Missed the Boat…

June 26, 2019 roxannebaldwin Leave a comment

Every so often, I do something that, to me, is unacceptable. In other words I….fail. Usually I don’t redo the ones that miss the mark, but this time I will.

The featured picture is probably the best of the tries I made of this idea. I did it when I was painting with acrylic, rhinestones and glitter. I kind of miss doing that! I’m thinking of doing some more small ones, as a sideline.

Here’s another example.

However, it didn’t quite do it.

Here’s another example:

And this.

Yet another good drawing, but damned failure at what I was attempting to do.

So, there I go again. Making the best of my failures (in my regular life, too.) Maybe this time I will finally, finally get it! Or maybe not.

One More Piece

June 24, 2019 roxannebaldwin Leave a comment

First of all, I should say a little about this lady. She also made being ol….a senior, seem less dreary. She was my partner’s grandmother and lived until nearly 113 years old. (Yeah, I bet you thought I was going to say 113 years young, Fooled you! Also, I’m sick to death of that cute little joke)

Anyway, she came from Hungary, through Ellis Island. Settled in Connecticut. She lived in her own apartment until she was about 111.. Cooked, cleaned at a time of life most people….are dead, actually.

But back to my drawing. It’s complete, all of the pieces have fallen together.

No title so far. I’m pretty pleased with it.

Truthfully, I thought it would have made a better drawing if I had left the little dots white. White clover. It would have been a more intriguing composition in terms of lights and darks. However, by the time I realized it, it was too late. So I continued to make the clover pink.

Odd, some of the my favorite drawings have so little in them…a bit of geometry and some straggly lines. For instance, this one.

So, that brings up the question, which of my drawings is my favorite? It’s easier to tell which drawings I don’t like. I know! My favorite drawing is the next one I’m going to do.

Did someone say something about gargoyles?

Found it!

June 23, 2019 roxannebaldwin Leave a comment

THIS was the picture of the Jungle Jim I was looking for!

Actually drew it many, many many years ago. As a more mature person with a more mature eye, I see a lot wrong with it. Happily, I also see a lot good with it. Maybe I’ll do a redo, when I have time. Of course, I never have time for redo’s, too many new ideas come at me so fast, it’s blinding.

Well, I told you my latest drawing was of bicycles, so that spoils any suspense about that. I’ve already shown you the preliminary sketch. Of course, there’s always what the final picture looks like. Wasn’t there some game show where you were shown parts of a picture, and you had to decide what it was a picture of? Or was it a child’s game?

Anyway, or anyways, if you prefer, I’m going to play that game. Grammar police, me?

Not much of this looks like a bicycle. What, chop sticks? Maybe a picnic in a meadow of sushi? Speaking of sushi, do you know I’ve never tried the stuff? Too squeamish. I must admit though, a platter of sushi is a beautiful thing. I don’t plan on drawing it though

Next picture:

Okay, that’s beginning to look more like a bicycle. Either that or a cloud with pink dots and a UFO. I bet you can tell this is taking a lot of work.

Eggs!

Easter Eggs!

I hope to have the finished picture soon, now that I’ve teased and taunted you a bit. It’s taking a lot of time to draw, because of tedious detail. You know what I do when I have complex, boring things to draw……

“It’s only Rock n’ Roll, but I like it”

How about that Mick Jagger? He gives me encouragement that old age doesn’t have to be dismal.

Then, for no particular reason:

After My Tirade About Dogs

June 13, 2019 roxannebaldwin Leave a comment

Why am I suddenly drawing so many bicycles? Is it some kind of Freudian thing?

So, there have been two recent drawing of bicycles. The last drawing I made, and this one:

Is it a wish fulfillment of my unfinished application to the Rhode Island School of Design? As I think I mentioned, part of the application process was to draw boots and a bicycle. I wonder if they still do have those drawings to do. It can’t be that…it’s too long ago, and why now?

Here’s the sketch for the latest one. So far, the finished work is coming out much differently.

