Across the Street

Instead of going to Chicago, I had to stay home with the pets to keep them from fighting. I did, however, get a chance to get out and make some art yesterday. I sat on my porch and drew the house across the street, thereby christening my first watercolor sketchbook.



I've done watercolors before, but I've never had a watercolor sketchbook. The one I'm using now is one I've had for a while now but, as it cost about seventeen dollars, I've been skittish about using it. I'm used to using a book-bound sketchbook (my Moleskine) and, since I like to share my sketchbooks with people, I am petrified of screwing up and being stuck with it. I know it's stupid and that the fear stunts my creativity, but I'm a perfectionist, which is something of a double-edged sword: when I'm good, I'm good and when I'm afraid that I'm not going to be good, I'm nothing. I'm trying to get over it.

I told myself that as far as this sketchbook is concerned, it's spiral-bound and if I really, irrevocably, and unforgivably screw up royally, I can just tear out the page and no one will ever have to see it. Of course, I could just not show my sketchbooks to anybody, but, even though I would like to claim that I only make art for myself, I really do enjoy the little ego-boost I get from showing my work to other people, non-artists who marvel at someone's ability to stare down a blank page and create something recognizable with a little graphite, ink, and pigment. I suppose, when it comes down to it, if I were a hermit living in the middle of nowhere, I would make art to stave off insanity even if there were not a soul for miles with whom I might share my work. But, I do derive an additional thrill from sharing my work with non-artists and other artists alike.

Change of Seasons

I've spent the past five weeks chasing my new kitty around the house, trying to keep her from attacking our dog. Scout, it seems, is not a kitten, but a 3-4 year-old, full-grown cat, according to our vet. She's adjusted well to living indoors and if she'd only stop being afraid of the dog and preemptively attacking, she'd be an absolute angel.

The weather is becoming more summery and, partially as a response to this, I've been feeling more like making art. For the past six months or so, I've confined myself to doing monotonous stipples of photos, which has been therapeutic in that it was something that I never felt "allowed" to do while in art school; it was something that would have been, at best, condemned as "illustration" and I would have been deemed "uncreative" for copying photos. But it's something I do to unwind; it's not all I ever do. So, now I'm feeling more like working from life. I have no shortage of inspiration with the flowers in the yard... Though, come to think of it, flowers would have been deemed cliche at school, but what the hell. I like flowers. So, I'm gonna take inspiration from flowers for now since they're available.

So, I'm gearing up for a trip to the University of Chicago for my brother's graduation this weekend. I'm gathering my sketchbooks, pens and pencils, and field watercolor kit to draw in Hyde Park. The U of C has the most amazing Gothic architecture. I hope I get a chance to draw some of it. If I do, I'll share it here. If not, I'll at least post photos.