A few of you have asked me to show some of my art work. These were drawn 15 years ago, and they're done with pan pastels and chalk. I only have a 4"X5" snapshot of my very first color efforts. I generally work from a small picture, and then I turn them into 18"X24" portraits. My daughter has three of my first graphite drawings, and has promised to send me copies online, so I'll try to show you those in a couple of days. The reasons I don't have more is that I sold the rest, and the photos of them were lost when my husband died, and I couldn't retrieve them from his computer which fried itself. Please understand that all three protraits were photographed from the 4"X5" snapshot that I still have. So here goes.
These are incredible, Ina! I never heard of Pan Pastels before. I like how you shared your technique of blending the pan pastels with chalk. It's very unique and the result is a soft texture that works really well with your subjects. You have really captured their personalities and their likenesses. Will you be doing more? How about a self portrait from the photo you posted in the American Indian Heritage thread of you in your Indian attire with your beloved dog? I can't wait to see your graphite drawings. Keep up the good work!
Love your portraits Ina what I gift you have, I wish I could paint or draw, but sadly have no talent in artwork at all
Ina, you are very talented indeed! Do you still do it? If not, maybe you should...might give you something to do. Also, is it just portraits you do? Art is something Ive always been interested in trying but always felt I dont have enough talent. My grandfather painted as a hobby, he was a pharmacist. I have a few of his paintings in my house. Don't laugh but I was actually thinking of coffee art after watching a video Joe posted...at least its cheap. Looking forward to seeing more of your work! I so wish you lived closer...we could teach other things. You'd be the loser on that deal, lol! Im not very talented in anything.
@Chrissy Page , You never know until you try. Belieave it or not, I've never taken an art class. I studied design and pottery. I was a potter for 10 years, until I developed carpal tunnel syndrome, (sp). I had a picture of one of my children that was taken in the early '70's, and it was turning orange and fading. I could barely see it, so one rainy day 15 years ago, I sat down and started sketching away. I looked up, it was 8 hours later, and I had reproduced the image. Then I started drawing other things, but it wasn't as satisfying as the portrait work was, so I went back to faces. The older the faces, the more I enjoyed my efforts. I did that for 3 or 4 years, but I was afraid of color, so I went to my old design teacher, and asked him what I should do. Was I good enough to study it more? He told me I had my own style, and I shouldn't study at all. Well thanks a lot teach!! I looked at paint, but the media wasn't right for me, so I stumbled into color pencils. That was ok, but not quite right yet, and then I saw a new media called pan pastels. That was it for me. Now my eyes are going, and 'they' told me it would be another 4 years before I can have the Lasic Surgery. So now I need to start over again, and find a new way.
Thanks for the info but you obviously had some artistic talent to start with...I will take at look at Pan Pastels... Too bad about your eyes...now Im wondering if mine are good enough??
The first picture is of the year I started, and the way I sign all my work. My first drawing is of the picture that was wading, and it was done in 1998. The second one is of dried rose from my father-in-law's funeral, which I did for my MIL. The third one is of a few old things from around the house. I was working on my composition style. All the rest are hanging in other peoples houses.
Ok friends, I pulled my courage up, and showed what I have been doing in the way of art(?). I really just doodle my way through. I don't see my work as art. I just replicate what I see, which to me is different than puting down what is in a person's imagination. I'll try to take pictures of what few pieces of my pottery that I still have. Most ended up as Christmas presents, or it was sold at a crafts show. So come on guys, show us what you dabble in.
Ok friends I finally took some pictures of a few of my first pieces of pottery. I guess I need to quit selling everything before I take photos. Shapes were no problems for me, and I really enjoyed working with a kick wheel. Electric wheels are more popular now, but you can do so much more on a kick wheel. But at this stage I was really into developing my own colors and textures. I learned to develope my own glazes, and how to mix my different clays to make whatever texture I desired. I even learned to build the different types of kilns, as well as the different firing temperatures. You can even fire a clay piece in a metal trash can with wood shaving, which is call raku.
Ina, I love how you put more into your art than just what you see, the sensitivity of the lines, the expressions in your portraits, moods in shadows and light, contrasts of soft and hard lines….you've got so much talent and it's such a pleasure to view it.