Well, I haven’t picked up a pencil or paintbrush this summer, but the flower box business is sure keeping me busy! I’ve had several sales thanks to Etsy, and I just completed a wholesale order for my new friends at Green Nest. They were nice enough to send me a picture of the display. Please stop by their Facebook page have a look around!
I still have plenty of plates left for those that want a true one-of-a-kind planter!
Take care everyone…Erik
Free Art Tuesday is coming!
On random Tuesdays I’ll be giving away free art. It’s pretty easy to get in on the action. Just go to my facebook page {click here!} and “like” it! Then, all you have to do is be the first person to leave a comment when I post free art and the art is yours! Once the first comment has been left I’ll contact the lucky winner to get the snail mail address and free art will be on its way. Please don’t post your address in the comments though!If you like what you see and think your family or friends would enjoy some free art, please feel free to spread the word!
I won’t sell or publish any addresses that are given to me. It’s truly just to get my art out to the public!
Good luck to all who participate!
It’s that time of year again for the Kidney Foundation of Northwest Ohio to host their annual Wine Affair. The reason I like to donate art each year to this wonderful event is because the funds raised stay here in Northwest Ohio.
Wine Affair / November 19th, 2010 / 6:30pm / Parkway Place, Maumee
The Kidney Foundation of Northwest Ohio will be hosting a Wine Affair: A Vintage to Remember ~ celebrating 19 years. Tickets are $90/person until October 31st and $100/person beginning November 1st. A table of 10 can be purchased for $800. There will be wine tasting, hors d’oeuvres, and a silent and live auction.
This year, the artwork I am donating is Tater’s Tree Farm. When the artwork is auctioned it will be framed with acid free matboards and protected under Conservation Glass. I hope this year’s donation finds its way into a home where it bring a smile to all who can enjoy it!
I wish the Kidney Foundation of Northwest Ohio great success this year!
It’s time for a change of pace here. I’ve been taking my camera with me everywhere for the last week, looking for that perfect fall tree or landscape shot. Unfortunately it’s either been too windy or too sunny for photos. But when I saw this I knew this is what I needed to break the photo-monotony I’ve been feeling.
This is the inside of an old rotted Chevy truck. It’s missing the seat, which left plenty of room for the spiders to move in. I shot this around lunchtime and the sun was coming in the back window of the truck. I didn’t use a fill flash or reflector, and the shot was focused and metered on the pedal. I was using my telephoto lens, without my tripod, big mistake. I need to get this shot again using the tripod to avoid the slight lens shake I had. I also didn’t make any digital adjustments other than a slight cropping. Now, I’m sure there are photographers looking at this thinking I should have used some fill light. But I love the strong contrast of the deep shadows and bright highlights.
When I took this picture I realized that artists and photographers are supposed to follow a different set of rules when it comes to highlights and shadows. Photographers work hard to avoid a lot of bright highlights and deep shadows, while artists who draw or paint work hard to keep a lot of contrast between the highlights and shadows. A still life of a single flower comes to mind as an example. To photograph the bloom you would want to get as much even flat lighting as possible. Yet to paint that same bloom the painter would keep some of the white paper and pour deep color into the shadows.
So with this in mind I’ve given myself a challenge. Instead of looking for evenly lit subjects and overcast days for taking pictures, I’m going to look for subjects with strong contrast. Now I know this won’t be an easy task to pull off. Some subject matter just won’t work, but I think this will force me to look at everything differently. Maybe even force me to be more creative!
I’ll post more images of my little challenge as I take them!
Here is my latest dip in the old creative pond. This little painting is for a birthday card I’m making for my Mom.
This is a break from my usual pen and ink method, but I really wanted to capture the organic look of the maple leaf. I was afraid if I used the pen I would get too caught-up in the line work and start to drift from the flowing colors I was going for.
I used a wet-in-wet technique for most of the painting. I painted a yellow wash on the entire leaf then started building colors on top of that. I had a few “blooms” where the paper started to dry out, so I just went back with a little more color and washed it out. While the paper was still damp I grabbed my drawing pencil and added the veins. I was able to get the nice delicate lines without really transferring any of the pencil lead to the paper. I then painted over those lines with a few more colors and the paint just flowed into the veins perfectly. Once everything was dry I added a little shadow to the background so the leaf didn’t look too flat. Looking at the painting now I know I could have worked a little longer on the shadows, but I was more concerned with the bright colors and the contrast of colors in the leaf itself. And of course I had to finish it off with a little splatter!
I’m pretty happy with the way the colors came out on this painting.
To finish the card I’ll glue this to ivory card-stock, then I’ll grab a pen and add a thin outline to the card around the watercolor.
I keep trying to work large and create bigger paintings, but I always seem to get lost in them when I do. I’m not sure if it’s a time issue, or lack of wall space. Either way I keep coming back to the pen and ink and these smaller watercolors. I keep thinking I should try Artist Trading Cards, but there are so many groups to choose from, how do you decide?
