Did you watch the Master’s?
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ROCKY SHORES OF HICKS LAKE - Ink drawing on Wood $750
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Have you seen the awesome way they track the drives on the screen. Let’s face
it, those pros hit so hard and far it is nearly impossible to follow the ball
on the screen. But really you don’t have
to anymore. Their app takes over and
show you the arc, distance and line the golf ball follows.
Maybe this is good for watching golfing on TV . . .
but your Art Work needs a different mode of attack. . . .
Your viewers want to jump in and look at your work. Some start at the left side and move across
others jump to the middle and move out.
If you want to keep their attention you need take control. Unfortunately, there is no app for that.
Shape & Patterns can HELP . . .
To do that look at the abstract
piece from my sketchbook. It really
brought the idea home for me.
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| JUG WITH TULIPS - Sketchbook Activity |
There is a flow created by the shapes and patterns.
Coming in from the left side causes the eye
to follow the sloping diagonal going from the top left to the bottom
right.
This should take your eye out of
the picture.
But it doesn’t. . .
There is an eye stopper on the right, the dark blue
shape. It grabs your eye shoots it up to the pink and yellow pattern area. From there
the eye dances around the tulips, hits the zigzag line and moves back to the
left. The circular route starts
again. Notice whether your eye comes in
from the bottom or the right, it picks up the same path.
I know that colour
and value is also playing an important role, and I don’t want to
discount that. But instead, I am
focusing on what shape and pattern can contribute to the game.
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JUG WITH TULIPS - converted to grayscale
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Check out the picture in black and white.
The movement is still there.  |
| JUG WITH TULIPS - some of the pattern replaced with solid blocks of value |
Here I removed some of the key pattern areas and replaced them with solid shapes. Most of the movement is still there but you can feel that the it is not the same. The eye seems to dance across those pattern sections and at the same time enjoy the movement. With the pattern gone the eye just whizzes' by and I think even become a little bored. What do you think?
**As a secondary note, can you feel the tension caused by
the two focal points? The box shape and the
flower pot. The eye wants to dart back
and forth between them but the strong movement from shapes and patterns keeps
it moving in the circle.
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| Rocky Shores of Hicks Lake - Eye Movement |
When you look at my drawing ‘Rocky Shores of Hicks Lake’, can you see how the pattern and shapes catch you in a circle. If your eye enters from the left (most North
Americans read a picture from left to right), it is grabbed and moved to the
right. The dark, mixed shapes of the
rocks move your eye up. This should send
your eye up and out but it doesn’t get a chance. The light airy patterns created by the leaves
of the bush and the soft grain of the wood capture the attention. As
the eye wonders through this area, the darker shapes draw it down and back to
light rocks in the front. The circle begins again. (Notice how those few little leaves on the left, block your exit and keep you moving along.)
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| Sketchbook Study of Rocky Shores of Hicks Lake |
I found this a very interesting phenomenon. When I saw the rocks and bushes paired
together by the shoreline of the lake I was drawn to them. I photographed them and did a sketch of
them. I found the sketch very powerful.
It seemed to grab my eye and demand that I look. And keep looking. I kept telling myself it was just some rocks
and a bush. The idea stayed with me so
this winter I started working on the drawing.
Awesome Opportunity - 2 Artist Retreats in the Shuswap
June 23-26 or September 15-18, 2023
Join me for 4 DAYS of Outdoor Sketching, nature walks, deck and beach time, creative conversations, gourmet meals and simply relaxing
Your Hosts, Joanne Denis and Myself. Cost: $450 single room or $300 shared room
Art instruction, transportation (from Lower Mainland), meals and lodging included (Bring your own art supplies. Space is limited to 8-10 attendees,
Register Early
Outdoor Sketching Classes - Dates are HERE!!
Outdoor Sketching Classes
Thursday, June 29, 10-12:30pm; July 6 & 27, 10-12:30pm
August 3 & 10, 10-12:30pm
Experience the Joy of Sketching in Nature with Wendy .
2.5 hr classes; located in Surrey Parks; Beginner to Advanced Welcome.
Class Size: Max 3 $55 per session
Available for booking special outings for you and 1-2 of your friends. Gift Certificates Available.
Original work, Commissions, Private Drawing Lessons, Prints and Cards of her Work,
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Wendy
