Tuesday, 2 June 2015

Feminine art

Hi Everybody!

Today is the first day of summer, and still much too cold. But the weather prophets have promised us summer by the middle of the week with temperatures up to 30° - let's hope they're right!

For Art Journal Journey, masculine and feminine, I have gone to the feminine side today. Back in the nineties I went to a life-drawing course, and still have a sketch book full of sketches, some still unfinished. I enjoyed the course, and admired how still the models could sit, and their confidence, sitting there without clothes, so vulnerable.  I painted an A3 sheet with gesso and some smears of blue and purple. Then I spritzed it with blue and black splashes. When it was dry, I used various stencils to add some interest and depth. I drew one of my sketches onto it with charcoal and coloured it with pastel chalks, using lots of plum. I like the contrast of the round forms with the diamond patterns in the background.The quote, 'I'd rather have a mind opened by wonder than closed by prejudice' was in a book I read recently.






The sun had a hard job to get through the dark clouds this morning:




The litle jays are growing day by day. This one was sitting in the tree this afternoon, tweeting rather sadly, and looking over at me.


This went on for 10 minutes. The bird seed was finished, so I fetched a piece of bread.


He hopped over, took the bread from my hand, and hopped back to the tree to enjoy it, holding it under his claws and ripping bits off.


I love the way these horses are muzzling each other - I guess we all need someone to love.


Have a great day you all, take care,
and thanks a lot for coming by.

36 comments:

  1. Lovely feminine form and quote. The birds are so tame and the horses so intelligent.

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  2. eine schöne feminine seite,die kurven möchte ich gern haben,lol.
    tolle tierbilder hast du gemacht,bei uns sind gerade die jungvögel samt eltern auf dem balkon,gibt viel zu sehen,einfach süss.
    schönen tag dir.

    GLg Jenny

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  3. Wonderful artwork once again Valerie. I love the stencilling and the colours used too. Like you I wish the weather would change, we all need a tonic methinks. Have a Good Day. Hugs Rita xxx

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    1. It's supposed to be getting better here and from tomorrow onwards - we'll see!

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  4. Wonderful Pastel drawing, and I love the colours you have used, they are very feminine indeed. Great photos, too, love the muzzling horses. Hugs, Sarah

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  5. Deine Akt Seite ist ein Traum - Du hast recht: die geraden und eckigen Formen der Schblonen unterstreichen ihre weiblichen Kurven besonders gut!
    Toll dass sie Dir schon aus der Hand fressen! Die sind intelligent! Und die Pferde sind wunderschön und entzückend wie sie hier schmusen! Toll gemacht!
    Alles!

    Bussi
    Schönen Tag und ich hoffe die Wetterfrösche haben recht und Du kriegst noch tolles Ausgehwetter diese Woche!

    Susi

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  6. schließe mich Susis Kommentar nahtlos an... wundervoller akt und der spruch gefällt mir auch sehr!
    dein Eichelhäher als regelmäßiger gast... ich glaube, das ist auch selten.

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  7. Lovely photographs of the birds, horses and the sky. Hope the sun managed to break through. It did here first thing but now it is cloudy and grey and very windy.

    Wonderful artwork and how terrific that you saved the sketches and can use them again. I haven't got much at all from back then and often wonder what happened to everything I left behind.

    Have a lovely day-will email later

    Chrissie xx

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  8. Fabulous, that particular colour combination sets such a gorgeous mood, and the quote is brilliant!
    Here the weather is more like November than June :o(

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  9. A most fabulous female form sketch and the background is great. The quote is quite inspiring.
    Thanks for your answer on Tag Tuesday about the fibres. I may have a go at making some with my embroidery thread, because I no longer use wool and I have never seen any in the few shops around here. Have a good day Valerie. Hope it's a bit brighter today. {{Hugs}} :o)

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  10. Stunning drawing and nice quote!
    Groetjes Karin

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  11. Wonderful artwork, your sketch is fabulous.
    xxx Hazel.

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  12. Wow. Those jays must trust you a lot to take food from your hands. And a special treat like bread too. Love your page today. How great to have taken that class and now have those sketches to use. You certainly did learn how to draw the human form.

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  13. Beautiful feminine piece Valerie! Love the shot of the horses, they look like best friends! hugs :)

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  14. Welch ein schöner Rücken, ein sehr weiches, harmonisches Bild! Toll! Lieben Gruß von Ulrike, die heute dafür gesorgt hat, dass der Sommer kommen wird!

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  15. Hi Valerie, this is a beautiful work of art. Great shot of the horses. They look they are giving each other a hug!! Beautiful bird captures too.
    xo

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  16. Lovely. I didn't realize you could choose to do feminine or masculine for the challenge. I thought you had to do both. The choice makes it easier to join in.
    Hugs,
    Teresa

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  17. A fantastic piece, those models deserve more than they would get paid for sitting so still.
    Loved the photos.
    Yvonne xx

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    1. That's true, they just got a pittance for sitting, and were always so friendly and obliging.

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  18. This is a wonderful piece. Great job on the female form. I love that the bird took from your hand. Have a great day.

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  19. Love your art piece Valerie and such a wonderful quote.
    Fabulous photos of the young Jay and how lovely to have it feed from your hand.
    Avril xx

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  20. Love your art piece Valerie and such a wonderful quote.
    Fabulous photos of the young Jay and how lovely to have it feed from your hand.
    Avril xx

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  21. Love your art piece Valerie and such a wonderful quote.
    Fabulous photos of the young Jay and how lovely to have it feed from your hand.
    Avril xx

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  22. I've always thought life studies were boring to paint and boring to look at, but I do like yours very much with the colours and the patterns, what a different that makes.

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    1. difference not different, doesn't the computer know that?

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    2. Not much difference between difference and different! Life studies are great to draw, you only have 20 minutes to get your sketches done, and it is really fun.

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  23. Such talent, Valerie. How fortunate for you to take art lessons. Art for me is rubber stamping because I can't draw or get perspectives correct. I think your "FEMININE" piece is extraordinary today and you always come up with perfect quotes. Thanks for including your photos as I enjoy them so much.
    Hugs,
    C

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  24. Wow! Valerie you are one incredible talent! Lovely femine project and great sentiment. The nature photos are always so relaxing! My Internet is back, so I will be around!!!

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  25. I really, really, really like your art today...I really like it ♥♥♥ The Jay is so sweet and those horse are too. We were warmer today but still very cloudy... I did get a lot of work done outside though so it was ok that it was cloudy. Tomorrow I have a lot of running around to do..various appointments and such so there won't be much work done tomorrow. Which is ok :)

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  26. Wonderful sketch. She is a blossom of a woman. xox

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  27. I save you quotation. your women are beautifully shaped. I like to use them for my own drawing lesson

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  28. Wow I love your drawing Val, there really is nothing you can't do is there. Those birds must be so tame to take the bread from your hand xx

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  29. Love the beautiful drawing! I have two horses who are mother and daughter and they nuzzle each other like that too.

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