The roaring sound of cicada tymbals has noticeably quieted. The next generation of periodical cicadas is young and silent. After hatching from eggs laid in trees, they will fall to the ground and tunnel into the earth, where they will live in darkness for years. These days it is the lightning bugs who are putting on a show.
The Work in Progress
Between Projects
Drawing Illinois Bundleflower Seed Pods
Breaking the Rules and Using the Black and White Colored Pencils
Drawings in the Sand
Why I Create Realistic Art
Taking and Not Taking Pictures
Lines of Branch and Ink
Few leaves remain on oak trees in late autumn, and the lack of foliage reveals the trees’ exquisite structure. I stand at the base of a bur oak tree and look up, imagining a squirrel’s point of view as it runs vertically up the trunk. The tree is a gnarly specimen with rough bark and angular branches that twist and turn in all sorts of directions.
Three Simple Green Art-Making Practices
Being environmentally friendly is a matter of great importance to me, and it is a matter that affects my daily decisions. Naturally, this interest has colored my artistic endeavors. The following three green practices that I employ when I work on any art project are not difficult to implement. Boiled down, they involve being mindful of consumption and avoiding excessive waste.
Patience
As an artist, I spend a lot of time putting pencil marks and brush strokes onto paper and canvas as I create artworks. Hours, days, weeks, and months easily roll by. So much work needs to take place between drawing an initial sketch and calling an artwork “finished.” The stopping point is often undefined and located at the end of a very distant horizon.