Learned the meaning of a new word that I’ve seen kicking around—upcycling. Apparently, it is taking something that is ready for the rubbish heap and turning it into something more valuable than it originally was. Since I starting this blog old sketchbooks have been turning up in my life and I have been studying my older work. The most recent sketchbook contains blind contour, vine charcoal sketches of my garden, which are 9” x 12”. I usually do them as exercises to increase my hand eye coordination and as a right brain exercise—leaving it at that, hoping it will prove useful in terms of increasing my skills as I develop on my journey. I found one of these drawings that were fleshed out in color and it gave me the idea to turn them all into mixed media full color abstractions. This image I am posting today is an upcycled drawing that began as vine charcoal on paper, in black and white. It is now done with vine charcoal, pastel pencils and oil...
The virtual studio of author and artist Stephanie Rose Bird brings together artistic process and reflection with the literary arts, in a manner that is designed to be instructive and inspirational.