Drawing in the Museum

Last Friday we wrapped up the Osher class Drawing in the Museum.  We had a lot of fun!

Here's a look at some of my sketches.

The Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History allow artists to bring in only a sketchbook and pencils.  Turns out, having a limited list of supplies simplifies the drawing process and helps me to kick my creativity into gear.  The art and artifacts in the museums are fascinating, and you can imagine yourself as an early adventurer sketching a Native American mask (above) or a Goliath Beetle (below).

Next time you plan a visit to a museum, or even a new park or cultural spot, make it an adventure and record what you see with a pencil and a sketchbook!

An urn in the Hall of Architecture.

Details on a statue.

A detail of a lion capturing a horse in the Hall of Architecture.

I hope you'll take yourself on an art date, and bring your sketchbook along.

Happy Creating!

New Year, New Inspiration!

I recently visited the Text and conText Lab at the University of Pittsburgh Hillman Library, where I met artist Sydney DuBose (above).

Sydney is an improv comedy artist in the Pittsburgh area who works at the Text and conText Lab.  She was making New Year's prints on the lab's historic Columbian printing press. 

Sydney kindly showed me step-by-step how she inked the linoleum block, laid a piece of paper on top, then used the printing press to transfer the print to the paper.

She even let me operate the antique machine!

Sydney designed her art with a pencil sketch on paper, then transferred the design to a linoleum block, and carved the design using linoleum cutters like the one shown below.

Here's a look at the carved linoleum block with gold ink applied to it, ready for printing.  The numbers had to be carved in reverse for the design to read correctly on the final print.

Here's the final print in gold ink on black paper.  

Visiting the Text and conText Lab gave me that flush of inspiration you get when you see where other artists work.  Seeing a studio space, the tools, examples of artworks, and art in action, sparked new ideas for me.

If you're in a creative lull, or you just would like to have sparkly new ideas pop into your head, I recommend visiting the Text and conText Lab in Hillman Library.  If you're not in the Pittsburgh area, is there a creative place you've been meaning to visit -- an art gallery, art school, theater or museum? 

I hope you take the time to take yourself on an "art date" to a place like the studio where I met the kind and talented Sydney DuBose.

If you'd like to learn more about Sydney, you can follow her socials

 @sydneydcomedy

The press Sydney was using was designed in the United States and built in England in the 1800's.  You can read more about it here:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/ahistoryoftheworld/objects/AaMVk9uhRw28FzOsdH6a5g

Many thanks to Sydney DuBose and the staff at Univ. of Pittsburgh's Text and conText Lab.

Wishing you a Happy New Year and New Inspiration!

May 2026 be filled with creativity for us all.

Nature Journal: September Sun

I took myself out for an art date to the most charming park, where these wild sunflowers were blooming under the bluest sky. 

I snapped a ton of photos in the park. Back in my studio, I pulled up this one to create a gouache painting in my nature journal.

Sometimes, when you look at a landscape, it can seem overwhelming.  So many details!

Try simplifying the scene.  That means you get to pick the part of the landscape that appeals to you, and add limited details, expressing other parts of the scene simply as shapes of color and value. Or leaving them out entirely.

Remember, you're the artist.  You decide what to paint, and how to paint it.

When you're done, prop your artwork somewhere you can see it as you pass through your home.  It will grow on you, and you will see things you hadn't noticed before. 

I was frustrated with this painting in the moment, feeling it wasn't working.  I left it for half a day, and came back later, realizing it captured the essence of that afternoon in the park.  Now I like it.

I hope you find a spot in nature to sit and sketch, paint or snap photos.

Happy Creating!

Art Date: Light and Shadows in the Woods

Do you ever take yourself out for art dates?  I have made a habit of it lately.

Even if the art date is right in your neighborhood, making a weekly habit of creating helps you build your skills each week.

I created this watercolor one morning, after a scouting walk helped me select the spot.  

When you find your location, you might want to take a few photos to capture the scene before the light shifts.  Then make a sketch lightly in pencil, mix your colors, and start painting.  

I started painting the bright green areas, then built up the darker areas, using only 3 colors: ultramarine blue, Winsor lemon, and burnt umber. The bold contrasts caught my eye and inspired me.

As you take your next walk, look at familiar scenes and say to yourself: "I like ______ part of the scene (the green Japanese maple leaves against the neighbor's red house, the shadows under that oak tree, the exact shade of blue of those hydrangea blossoms).  You'll learn what catches your artist's eye, and get ideas for future drawings or paintings.

Happy Creating!