A Journey Into Abstraction

I just finished three courses through Stanford University’s Continuing Education Program to further develop my art skills. I truly believe in the value of continuing education – one should never settle for “good enough” – there’s always room for improvement.

These works are a culmination of the three courses: Developing a Creative Practice; Abstract Drawing; and Layers, all taught by the wonderful Trevor Tubelle (Instagram – @trevortubelle). These all started with watercolor, then multiple layers of wet and dry media piled on – colored pencil, oil pastel, Pan Pastel, wax pastel, acrylic paint, mica and metallic leaf. They are beyond fun to create and the end result is extremely satisfying for me – and hopefully, you too. These are available on my website: lisamillsfineart.com

Beyond Our Stars – 19.5″ x 19.5″ Mixed Media

Carolina Sunrise – 10″ x 10″ Mixed Media

Salt, Sea and Air – 17″ x 17″ Mixed Meda

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A New Bird for the Nest

I just finished a small piece, Wren in Rome…. It is on my favorite paper – Art Spectrum Colourfix Suede paper and I used the entire line of Caran d’Ache pencils: Luminance, Pablo, Supracolor II and Museum Aquarelle. I absolutely love their pencils and have confidence in their quality and lightfastness for fine art works.  I took the reference photo of this little wren early in the morning. The effect of the light on the shrubs in the background was stunning and provided a dramatic backdrop to the little bird. I also loved how the warm light washed over the bird from the back and provided a contrast against the cool hues of the chair he was perched on. The chairs are actually a faded black metal, that when washed with light, appeared blue grey.  This is my first piece as a Signature Member of CPSA, however I didn’t sign the piece as such.

We just returned from San Francisco, where we enjoyed seeing a great deal of art. That is always so energizing to me, but it also makes me realize just how much I need to grow as an artist. I don’t consider myself a truly creative person. I’m able to create art on the page, but I don’t think creatively enough and that is always a struggle for me. So that is my next challenge…to try to connect more with my creative side so that I can produce art that is dynamic and captivating. So in the mean time, here’s the little wren…

Wren in Rome…

Did You Ever Wonder?

Did you ever wonder how colored pencils are made? I was fortunate enough to tour Faber-Castell’s manufacturing facility last summer in Stein, Germany; however, we weren’t allowed to take pictures for the obvious reasons of giving away trade secrets. I also wanted to tour Caran d’Ache’s facility in Switzerland, but they do not give tours. But you’re in luck, because they have a video of the production process! I know I’m a colored pencil nerd – but this stuff fascinates me. Take a look for yourself…

Portrait in Sepia

After having finished the Saxophone piece – which is now titled, “Reflections on Cool Jazz,” I felt I needed a break from the intensity.  I’ve had this picture of my son for about 5 years and always liked it.  The photo is black and white, so I decided to illustrate it in sepia tones.  I used all Caran D’Ache Pablo pencils in the sepia tones, plus black and white.  This piece is done on Stonehenge paper, which I’m still not sold on; however it worked satisfactorily with the oil based Pablos (which I love).  Here’s a photo of the work:

 

“Just Been Swimmin'”
Colored Pencil on Stonehenge Paper
8″ x 8″
Not For Sale
Copyright 2012, Lisa M. Mills