Sharing His Song

"In spite of everything, I shall rise again; 

I will take up my pencil, which I have
forsaken in my great discouragement, 

and I will go on with my drawing."
~ Vincent van Gogh

This drawing is from my Sketching Everyday Blog. It is from a photo taken at Cedar Run, a local wildlife refuge.The owl in the scene is a beloved male barred owl named Squam.

From the CedarRunWildlife Instagram post;

cedarrunwildlife "It is with heavy hearts we share the news of the passing of our great friend, beloved teacher, and loyal ambassador, Squam. For many of the tens of thousands of people who know Cedar Run, chances are, they know Squam. Squam was a true ambassador and educator. He engaged tens of thousands of our members, neighbors, school children, visitors, volunteers, staff and community members with his sense of calm and endearing looks. It was hard not to feel love when looking upon Squam. A true teacher to the end, his lessons will continue on far into the future. Squam first came to us in 2002, when he was about two years old, he packed a lot of living in his 18 years on this earth. He lived a grand life with us, and will be missed by many. One of his favorite things to do was to share his song with us. He loved to sing in auditoriums, where his song would soar and fill the space, or he would sing to the female barred owls in the wild and try to call them to him, sometimes he would sing to the passing fire engine or to the music he heard on the radio. Sometimes it seemed he would sing simply to share his song."

This is a drawing by student and friend, Judy Scott, who worked at the wildlife center
rehabilitating birds and other animals for many years.

 Judy wrote; "  I have access to Squam and I combined two pictures. This is a sketch of Squam and a fledgling Barred Owl. In 2007 Squam was a foster parent to a young Barred Owl that came into the refuge. Although Squam is a male, he was a great surrogate, teaching the young one to eat and fly. Eventually the fledgling was released back into the wild. Thanks for all your support of Cedar Run."

“When the owl sings, the night is silent.” 
 ~ Charles de Leusse

May your spirit continue to soar dear Squamie.

Please add your own recollections about this awesome wildlife ambassador in the comments.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great week.

X ♥  O

 

Come Sketch With Me!

"Drawing is the only thing I've found

in which I can lose myself Completely."

~ P. Capaldi

Small objects you love, make great models for quick gesture drawings.

This sketch was done with a quick gesture *holding the pencil like a wand

and then details were added, **holding the pencil like you would to write your name.

*** See Drawing Tips Below

If you are strapped for time, just do one set of 2 minute gestures everyday.

You'll be surprised how much even that little bit will help!

The brain processes 3D objects differently than when viewing flat, 2D reference. Drawing from photos is good practice too, but there are some real benefits to to starting off the summer season with drawing from life!

Here's a photo of the nest which was drawn from life, at a slightly different angle. 

***Some Tips on Drawing two minute gestures from life.

• When drawing small objects, it helps to get the item closer to eye level, so I set them up on a box or a large coffee can.

• It also helps to isolate the subject with a solid colored background.

• Closing one eye often helps if you are having difficulty.

• When drawing, try to keep your body and head in the same position or your view will change.

• Prop your drawing pad up at an angle. Use a Beanie Baby, or something similar.

• Squint to see large shapes as you start to draw quickly.

• Hold your pencil *In Position One - like a wand (*Like you were conducting an orchestra) It's the complete opposite position from **Position Two (**the position we use to write our name).

• Block in large shapes. Use the side of the pencil. Look at negative space. Make comparisons.

• Then, if you still have time, turn the pencil to **Position Two  and add a few details.

• You can see a short video on sketching gestures and how to hold your pencil here.

Follow this link for more tips on how to go about doing quick gestures. http://www.sketchingeveryday.com/…/in-starting-gate-and-the… 

Come Sketch Everyday With Me This Summer From June 1 - August 31st!  

Join our facebook group here.

"Sometimes the very best of all summer books is a blank notebook. Get one big enough, and you can practice sketching the lemon slice in your drink, the hot lifeguard on the beach or the

vista down the hill from your cabin." 

~ MM. Dirda

Happy Creating My Friends!

X ♥  O