A short article today… just simply sharing a teacup sketch I did this week during a quiet moment.
This vintage cup was given to me a few months after I finished my Teacups course last year. It has what I consider a great pattern for sketching – a pattern that can be easily interpreted in different ways.
This week, I wasn’t in the mood for a precise sketch and wanted to use neocolors… and this is the result!
Ah! It was really nice to have a moment of calm – sipping my tea, playing with colour and watching pigment parties happen on my page.
8 Comments
Joyojoyojoy!
thanks Lois!
Love the light blue shining through the shade of the inside of the cup!
The freshness you achieve with these sketches is magical! <3 Thank you for sharing!
A beautiful example of a moment of calm. The past 2 days I have been spending some time thinking of strategies for how to cope over the next 4 years here in Madison, Wisconsin. Of course all things to do with art are at the top of the list but one idea I repeatedly came across in my reading was the importance of making time for “boredom”. For me this would include more quiet time away from the “news” which is available 24 hr a day now or taking a walk without listening to anything but the sounds in my environment instead of chatting on my Iphone or listening to a book. Same with doing mundane housekeeping chores without the distraction of TV or radio.
Then when I’ve had my little spell of boredom I can reward myself with a nice cuppa without any pressure to sketch it unless it really calls to me. Chances are it will sometimes but if not that is ok, too. And when I want inspiration for how to sketch my tea cup your blog and the Tea Cup class are there for me!
I am a person who hates to be bored and feels pressure to be “in the know” so this will take a bit of effort but I think there is something to this idea. Lots of artists I admire, like the poet Billy Collins, swear by it. Yesterday I came across a quote from Wisconsin’s own and beloved writer, teacher and cartoonist supreme, Lynda Barry. (I highly recommend her book “Picture This”. I read the whole book through one summer day years ago and I remember feeling a distinct shift in my brain – for the better! I get her book out every so often when I feel frustrated with my lack of art skills.) Here is what she had to say about boredom.
“The phone gives us a lot but it takes away three key elements of discovery: loneliness, uncertainty, and boredom. Those have always been where creative ideas come from.”
Sorry to get carried away but it has been a tough week here and I just had a nice cup of apple spice tea and read your post which got my brain ticking. Now for a nice “boring” walk and another cuppa when I get to the studio! All the best from Wisconsin and many thanks for all your great posts. Pat
My heart is with you Patricia, I’m in Oregon feeling the same way and wanting to let art and art-making give me comfort and solace.
This resonates with me, too. Art is my strategy plan, also. Love that quote by Lynda Barry. Thanks for sharing it, and her book!
For some reason I’m surprised that’s neocolor! I’d never considered it for delicate florals. One of these days I’ll try mine out! Ha!
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