The Clown - Part 5

There's a misconception about chickens. I know this because the other day I picked up a dozen eggs (our chickens are molting and not laying much) and the container said "laid by vegetarian chickens" on it. Well, unless those chickens are in a completely sterile environment, there's no way they're vegetarian. Chickens love to eat bugs and other small critters. Just the other day Dave saw Phyllis running around the yard with all the other chickens pursuing her. She had what was either a mouse tail, a lizard tail, or a snake hanging out of her mouth. And I tell you what, that girl can run!

Run...gulp...run...gulp...gulp...run...run...gulp...done!

Vegetarian, I call fowl play. (See what I did there?)


And I finished this painting. What a fun piece!

"The Clown"

I painted the other two balloons.

I added a couple of elements to her face.

I outlined the balloons.

I added some fun reflection marks on
her outfit, her hat, and on the balloons.
I decided that the balloon strings
could simply be implied.

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The Clown - Part 4

Best thing that happened with the trick-or-treaters last night?


Little ninja warrior: "[Gasp!] You're a teacher!" (I teach at the neighborhood school.)

Me: "Yes. Hi, X. You know me."

Little ninja warrior running away from me toward his big sister: "You gotta see this...there's a teacher in there!"


I'm thinking that little guy may have just realized that teachers do not, in fact, live at school.



I continued working on this painting. It's making me want a little red hat.

I painted the background.

I started doing some outlining and
painted one of the balloons green.

I did more outlining. This takes so much
concentration. I find myself needing breaks.

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The Clown - Part 3

My little guy turned seventeen today. I think that this actually means that this is his 18th Halloween. And I can see that he's transitioning into an adult because this is the first Halloween that he hasn't dressed up and gone trick-or-treating. But don't worry too much, he did dress up as an astronaut yesterday at school.

Happy Birthday, little guy! It's an honor, a privilege, and such an incredible joy to be your mom!!!


I continued working on this painting just a bit in between all the busyness that this day has held.

I repainted half of her face a different flesh tone.
I also painted the big white stripe on her shirt
and the smaller white bits on her hat.

I started doing some of the line work on her face
and hat. It's really bringing her to life!

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The Clown - Part 2

We took the little guy out for dinner tonight. Tomorrow he turns seventeen. I think it must be awesome to have a birthday on Halloween. And perfect for the occasion, our waiter was dressed as a zombie. I'm not sure a zombie is the most appetizing thing to have serving you food, but we sure dug it!


I continued working on this painting. It's such a fun piece! I'm loving all the colors and shapes.

I painted the left side of her face as well as
her eyes and some more of her hair.

Ah, now she's coming alive! I love what painting
the eyes will do. I also painted her eyelids,
more of her hair, and a bit more of her hat.
I'm loving making her asymmetrical!

Next her eyebrows, upper lip,
and the beginning of her collar.
I also decided I didn't want the clown collar.

I painted her lower lip and continued
working on her striped outfit.
She personifies fun and whimsy!

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The Clown - Part 1

I know you've been just sitting on the edge of your seats waiting for the next episode of "How the Hen House Turns". Don't even bother denying it. Well, yours truly was the one who ended up looking under the shed. Did I go and get all dirty? While I'm not opposed to getting dirty, I did not. I went out in the back yard with one of our funky blankets, lay it on the ground by the shed, got on top of it, and shined my flashlight under the shed. All this while a construction workers a house away had me in clear view.

Yes, I'm the crazy lady who lays on a blanket in her back yard.

And...no eggs. Not a single one. I officially tag Dave as "it" for the next egg quest.


I started a new painting. It's going to be Picasso-esque. I decided to paint a clown as it would lend itself to whimsy. So, here goes!

I sketched my design on a canvas.

I started adding some color.
Note that fun Picasso-esque face emerging.
Excited to do more tomorrow and over the weekend.

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Sylvette, Six Decades Later - Part 3

It's an episode of "How the Hen House Turns"....

My big guy discovered that part of the fencing that keeps our chickens in their part of the back yard had fallen down. And sure enough, our chickens were where they weren't supposed to be. Those rascally girls have had a bad habit of going under our shed and laying eggs way out of our reach. Not cool, ladies. And Dave and I have definitely noticed an egg shortage lately. So now we have to decide how badly we want to get those eggs if they're under the shed, if they're even edible after having been outside for several days, who is going to take one for the team and get all dirty for the retrieval, and, most importantly, if it's even worth it to avoid the likely stank that will ensue come the warm months if they're left as is.

Stay tuned.....


