to a Gallery Conversation by a MoMA employee.  I usually don't take notes and make small drawings in my watercolor sketchbook, but wanted to remember some of the images from the woodcuts and other prints he was discussing.

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I love going to figure drawing - and could go twice a week to Society of Illustrators.  But I still only go once/month, just trying to keep some balance in my life. 

The figure drawing sessions that I attend have 10 two minute poses, 4 five minute poses, 2 ten minute poses and 3 twenty minute poses

These are the three 20 minute poses - all drawn with a watercolor pencil and then wet with water to shade the figures during the last few minutes.   Ultimately I would love to draw with a brush and paint, and I'm hoping that this will be good practice for that next step.  I was thrilled that I could draw the back of the model for two poses out of the three, because I'm always disappointed after adding facial features.

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I am still sketching faces as part of the Carla Sonheim Faces Lab from her book Drawing Lab.   My goal is to draw 100 - slowly - and I'm nearing 50 now.  Here are 6 more that haven't been posted - 3 from the crosstown bus and 3 from people sitting in rooms I've been in.

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