Day 19 : #30x03DirectWatercolor2018 : Single Line Evolves to Single Shape
Hey! I went outside for an entire day of painting!
Just little postcards. Done on the run. Taking my time, strolling and sketching like a tourist in my own town.
Pretty amazing hey. (When you get a chance to do that).
Things are topsy-turvy around the house. (#eldercare #forgetaboutit). Any given day, something random can derail all plans.
So I made a deal to go off on my own for the entire day. Running around our old neighborhood – taking only a few drawing boards and the Art-Toolkit mini palette.
These are two-up on a 1/4 sheet. So that makes them about 7″ wide and random in height.
There’s nothing too serious going on. Just having fun, out on a beautiful summer day, making puzzle shapes. Trying to connect a block, or set of houses anyway, into a single broken-shape. (Thinking back on this, this is kind of a color-version of an old exercise of mine: Single Line Sketching).
Well, sort of a single shape, but with some tiny white gaps to allow for edges, and, then going back and re-stating darks.
When I’m just having fun like this, the shapes get a little wiggly. No consistent perspective.
I kind of like the randomness :)
It’s fun to look at how much my drawing has changed. Here’s this same spot from my pen and ink days.
Just one slice of a concertina sketchbook, done back in 2015.
I have to say, in support of Maria’s clever invention – this is why I love the Art-Toolkit mini-palette. I’m getting old enough to want the lightest possible paint-box if I’m going to be holding up the drawing board for a full day. It’s kind of amazing how much difference this small thing makes – not having a full-sized box clamped onto the corner of your board.
It’s always the same: the less you bring, the more you draw!
~m
Citizen Sketcher 
I’ve been following your progress and it gives me hope for myself! I too am finding how easy my painting takes a backseat to the needs of daily living. Those little vignettes are wonderful.
Thank you.
Love every one. You make it look so easy but it isn’t for me. But I do want to keep trying. It adds so much freshness and movement to a painting. And glad you had a day to do this. My Mom was quite senile her last years and I know how stressing this can be. (I’d go thru it all again just to be with her however)
These are lovely, Marc!
From: Citizen Sketcher Reply-To: Citizen Sketcher Date: Tuesday, June 19, 2018 at 6:02 AM To: Mimi Garrity Denman Subject: [New post] Day 19 : #30x03DirectWatercolor2018
Marc Taro Holmes posted: ” Hey! I went outside for an entire day of painting! Just little postcards. Done on the run. Taking my time, strolling and sketching like a tourist in my own town. Pretty amazing hey. (When you get a chance to do that). Things are topsy-tur”
“The less you bring the more you draw.” There’s a great lesson, Marc — both for art, and for life. Wonderful post!
Marc,
Love your paintings – especially the large white building with the trees! Thank you for taking the time to inspire with the 30 day challenge and writing your blog – always interesting and informative.
What pigments do you have in the mini palette??
Thank you again. Ellen
https://citizensketcher.com/2018/05/15/the-direct-watercolor-palette-from-art-toolkit-com/
Follow that link and there’s a chart with the colors. Thanks Ellen!
Keep posting your daily etchings. Love the progress and getting to know what it’s like in your city.
Stunning!
I’m gobbling up your daily offerings with great delight! It always seems like a bit of magic what you do, but you throw in enough of your mental machinations that I think I’m getting the gist of it. Thank you for consistently fertilizing the ground of our urban sketching garden. Looking forward to seeing you in Porto!
Wow love these. Great compositions.