SKETCHING, DESIGN AND BOOKS IN MAINE

A sketch of one of the views from the cottage we rented in Maine,  Lori LaBerge  2017

We are back from vacation and it was wonderful. We rented a cottage in York with a view of the ocean and Nubble Lighthouse. It was relaxing to sit on the deck with a cold Maine craft beer and do some sketching. Rain held off, the water was beautiful and we were able to watch the lobster boats as traps were checked daily.

The outline of the rock formation was drawn blind contour (without looking at the paper being drawn on) then developed from there through regular sketching. Drawing blind contour helps to improve hand/eye coordination and increases observational skills as you are not constantly viewing back and forth between paper and subject. It can be difficult at first but becomes easier with practice.

 Some designs ideas worked on,  Lori LaBerge  2017

On the trip I became fascinated with the rooftops of ocean homes and boats. I studied some of the angles found and drew them out. Multiple scenes were combined into each of the works to form a composition. The circular windows on the boats added to the designs. I plan on hooking these as smaller works and then creating larger paintings of them. 

We found a local antique and used book store, Harding's Books in Wells, Maine. It was amazing. The aisles went on forever. I spent about two hours in the art section and purchased the books above. They include writings on Expressionism, women in art, Frank Stella, Salvador Dali and Paul Gauguin. If you are nearby at any point and love books it is a must stop as the store itself has so much more than the website offers.

Another purchase from Harding's that I am currently reading. Life is good!

SOME LANDSCAPE RUG HOOKING, SOME SKETCHING

"Nesting"  14" X 19 1/2", Lori LaBerge  2015

It seems like we are finding more and more hornet nests around our property. They are up in the timbers of the porch and lower down in timbers under the deck. A walk in our woods cannot be made without seeing one.  

I used soft, pale colors in hooking the lighter portion of the nest above.  This will be surrounded on one side with dark brown and on the other with a bright green, which has also been brought into portions of the nest.  The browns and greens will create a woodland background.  This work is based on a smaller plein air piece and will be part of a 2016 landscape exhibit.

A good size nest under the deck.  We found this one when my husband bounced a basketball on the deck and hornets swarmed around him.

Here a variety of dark browns are being hooked around the off whites and pale colors of the nest.  The dark colors make the nest stand out.  A dark, bright blue was used for the entry to the nest.

"By the Pasture"  graphite sketch,  Lori LaBerge  2015

I've also been doing some sketching in preparation for next year's landscape exhibit. These will be used to create hooked pieces.  Since working in plein air, I've found myself doing quite a bit more sketching than usual. The black and white of graphite sketching is a great way to study values.  I would recommend purchasing a group of graphite pencils of various softness and hardness to create different types of lines and textures.  

When sketching I rarely use the whole page.  I often leave room around the sketch to allow for adding to it or cropping it for a pleasing composition.  In this sketch I have not yet added the dark values to distinguish the shadows and separate out the trees.

Enjoy sketching this summer and fall, treat yourself to some new drawing materials, and have a great day.

"COUNTING THE DAYS" AND SKETCHBOOK USE

Spring is here and summer won't be far behind. The birds are making nests in our birdhouses, the dogwoods are in bloom and vacations are being planned. I feel as if I am counting the days toward one thing or another. The piece below is about two points of view. One of counting the days toward going home and the other of counting the time till someone comes home.

"Counting the Days"  18 1/2 X 20  Lori LaBerge  2012

Close-up of photo of old timepiece in doorknob hole.

While working on this piece I referred to my sketchbooks.  People always love to look through them, getting a peek at what goes through an artist's mind. When open studio tours are in progress, I always leave a sketchbook out for people to leaf through. Yes, I leave out the good, the bad and the ugly. When sketching, I am really not concerned about my drawing ability as I am thinking more about the idea or purpose of the piece. The reality is I sketch on any piece of paper near me when an idea strikes, from paper towels to magazine subscription cards (my nightstand is full of these with random sketches on them).

Here is a page containing various ideas using the abstract idea of a figure.  There are notes on color choices, how pieces should be put together and some ideas scribbled out.  These are worked into the more complete ideas below.

Though no changes were made for this particular piece (in the right bottom corner), I have often made many changes from sketch to finished work with other pieces. Never be afraid to deviate from the original plan.

Sketch out a few of your own ideas, see where it leads you and have a great day.