Tag Archives: trees

A little bit of this, a little bit of that

March 11, 2020 roxannebaldwin Leave a comment

It looks as if my subject matter in Danbury, Connecticut is going the same way as in Sunnyside, Queens. Bits and pieces of the neighborhood, put together in multiple ways…so, I’m starting…

A little bit of this:

A little bit of that….

And then there’s that…

Not to mention this…

And believe it or not……this:

So, these are the pieces of the puzzle…all within a few blocks of each other.

What’s it going to be? If you can guess, you win….

A magnet collection. If you’re willing to give me your snail mail. The first one, of course.

What’s your sign, Babe?

February 12, 2020 roxannebaldwin Leave a comment

For those of you who weren’t around in the 1960’s, or weren’t paying attention, astrology was a big thing. At parties, in classrooms, on jobs, “What’s your sign?”, was the big question…yeah, pretty lame, but it was a good icebreaker.

For those of you who are interested, I’m a Pisces.

For those of you who are really, really interested, I’m a Pisces Sun, Gemini Rising, Moon in Capricorn.

Conversationally speaking, of course….

But signs are sometimes signatures…….you knew I was going somewhere with this, didn’t you?

There’s a website I used to follow which had a business section. People seriously had questions about signing art.

Like, where do I sign the painting? (My answer: Anyplace your little heart desires, sweetie)

Can I just use my first name? (Not unless you’re Van Gogh)

What color should I make it? (Any color you want. Please, no chartreuse on lavender)

Yeah, I decided it was a better use of my time to make artwork, than perusing artist chat boards.

My signatures have evolved over time. This is what my father would say was my “Artsy Craftsy” signature. I realize that my signature really dates the artwork. Speaking of dating artwork, you can legally copyright your work by signing it, putting in the date with a @. Yes, but no one will want to buy anything because they perceive it as old.

Yeah, I went through a time when I just wanted to sign my work “Roxy”.

Then I came to a place where I boldly declared that yes, this is my name.

Then I went through a period of time when I didn’t sign my work. Like calling a picture “Untitled”, it was just plain laziness on my part.

Then I got around to hiding my signature. Just happened somehow.

So, back to the soap opera…..

When we last saw Roxanne, she was flipped out about the greeting card she had designed. It reminded her of this;

So, she decided to redo this less than perfect one, above.

To this:

Clearly and proudly signed!

Next Episode……….Same time, same place

February 11, 2020 roxannebaldwin Leave a comment

When we last left Roxanne, she was in turmoil as to what to do next………..then she took a nap, had some coffee, and watched an old episode of “WKRP in Cincinnati” on YouTube. Her mind was cleared with an ethereal sense of purpose. “I’ve got it!” She cried.

In the meantime, getting back to here and now….I realized I only had one sheet of paper left. I certainly didn’t have any idea, either winter or spring that I could commit that seriously to.

So, I figured out I’d do holiday cards, until some inspiration came along. So, I did this:

If it looks familiar, it should….it’s a revision of last episode’s drawing.

Then I did this:

And then all Hell broke loose in my brain. Not that it doesn’t occasionally anyway.

This picture reminded me of this:

And then this:

(Let’s lose the crappy houses though)

And this!

All sorts of music concerning the Moon came to mind.

So, I have an idea.

Buzzing

February 10, 2020 roxannebaldwin 3 Comments

Ever have one of those damn bugs, buzzing around your head in a threatening manner? You don’t know whether to swat and kill the damn thing, or steadfastly ignore it. Ideas in art can be the same way.

The drawing I’m referring to is based on this photo:

Trust me. It was a lot more exciting when looked at by real human eyes.

So, I started playing around with the idea, and came up with this:

Er, not quite. In all honesty, I was trying to create something when I still was dealing with a major case of artist’s block.

But the idea would just not die. Sort of like Rasputin.

So, a couple of years late (Like just last year), I decided to try again. I was working on little stuff, in hopes that I would create something saleable. Didn’t succeed, as you will see…

And this….

As you can probably tell, the photo I was working with was taken in late May. There is no fast rule that you can’t change the season in the drawing.

