Drawings and Prints | Beverly Shipko, Artist

Sketching Outside My Comfort Zone

January 29, 2023 by Beverly

Today I had a little local art adventure – something new to me. I joined the Westchester Sketchers Group (no, not the shoes!) at the Neuberger Museum in Purchase, NY for an afternoon of sketching, sharing and chatting about art.

The Unexpected Sketch

I came home with this. Not at all what I anticipated going in since abstraction isn’t my thing. Quite a bit different from my typical food paintings, right? This abstract composition doesn’t even resemble any of the compositions in my Challenge paintings!

My interpretation of Louise Nevelson, 1973 at the Neuberger Museum

A Global Urban Sketchers Community

This is my second Westchester Sketchers event. The first being last week at the Hudson River Museum in Yonkers. This time around I knew what to expect. Thank you to my friend Betty for introducing me to this group, which is essentially a subsidiary of NYC Urban Sketchers and complement to NJ Sketchers. Both Urban Sketchers groups are a part of a worldwide sketching movement called Urban Sketchers. Who knew?

Their global motto is, “See the world one sketch at a time.” And maybe that’s what I’m going to do… starting by experiencing Westchester County and NYC from this new perspective.

The group meets in the lobby of the museum. Then we have about 2 1/2 hours to wander around the museum and choose something appealing to sketch, and create an image using dry materials (since we’re indoors in a museum). Afterwards, we share our work, and talk about the process.

My Process

After wandering around the museum the first time, nothing resonated with me. So I meandered through a second time. I remained undecided.

I considered these two pieces of art. Ultimately, I passed on the Richter since I thought it would do better in color (which I didn’t have). The African sculpture was still a possibility. Eventually I realized I was short on time (already lost an hour) so I better pick something and just do it!.

You can see another member of the group sketching away in front of this African sculpture.

Hans Richter, *Wall Wood Relief IV,* c. 1970 by Richter.

Eventually I paused at this Louis Nevelson (below) after reading the title. Even though it’s a black wooden wall relief, it is called Day/Night XX. This name intrigued me since I thought the more appropriate title would be Night, with Day being a white version of this wall relief. And Nevelson did work in white.

So I decided to sketch this as if it the original Nevelson before me was white and titled Day.

Materials

I sketched the whole drawing freehand, often standing (which I do at home when painting on an easel), using a soft graphite pencil (on the right) with a kneaded rubber eraser. (Note to self: Throw a ruler in my bag next time.) The smooth, stiff paper is called Bristol board, which I use for my 6 x 6 inch Oreo Cookie drawings. This was about 2/3 done.

Kneaded eraser, 6 x 6 inch Bristol board, and a soft artist pencil.

All of a sudden there was only 15 minutes left to add the contrasting, darker shading and small details, like the little staples holding those horizontal wires and the shadows on the horizontal molding near the bottom.

Time to stop and meet up with my fellow sketchers, uncomfortable though that is. The “final” version.

As I look at this, I realize my choice of subject was at least partially driven by my left-sided math brain, which was always drawn to geometry when I was a math major. How I always loved the challenge of solving geometric math problems! I guess I still do only in a different way.

Stretching or Sketching Outside My Comfort Zone?

Overall, today was a positive experience – even if I was uncomfortable going in. More so last week when it was my first time. Usually my paintings are carefully thought out, often ruminating in my head for weeks. Quick sketches are a radical departure for me.

However, I believe it’s a good thing to try new approaches and get out of my comfort zone. And to open myself up to different comments from other artists, as well to see how other artists approach this challenge. That’s how we all grow artistically and unlock new opportunities.

And no, the headline is not a typo. The best headline that captures the spirit of today is still Sketching Outside My Comfort Zone and not stretching – although I did a lot of both today and especially over the past few weeks.

Maybe that could be the subject of my next blog….!

2022 Studio Tour Weekend is here!

October 30, 2022 by Beverly

I’m excited to be participating once again in the upcoming RiverArts® Studio Tour Weekend on November 5 & 6!

For those of you who have visited in the past, this is the same event that was traditionally held in April. Studio tour preparation involved planting spring flowers… While I’m still in Ardsley, it’s at a new location. See Directions and Parking below for details. The most important thing that never changes is my passion for painting desserts – and sharing them with you!

Consider this an official invitation.

