Tutorial: Creating Depth and Space pt1

I love to look down a path. I wonder about the mystery of what lies just beyond my view. Creating that illusion of depth, the feeling of walking into another world through a sketch or painting or any two dimensional artwork is not as hard as it might appear.

Photo by Julia Wade

Think for a moment about the three dimensional world we live in. Every day we look out a window into the distance or move through the space of our home. As we try to interpret what we see and experience in a piece of art, there are many techniques that help us to create the illusion of depth in space on a flat surface.

Pathways by Lyric Kinard

Take a look at this tiny quilt.  Even though each piece of fabric representing a tree becomes smaller, our mind interprets it as a line of similarly sized trees receding into the distant landscape. The tree shapes also overlap one another and as the path recedes the trees are placed farther up within the frame of the work.  

The simplest devices to show depth are SIZE, OVERLAP and VERTICAL PLACEMENT. The closer an object is to us the larger it appears so it stands to reason that if you have similar elements and you increase their size, the larger ones will appear to come forward. 

See? Not so hard. Check back here next week for a little tutorial on perspective and vanishing points.

Faces on Friday - back on the bandwagon

I'll bet it's happened to you before.

faces sketched during a graduation ceremony

You make a goal, do really well for a while, then things get crazy and you can't keep up?

faces drawn from one of James Christensen's books

It happens to the best of us. And it's OK.

from imagination - but modeled after James Christensen's work

It does NOT mean you are a failure.

both from a James Christensen book

It means it might take a little longer than planned.

doodles by Lyric Montgomery Kinard

In the larger scheme of things what does that matter? 

doodled during a meeting by Lyric Montgomery Kinard

Doesn't.

(matter, that is.)

more from James Christensen's books

Just get back to it when you can.

Pick up your determination and continue to progress.

playing with profiles, J.C. style

It's all about progress.

from Jame's Christensen's books

Any step towards your goal puts you closer to attaining it.

doodles by Lyric Mongtomery Kinard

How do you motivate yourself to pick back up where you left off?

Free Ebook from Quilting Arts

If you make small textile pieces and would like a few ideas for how to mount them

you might like this FREE ebook from Quilting Arts.

Lots of fun articles including one of mine called

"Picture it Framed"

http://www.quiltingdaily.com/Quilt-Binding-Finishing-Methods/

You do need to register on the Quilting Arts site to get it - but its worth it!

Family Time

Malachi's Promise by Lyric Kinard
75" x 57"

There is a time and season for everything and these past weeks have been focused on family. Balance between art and the rest of life is not daily - sometimes one end of the see-saw is up and the other end down for weeks at a time.  I talked about finding balance here if you want to pop back and read that bit of ruminating.

My wonderful parents are here visiting for our first high school graduation. They've recently spent almost two years in Western Samoa teaching at a boarding school there so we haven't seen them for a very long time. Add in all the end of the school year stuff for the other four kids plus lecturing at the North Carolina Quilt Symposium - and time for blogging and art has been limited. I'll be back soon!

Upcoming On-Line Classes

Summer is the perfect time for on-line classes!

Here are a few I think you might love.

Watercolor Bliss with Alisa Burke

June 6

Playing With Paint with Lyric Kinard

June 10

Photo Silly with Carla and Steve Sonheim

June 13

The Artists Toolbox with Lyric Kinard

July 1 (this always fills quickly - register now!)

Sketchbook & Watercolor with Jane LaFazio

August 11

Color Theory with Judy Coates Perez

ongoing

Memorial Day

One Nation by Lyric Montgomery Kinard

In honor of those who have given all for our country

And in honor of those who have served in many other ways...

Ida Marie White was on her own and worked
in a munitions factory as a teenager.

Joe Field worked for the army, breaking in mules

My Grandparents, Ida Marie and "Skinny" Joe Field. 

 

Their daughter Lynn married David Montgomery
who served in Berlin Germany in the army's military intelligence service

Spencer Thomas Kinard (on right)
who served in the Navy for  his whole career.

Merrill Celeste Anderson

In honor of my husbands' grandmother who stayed home raising her children while her husband spent almost 18 years at sea. 

His Grandfather that served in three wars.

My husbands' father who served in the Navy - and his wife, a Cuban immigrant.

Margarita Rodriguez and Charles Spencer Kinard

I think it's amazing and wonderful that we are a country that welcomes all.

(OK - so I know that's how it is supposed to work - for today I will put on my Pollyanna glasses and pretend we do, and have done so. By and large this is a nation full of wonderful people.)

It is a very special place that we live.

Review: ArtQuilts ~ movements

In the Act by Elaine Quehl

If you are within driving distance of Durham, NC, the current show up at the Durham Arts Council is well worth your time. 

Of course, I may be a bit biased.  

OK. 

Full disclosure. I was one of the curators of this show, sponsored by the Professional Art Quilter's Alliance - South.

Every time I've sat in on the jury process I'm awed by the entries and often perplexed at the pieces chosen by the jurors. This time was no exception.

Hanging the show gives me nightmares ahead of time. How are we ever going to get these pieces to "play nicely" with each other on the wall!?!

Then they come out of the box and artwork is always so much more wondrous and whimsical and well... much more amazing than on a slide.

There are always works that arrive from different parts of the world, and yet look like they were created to be together. How does that happen?

One wall of the ground floor.

First off - I have to rave a bit about the venue. The Durham Arts Council building is a happening place. People come through for dance classes, performances, theater, workshops. They really work hard to create events that bring people in. 

 LOTS of people see these works of art. I like that.

Landscape I by Peggy Brown

See by Wen Redmond

Alone Together by Peggy Brown

Shrine of the Tree Banner by Wen Redmond

Flow by Wen Redmond

Purple Sunset by Marcia DeCamp

Prairie Fields by Gerrie Congdon

Ribbons 4: In The Breeze by Connie Carrington

From Winter Into Spring by Annette Rogers

In the Act by Elaine Quehl

Santeetah Creek by Karen Tunnell

Movement: Seen and Unseen by Tracy Young, Longhorn Splashdown by Ruth Powers

There is a glass walled gallery that looks onto these walls. Very visible.

Calm Down! by Linda Laird

You might think a little spot by the elevator is a bad space. Not so. It is well lit, the piece is strong, and many people push that button then stand and stare at the artwork while waiting for the door to open.

Syncopation by Pat Hardie

Flight of Fancy by Liz Kuny 

What a difference shading makes!

Spinning by Ruby Horansky

Earthquake Faults by Marcia DeCamp

Circles in a Square by Eileen Kane

Meandering Flow by Linda Miller

Welcome to the Human Race by Sherry Kleinman

Linear Rhythms by Eileen Lauterborn

Beufort Waterfront by Judith Glover

Spun Around by Ruby Horansky

Yoga Class by Suzanne Neusner

Avalance Twins by Mary Ruth Smith

Family Ties by Lyric Kinard

In Xanadu by Pam Allen

Avalanche Twins by Mary Ruth Smith
(look for the faces.....)

 Grandpa Jake Was a Tailor by Deborah Langsam

Jet Trails 19 by Marcia DeCamp

Flight of Fancy by Liz Kuny

KA-POW! by Maria Shell

Dynamism by Nancy Bardach

Wild Turkey by Laura Gaskin

Do A Little Dance by Maria Shell

Busy Ants by Candie Delnore

Syncopation by Pat Hardie

Ribbons I: Rock Fissures by Connie Carrington

Gerrie's work is also spotlighted on the wall by the upstairs elevator. It is truly delightful. The opening reception was very well attended.

The show is up at the Durham Arts Council through July 17th.