Author: Patricia

Thinking Ahead to Spring

| Patricia

ART FIX: I’ve been making art in small sketchbooks for the past while as my studio is in process of being moved. I have a few smallish sketchbooks stacked up in my “BEDOFFICE” along with pencils, paints and pastels and have been trying to do at least a couple sketches or concept ideas every day, morning and night. These sketches may stand on their own or become inspiration for a larger work later on. This little painting, THINKING AHEAD TO SPRING, is a tiny 3-1/2” x 4” piece painted using water media on December 26th.

Artwork Copyright Patricia White 2021.

Maggie Manchester

| Patricia

Today’s Daily Painting builds on a vintage pencil drawing updated with digital watercolour. Everything old is new again. Original drawing from the mid-80s. Maggie, Ryas Runabout Ryas. I’m liking the combination of working digitally with analogue paint and paper images.

Maggie pencil sketch with watercolour wash.
Maggie pencil sketch.
Maggie sketch detail.

Artwork Copyright Patricia White.

Origins

| Patricia

DRIVEN to ABSTRACTION: I invite my FB friends (who I recognize generally seem to enjoy my more realistic figurative art) to COMMENT on one of my recent abstract pieces. I like to throw these expressionist pieces into the mix every once in a while to ‘DISTURB the CONTINUUM’. This piece (working title ‘ORIGINS’) was an effort to recognize black history month by noting the DIVERSITY that makes up the HUMAN race. This iteration EVOLVED from a more figurative early sketch into this abstracted piece that ELIMINATES distracting DETAIL in favour of more contained shapes that MELD into, and become PART of, each other. Subtle desaturated colour indicates differences in skin colour that, while important, shifts the focus to our common humanity. The shaded space where the eyes are located create an interesting dynamic that is not easy to define. Some depths we have not plumbed? Or do not wish to see? I enjoy making ART that challenges the viewer to THINK beyond the canvas. P. S. Late in 2020 I started using my iPad Pro as a virtual sketch pad to be used as a concept tool to create traditional paint and paper or canvas works.

Artwork Copyright Patricia White 2021.

Brenda’s Sunset

| Patricia

A friend took a photo of a stunning sunset a few days ago inspiring one of my morning pastel sketching sessions (see photo reference displayed on my iPad Pro in pic 2 below). One of the sketches is on 5.5” x 8.5” Strathmore 400 series fine tooth 60 lb. dry media paper using Faber-Castell soft pastels and a set of 24 lusciously creamy Stabilo CarbOthello pastel pencils (really need to get a full set of these babies. They’re magnificent). Also working on a second ‘in process’ drawing on a more unforgiving black photo album stock using a tray of well-used vintage pastels (still need to add the tree line to the black-papered version after spraying with workable fixative to enable an additional layer of chalk).

Brenda’s Sunset – 5.5” x 8.5” Strathmore 400 series fine tooth 60 lb. paper using Faber-Castell soft pastels. Simplified subject, using a light touch and the reference photo for the basic composition and colours of the sky and clouds.
Getting ready to play! A friend took the photo, shown on my iPad Pro screen, of a stunning sunset a few days ago inspiring a morning pastel sketching session. Faber-Castell set of 72 half sticks and a set of 24 lusciously creamy Stabilo CarbOthello pastel pencils (bought last year to try out but must get the full set. They are amazing!).
An ‘in process’ pastel painting, on an unforgiving black photo album stock, using a tray of well-used vintage pastels. Still need to add the silhouetted tree line after spraying the piece with workable fixative to enable an additional over layer of chalk. Fingers crossed that it works. The tooth in this paper is shallow and fills up quickly. In fairness, it is a photo album, not meant for art so can’t complain. Just experimenting on what’s layin’ around.

Artwork Copyright Patricia White 2021.

Daily Sketchbook

| Patricia

This site is dedicated to maintaining a daily habit of making art. It may contain pages from my sketchbooks, examples from past work, conceptual ideas and inspirational influences, I have several small sketchbooks and journals in my ‘bedoffice’, with a variety of drawing and painting materials stacked alongside, so I can get an idea down quickly when it is fresh in my mind. One really CAN make art on just about anything. This quick ‘fantasy landscape’ sketch was drawn with a set of 72 half stick Faber Castell soft pastels and may serve to inspire a larger work down the line. Has a bit of a woodblock feel to it I think. This cool little 7” x 9” book was originally purchased as a small photo album. It has thick black paper separated by glassine-like cover sheets, perfect for protecting soft pastel sketches. The photo paper however is UNFORGIVING, having a shallow tooth that fills quickly with each stroke, disallowing more layered colour. Still, I will be sad when this little book, with it’s bright woven fabric cover, is full but want to get a HIGHER QUALITY BLACK PAPER to continue EXPERIMENTING with light on dark work.

Artwork Copyright Patricia White 2021.

Chalk Forest

| Patricia

When the cares of the world weigh heavy, I debrief my psyche by making art. This is a little 6” x 9” soft pastel sketch drawn in a small photo album on not-so-friendly shallow-toothed absorbent black paper that can only take two layers of pastel before its pores are full. This is CHALK FOREST a study for a series of larger abstract-expressionistic landscape pieces.

Artwork Copyright Patricia White 2021.

Daily painting – use it or lose it!

| Patricia

If people only knew how hard I work to gain my mastery. It wouldn’t seem so wonderful at ~ Michelangelo

This site is dedicated to maintaining a daily habit of making art. It may contain pages from my sketchbooks, examples from past work, experiments, conceptual ideas and inspirational influences. I may use analogue materials such as watercolour, oil, acrylic, pastel, coloured pencil, ink or pencil to create the artwork. Collagé, needlework, or found objects may also find their way into these works. 

As an artist working with the challenge of nerve damage in my arms and hands, there may be days when my works are painted digitally on my iPad Pro using various paint applications such as Procreate, Infinite Painter or Adobe Fresco. OR some works may be a combination of analogue and digital. Experimentation means the sky’s the limit. anything goes.