You are invited to my Open Studio this Saturday & Sunday, November 5 & 6, from 11 am – 6pm

Beverly Shipko’s Home Studio at The Lofts

423 Saw Mill River Road, Third Floor Lounge, Ardsley, NY 10502

Please note: The Lofts management has graciously offered the beautiful, contemporary Lounge space on the 3rd floor in my building (Building A) for this event. So I will be able to show you more than in my own apartment. While technically this isn’t my working studio, there will be work-in-progress and materials to show you. Plus, I’ll just picked up my newly framed prints that I am proud of!

When you arrive at the building, you will have to be buzzed in. Scroll down to read more about that.

And, the bonus is that another talented realist painter, Linda Friedlander, is a short walk away in the 3rd Floor Lounge of Building C (1 Mill River Lane). So this stop is a twofer (two artists for the price of one!).

Please feel free to contact me with any questions though email at beverlyshipko@mac.com or by cell at 914-954-7779. You can also reach me on Facebook (Beverly Shipko, Artist) and Instagram (@beverlyshipko).

Tour Maps For the RiverArts Studio Tour Weekend

As you can see from the official Studio Tour poster below, 80 artists in the Rivertowns (Hastings, Ardsley, Dobbs Ferry and Tarrytown) will be participating in this event. You can download the map in advance and print it at home and plan your strategy. I’ll be happy to help you plan your route.

For your reference, I’m #24 on the Studio Tour map and Linda is #23. Another fellow Ardsley artist and friend, Carol Sommerfeld, is #25 on the map.

This is really a major milestone year for RiverArts which is celebrating its 60th year anniversary. Congratulations, #RiverArts!!

RiverArts Studio Tour Registration

Please click here to register in advance to help secure future funding for this annual event. “Attendance” matters (sounds like we’re in school again…).

Directions and Parking

Please contact me at beverlyshipko@mac.com for information for directions and parking.

I look forward to seeing you this upcoming weekend – and restarting this annual tradition!

Indoor Virtual Studio Tour: Oreo Gallery

September 30, 2020 by Beverly

I could never have a Studio Tour without Oreos. I just couldn’t.

Before the pandemic, I struggled with how to display my smallest Oreo Cookie paintings on 9 foot walls in an open apartment layout (not to mention how to host the Oreo Contest with limited space…).

My Oreos felt too intimate to be floating on huge walls – even the largest one, Cosmic Oreo, at 24 x 30 inches. They needed a more defined space, like the front stairs of my old house in 2018, where Oreo prints and paintings greeted you when you walked in.

Finally, one night the solution came to me after I fell sleep, and just relaxed. Give the Oreos their own gallery! Their own room. A room that was dry enough to hang prints, and where guests would see them.

My Oreo Cookie Gallery featuring *Cosmic Oreo*

I just needed to reframe the issue – and think outside the box. I had an extra room. Not a closet, but the guest powder room! (I bet the toilet paper roll above gave it away…)

When you walk in, this left view, showcases two of my favorite Oreo prints.

And here I am taking a photo in the mirror on the right, re-creating a childhood dream of endless Oreos with the reflections. Ok, it was a nice try…. Using the mirror is the only way to photograph this room without a wide angle lens.

My Oreo Gallery is a work in progress. As I inventory all my paintings in storage, I’m still finding little Oreo paintings that I can’t do without.

Last week I uncovered Stack of Oreos. I knew the perfect spot for this little gem (all 5 x 7 inches of it, oil on panel) was above My Oreo Cookie (6 x 6 inch drawing, unframed).

*Stack of Oreos* Oil Painting and *My Oreo Cookie* Drawing

I hope one day you’ll be able to see the Oreo Gallery in person, and its anticipated additions. With 9 foot ceilings, there is still room to grow upwards as I unwrap more paintings.

Until then, enjoy this virtual tour!

P.S. Did you notice that Cosmic Oreo is a blown up version of My Oreo Cookie?

Egg-licious Breakfast

June 30, 2018 by Beverly

Every once in a while, you open up a morning email and read something that starts your day off right, just like a delicious breakfast does.

When Patricia, an artist friend, sent me an email with the subject “Breakfast”, I was intrigued and happily opened it. There was a short message and surprising visual in it

Beverly-
My steel cut oats (gluten free) with eggs and salsa!
Happy Breakfast Club!
XO
Patricia

I laughed so hard – for several minutes – at the real life egg which was paired with my Three Double Yolk Eggs print. How clever – and unexpected!

