November 29, 2006
A new motorcycle for ME!!!
Geez, I'm so excited!! Mike bought me a BMW 2004 R1150R motorcycle and I can hardly wait to get it!
But I have to admit, I was really concerned at first. I have a little BMW F650 CS which I totally love. She's light, comfy, fun, and goes where ever I want. Only problem, she's a one-cylinder and tough to take on long trips.
Here she is... my "YEEHA"
So, Mike bought me a BMW 1200 GT. Big sucker, but really pretty. And absolutely wonderful on long rides, smooth, lots of pep.
But me having 2 bikes just doesn't seem right... I really don't want to give up my 650.
So, a couple of weeks ago while out at A&S Cycle in Roseville, I saw this really cute bike, an R1150R. I sat on it, and amazingly, I could *almost* flat-foot BOTH feet!! It had a lower seat. And, I was amazed how light it felt. So when we got home, Mike started thinking about how that might be a good solution... and found a bike for me on eBay and bought it.
Hmmm... well, ok, cool. I think. I was still pretty unsure about the whole thing... I LIKE my 650CS!!!!!!
But then yesterday, I figured I should at least see how this model rides, so I trucked all the way back out to A&S, and test-drove their model. And, now I'm majorly way jazzed!!!!!!! Here's a pic of my new baby, as she was on eBay...
So, what do you think of her?? :D
Here's a part of what was on the eBay listing...
2004 BMW R1150R has many options and is in great shape. It is under Factory warranty until April 2007, for options it has ABS brakes, heated grips, Hi and Low windscreens, BMW SYS Bags, with lower pipe for full size left bag [stock muffler is included], BMW rear rack, tank bag, hi and low seat,lower pegs, barbacks, throttlemeister throttle lock.It is in great shape and has not been down, the tires are about 40% gone, brakes are like new, oil has been changed every 2000-2500 miles by service shop.
I guess I'll know more about her after we pick her up... she currently lives in Tempe, AZ.
Posted by Sherri at 01:30 PM | Comments (0) | General
November 23, 2006
Drawing the figure from the inside out?
It's hard enough to draw the human figure, but to do it from the inside out? OMG...
A recent entry in the Every Day Matters forum linked to this unusual site. It shows an animation (flash) of an artist drawing, first a skeleton, then the body, then clothes on the figure of a woman. How wonderful to know the body that well to recreate the entire thing, from the inside out. If you've never seen it, it's well worth it!
In my Figure class, we recently had a similar assignment, to take a sketch we did in class, and laying vellum over it, draw the skeleton. Whoa, I didn't have any anatomy classes under my belt! Thank goodness for amazon.com and the wealth of books written on "anatomy for artists".
So, here's my sketch:
and here's the skeleton:
The assignment seemed so totally huge, but once I got into it, I actually enjoyed learning about the "human infrastructure". There are several books I would recommend for those who want good anatomy reference books: "An Atlas of Anatomy for Artists" by Fritz Schider, "Anatomy, A Complete Guide for Artists" by Joseph Sheppard, and "Atlas of Human Anatomy for the Artist" by Stephen Rogers Peck. I also highly recommend anything by Robert Beverly Hale, a man who taught figure drawing at the Art Student's League of New York.
Posted by Sherri at 11:11 AM | Comments (2) | Art
November 20, 2006
Still not an EDM challenge, but...
what the heck? I really enjoy drawing figures, so decided to do just that!
Here are 2 that were fun to sketch, from photos. The first one I found by "googling" figure models. I came up with this. It was one of the few decent poses on the site. I love drawing nudes, but the way they're posed is a whole different can of worms.
The next one was from a picture I found somewhere... I just loved the unusual look on the man's face.
Posted by Sherri at 07:08 PM | Comments (6) | EDM
Not for EDM challenge, but...
it was a bunch of fun anyway! Enjoy!
This was kind of fun, I had intended to use my Caran d'Ache watercolor pencils and experiment more smooshing them around with water. But, when I finished, I decided to not touch them with water. Maybe the vase could use some water, but oh well....
