Kittay in the Garden

Tea Things Drawing and Pattern

Studies of Mug, Saucer, and Tea Ball








More Pattern Drawing:
From an Image of Ravenna Mosaic


From Memory

Wire Sketches

The Rest of My Week (Or, Tomato Leaves and Words)

This is what I draw today:


Planning on putting something in at the bottom at a later date.
This drawing happened because after the Tomato Plant Drawing on Monday, I only had ten minutes to sit down and draw at Dunkin Donuts. So, I drew little designs based off the tomato leaves.


Then, on Wed. I was sick and slept most of the day. But, I did "draw" some words in my sketchbook.


I also went to the Cloisters on Sunday and saw the illuminated manscripts. That might have something to do with it too...

Tomato Plant Drawing for the "Gardening Room"

Quick Intuitive Drawing Before Bed

Feed the Artist

Today is a beautiful spring day. I am sitting outside in the courtyard writing this. It has been an interesting week art wise. When I started this blog, it was basically a daily record of whatever I was making. A few months ago, I gave up my physical "studio" and stopped taking commissions. So, there has not been any "art for sale" kind of art in my blog since November. Since then, as you can see on the blog, mostly I've been making short little sketches, drawings, cards, and such. There are a couple of things that happened recently that have shown me something both about myself as an artist and about the purpose of this blog.
This past week, I've had the chance to work on a couple of art projects in my role as a missionary in LAMP. But, I have not posted these - even though they fall under the heading of "art I made today." I feel like these things A) already have their audience, and B) don't exactly belong to me. I just haven't felt right about posting them.
The other thing that happened is that about a week ago I realized that regardless of whatever else is going on, I need to "feed the artist" in order to stay sane. What do I mean by feeding the artist? I mean taking a deep breath, feeling the part of me that likes to make things, and then responding to it. This is scary. Why scary? Because I don't know what my artist is going to want. This is also fun. Why? Because it's a surprise. Today, my artist wanted to draw designs. So, I went on google and looked up "early Christian motifs." And then, realizing that a lot of early Christians spoke and wrote Greek (as well as had Greek in their mosaics and frescoes and things) my artist thought maybe I should learn to draw Greek letters - not to learn Greek, but just for the aesthetic. I ended up drawing the Greek alphabet and then copying a Celtic design from another Google images photo.








Will I ever use this information on a commission or on work for LAMP or any other public sort of art? No, probably not directly. But, it satisfies my artist, and I have to keep my artist happy if I want her to work on the other kind of stuff for me. That is what I mean by feeding the artist.
And, I think that has to do a lot with what this blog is for. Feeding the Artist. Maybe my artist just likes to have an audience. (Even though most of my hits are from Russia. What's up with that?)

Getting Ready for Some Street Art...

To be continued...

10 Min Pen Drawing of View Outside Dunkin Donuts

I also got out and took several pictures around my neighborhood. That was fun.
The "flaming bush:"


Our Lady of the Garden with School Bus:


Maybe I'll use some of these for drawing.

If it all grew...

So, yesterday I planted some flowers...


And, I need to mention that an extremely kind benefactor sent me some art supplies. She is a wonderful human being and her reward will be great.

Little Girl Goes to the Old Woman in the Tower

The Story of Grapes

The borders is copied from a mosaic in the Bishop's Palace in Ravenna, Italy.

Springtime in the Dead Courtyard

Took a bunch of pictures of the courtyard where I live and then drew from one of the pictures. Here are a couple of the pictures I didn't draw...

Minerva Traveling

Just Discovered New Toy

My first drawing using Sketchbook Express on my iPad. I had no idea this was possible. This is a potential tool for making LAMP scripture card designs.

In Honor of Margaret Nordstog

Study of Byzantine Decorative Motif

The motif is from a mosaic in the church of San Vitale in Ravenna. I am brainstorming ways to design little scripture cards for LAMP Ministries where I am currently serving as a missionary.

Sketches: Continuous Line and Tracts

This is a sketch using only a single, continuous line. The idea occurred to me while journaling.


Here are the brainstorming sketches for some little cards that have bible verses on them.

Drawing of St Joseph Statue, Pencil, 11"x14" (or Stop Worrying and Make Something)

Drawing practice today. A book I recently checked out at the library made the distinction between drawing and sketching. This is a drawing.
I hope St Joseph will forgive me for giving him a disproportionately large head.
One thing which I have learned recently is that it is worth it to keep practicing a skill even if I don't have an application in mind. An example is from the realm of music: I recently got asked to help out with playing guitar for some prayer services. For quite awhile, I have been learning to play guitar just for fun. I'm really glad that I practiced as much as I did because now that skill is ready to be used.
So, as far as visual art goes, I think it's worth it to practice drawing or sketching or whatever visual art skill even if you don't have an immediate application. I find that when I start worrying about the applications, I get all tied up in knots; whereas, when I just sit down and MAKE SOMETHING, I feel at peace. Someone said to me recently that when the student is ready, the teacher appears. I am hoping that a corollary of that applies to visual art: When the skill is ready, the application appears.