Hamsa Hand & Negative Space

, a photo by megan_n_smith_99 on Flickr.

This is a drawing I did a week or two ago. I was trying to design some artwork for a logo / website but I think it is too complicated. I tried to make it more simple! Can you tell? I have this horrible urge to cover every inch of space with details - can you tell? So, while I intellectually understand and appreciate the value of negative space, I have a hard time applying it. So I may try again. But in the meantime I actually was happy with how this drawing turned out.

It was sunny out today! What a gift in February. I went and sat in the park and drew for a while. There were a few other people with the same ideas as me - and some dogs.

And now I am listening to music and want to draw some more but my hand is getting sore so I might take a break for a while. Painting is a bit easier on the hands and uses slightly different muscles. Knitting causes about the same amount of wear and tear as drawing but uses different muscles. I try to plan things out and mix it up a bit. Plus I am reading a really good book and I am sure will soon retire with it. I really know how to spend a Friday night.

Frida's Garden & Book Notes

Frida's Garden, a photo by megan_n_smith_99 on Flickr.

This is my latest pen and ink drawing. I've been working on it off and on for a few days. It's mostly pen & ink with some gouache.

I was finishing it last night while listening to the audio book of Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch. It's the 1st in the Rivers of London series and I am really enjoying it. It's sort of reminds of of a combination of Neil Gaiman's Anansi Boys meets Douglas Adam's Dirk Gently, with a little Harry Potter thrown in - yet without being derivative. It's both a ghost story and a detective novel - I highly recommend it!

This drawing is:
Frida's Garden
9 x 12"
Ink & gouache

9x12"

Available on Etsy

Valentines to Color

I have for you today two valentines to color.  Shown her are low res versions. I recommend printing the high res versions which you can find here:
http://megannoel.com/valentine2013one.jpg

&

http://megannoel.com/valentine2013two.jpg

Enjoy!

Four Birds, Outsider Artists & Henry Darger

Four Birds, a photo by megan_n_smith_99 on Flickr.

You may have noticed, I've been working a bit bigger as of late. If you click on this photo it'll take you to my flickr photostream & you can look at the sets "Watercolor 2013" & "Pen & Ink 2013" to see what I have been working on.

Yesterday I showed my art at the Tractor Tavern in Ballard (Seattle). It looks like I will be doing that monthly - I will let you know. It was nice to talk to folks a bit - being an artist mostly you sit in a room by yourself all day. I'd be compelled to do it even if no one ever saw it, but it's still nice to take it out for a day on the town occasionally.

Speaking of artists who NEVER take their work out on the town, I suppose you've heard of Henry Darger? He was a reclusive artist - reclusive to the point that no one even knew he WAS an artist until after he died and many many works of art plus a 15,145 page manuscript were found in his rented room. There is an interesting documentary about him called In the Realms of the Unreal. I really enjoyed it. I should warn you that his work has naked little girls in it - only they are, uh, endowed like little boys. Some people think that is pornographic, but the film maker made a pretty good case that Darger had no relationships with women at any point in his life - in fact he had very few relationships at all and those he had were superficial. He probably was not aware that little girls were not made like little boys, and his work seems to me to reference the innocence of childhood, but I thought I would warn you in case you did not want to see that.

I had a chance to see one of his pieces in person and it really was amazing. And he is the epitome of outsider artist - he sort of made up his own techniques and used whatever materials he had at hand.

Someone asked me yesterday if I went to art school -- the answer is no. I took a few art classes in college - paper making and ceramics. The only instruction I ever had in drawing or painting was in high school. I did take one workshop in watercolor when I was in my teens. I've figured it out as I went along and there are still a lot of things I don't know, and probably things I am doing "wrong" as well. So in spite of 15 years working in the field of fine arts (though not AS an artist) i am an outsider artist, myself.

This painting is:
Four Birds
12 x 16"
Available on Etsy.

Be Mine

Be Mine, a photo by megan_n_smith_99 on Flickr.

I had not done any watercolor in over a week and I missed it quite a lot. I did 2 sweet little Valentine paintings yesterday and started a larger painting. I worked on these while watching The House of the Spirits, a wonderful movie based on an amazing and magical book (by Isabel Allende.)

Be Mine
5x5"
Watercolor & Ink
Available on Etsy

The Green Children of Woolpit

The Green Children of Woolpit, a photo by megan_n_smith_99 on Flickr.

Title: The Green Children of Woolpit
Dimensions: 11 x 14 inches
Media: Ink
Year: 2013

Once upon a time in the 12th century, it is said that the villagers of Woolpit discovered two children, a brother and sister, beside one of the wolf pits that gave the village its name. Their skin was green, they spoke an unknown language, and their clothing was strange. The children were taken in by the villagers, but refused all food for several days until they were offered some green beans, which they were happy to eat. The children gradually adapted to normal food and in time lost their green tint. The boy became sickly and died but his sister survived. When she had been taught english, she explained that they came from a land where the sun never shone, and the light was like twilight --St Martin's Land. The children had become lost in a cave and heard bells. When they followed the sound of the bells and found themselves in Woolpit.

This intricate pen and ink drawing depicts the 2 children, surrounded by trees, leaves, flowers, vines, and singing birds.

Available on Etsy.

Happy Rodent Day

Wee Mouse, a photo by megan_n_smith_99 on Flickr.

It''s Ground Hog's Day, the only holiday geared towards rodents. I can't remember the last time I drew a ground hog - Ok, I think I might have drawn one once ever. But I do draw Mice, so here is one to entertain you.

& I wanted to remind you that you can come to an art / craft fair and see my stuff tomorrow at the:

The Tractor Tavern
5213 Ballard Ave NW
Seattle WA 98107

10:00--3:00 Sunday February 3rd, 2013
&
10:00--3:00 Sunday February 10th, 2013

You can also visit the famous Ballard Sunday Market, which will be going on about a block away.

I hope to see you on tomorrow!
Now I have a date with a cup of tea and some Pitt Artist Pens.