Here’s the entire Three Double Yolk Eggs Limited Edition Gicée print, showing the double yolk eggs in various states of preparation.

“Three Double Yolk Eggs”, Limited Edition Giclée Print, Beverly Shipko. 20 x 10 inches unframed

A few years back, I was fortunate enough to buy an entire carton of double yolkers. After a few mornings of cracking open double yolk eggs, I kept my camera near the stove, open and ready, as I cooked breakfast.

And the Egg-centric series was born. (Day 22. Egg on Stove, Day 8. Eggs In-Sink, Story Behind The Eggs, Day 30 of the 30/30 Challenge – Egg).

I hope Patricia’s Egg-licious email started your day off right too. After all, laughter is the best medicine.

Technology

August 16, 2017 by Beverly

Technology is wonderful – when it works.

Shortly after my last post a while ago, my email stopped working on my 5 year old iMac desktop, which houses all my photos. After 12 hours on the phone with Apple over several days, the plan was to upgrade the outdated operating system to get email working, buy 2TB of space on iCloud, and upload all my photos and documents to the Cloud.

My Apple technician couldn’t have been nicer or more patient! Apple has upped the ante on its customer service by assigning the same tech person to handle my case from start to finish.

However, this well-conceived plan went awry.

It took two days to download and install the operating system, 6 days to back up to my external drive, and 10 days to upload my extensive photo collection to the Cloud (at 30-60 GB/day). And the task isn’t completely finished. Fortunately, I have an iPad. (I promise not bore you with the details of my broken HP printer and Nikon camera…)

It’s ridiculous how much time this process took. There must be a better way. Until Apple finds it, I’m rethinking my long term digital storage strategy. For now, I’m good.

Admittedly, I have to share the blame. When Jay lost his emails after an Apple update, my motto became, “When it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. However, that’s an antiquated philosophy. My new motto is: “Upgrade” and “Delete”, both of which I can do more often.

This is a roundabout way of explaining how I took 3 trips this summer without blogging. But then it’s never too late, is it?

We went to Montreal for a lovely 50th anniversary celebration with the family, to Maine for my “You CAN Have Your Cake and Eat It Too!” exhibit and talk, and then Toronto for Jay’s bridge tournament where I got reacquainted with my Toronto family.

During this time, I discovered I missed blogging.

I’m hoping that when I get my 10th Anniversary iPhone with its mega memory, I’ll experience the joy of the latest technology – and having more flexibility to blog on the road.

Day 29. Gina’s Oreo

January 29, 2017 by Beverly

Practice makes perfect. So here’s another Oreo drawing, this one bitten by Gina.

Like Margie’s Oreo, Gina’s Oreo was bitten as an entry into my Oreo Cookie Contest held during my Open Studio. I’m considering doing a painting of this too. Maybe you’re even looking at the contest winner!

I first met Gina Thorne when she walked through the door in 2015. Gina was in charge of programming for the Scarsdale Artist’s Association, and asked me to do a Just Desserts Talk and Painting Demonstration. It sticks out in my mind because I enjoyed speaking in front of a group, especially about art and niche marketing, which you can about in The Sheer Joy of Just Desserts. At moments like these, my yearning to be an artist history professor re-emerges.

This particular Oreo was chosen because of the way it split into 3 pieces, yet it still looks like a classic bite. I’m almost finished with it, but I have to put it down tonight since I’m getting up at 6am tomorrow morning. – and it’s already past midnight. I’m going to the Awakenings Fair in Manhattan.

When I come home from the city, I’ll darken the craggy edges but lighten the dark “hotspot”, put in a little shadow on the white filling, and add more contrast to the rest (aka darken it with a softer drawing pencil). Then I’ll be all set to start my Day 30 painting.

Or maybe I’ll wait a few days so I can start my next painting before my eye doctor’s appointment on Monday.

Unfortunately my eyes will be dilated part of the day, and I won’t be able to paint. If I hadn’t waited months for the appointment, I would have re-scheduled. So my planning finally went a bit awry. I’ll just add this to my lessons learned. No eye doctor’s appointment during a painting challenge!

I have a painting in mind for Day 30 that I simply have to do for myself, and you’ll probably find it intriguing at the very least.

Have I piqued your interest? If so, come back tomorrow.

