Criticism

My lack of posts lately have been from exhaustion and vacation.  I’m sorry I haven’t been here for you.   I took some great photos while in New Mexico.  If you haven’t been to Santa Fe, Albuquerque, or Madrid, New Mexico you must go sometime in your lifetime.  Many, many art galleries to be seen plus a lot of local culture.

Copyright 2009 – Valerie Jones

My topic today is criticism.  How do you handle those times when people seem a little cruel and misunderstanding about your art?  Does the child within you step out to lick the wounds?  I read an article today from Body + Soul magazine, the May 2009 issue.  It states when someone lashes out at you in criticism, their inner child is speaking to you.  What insecurities could this person have that we don’t see?  When you realize this,  it is easier for your inner child to respond to the criticism.  Take a lesson from the criticism instead of burying it deep within you in anger.  Although we’d like,  we aren’t going to be approved by everyone in this world.  So, take a deep breath, exhale, and move forward in positive action towards the criticism.

Petunia Mystery Solved

Petunia – Grisaille

Copyright Valerie Jones

The petunia was done with the grisaille technique of layering grays (in this case, graphite) with colored pencil. The grays being laid down first allows the shadows to be in place, thus a lesser need for more layers of color in the shadow areas. I think this took me around 5 hours to complete. I didn’t keep track of my time very well. It is done on a 4”x6” piece of smooth bristol paper.

• Merriam-Webster’s definition of grisaille -

grisaille

Main Entry: gri·saille

Pronunciation: \gri-ˈzī, -ˈzāl\

Function:noun

Etymology: French, from gris gray, from Middle French

Date: 1848

: decoration in tones of a single color and especially gray designed to produce a three-dimensional effect

He’s Not Finished With Me Yet

This might appear to be a completed work in graphite…

In a few days it will be much more…  I’ll give you the details in another post.

Brandon Heath’s song, “Wait and See” has been running through my head as I work on this piece, “You’ll have to Wait and See,  He’s not finished with me yet.”

How amazingly true that God isn’t finished with us yet.  Keep moving forward…

OKMozart Festival

Today starts the weeklong event for the OKMozart Festival in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. My artwork along with many artists from the Bartlesville Art Association will have their work for sale during this event at the Bartlesville Community Center .

Gallery hours:

Friday, June 12 - 5:00 PM to Close

Saturday, June 13 and Saturday, June 20 - 9:00 AM to Close

Sunday, June 14 – 12:00 noon to Close

Monday June 15, Tuesday June 16, Wednesday June 17, Thursday June 18 – 9:30 AM to Close

Friday June 19 – 9:00 AM to Close

Drama in the Arts

Do you create drama in your life when you aren’t doing any artwork?  I know I do.  I get easily irritated over the smallest of things.  Give me 10 or 15 minutes of drawing and the restlessness goes away.  Those few minutes at the drawing board gives me strength to face the day.

It is not irritating to be where one is.  It is only irritating to think one would like to be somewhere else. ~ John Cage

Often we are restless, irritable, and discontent because we are not cherishing the life we have. ~ Julia Cameron

Make a list of things you cherish or are thankful for.  Keep the list limited to ten.  (ex: “I cherish my morning coffee.  I cherish alone time.  I cherish the beauty of flowers.”)

Lips in Colored Pencil

I thought I would share with you some of the lessons I teach to my students.  Last week in class, we drew lips in colored pencil.

Reference Photo

First, we used light washes for the skin tones around the lips.  The skin tones were created using the following Prismacolor colored pencils.

Cream, Light Peach, Jasmine, Pink Rose, Yellow Ochre, Beige, Peach, Peach, Blush Pink, Rosy Beige, Goldenrod, Blush Pink (again), Clay Rose.

In the darker areas of the face we used, Pink, Burnt Ochre, Mineral Orange.

We burnished the whole face with Light Peach.  After burnishing, we added a light layer of Greyed Lavender and blended with the Colorless Blender.

For the lips, we left the highlight area the white of the paper.  We then applied a light wash of Peach, Blush Pink, and Pink.  To the line where the lips meet, we added Dark Brown, Henna, Terra Cotta and Tuscan Red.  We also added Henna to the shadow parts of the lip. 

One thing to remember about lips, the upper lip curves in and the bottom lip curves out.  The upper lip is always darker than the bottom lip because it curves in and doesn’t receive the light.  The bottom part of the bottom lip is darker because it is curving down toward the face.

Print these off and try them for yourself!

The Intermission

"The Intermission"

copyright Valerie Jones

14"x11" Prismacolor Colored Pencils

on Stonehenge paper

Something I learned after I finished this piece is to not quit right before the miracle. Keep on keeping on. I kept on working on this piece after I thought it was done. My husband and friends critiqued it for me and found some things that could make it better. Unwillingly, I changed them. If I hadn't changed them, I would have been unsatisfied. I am thankful that I tweaked it to its finish.

I became so preoccupied with this piece because I wanted it finished in time for OKMozart that I let friendships slide. Too much busyness makes it difficult to have faith. Faith in God, faith in ourselves, and faith in our friends. As Julia Cameron says, "Faith thrives on routine." Well, my routine was definately off while I worked on getting this project accomplished. And all those above mentioned things, faith in God, faith in myself, and faith in friends wavered.

By keeping on regardless of the outcome is an act of faith. Faith that God will get us through the drought, through the project, etc. The outcome doesn't have to mean anything to anyone except ourselves. God wants us to go through the process. He didn't create us to quit. He created us to keep on keeping on. Your inner artist will survive. Keep the faith.

As I speak of keeping on, visit my friend Rose Welty's new website and blog. She is a person who keeps on keeping on even when she doesn't always feel like it. You'll be amazed at what she accomplishes.