Drawing Challenge: Inner Eye

I was fortunate to attend the preview of Seattle Art Museum’s fine exhibit ‘Modernism in the Pacific Northwest’ the other evening.  Of the artists represented, the one whose paintings resonated most deeply with Daughter and I was Morris Graves (1910 – 2001).  Grave’s recurring theme ‘Inner Eye’ resulted in a particularly compelling body of work.  

‘Dove of the Inner Eye’ 1941 by Morris Graves

 The Inner or Third Eye – though invisible itself – is thought to perceive unseen spiritual realms, and is the theme of this the 141^st Drawing Challenge.  All are invited to participate in the Challenge with any sort of creative response be it photography, writing, painting, or actually drawing.  

 If you want to join, leave a comment here saying you are in. The following weekend the 'drawings' are shown on the blogs of the participants and the host links to them all.

 

'Inner Eye Eagle with Chalice' 1941 by Morris Graves

DC - Nude

It is the way we come into the world:

Vulnerable 

Innocent

Exposed

A long time ago we stood that way

my friends and I

on a series of beaches in Southeast Alaska.

Only thing we had on was our Xtra-tuffs

for Bren's STRONG photography.

Last night I looked again at two photographers I believe are among the best of my generation:

Sally Mann and Robert Mapplethorpe.

Both took intensely personal pictures of the nude figure:

she of her children, her husband; he of his friends, his lovers.

I'm not going to lie.  Go have a look, they are the best.

Also last night, I remembered years of drawing from the figure at art school, and drew a couple quick sketches, just out of my head, for fun.

Nude over watercolor doodles in 6x8 sketchbook

 Nude after Sally Mann, pigma pen in 6x8 sketchbook

Over at Patrice's, many more artists have unveiled the bare naked truth about Nude for this week's Drawing Challenge.  Have a peek if you dare, and come join me next week as I host the next challenge.

Prototype

One productive day in the studio this past week...

...drawing and designing, first in the sketchbook then on freezer paper...

...cutting out my pattern...

...and then cutting out the fabric...

And then:

Hello.

I am a Bat Prototype.

Pulling the plug on the Mighty Mighty Day Job mid-August.  Coming up with a new plan.
(Gotta put Dog Food in a certain dish).

Happy week and hope your Solstice was full of celebration!

Elusive Indigo

The search for Roy G. Biv this month had me looking everywhere for indigo.  Somewhere between blue and black, more warm than cool, it's a hard one to spot.

Public art in the Ravenna neighborhood

Big planters nearby - we pass these most days on the morning walk.

Iris in a neighborhood yard (these guys are over now).

Last night in the cellphone lot, waiting for the Sailor's flight.

Pogo rests in the slant of sun in his indigo bed.

The offers of other hunters of Indigo may seen at links on the blogs of Jennifer and Julie.

Drawing Challenge: CokeCola

In this week's drawing challenge, our charming hostess Rachel of Hi Happy Panda commemorates her home city Atlanta, Georgia USA - birthplace of CokeCola.  (Who knew?)!

When I was a kid my parents were very strict about soda pop, which was considered a beverage for Special Occasions Only.  We NEVER hardly EVER got to drink CokeCola, but our cousins in Illinois bought it by the case!  Going to visit them in the sticky heat of mid-west summer meant being allowed to cool off with a frosty bottle of bubbly brown cola: HEAVEN! 

'Summer Icon' - Inktense pencils and graphite in 6x8 sketchbook

CokeCola still brings back many summery memories to me.

Please visit Rachel's blog for many more artists interpretations of this theme.

UPsideDOWN: DC (late)

Apologies to Patrice and All DC'ers for my tardy response to the Drawing Challenge.  Life itself has been a bit more topsy-turvey than anticipated since arriving back home last week - totally in keeping with the theme of the challenge, UPSIDEDOWN.

'Moon Rest' - 11"x7.5" acrylic collage on paper

As I review the paintings completed for our July exhibit in Ketchikan, the impact of my relocation from Island to City is apparent in every piece.  Here I see the Alaska State Ferry (upsidedown) at the top floating in the blackness of a winter's end sky, above the springtime cherry blossoms of my new neighborhood.  

The three houses descending in a cloud possibly stand for my little family of myself, Flossy and the Sailor.  I also see the prayers of my daughter and my friends for a safe landing.

Enough for now - thank you to Patrice for the challenge (make sure to stop by her place to see the other players' responses), and happy week to all Readers.

Gifts

Flossy, my parents, Pogo and I arrived home on Sunday.  Imagine my delight to discover amongst the month-high PILE of mail, two envelops from Blogland friends!

From Tiny Woolf , blogging in Belgium, a sweet heart in a striking card and a lovely note of welcome home.

 The heart is reversible...

 ...and hand-stitched all around including a hanging loop.

Thank you, Woolfie Nadine!

The next envelop was one I had been looking forward to.  While I was away, I won the Give Away over at Suzanne's Mostly Threads blog. 

 The rain drop is hand-worked on natural-dyed silk.

Weighted with a coin, it hangs softly as a little cloud when worn.

  

 I have been getting compliments galore - thank you, Suzanne (and Gilly, for drawing my name)!

A final word about gifts - getting back into the studio the past two days has been WONDERFUL.  I was able to swim right back into the flow and completed 10 paintings (begun in April) for the exhibit I am participating in next month in Ketchikan, Alaska.

 Here is a peek at a representative of the group, which are all acrylic collage on paper, 11" high by 7.5" wide:

'Peaks and Valleys' - acrylic collage on paper, 11"x7.5"

Hope your week is going well - I will snatch time to visit around Blogland tonight, as I have been missing everyone!  See you back here on Sunday for the Drawing Challenge brought to us this week by Patrice.