Andrea's Shoe, 5x5", pencil

This drawing got me thinking about values and the challenge of keeping the light family separate from the darks. I'm not sure I entirely achieved my goal, but the thinking part is good! Sometimes when I paint, I feel like I need to slow down and be more thoughtful about my observations. I have a feeling that drawings can help. Hmmm, maybe doing more VALUE paintings would help, too! Now, there's a thought.

Andrea's Shoe, 6 x 6 "

My friend Andrea gave me a bag of wonderful, vintage sample shoes that I plan to explore in my still life paintings. I couldn't resist pairing this with tissue paper that caught the light and reflected colors of this amazing fabric.

You may have wondered, as my loyal art supporter and critic John has, why my subject matter is all over the place. I'm sure there's a thread of me tying it all together; right now I guess my paintings reveal that I'm drawn to a variety of subjects. My internal voice says, "Ooh! look at that! Ooh! did you see those colors? Can I do that?"

I expect I'll settle down soon. This shoe, for instance, deserves a few drawings and paintings. Let's see where it takes me. If another landscape or person pops in here and there, don't be surprised. I'm drawing people a lot behind the scenes and outdoor scenes appeal to me, too! ; )