Rose-breasted Grosbeak

"Rose-breasted Grosbeak"
graphite
small leather sketchbook

My father told me on Sunday to keep an eye on my bird feeder for rose-breasted grosbeak, as he had seen them near his more southerly home.  They are migrating north to their nesting grounds, and were likely to pass through my neighborhood.  Sure enough, on Monday morning as I was looking out my kitchen window, I saw a single male rose-breasted grosbeak.  Throughout the day, I saw the same group of three males and one female visit my feeder.  The males would often have little spats, one hovering as the other prevented him from landing.  It was a beautiful day, and I had all the windows open in my house, so I could hear their plaintive calls wherever I was.  Dad said "It's like sneakers on a gym floor" but the noise seems so soft and subdued to me, that it's more like mice wearing sneakers on a gym floor.  These feisty and attractive seed-eaters were the inspiration for this sketch.

Bunny

"Bunny"
graphite
small leather sketchbook

It's a little late for Easter, but in keeping with the blossoming of spring.  I'll soon have a little more time for in-depth drawing; this was another thirty-minute sketch.

"Cory Catfish"- pen and pencil sketch

"Cory Catfish"
pen and pencil
small leather sketchbook

Now for something different- a cory catfish.  These are great aquarium fish that do best in groups no smaller than six; we have eight in our own tank, which is just starting out.  They are very active and enjoy schooling together.  This sketch is in honor of these cheery little guys.

Chincoteague Pony- Pop Art style

"Pop Art Pony"
gel pen
small leather sketchbook

I originally went into this drawing with the idea that I'd create another one of my "swirly horses" as one of my friends has dubbed them.  However, my rendering of this horse's anatomy went awry in the area of its loins and hindquarters.  As I was drawing in pen (oh, how I love to live life dangerously!), the mishap was glaringly evident.  How was I going to solve this?  Enter clever cross-hatching.  The result is certainly not photorealistic, but visually appealing.  In fact, I can even say it's inspired by Roy Lichenstein and the pop art movement itself.  This is not entirely a conscious inspiration, but a few years of art school might have had some influence on my subconscious.

Because I grew up loving horses, they are a clear influence on who I am today.  Horses are a frequent theme in my work.  When I was 9 or 10, I was given Marguerite Henry's Misty of Chincoteague to read.  I became obsessed with the series and fell in love with Henry as an author.  Many of her titles still sit on my bookshelf.  As I've discussed in an earlier post, illustrator Wesley Dennis was also an important influence on my art and my passion for drawing.  While I appreciate the style and challenge to conventional art that pop art presents, I still love a painting or drawing that tells a story.  I only hope to capture the liveliness of spirit that Dennis' work does.

Red-winged Blackbird

"Red-winged Blackbird"
gel pen and red Sharpie
small leather sketchbook

I heard the "konk-a-ree!" of a red-winged blackbird as I walked my dog in the morning.  It was thirty-six degrees Fahrenheit, warm enough for me to wear a hoodie instead of my winter jacket.  The sun actually felt warm on my face.  Starlings, cardinals, finches and sparrows sang and called.  When I heard the redwing, I was transported back to one of my childhood homes, which had a small wetland ecosystem in the back yard.  Each spring, hundreds of red-winged blackbirds would nest in the cattails and puff out their feathers as they called.  I loved to look for the stately males on the tops of the reeds, trees, and telephone poles.  Wings and tail are fanned, beak opened wide, as they claim their territory.  They are one of my favorite harbingers of spring.  Shortly after I heard the blackbird, I saw yellow crocuses about to bloom on a sun-drenched southern slope.  Warmer weather and the growing season are indeed almost here.

My drawing's proportions are a little off; the body of the bird should be a little more slender and his beak shorter and thinner.  I was very pleased with the hatching effect of my pen, but the shoulder patches were too white and flat in comparison.  There happened to be a red Sharpie marker on my desk, so I took a risk and used that to shade in the bird's namesake.  I'm pleased with the overall result.

Galloping Spirit and Remembered Passion

"Galloping Spirit"
graphite
small leather sketchbook

I read today that passions are remembered, and not found.  Looking back at my childhood, all I wanted was to be with horses.  I loved everything about them- their graceful conformation, the way they moved, their beauty and grace, their scent, and the deep connection and understanding that is possible between horse and human.  I ached for and thrived on that connection of trust, understanding, and respect.  The challenge and thrill of riding was just a bonus.

It's been over a year since the last time I have sat on a horse, the longest hiatus from riding that I have ever taken.  Something inside grows quieter every day as I give myself over to my post-graduate life.  40 hours working, 10 hours commuting, every week.  Financial obligations silence any protest I might have at this lifestyle (student loans, I'm looking at you).  I do have a wonderful life, a wonderful home, a wonderful partner.  I'll be frank: as an art major, I am amazed that I have a job which pays all my bills.  I never expected even this much.

Drawing is not something that I love.  It's a different type of relationship, a painstaking journey that I hope to love one day when I can forgive myself for not being perfect or especially talented.  It's self-exploration on paper.  I only like to draw things that I like or am interested by, not necessarily to draw for drawing's sake.

I resigned myself to the fact that it was highly unlikely I would ever have a full-time job working with horses that could also support my other wants and needs, certainly not when starting with a negative net value.  Horses require a great sacrifice of time and money.  I once was given the advice to leave my boyfriend and give up my home so that I could fully commit to gaining the experience required by the field.  I chose not to violate my comfort zone in such a manner.  I don't think it was a mistake, but now I have to be more creative in figuring out how to work horses into my life.  My desire to have my cake and eat it too will require courage to accomplish.

Pronghorn Antelope and the Creative Process

"Pronghorn"
pen
small leather sketchbook

Originally, I was going to draw a horse.  A Morgan horse, to be precise.  As I was idly scrolling through my Google image search results, I saw some baby goats standing on top of a reclining equine.  I thought to myself, "Perhaps I should continue in the vein of broadening my horizons, and draw something other than equus caballus."  "Goat" was summarily entered into the search bar, but nothing captured my eye.  Somehow my mind leapt to gazelle, and from gazelle to antelope.  I'm planning on going to the American Southwest early this summer, so I thought of pronghorn antelope.

According to Wikipedia, pronghorn are not antelope at all, but the last surviving species of the North American Antilocapridae.  Their closest living relatives include giraffes and okapi.  They were almost hunted to extinction, but collaboration between the National Audubon Society, the Boone and Crockett Hunting Club, and President Hoover helped establish a large enough game refuge which put the population on the road to recovery.  Some subspecies remain on the endangered species list, however.

I spent a little over an hour on this little sketch, working only in pen.  His nose should be a little smaller, but otherwise I'm pretty satisfied with his proportions. I will count myself very lucky if I get to see one of these guys in the wild!