Day 26. Margie’s Oreo

January 26, 2017 by Beverly

Today was my day to relax and catch up by returning to my food roots with an Oreo drawing. I only had a few hours to work, which didn’t allow time for cleanup and brush cleaning.

“Margie’s Oreo Cookie” by Beverly Shipko, Drawing, 6 x 6 inches

This is my first drawing of this Challenge, and the first in a long time. I must admit to feeling a little rusty and missed having a paintbrush in my hand. I had to dig out my Bristol board pad and soft drawing pencils, although I confess that I still use Old Faithful – my soft yellow Ticonderoga pencil.

After I scanned this image the first time, I made the cookie and logo darker and made revisions so the cracks were more obvious, as they were at the beginning.

I have a long history with Oreos, both eating them as a child and painting them for over a decade.

On Day 2 of this Challenge, I painted Stack of Oreos. Three Oreo paintings from the 2016 Challenge include Oreo in 4 Pieces , Oreo in 3 Pieces , and BlakesBite , the 2016 Oreo Cookie Contest winner for its distinctive bite.

Days 1, 2 & 3 of the 30/30 Challenge, Paintings by Beverly Shipko, Oil on cradled wood panel, 6 x 6 inches

The Oreo Cookie Contest is held during my annual April Open Studio, which is fast approaching. Consider this an official invitation to come and participate in the fun by simply biting an Oreo or two (weekend of April 22nd/23rd). I select my favorite compositions to paint (or draw), and name the paintings after the biters. Each work essentially becomes a personal portrait, like Margie’s Oreo.

A few years ago, I started drawing single Oreos, whose monochromatic color are suited to pencils. During the 2015 Challenge, I explored a Plate of Oreos, which ended up taking more than a day.

End of Day 21. “Graham’s Plate of Oreos” by Beverly Shipko, Drawing on bristol board, 6 x 6 inches.

The drawings evolved into Oreo prints, which have a contemporary look that does well in California. I recently donated an Oreo print to a fundraiser for the Ardsley Foundation for the Visual Arts. Here’s John Charles, the happy purchaser.

Then came Oreo Ma ndala, an original composite print representing 9 of the most distinctive Oreo configurations from the contest. I have this in my house and never get tired of it.

“Oreo Mandala” by Beverly Shipko, Limited Edition Giclee Print, 27 x 27 inches framed, available 20 x 20 inches unframed.

In fact, I gave one to Webmaster Laura as a housewarming gift.

This day flew by unbelievably quickly. I had intended to do so many things besides this Oreo drawing – take a walk, wash my hair, sketch a blueberry cheesecake (having a summer show in Maine) for Saturday, catch up on Instagram, start a drawing for Sunday when I’ll be in the city – all before 5pm. About half of this happened. I can dream, can’t I?

Instead I went to see Godunov’s Romeo and Juliet (and watched them dream!) from the Metropolitan HD Opera at my local movie theater, and loved it.

The best news is that I got a chance to try and reset my body clock by going to sleep earlier. I’ll be bright and shiny for Day 27. See you then!

Oreo Mandala

February 28, 2016 by Beverly

It’s almost that time again. Today I registered for my annual Open Studio as part of the RiverArts Tour the weekend of April 16th and 17th, 2016 – which is coming up fast.

Naturally, I started thinking about what to hang and where, including this Oreo Mandala Limited Edition Print.

“Oreo Mandala” by Beverly Shipko, Limited Edition Giclee Print (run of 150) , Available framed (27 x 27 inches) and unframed (20 x 20 inches)

I love the visual impact of this print. And I love what it represents.

It brings back memories of happy times on so many levels. This print commemorates past Oreo Cookie Contests, which I sponsore during RiverArts Studio Tour, and all the enthusiastic kids and adults who participate every year.

Each Oreo represents a different contestant who joyfully chomped down on a cookie for a chance to win and earn the honor of having a painting named after them.

The lower left hand Oreo was bitten by Maisie, granddaughter of my good friend friend Linda, who shyly bit her entry and quickly put it on the table before she could change her mind. On the second row at the right, we see my friend Carol’s Oreo with its scattered pieces. I can see her laughing as she took a bite and the cookie made a mess – a good thing from my perspective since crumbs are interesting to paint.

I thought a lot about what to put in the middle, and decided to use my own cookie in the center – an image which led to my largest painting on this subject called Cosmic Oreo, currently available at Cavalier Galleries in Nantucket, MA. The central image take me into the realm of outer space, evoking comets and stars in the sky. It also brings me back to the days when I ate all the Oreos I wanted without feeling guilty.

