Art Blog

Ladakh-Tibet and Central Asia

Central Asia history text — Reflections of Ladakh, Tibet, and Central Asia

Ladakh-Tibet and Central Asia by A. G. Sheikh, is a textbook that I just finished the design/layout on. The author is a wonderful man to talk with and strikes me as a very kind soul.

The layout of this book is colorful including many beautiful scenic views of the country and cultural artifacts. A must-read, tabletop picture book with cultural information that will assist anyone anticipating a visit to the middle east. It would help to not appear so ignorant when you arrive.

I did not know this area of the world had so many cool landscape views and such rich heritage. I found myself reading simply out of interest as I worked on the layout. At first, the word Ladakh was just a word that was hard to spell, but now it is a land where spiritual and cultural histories astound the mind.

check it out on Amazon

Reflections on Ladakh, Tibet and Central Asia

A well-researched book about the history and culture of Ladakh, written by one of Ladakh’s native and most prominent scholars. This book brings together 22 of his papers, originally published elsewhere, and deals with topics as diverse as a new perspective on Ladakh’s history, and interactions with its neighbors, Islam in Ladakh, and contemporary cultural manifestations. It provides a comprehensive overview of different facets of Ladakh’s rich cultural heritage, especially past historical, political, and cultural linkages with neighboring countries.

Opposite Drawing

Opposite drawing is a great way to exercise the artist mind. Recording the highlights on a dark surface, instead of looking for the shadows and putting them down on white paper.

Last Sunday with the kids, we produced pictures of Jesus laughing.

I got to keep those gears in my mind well-greased to have creativity remain alive and my drawing skills improve. Changing what I am looking at, to see the shapes of, and put down, really does a “switch-a-roo” on the mind! It makes the journey through the mind go on nerves not used very often which builds new bridges for my brain to walk on. Hence. Synapses!

I will work with kids in art at our church every 2nd or 3rd Sunday through the summer. Check us out at svmchurch.org

Playing at the Beach

Grandkids playing at the beach portrait is commissioned by the Franks family. For those of you who know me, this location/subject did not need to be researched to be able to paint it. These are the children of the first son named Nathan and his wife Nikki.

This first image shows the pencil sketch with both boys laid out sitting on the beach sand with their buckets, shovels, and the waves in the background.

The background wash of the waves and the sand around the figures is now complete.

The basic skin light washes with some shadow are added to show shape. Colors on the swimming suits are placed carefully to save highlight areas. The same with the sand buckets and shovels.

Eyes and faces are detailed with darker tones, shadows are darkened too. Opposite color wheel colors are chosen to shadow on the sand and in the water. Greens are added to the tans of the sand. Red or orange is touched to the ocean water to bring it into shadow.

Franks Family in Australia

The Franks family in Australia, watercolor portrait commissions of each individual family member for Christmas.

portrait Noel Marian portrait Nathan portrait Nikki portrait children portrait Damian portrait Sarah

Pencil Drawing Work

Got a commission for pencil drawing work, sketches about prehistoric tribe characters and wildlife. Creating illustrations to be used on John dini’s initial book tour to help present ideas behind his book.

He based a lot of his thoughts while writing this book on prehistoric logic. These pencil drawings were made in his direction, for a slide show presentation of the prehistoric ideas as he presented his new book. He is a successful speaker, writer, and coach doing many book tours and speaking engagements throughout his career. He was a joy to work with, his name is John Dini, and the book is entitled, “Hunting in a Farmer’s World”.

Pencil drawing is one of my favorite mediums.

Here are two of the sketches for the preliminary test to get the job. My pencil drawings are not published in his book but hopefully, they assisted in making his book successful.

Hunter stalking prey. — Prehistoric hunter in bush, stalking.

Prehistoric deer — Large prehistoric deer.

You don’t always know where your art will end up. It is always a happy day, just to be hired as a working artist! Drawing is a great way to spend any day.

What Does an Artist Do

What does an artist do on the weekend? Paint neighborhood address signs of course!

Here are two signs masked off ready to shoot with black for the arrows.

If you have ever been over to visit our place you would know why these signs are needed. I bet you we are in the UPS and FedEx drivers “stink list” for being hard to find.

Oh well! These are directional signs (for the two bends in our private road debatable as a driveway) made of signboard (expensive smooth plywood) and coated with white house paint 2 coats yesterday. Now the (black) arrows are laid out and masked off with masking tape so I can shoot the arrow backgrounds.

Painting neighborhood address signs process. Honest occifer! I did NOT use that spray can of paint! Oh, my fingernails… it is a new way to do my nails I tried using the spray paint to see if I could airbrush them myself. Has anybody got bail money?
😉

Now I spray the (black) arrows’ backgrounds.