Becoming a Pilgrim

My wife and I are walking the Way of St. James. The Camino de Santiago is an ancient pilgrimage with many routes ending in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. We are taking the popular 'French Way' which starts at Saint Jean Pied de Port, France and winds its 500 miles through northern Spain. The itinerary breaks down to about 15 miles a day in 6 weeks with a few days off for rest.

The many Camino Routes. Ours is highlighted in red.

Dead Gnome Pen Holder

Over the years, one homemade gift I give to family and friends is my Dead Gnome Pen holder. He's given his life to forever hold a pen. This is the latest version.

Normally I'd prime and paint an original and give it away. This time I made a mold and cast several copies. This post outlines the steps to making the mold, the cast to final painting.

5 by 5 ACO Project

My latest project is doing a few paintings for the 5 by 5 exhibition which benefits our Arts Center of the Ozarks in Springdale.

Every year, the ACO accepts donated art (limited to a 5" x 5" canvas or 5" x 5" x 5" three dimensional art) from local and regional artists. They auction off the works and all proceeds go the ACO.

This year the donations will be shown in their gallery from October 4th through November 8th, and will auction off the pieces November 8th from 6pm to 8pm via silent auction.

I thought it would be a fun challenge and get me back into painting Plus, the ACO is a great organization. Helping them, even in this small way, is a great cause.

Grid Templates

In my previous post I talked about my favorite iPad drawing app, Procreate. One feature I miss is the ability to use a grid. Lucky for us, I have an easy work-around.

I created grids in Photoshop and exported them to images for use on the iPad.

Using the Grids

Simply save the full size images to your iPad pictures. Most painting/drawing apps support adding an image. Just import the grid you like and place it in a background layer.

Procreate: My New Sketchbook

Since I can remember, a sketchbook has been my constant companion. I'm a visual thinker, so ideas flow from my pencil more than my keyboard. Since tablet computers were promised, I've dreamed of replacing paper and pen with the clean, infinite media of digital art. 

While nothing can replace the feeling and smell of a new sketchbook waiting to explode with ideas, the benefits of a tablet are too many to ignore--especially with the current iPad's quality, resolution and battery life. Paper now has a serious contender, and with Procreate on the iPad, I finally do not feel bad about leaving my sketchbook at home.


To start out, I'll show what is possible with Procreate. I made this from scratch in about 4 hours total as a beginner with the product.

Skull Study

Art Room Project - Final

This is the twelfth post in my Art Room Project series. Find the Table of Contents at the first post, Getting Started.

Details

I installed the hardware. They are a pewter finish with a mixture of pulls and knobs. The contrasting silver pops against the deep red and black wood grain. I'm very happy with the results.

Also added a new overhead light. Had to move the electrical around a little, but no hassle if you've done it once or twice.

The only parts left on the room is finding the perfect chair, building some more hangings for the slatwall (see below), and organizing all my art crap in a meaningful way.

Serene Green Stream

I love being around the water. A lake, a river, a stream--even a full bathtub relaxes me. I finally have my serene water wallpaper for my PC. I also have the high-res image posted on Flickr.

Can you find the fish? See the high-res image for more details.

I took this picture at Chartres, France. A gentle stream meanders through this ancient town. I enjoy this picture because it shows off my favorite features of water: the translucent colors, sunlight dancing through the bed and reflecting across the surface and deep, cool shadows. The swaying vegetation provides cover for small fish. The water invites us to slow down and take in this timeless scene.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.