When the company I worked for closed down, I found myself out of work and feeling quite rudderless. My wife, who is a far wiser and logical creature than I am, suggested I take a few months to work on some art, something I hadn't really focused on for a very long time. Like almost thirty years. So I focused on...okay, maybe I didn't focus and simply started sketching what found its way out of my head. And I gravitated toward wildlife. Actually, the fish sketches below are the first bit of artwork I produced as I learned to draw with a tablet. There was an adjustment as I learned to draw on a screen - mostly I kept checking to see if my palm was smearing ink or watercolor on the paper/screen. Even though I still enjoy sketching on paper, I have embraced drawing on a blank screen. There can erase as much as you want and save as many different versions as you like. The Scotty above is pretty much how my art work starts. It's a pen and ink sketch and from there I may use watercolor or pastels or oil...or all of the above to make an attempt at bringing it to life. I, like most artists, am the absolute worst at talking about my artwork - mostly because I am never satisfied with what I end up with. But it lightens my heart when I hear people respond to it. That is what keeps me going - the artwork puts smiles on faces, and that my friends is something we can use more of.
"He's so pathetic...I love him!"
I've heard this on a number of occasions and it's always with the same character. In fact, Pathetic Kitty was named shortly after we heard this after the five or sixth time. I tried to find the earliest sketch of what became the second design right behind the fish above. As you can see, Pathetic Kitty was a bit confused...playing with a bone and looking like a small, rodent like dog. But she evolved, like we all must.
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