“Comic Oreo” by Beverly Shipko, Oil painting, 24 x 36 inches, Available at Cavalier Galleries

Most of the other cookies are anonymous since participants didn’t leave their name, including the masculine cookie in the lower right which somehow makes me think about floating icebergs.

When I look at this print, I also think about March Madness and the NCAA Basketball Tournament. Why, you might ask? Every year I watch the tournament for hours on end, but find it difficult to paint at the same time. I feel badly about all the “wasted” time. Finally, I discovered that I can sketch instead! That’s when I drew the original nine 6 x 6 inch drawings that formed the basis for Oreo Mandala.

The final Oreo Mandala concept was inspired both by a Mandala & Meditation art workshop and a mandala exhibit at the Rubin Museum, where I learned more about how Buddhists used mandalas to meditate and escape to the spiritual realm. I thought deep meditation on Oreo Cookies would provide the ultimate test of one’s ability to transcend earthly pleasures, and Oreo Mandala was born.. As I write this, I can see my recently deceased friend and meditation mentor, Bob Mawson, a Buddhist monk who taught meditation in Thailand and in Tarrytown, NY for many years, smiling down on me.

I hope you enjoy this print as much as I do.

Sold!

February 22, 2016 by Beverly

Last June, I wrote that there’s nothing like the rush of opening an email saying Accepted, whether it’s for a college application or an art exhibition. But there may be.

That’s the sense of satisfaction, accomplishment and excitement you experience every time you open an email that says Sold!

“My Mallomar” by Beverly Shipko, Limited Edition Giclee Print, 10 x 14 inches on William Turner rag paper. Photo courtesy of Jennifer Carden

It’s always nice to have external validation – to know that other people think highly enough of your work to buy it. It’s especially powerful when your gallery owner purchases it for herself.

That’s what happened here. Jennifer Carden, founder of Super Fresh Art Gallery in Novato California, bought this print for her newly renovated kitchen (something to aspire to!).

Jennifer framed the print for a gallery show, tried it out in her kitchen, and it now has a permanent home.

I like the light, airy and contemporary feeling of the print floating on the mat board. I’ll have to try this mat style, which my favorite framer, Joe Sablow of Artistic Services in White Plains, had suggested a long time ago. Maybe I’ll do a better job of listening in the future.

Here’s to lots more Sold! emails in 2016!

Day 14. Snail Shells

September 16, 2015 by Beverly

Souvenirs from our trip to the beach.

The spiral imagery of Snail Shells has fascinated me since I was a kid collecting sea shells on the Florida beach. The excitement of finding shells on Jones Beach is still there. Maybe it’s the hunt, but I think it’s more about discovering unexpected shapes, colors and textures.

This drawing actually shows the front and back of two different, but similar, sea shells.

Day 13. Florence

September 15, 2015 by Beverly

A trip down memory lane. Florence depicts the view from our room in the Hotel Calzaiuoli, right in the heart of Florence.

Jay and I stayed in the same hotel over 30 years ago right down the block from the the majestic Duomo. What a great location!

I love this city, which is why I took several art history courses concentrating just on Florentine art and the Medici. Maybe one day soon we’ll go back. Even if we don’t, I think I’ll paint this view in color with its rhythmic terra-cotta roofs and contrasting vanilla stucco walls.

Tony Bennett sings about leaving his heart in San Francisco. I left my heart in Florence.

See you tomorrow!

Day 12. Jay’s Spatulas

September 14, 2015 by Beverly

Here’s a typical scene that greets me in the kitchen when I come down for breakfast.

“Jay’s Spatulas” by Beverly Shipko, Pencil drawing on bristol board, 6 x 6 inches

You see, Jay and I have a deal. I load the dishwater at night and he unloads it in the morning. For many years, Jay has meticulously arranged the still wet utensils on paper towels to air dry, altering their positions (handle down, handle up) so they collectively take up the least amount of space on the counter (thereby using less paper towel). I think he picked this habit up during his early years working at Al Baker’s Restaurant in St. Louis and at the Cornell School of Hotel Administration, where he earned his undergraduate degree. Certainly, my haphazard way of laying out utensils hasn’t rubbed off on him. Sometime he feels that I don’t appreciate how he clean and organized he keeps the kitchen.

