Drawing

Here Comes the Sun (and Moon)

/ Tamara Brown / 2 Comments

One of my outdoor art projects last year involved a recycled table top, leftover house paint and new acrylic Posca pens. I’m forever grateful to my husband for doing the grunt work of washing, sanding, priming and painting the background. I then drew out a large sun radiating light beams that he expertly painted with the same color as our house. And there the object sat for the rest of the summer and most of the autumn while I procrastinated in the garden.

On one of the final warm days of fall knowing that I had limited time left to finish, I spent a very pleasant day outside on the patio listening to music and creating designs with my Posca pens. I have enjoyed creating mandalas in the past and this project was very therapeutic in its symmetry and simplicity just like a traditional mandala. At some point the addition of one color pulled the entire piece together into sacred geometry. The process was complete.

My Posca pens were so much fun to use that I felt compelled to find another project. This month I pulled out a $3 hanging wall kit from Target that had been languishing in a drawer for months and knew what I had to do. In the dark and dreary days of January a celestial theme seemed just the ticket to dispel my cold weather blues. So another sun was born using the gold metallic pen, and a shimmery moon with a metallic silver appeared on the other side. And of course they had to have faces!

Thus begins a new art year full of unfinished projects and potential materials both inside and out. In 2024 I hope to finish one art project per month and feature all twelve on this blog. Wish me luck and if my creative recycling and scavenging processes inspire you to take the leap, I highly encourage you to do so. There is nothing more energizing than making treasure out of trash and beauty out of blandness.

The Daily Draw

/ Tamara Brown / 2 Comments

In my last post I had begun my 100 Day Project with daily word art. So the big question still remains–did I finally finish my 100 Day Project? The answer is YES I DID! On June 1st I proudly crossed the finish line with my word art compiled as a marvelous daily journal. Here are a couple of highlights from the Project:

Since this daily draw project was so successful (and I’m a glutton for punishment) I decided to take on the Inktober challenge with prompts for each day in October. Pen and ink was my first love, so it’s been fun to return to black and white with very little color. This art is all about texture, hatch marks and composition without relying on the color wheel. Here’s two of my contributions from Inktober 2023:

The question is, will there be more in 2024? One hundred days may be a bit too much, but I won’t rule out a monthly or weekly drawing practice in the coming year. My hand/eye coordination is not what it used to be when I was young but even the great masters got a pass in their senior years as longevity took its toll on dexterity and vision. At least I could benefit from the cataract surgery that wasn’t around for Monet. On the other hand I don’t have as good of an excuse for my blurry lines and shaky shapes, only my charmingly wonky style!

Back to the Drawing Board

/ Tamara Brown / 4 Comments

So far 2023 has brought renewed health and interest in art after 2022’s 100 Day Project came to an abrupt halt when illness derailed all my plans for the rest of the year. The long creative drought through many dark days has encouraged my love of all things bright and cheerful this year. I’ve finally taken to heart my own message that I repeated like a mantra throughout all my Arts in the Parks programs: don’t worry about mistakes and above all JUST HAVE FUN!

To honor my mantra I’m participating in 2023’s 100 Day Project challenge by creating word art (any subject, any medium) for 100 days. Without the restrictions I normally impose on myself, I’m actually eager to complete a quick drawing every day lasting no more than fifteen minutes while listening to my favorite radio shows. And suddenly twenty days have flown by!

Here’s two from the beginning:

Each day I sit down and draw what comes to mind and realize that my daily scribbles are becoming a sort of graphic diary, if nothing more than a note on the weather. I’ll be able to look back and see what I was thinking or doing on a particular day while I practice better hand-eye coordination and color choices.

Like baseball players in spring training, I’m limbering up my art muscles for a creative season in the garden with plans for colorful garden art and structures. Of course the operative word will continue outside too. Let’s have FUN this year!