Tiny sketches

Dear Nikki/Dear Sarah--Day 405 of our daily drawing exchange

Hi Nikki,

Catching up on the sketchbook course today, drawing in a tiny sketchbook (3”x5”). Assignments were 1) to draw three objects using only one colour, concentrating on tone, 2) draw using 95 percent one colour, with a pop of one other colour, and 3) draw something that uses perspective. The last drawing was done from a photo of Heather and her two friends on Long Beach last weekend. Heather’s the one with the red mitten. It all looks blurry, but that’s the drawing, not the photo, I think. It was a rainy day.

C’est tout.

XO S

Hi Sarah!

Very late now and I have an early start tomorrow… today’s piece was done partly as I was digesting a fascinating conversation about Borges (who, yes, I now appreciate more than I did prior to the class discussion).

Several times, there were references to an earlier book in which there is a description of a character first imagining himself being, and then actually becoming a bird. We also spoke of dreams and coincidences and what is magic and what is simply marvellous.

I have often dreamed of taking flight…

The original painting, sent to my printer several times in different sizes, was one of my dad’s - I know he wouldn’t mind me cutting it up and reassembling it as I have done. The effect isn’t quite what I was going for (full metamorphosis into bird), but there is some aspect of this I quite like.

If I decide to redo this, I’ll turn the figure around so she is facing the viewer… either that, or I need to find another bird taking off from behind. Or maybe I’ll get rid of the smallest bird in the middle and just go all in on the wings.

Here’s Dad’s original work for reference:

Other than the grasses in the foreground (recognizably his), the subject matter and style were unusual. It was an odd sensation to be following his brushstrokes as I was cutting up the printouts…

K - gotta’ go to bed.
Nikki