I decided it was time to honor one of Jay’s temporary spatula installations in the above drawing of Jay’s Spatulas, based on the photo below from November, 2014.

As Day 12 approached, I wasn’t sure whether to do a pencil drawing or painting. If I went with the pencil drawing, would I go with graphite alone or add in touches of color, using my recently rediscovered pack of Prismacolor pencils hiding in the basement? I wasn’t sure how I felt about this as a painting, so I went with the drawing and decided to leave the colored pencils for another time.

As I started drawing, I soon found out that less was more. For whatever reason, I was drawn to the linear quality of the outlines, and started liking the drawing less when I used more shading. So I put my gum eraser to good use and took out much of the chiaroscuro representing the black color of the utensils. Along the way, I was tempted again to add touches of yellow and purple, but decided to save that for another time.

For the past few years, I have been photographing these morning compositions. Jay now says he keeps doing them because I like them (and admittedly I miss them when he is away playing bridge.) But I would prefer to think he executes these carefully thought out arrangements as a creative outlet. Certainly, Jay seems to be more conscious of his designs since I starting recording them, and has even upped his game over time by playing with more colors, different shaped kitchen tools and gadgets, and by including fruits and vegetables.

Previously, I have talked about creative family members – Bonnie, another food artist in the family, and Mom, the sports artist. While I could also refer to Jay as a food and sports artist, I would rather add Jay to this illustrious list as the more distinctive, unique Spatula Artist, a title that he alone absolutely owns.

Remember that you heard it here first: Jay Sloofman, Spatula Artist. Perhaps I should go out and make him business cards…

Maybe I’ll make some sort of photo book of his best creations, or maybe make it available as a free download. And I will dedicate it to all the under-appreciated husbands in America. So, do you think this has the potential to make the New York Times best seller list?

That’s a long way off for now. And Day 13 is fast approaching – way too fast. There aren’t enough hours in the day.

Day 21 of the 30/30 Challenge – Plate of Oreos

January 21, 2015 by Beverly

9am on Wednesday, January 21st. When I last did a drawing rather than a painting because I was short on time, I choose Cathedral Rock and felt a little guilty, like I was cheating. Looking back, my Cathedral Rock drawing was done quickly and accomplished the goal of getting me out the door to the New York Philharmonic and two museums. It didn’t quite work the same way with this drawing.

I was too ambitious. My perfectionist streak came out. If I had just wanted to save time, I would have picked something even simpler. With only one Oreo, I could have completed this drawing last night, and enjoyed my whole day off from the Challenge today.

Instead, I didn’t take the easy way out. I had to try my first plate packed full of Oreos to see if the composition might work as a painting. Graham’s Plate of Oreo Cookie was a wonderful learning experience that remained unfinished when I left this morning (continuing my unfinished streak from yesterday’s Sunset).

Day 21. “Graham’s Plate of Oreo Cookies” by Beverly Shipko, Unfinished pencil drawing on bristol board, 6 x 6 inches.

You might remember seeing a photo of this plate on Day 3 when I talked about the annual tradition of Oreo Cookie Parties that Graham, his brothers and I have established. If memory serves me correctly, little brother Marsh also contributed a few cookies to this endeavor.

The tops of the Oreo cookies need definition and darkening, which will give this much contrast and depth – right? Just maybe I’ll get to it before I leave for the Merry Widow HD movies tonight. Maybe not.

So have an Oreo on me. That means one less logo to draw later.

Update at 11:30pm on January 21st. I did get to work on this today in the afternoon between appointments and later after coming home from the movie. You can see for yourself what a difference a few hours made on this drawing (a scan vs. photo helped capture the details).

End of Day 21. “Graham’s Plate of Oreos” by Beverly Shipko, Drawing on bristol board, 6 x 6 inches.

Do you think I should paint this? It would require a heavy time commitment once I get larger than this 6 x 6 drawing.

Thanks for coming by and giving me your comments.

Day 10 of the 30/30 Challenge – Sedona Drawing

January 10, 2015 by Beverly

Today I decided to do a drawing of one of my favorite places, Cathedral Rock in Sedona. It’s hard to believe it’s been 4 years since my last visit there. How time flies! Maybe this will motivate us to go back soon.

Day 10. “Cathedral Rock” by Beverly Shipko, Pencil on bristol board, 6 x 6 inches.