Any ways…I’m done rambling for now. Thanks for taking the time – Erik
For some reason I have an obsession with garden sheds. I don’t know why, and I’m not real sure when it started. I remember when I was a rather young tot I always wanted to explore the various sheds and buildings on my Grandparent’s farm. I still remember the musty earthy/woody smell the sheds had. They were always full of great things a ten-year old could hurt himself, or others with! Anyways, when the old creative juices seem to be getting a little dry the old sheds always get things going again.
I was trying to capture the bright colors of the season with this painting, I think it worked, I’m happy with it. There is something special about fall. The colors are more vibrant, the breeze is crisp, you can smell a change in the air. Soon we’ll have the smell of apples filling our kitchen while we listen to dried leaves blow around the yard. I’ll keep looking at this shed and filling it with all kinds of great things, maybe even a table to paint on!
Happy fall everyone – Erik
It seems like forever since I sat down with a pencil and some paper, but I finally did. It’s true, if you haven’t held a pencil or pen for a while you can lose your touch. I remember a time when drawings and paintings would just pour out of me, but it’s been a real struggle lately. I find myself sitting and staring at the paper as if I were waiting for it to tell me what to draw. But it never does. After a few attempts I was able to get the juices flowing again. It’s funny, once I started it was easy to move on to the next one.
The first attempts were a bit of a struggle, nothing too elaborate, just some small sketches. I think I need to open the watercolors next and splash some paint on the paper. Little by little the art-block seems to be going away. I think I need to keep pushing myself though, otherwise I may end up just getting lazy again!
Pumpkins in Pencil
Pen and Ink Pumpkins
Colored Pencil Pumpkin
Since autumn is my favorite season I thought drawing some pumpkins would get me in the mood. I love the colors of autumn, the smell in the air, and the way everything sounds different.
I drew three different versions of the pumpkins to get comfortable with the pencils and pen. I do feel more comfortable working in pen, the line weight is consistent, and I can get the tight line work. Pencil has always been a struggle for me, I feel I have less control of the line because it’s always changing as you draw. I do like the challenge of pencil though. I guess that’s why I need to push myself more to use it!
Chickadee in Pencil
For the chickadee, I wasn’t concerned about the background or the post he was perched on. I just wanted to get the basic shape and shading down. This was more of a study then a finished piece, but I think it’ll serve as a good start for a future drawing or painting.
Well, that’s all the rambling for now, I guess it’s time to stop talking and start drawing!
Take care – Erik
Hello all!
I’ve found another use for old license plates – flower boxes!
Each box is made from 4 plates, one for the front, the back, and each side uses a different half a plate. The bottom is made from treated lumber pre-drilled for drainage, soggy plants are sad plants! I’m selling these through my Etsy site – click here!
I know it’s been awhile since I’ve posted anything out here – I am sorry, again! I seem to be having the biggest artist block I’ve ever had! It seems much of my free time has been spent working on the house and keeping the garden in check, and when I do have time to draw or paint I just sit and stare at my paper…waiting for something to spring from my pencil. Unfortunately that has yet to happen!
I’ve stated flipping through my various art books looking for inspiration and I think I’ve come-up a solution. I’m going to start with a simple sketch of a garden building, then I’ll keep adding elements until I’ve filled the page. I’ll hold myself to a few simple rules – it must be done in ink, and NO erasing! I’ll post images of my little assignment as it goes along, and who knows…this may be just what I need to get the juices flowing again!
If anybody reading this has a better suggestion for beating art-block, please tell me!
Thanks to everyone for their support and interest – Erik R Davis!
While I’ve been giving my pens and paint brushes a rest, I’ve started to explore recycled art.
I’m working on a series of bird houses made from scrap lumber, old license plates, and used store gift cards and credit cards. The collection of finished bird houses is a little thin, but I’ll continue to grow the number and styles as time allows.
Here is the link to my Etsy store – http://www.etsy.com/shop/erikrdavis
I will be updating the Etsy store with additional artwork - original and printed greeting cards.
Thanks – Erik R Davis
So you want to build a bird house but don’t have the cash? No problem, just grab a credit card, some old wood and get building!
It recently occurred to me how many gift cards, in-store credits, and used credit cards were needlessly going in the trash. Those cards are all made of plastic, they’ll never breakdown, they will be little plastic cards forever. So, I started collecting unwanted and expired cards several months ago with the thought of someday doing something useful with them, other than smoothing caulk when I paint.
Since I am a nature lover and a bit of a builder I decided to try using the cards for siding on a recycled bird house. I have to say I’m pretty happy with the first build! I used scrap treated lumber, and an old license plate for the roof. I’d like to see the entry hole a bit smaller, but that was the hole saw I had on hand. The next one will have a 1″ diameter hole. I was little surprised with the amount of time it took to side the house. I knew it wouldn’t be quick, but when you’re siding is half a credit card I guess there is some time involved.
I will be building more of these in the near future. As long as I can find scrap lumber, old plates, and unwanted plastic cards, birds in our neighborhood will have some pretty spiffy places to call home!
Keep saving the plastic – Erik R Davis