The truth is? They’s fascinatingly complex and simple at the same time. Sort of like when I was drawing jungle gyms

(So where is that jungle gym pic when I need it? I’m sorry to disappoint. It’s probably buried somewhere on my old point and shoot camera, that I disposed of long ago. I’ll have to retake the picture)

Or bridges:

Or chairs:

I never realized that the title of the one above is actually a description of me.

But that still leaves the question…why now?

In the meantime, here’s to bicycles!

SICK AS A ????!!!!!

June 10, 2019 roxannebaldwin 2 Comments

I spent the week after the festival, sick as a dog with a respiratory flu. But let’s back it up a bit….sick as a dog? Where did that come from? Why does a dog become a simile for illness? Why such a desultory description of such a kind, benign, helpful creature? I did a swift search on Google, only to find the source of this comparison is unclear. So, I call and end to the negative profiling of dogs as sick! Free the dogs! Let’s find something more accurate.

Sick as a monkey? Maybe, but I have no drawing of monkeys.

Let’s try something that I have more drawings of. Sick as a cat?

If you’ve ever dealt with a sick cat, you know they can be quite unpleasant. Yes, sick as a cat is a definite contender.

How about sick a crow?

In all honesty, I don’t know enough about crows to have an opinion.

As sick as a winged horse? Naw, that’s pretty incredulous.

My brother and I have this inside, family joke about bears throwing up. Specifically, strawberry ice cream. TMI about the Baldwin family?

Not quite. Just a little modification and I think I have it. Sick as a giant stuffed Teddy Bear! Put the onus on something in animate.

And let’s get the dogs out of this unsavory simile.

There’s No Business, like well you know…

June 5, 2019 roxannebaldwin Leave a comment

Last Saturday was the Danbury Street Fair! In which I participated in as an artist. I was able to do this on the cheap, without investing hundreds of dollars on equipment. I was breathlessly waiting to take the tent from its case. I only paid $65 and a trip to Queens, NY, so there would not have been a big monetary loss if it was unusable. But then, I’d be without a tent. Low and behold, we set it up and it stood as high and as proudly as the American flag on July 4.

I would have had better display racks if I could, but money was certainly an object.

As for sales, I only sold three small drawings (one of which was to my sister in law).

It always surprises me what people decide to buy. A young woman, a cat lover, bought two drawings

And a small version of this one. I did put out this large, full-sized picture, which got a lot of attention. Cat pictures were the order of the day, including my brother’s cat.

Lots of lookers though. I’ve done enough of this kind of show not to expect to get rich off the sales. The main thing was to get my art in front of the public, and have fun. Yes, some people go on cruises, I do art shows.

It would have been a lot more fun if I hadn’t been fighting the flu with a fever. That’s another story.

So, now making plans for the next one. It will probably be in the fall, getting close to the holidays. With better racks. I’ll keep you posted.

Forsooth, forsythia!

May 12, 2019 roxannebaldwin 1 Comment

I’ve lamented and moaned on how fast spring passes. You’re probably sick of it, I’m sick of it, but I’m going to do it again. Why? Because it’s another spring, and by the time I draw the daffodils, the tulips are gone. Damn.

So this spring, I’m going to get away from my usual MO, and draw a few more spring pictures, although we’re quickly passing into early summer.

So the drawing I just finished….

Why the bicycle? It’s just a great spot of color, which I needed there. It also adds a carefree subject matter to the drawing.

I’ve had many people try to read my artwork, as they would a book full of meanings and symbols. The truth is, I try to establish a mood, and the individual objects are just there because they add to it. If there is any meaning coming from the objects, I’m not aware of them, except as the trickster of the subconscious mind may suggest.

In other words, stop trying to make it so hard, and just enjoy.

On another subject, in many apartment moves, I’ve lost or discarded a lot of artwork. Many I still regret, but the moves were stressful (aren’t they always?)….so, that’s that story.

One piece I was sure I lost was a drawing that was the first in colored pencil. It was one that I sill love, and feel is one of my best. Low and behold! As I was going through my artwork to show at an art fair, I found it. I still have it! What is old, is new again. It has on title (or symbolism for that matter).

Roxanne Baldwin's Artsy Blog