I confess this choice of subject and change in media was at least partially driven by external forces. First, I wanted the time to go to a museum in New York City before our New York Philharmonic Concert tonight. A drawing is so much quicker for me (so I thought) than an oil sketch – especially when the subject is rocky terrain packed full of details. The urge to try and get out in front of things was irresistible.

Second, I needed to do a line drawing for a long overdue bi-monthly art card with the theme, “Follow the Line”. Well, the line took me to Sedona. I had even bought new Micron pens which everyone was raving about, which just sat around until today. I thought that I could try the pens and do a pencil sketch too.

Wrong. When I used the pens on drawing paper, I found that they aren’t suited to my style of drawing, at least for red rocks in a horizontal format. There’s no way to correct errors with the pencils and I missed the gradations and changes in line thickness that pencils have to offer. After one false start with the Micron pens, I began a second drawing using soft pencils on square bristol board, which you see here, which had been previously reserved just for drawing Oreo Cookies. This even may be my first serious landscape drawing.

Drawing rocks and shrubbery bathed in sunlight proved more problematic that expected. Without color, the red rock shadows and green vegetation looked the same. I wanted to capture the sunlight and the subtle striations, but then I lost the freshness. Thank goodness for Pentel Hi-Polymer Erasers to help brighten things back up. I think I was getting the hang of this drawing, but then it was time to stop.

Working on Cathedral Rock put me back in the spirit of the Wild West and got me looking more closely at the image that I plan to paint tomorrow. In fact, I was hoping to get lucky and be extremely efficient today, and start painting a bit today – a plan that was too ambitious

This subject is not without its risks, and it’s one that I have been avoiding for over 25 years since I painted Monument Valley in acrylic (which probably isn’t as well suited for this wonderfully textured, craggy landscape as oil). Cathedral Rock is just so stunning at sunset that I thought a painting couldn’t possibly live up to the photo, let alone the real thing. Yet thousands of artists do paint it. So it’s time to change my thoughts to “I can too.” (Thank you, Carol!) The compromise will be to capture the essence of the landscape quickly without giving up too much detail – to hint at the striations but not get caught up in them.

The 30/30 format gives me the opportunity to face my fears and just do it. Isn’t that what the spirit of challenge is all about? The bonus is that it’s only a two day investment between the drawing and oil sketch.

Sometimes I dream about renting a place in Sedona and just making art there every day. For now, this is as close as I’m going to get.

I am looking forward to tomorrow and the painting challenges Day 11 will bring. The bonus is that I’ll get to take a vacation – in my mind – along the way.

Day 7 of the 30/30 Challenge – Dunkin’ Donuts

January 8, 2015 by Beverly

It’s almost 11pm and I’m just finishing up. This is the latest I have posted so far. As a result, I am the 412th artist to post on the 30/30 Challenge blog for Day 7 (a few hundred off from my goal).

The day was challenging, both because life intervened and I got started late, and I was struggling with the background and the sprinkles since the paint was so wet (which made it hard to photograph). Here’s the final product.

Day 7. Beverly Shipko, “Two Dunkin’ Donuts”, Oil sketch on panel, 6 x 6 inches

I continue to work from photographs. As you can see, I saved the hardest part of this painting for last – the sprinkles on the white icing. In this case, that decision probably cost me a lot of time.

When I added in the white icing, it soon became apparent that the top donut was blending with the light background and the cup. The dark underpainting had good contrast and threw me off. If I had started with the white icing, I could have addressed the issue earlier and it would have been a much easier fix, maybe with a different outcome.

I have this nagging thought that the sprinkles might have helped the donut pop, but I didn’t wait to find out. I added some rose to the background, which I would soften if I had another day. Then I started painting sprinkles, one at a time, using a new brush for each color – blue, green, red, orange, pink and yellow. It got interesting when I ran out of small brushes… A lot of brush and hand cleaning took place today.

In retrospect, I wish I had done the white icing during the day. I use a full spectrum light in the studio at night, but it’s not the same as natural light.

The first thing I have to do tomorrow is find a safe place for the donut painting to dry – not to mention the other 23 daily paintings… I’m am running out of space on the piano and small easels. I am surprised by how good these small painting look together, and plan to hang them all together for this year’s RiverArts Studio Tour in April.

I learned a lot about painting donuts today in this format and on this timetable. I will use this newfound knowledge on my next donut painting, which may or may not be tomorrow. I haven’t decided yet. Maybe I need a donut break.

See you tomorrow!