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By the Bay

Back to my sketching today.

I intended to do one of a scene I shared this morning on Instagram but this was the view when I sat down in my studio to sketch.

I mean, how could I not?

I pencilled in a rough outline first because I often start too big and don’t capture what I want. Pencil first helped with that.

Then I picked out the important bits with my trusty Pigma Micron (love those pens). The watercolours are from my Winsor & Newton travel set, mostly using cobalt blue, ultramarine blue, burnt sienna and raw sienna.

I like the blue into the cliffs for shadows because I’m focusing on deeper colour. When I looked back over my first sketches I wasn’t satisfied with the colour. Too washed out. I find myself drawn to other people’s sketches with pops of colour. So obviously it’s something that speaks to me. Time to stop playing safe.

Right now the outside world is still pretty gray and brown and it has a definite influence on my palette. I may have to really let loose and make it up as I go!

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Playing at The Art Shack

Margaretsville Lighthouse

It’s my turn to cover a shift at The Art Shack today so I brought along some art supplies to play with.

One of those items was a bottle of acrylic artist ink.

I follow artist Marion Boddy-Evans’ blog and she posted an experiment she did which inspired me to give drawing with ink a try.

Line drawing I sketched in a line drawing to follow (which is also the view from the Shack window. Hard not to be inspired.)

Then, using the ink dropper like a pencil, I drew in the lighthouse, cliff and the dark edge of the water.

Next I dampened the water area with a clean brush, being careful not to touch the ink until it was all damp. After that I just let the ink do what it wanted to do, spreading out into the damp paper.Ink drawing

I liked the effect so much I did a little of the same in the cliff to add more texture and finally on the shadow side of the lighthouse.

Really enjoyed playing with this and can see me doing more.

If you give this a try yourself, please share in the comments. Id love to hear what you think.

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Water: The Magic Element

“If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water.”  Loren Eisley

Before our move to Nova Scotia, our home backed onto a quiet lake in Ontario. Living by the water was something I’d dreamed of as a kid and we enjoyed that lake for almost 20 years. I especially loved watching the weather move across the water and the sunsets on the far shore.

Peace of the ocean

However, since moving here to the Bay of Fundy, I honestly feel I’ve traded up.

Anytime of the day I can step out my door and the ocean lies just around the corner, always different, always fascinating. Walking the dog is always an adventure. In the fall an eagle pair hunt along our shoreline. Yesterday, a pair of seals bobbed just offshore, watching us watching them. Fishing boats come and go, while the weather has its way with everything.

by the waterI’m so grateful to be living this close to powerful tides and the sound of waves and wind. The smell of salt and seaweed keeps me aware of the invisible.  Beach-combing for interesting rocks, fishing floats and driftwood has become my new form of meditation.

And honestly, how many people have a lighthouse almost in their backyard?

Water and Creativity

Studies show we are hard-wired to react positively to water. We become calmer and more creative (which is a definite plus for this artist). Being near water gives our brains a rest from all that stimulation around us. And who doesn’t need that these days?

Apparently this preference for water is even responsible for those Aha moments many of us experience in the shower.

For me, there is definitely magic in the water here. There’s just no other way to explain why my life is more peaceful and my art more heart-centered living here on the shore.

Where do you go to feed your creative heart?