I have no idea what these little "pumpkins" are... got them at Costco a few weeks ago with a bunch of fall flowers.
Posted by Sherri at 07:01 PM | Comments (4) | EDM
EDM Challenge #3
Purses and Wallets and Bags, oh my! :)
So, here's my purse. Working at home, during my lunch break, I decided that since the 'ol purse was sitting here on the coffee table, all ready to go!
Posted by Sherri at 06:49 PM | Comments (0) | EDM
EDM # 4 - Mug
My favorite mug. Not because it's a Christmas mug, but because it holds SO MUCH COFFEE!!
Thank goodness I don't do Starbucks every morning, I can't afford it!! But, I make a huge pot, and keep refilling this baby.
I was also on the way to Santa Clara from Sacramento, and the little jet center I was departing from was totally fogged in. So, rather than sit and work on my laptop (like the rest of the folks) I decided to draw. I found one unhappy soul who really didn't want to work either... :)
Posted by Sherri at 05:09 PM | Comments (0) | EDM
Anybody's guess...
I've been listening to my Simon and Garfunkel CDs a lot lately. Their words, music and voices have always had a powerful effect on me.
This is just a crazy sketch that combines several songs all in one sketch. A little weird. But it was one of those "I gotta draw this" things, so here it is.
MANY Apologies to Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel.
Posted by Sherri at 04:57 PM | Comments (0) | EDM
EDM - Challenge # 10
Ok, I'm not doing these in order. :)
I'm taking a Figure Drawing class, and we are keeping a "hands and feet" sketchbook. This is one of my drawings.
Posted by Sherri at 03:53 PM | Comments (1) | EDM
EDM - Challenge #1
Hi all, I finally got my scanner fixed, so here's my first challenge...
I've really enjoyed reading the daily updates from the "Everyday Matters" blogs, and it's really inspired me to draw every day. So, here's challenge #1...
Posted by Sherri at 02:07 PM | Comments (0) | EDM
November 14, 2006
Irving Norman at the Crocker
I recently attended a show at the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento which has been on my mind for over a week. Irving Norman was a prolific yet relatively unknown for many years, largely due to the subject matter of his works.
Our figure drawing class went to the Crocker to view this particular show, as the artist was extremely adept portraying the human figure. So much so, he was able to distort it to tell an intricate and often disturbing story.
We walked among these huge works, one so large the museum was unable to hang it and had to lay it down.
As my classmates began to sketch, I continued to walk through the exhibit, becoming very unnerved by the suffering, inequality, pain, and often death. I finally zeroed in on some faces and drew them.
From the Crocker's website:
"Unmasking the realities of human nature and the contemporary society in which we live, Irving Norman aimed only “to tell the truth of our time.” His highly detailed paintings are powerful critiques of modern life, painted in the hope of promoting change. The atrocities Norman witnessed in volunteer service during the Spanish Civil War jolted his consciousness, and he began to express his experiences through drawing and then painting from the 1940s to the 1980s. With the belief that his paintings could act as agents of social reform, Norman felt that pointing out the inequities, horrors and foibles of human behavior might somehow cause people to reconsider their actions. Most paintings were intended for public institutions, particularly museums, where the artist thought “all people could come and study them and contemplate.”View "To Have and Have Not"
Norman’s canvases are monumental in scale and teem with swarming figures, clone-like in their repetition, yet retaining elements of individuality. These figures are constricted by small urban spaces, caught in the crunch of bodies that fill city streets and subways, and decimated by the pain of poverty and the horror of war. The darkness of his visions is relieved by his jewel-like color harmonies and sharp wit. Once the spectator is engaged, Norman’s unsettling visions cannot be ignored—or forgotten. Through scale and infinite detail he makes the immensity and atrocities of war and contemporary society comprehensible. While often horrific and terrifying, these visions contain a deeper message: one of hope."View "Meeting of the Elders"
I've thought of these works often since last week, and I wonder why? I've seen other artists' works that impressed me, why these? Was is the immensity, the details, or something darker. I guess I need to "noodle" on this a bit...
Posted by Sherri at 04:46 PM | Comments (0) | Art
