Kick It to Start

These are just experiments, to help get myself going.

I've been really struggling to make images. I guess all the ennui is getting to me. Good thing my former self didn't have time to make all the things she thought of. I've been looking at those old sketchbooks and found this little idea. I'd like to sail away in a pair of shoes like that, right about now. 

    I'm still getting the hang of colored pencils. One problem here is that the paper (mi-tientes) has too much texture, so the wax kind of clumps up instead of blending well. But, I like working with a colored paper, and I haven't tried the colorless blender, yet. 

   And ha!  I see a mistake in the boat! Darn it!

 

 
   I'd forgotten how much fun it was to paint clouds.The poor mermaid has been going without a head or much of a tail while I try to figure these out. Lucky for me, the clouds at my house have been big and grand lately. Every time I go outside I get treated to a cloud lesson.
    When I was a kid, I spent a lot of time looking at clouds and making pictures out of them. I've had to resist making pictures too obvious in these. For the longest time, I kept seeing a puppy in the lower  left cloud structure. It was a bit of a struggle to change it so I couldn't see it anymore. I want them to look like they could be a thousand things, not just one.
     I think I need to lighten up the shadows on the landscape.
   

Learning Curve

Well, I learned that I am not a fan of linen. I think it could be perfectly lovely, but my first attempt at it was not. It turned out to be really tricky to stretch, and while I'm sure a finer weave would have helped, the texture was too strong for the little figure I have planned. I got as far as gesso (three coats!) and a bit of the underpainting before I gave it up. I needed to sand between those coats of gesso :>/ Live and learn.
    So, last night I pulled out all of the staples and now I have a fresh start with canvas. Back in my comfort zone! I might try linen again someday, but right now, easy street is just fine with me.