Monthly Archives: October 2013

My Drawing Students Hit Me With Truth

I haven’t talked too much about the fact that I teach people to draw. These are semi-private lessons, 4 people at a time, one hour per week in Exeter. This has been happening for 20 years, and through the years I have learned how important it is to be honest. If we who draw can’t tell each other the truth about our work, who else will? And because we all want to improve (yeppers, even me, the Teacher), we need to hear from one another. Critiquing one’s own work is very very difficult – sort of like trying to proofread one’s own writing.

I showed this drawing to my students:

One of them said, “It looks like you just scribbled in the background”.

True, I did. I scribble in all the backgrounds. However, it usually looks like a forest, not scribbles.

I don’t let them get away with something that looks sloppy or scribbled, so they don’t let me either!

I redid it. Can you tell the difference? (The background, not the cabin.)

Still Drawing, But Behind Schedule

In my previous schedule to complete the 230 drawings by January 1, I was meant to have 208 finished by the end of October. Might make that, might not. Not even going to address the problem with the new schedule to complete 270 drawing this year. Ain’t gonna happen.

What, me discouraged? Nope! I’m still moving ahead. As my husband likes to point out, “It is a self-imposed deadline!” This is true. However, as a self-employed person, who else will impose a schedule if not me?

On the other hand, this means as I adjust the design of the book, I can also adjust the schedule of completion.

Now that my explanations (excuses?) have been made, have a look at a few recently completed drawings. (Hey Mr. Google, I’m talking about pencil drawings for the upcoming book The Cabins of Wilsonia.)

Governmental Insanity

In spite of varied political opinions, most of us with private inholdings or other interests in the National Parks can agree that shutting the parks makes no sense.

Much of what the government does makes no sense to me. If it were run like a private business, it would be bankrupt. Oh. Never mind. It makes no sense any way it gets examined.

There are 12 cabins still standing in Wilsonia that were sold to the government. They now sit empty, neglected, useless, abandoned, falling down, looking sad, of no use to anyone – not private folks, not the government, not park employees, not concessionaires, no one.

As someone who owns a cabin (in Mineral King), who loves cabins (my business name is “Cabin Art”!) and is devoting several years of my life to documenting the cabins of Wilsonia, this makes me sad, puzzled, baffled, and frustrated. As a self-employed, tax paying citizen, it infuriates me! (But, I will conduct myself with dignity here.)

What a waste. The only people who benefited from the sale of this cabin were the sellers. That strikes me as a fairly short-sighted decision on the part of all involved. I have a lot to say about the matter, but since this blog is primarily about drawing a book on the cabins of Wilsonia, I’ll hold back.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope this post wasn’t too off-putting.

Wilsonia Cabin Commission

As the book grows, so does my other work. Another commission came for another cabin on another street that has already been completely designed and drawn. No problem! Drawing cabins in pencil is what I do and have done since 1985. Really! (No, I wasn’t 5 years old at the time, but thanks for thinking I’m just a youngster.)

Once again we began with photos, and from these, I made 3 sketches. There was a question of which might be the best angle of the cabin, and sketches seem to be more helpful in deciding than photos.

I had to remove many trees in order to be able to see the cabin, but don’t worry because it was a figurative removal, not a literal one. (Has anyone besides me noticed how many people misuse the word “literally” these days?? “He literally shot himself in the foot.” Really? Can he walk any more?)

B was the choice. Bet you are wondering which sketch is B, since there is no B on the page of sketches. (It is the one that isn’t A or C.)

I waited awhile to begin. There is a large painting on the easel, 2 other commission drawings, and then, of course there is The Book with its revised and loaded up schedule. Finally, I decided it wasn’t going to draw itself, so this is what I did:

Next, I wait to hear from the customers. If they are pleased, I will be pleased and I will spray fix it so it doesn’t smear. If they want changes, I won’t be as pleased, but I will do my best. It will be me that I am displeased with for not getting it right the first time, not the customers.

Completed Pencil Commission

The drawing is finished, the cabin folks are happy, and the book continues.

Not putting this drawing in the book gave me the freedom to put color in the flag. This little zinger of color makes me disproportionately happy with a simple pencil drawing.

I wanted to do this with every cabin in the book that has a flag. It would make the cost of the book shockingly high instead of just high. And no, I don’t know how much it will cost yet. But thanks for asking – it shows me that you are still interested in the project. 😎

A Commissioned Cabin Drawing in Wilsonia

Park Street (or is it Road?) is completed. There are a number of cabins all in a row, and I had to work very deliberately to not make the chapter full of things that looked alike.

On one cabin I chose their unique entry way door.

Here is an aside: while I was drawing this, I listened to an audio book by Dan Erickson called “A Train Called Forgiveness”. It was a very moving story, and I remember how it made me feel every time I look at this drawing.

The owners of the cabin asked me to draw the entire cabin for them. (That’s called a “commission” – in short, it is custom work for hire.)

In spite of having the pages already finished and no room for additional drawings, I said yes to their request. (Got these habits of needing to eat, put gas in my car, keep Perkins fed and buy yarn.)

We discussed the possibility of putting the flag in color, something I’ve wished I could do throughout the book but it will be cost prohibitive, both for me and for you.

They needed to see sketches in order to decide.

In addition to putting color in the flag, I added a tree to the left foreground. They chose B, and I began drawing.