And I completed this painting. This was so much fun! When I first looked at it I thought it'd be "easier" than painting a realistic face. Well, it had it own level of trickiness, too. The thing is, everything is just made up of shapes. And if you break them down by individual shapes it's much more approachable. The shapes with this one were extra fun and, well, super "shape"ly!

"Sylvette, Six Decades Later"

I had done the criss cross marks on the "chair"
but then I decided that I didn't like the color
of green I'd mixed so I redid it.

I added a lot of details to her face
and a bit to her jacket.

I added a lot of highlighting marks throughout.

I added additional strokes to her ponytail.

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Sylvette, Six Decades Later - Part 2

I'm feeling very clever. At our house there's always a battle to get to the cold fizzy waters in the fridge first. Everyone wants to drink them, but no one wants to put new ones in when we're running low. No one except for me, that is. Well I love a fizzy water as much as everyone else, and I've come up with a fabulous solution. There are a couple of "odd" flavors that the rest of the family simply don't like (they're lemon or lime purists). So if I stock some flavors such as "peach pear" or "mango" I'm always sure to have a fizzy water available. Yup, feeling mighty clever...and hydrated!


I continued working on this painting. I'm loving the geometric nature of this piece.

I added a tint to the background. I also painted
the chair green. Now I'd never have known that
it was a "chair" so I'm super glad that was part
of the lesson. 

I realized that I should have left her hair white.
Part of Picasso's painting is scratching through
black/gray paint in order to reveal the white
underneath. So I painted over her hair so
I'd have that color underneath to work with.

I used a fingernail tool to scratch into the black
I'd painted over the white. This was FUN!
I also began darkening parts of the background.

I continued darkening the background and
added some yellow splotches as well.

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Sylvette, Six Decades Later - Part 1

It's a funny thing finding myself basically copying the works of masters. I love doing it because I'm learning so, so, so much. And it's definitely improving my own skills. But I found myself worrying about it just a bit. Until I was shown this quote, that is.

From an excerpt from "Copying Masterpieces" by Jose M. Parramon.

"And in just about every gallery and museum one comes across artists, both amateur and professional, who copy masterpieces in order to become better artists themselves. There is nothing new or strange about this. Raphael studied by copying the works of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. Rubens was fascinated by Caravaggio's dramatic use of light and shade, and copied his "Burial of Christ". Degas was a frequent visitor at the Louvre. He copied the work of Velazquez, whom he greatly admired, and of Rembrandt, Giotto, Titian, Bellini, and especially Poussin. Manet had heard so much about Velazquez and Goya that he traveled to Spain, to Madrid's Prado Museum, for the sole purpose of acquainting himself with the way those artists handled figures and heads."

Well, my skill level certainly doesn't match any of them, but I do feel that I'm in good company. Right now I'm continuing to study Picasso. This is my version of something he painted in 1954.

I sketched the picture on canvas with a pencil.

I started by adding some basic colors.

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I Picassoed Myself

I got carded this morning. Not for alcohol or anything like that. I haven't had a drink in many, many years. No, it was for cough drops. What on earth are people making out of cough drops these days? I'm so blissfully ignorant. But back to me being carded. Hooray! Being carded at forty-eight can only be a good thing (and it was purely for my age as they did not document my ID in any way other than confirming my date of birth). So, again, I say, "Hooray!"

I worked on a "warm-up" project for a course I'm taking. We're just starting to study Picasso. And gosh, is "Picassoed" even a word? If it wasn't, it is now.

I printed an old photo of myself...check out that hair!
I cut it in a Picasso like profile, found other paper
out of a book I have, and created a collage.

I glued all the pieces down and realized that I
needed something to represent my hair, so
I added a couple more pieces from the book.

I used a black marker to outline the parts of
the figure (me). I also added a little color to
the cheek and the mouth. I likely shouldn't
have used a toothy grin shot. Ah, well.

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Phyllis Made the Graffiti Wall!

Phyllis has joined my graffiti wall and she's doing a little jig in celebration. And of course she's considering eating those flowers because that's how she rolls. Love my girl and my graffiti wall...such fun to watch them both grow.

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My Favorite Quote

I love this quote from Picasso. It's now a part of my graffiti wall in my hallway. It sums up how I feel about my art...and by art I include my writing in addition to my drawing and painting. They are the best things I do for myself and a gift I give to me each and every day.

May we all find something in our lives to wash away from the soul the dust of everyday life.

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Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.

I love that Picasso quote. 

And it's exactly how I feel.  Some people can't help but be happy when they dance or sing...for me it's when I'm drawing or painting.  It has the superpower to take me away.  Pretty much just like those Calgon commercials I remember from being a kid...only better.

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