So, back to winter, my latest drawing of a robin, aside:

This is the small sketch:

It’s a greeting card. I like the was it turned out, although a little Kinkaidish. Not sure if I will do a full size yet.

But I may, and also try another spring picture…who knows? Maybe a group of four season ones!

But then, maybe not.

Questionable Quandary

July 2, 2019 roxannebaldwin Leave a comment

Hurray for spell check! Otherwise, I would have misspelled quandary. Thank God for the blessings of our digital world. Some of those blessings I’m not so fond of, however.

But I digress. This blog is about art, not the information age.

So, now the quandary.

My latest drawing came out very well, in my opinion. Here it is:

As I drew it, I had this flash of inspiration…..or not. I kept envisioning the drawing as this above. Tendrils like roots surrounding like a frame.. I don’t know, did I see something like this somewhere? Am I unknowingly plagiarizing some artist’s work. Also, is it something my father would have called “artsy craftsy”, his cleaned up version of “artsy fartsy”? When I look at the small sketch I wonder if I like it better.

If I had taken this, and drawn the foliage completely on the rectangle, would that have been better? It’s what I envisioned originally, and gives the look of a miniature jungle. Truth is, I like them both, but only time will tell which I prefer.

So, a couple of years ago, I was griping about how boring drawing foliage is. No more! After the grey dark winter (and the grey dark spring), bring on those leaves! I will never complain about foliage, again.

The drawing that made me curse leaves and plants was this one.

So, I guess for a few months at least, plants and foliage is the trend. After all, plants and foliage is one of the reasons I left New York City for Connecticut.

So, what’s next? I take photos of ideas I have, and the idea for the next drawing reminds me of this:

After all, the grass is always greener in the next drawing.

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.

And Poof, it was gone

June 2, 2018 roxannebaldwin Leave a comment

I’m talking about the post I just wrote, and lost.

Ah, well. Facebook keeps reminding me that I haven’t posted in a while. I apologize for my absence. The truth is, I’ve run straight into a brick wall of an artist’s block. I’m as stuck as a car in a muddy ditch.

This has happened before. I’d lose the excitement of my work, and come up with some horrid pieces. That’s exactly what has happened now.

I thought the change in seasons would revive me, but no. It’s time to take a break and play around with other creative outlets. But I’ll be back. Ready to start fresh again.

So, in the meantime, I’m leaving you with a drawing I did many years ago, of a season like this….spring easing into summer. It was a fruitful time artistically for me, going back many years to when I lived in Greenwich. Goodbye, but only for a while.

Turn, Turn, Turn

May 17, 2018 roxannebaldwin 2 Comments

There was a song big in the sixties, during the folk music era. The lyric went something like this;

To everything, turn turn turn…there is a season, turn turn turn, and a time to every purpose under heaven.

Some of you, I know, remember this song. Some of you, will remember it because your parents played it. I think it was made popular by Peter, Paul and Mary, but I’m to lazy to Google it to be sure.

For me, the season has been spring, but the purpose of the time wasn’t art. I had family issues, a new job that turned into a horror show, and all sorts of sundry events and mishaps that life takes from time to time.

And so, finally, I can turn, turn, turn back to my artwork!

And Then It Dawned On Me

January 16, 2018 roxannebaldwin Leave a comment

On nights when I’ve had trouble sleeping, I’ve stared out the window as morning approaches. The sky looks peaceful and promising, not vibrant and bright as it does at sunset. So, what makes a sunrise picture look different than a blazing sunset?

“Red sky at night, sailors’ delight”

Red sky at morning, sailors take warning”

I’ve forgotten the scientific reason behind that little ditty, but it does answer my question. I know now how to make a sunrise not look like a sunset.

Here’s a picture from a long time ago, which my good friend refers to as the “Psycho” house. I can see what she means, but the windows were supposed to be reflecting the rising sun. Norman Bates doesn’t live there.

So, pastel greens instead of bright oranges and pinks make a sunrise. Here’s a dawn from not too long ago:

Roxanne Baldwin's Artsy Blog