29 Faces September 2016 Challenge - Faces 10,11, and 12- Audrey Hepburn

So I have fallen behind on the drawings this month, and I am now playing catch up.  Actually, behind the scenes, I've drawn a few less than satisfying images and decided to toss them entirely.  Today I am presenting three images of Audrey Hepburn for my next three attempts.  I found images of her in black and white that were rather striking and tried to replicate them.

"Audrey Hepburn," by Dayna Winters. Copyright 2016.

"Audrey Hepburn," by Dayna Winters. Copyright 2016.

"Audrey Hepburn," by Dayna Winters. Copyright 2016.

"One of my favorite quotes by Audrey is "Nothing is impossible, the word itself says, 'I'm possible.'"

~Peace Out~

September 2016 29 Faces Challenge – Face 8 – Channing Tatum

"Channing Tatum," by Dayna Winters. Copyright 2016.

So this is my attempt at drawing Channing Tatum after my daughter suggest I give it a try.  I like some of his recent movies, after all, who among us doesn’t like Magic Mike and Magic Mike XXL?  I also liked his role in White House Down.  I didn’t realize until today he had an uncredited role in the War of the Worlds starring Tom Cruise, and he was next to impossible to see in Ricky Martin’s video “She Bangs,” until I found an image actually pointing him out.  I also think he has an interesting character in Jupiter Ascending, although admittedly, I haven’t had a chance to see the whole film just yet.

I definitely like his down to earth attitude as is conveyed in this quote, “Life is too short to miss out on the beautiful things like a double cheeseburger.” – Channing Tatum

After all, there’s nothing like a good cheeseburger. ;)

~Peace Out~

29 Faces September 2016 – Face 7 – Harvey Keitel

"Harvey Keitel," by Dayna Winters, Copyright 2016.

I have come to appreciate the acting skills of Harvey Keitel, particularly in roles like “Dusk to Dawn,” where he played a vampire-fighting preacher, and of course, “Pulp Fiction,” where he played the Wolf.  My favorite line in Pulp Fiction comes from when the Wolf (Keitel) addresses Vincent Vega (John Travolta,)” and (Jules Winnfield) as he tells them how to get out of the current bind they are in.  Vincent decides to get a bit sarcastic with the Wolf, and is quickly put in his place (Love it!)…

“Get it straight buster - I'm not here to say please, I'm here to tell you what to do and if self-preservation is an instinct you possess you'd better fucking do it and do it quick. I'm here to help - if my help's not appreciated then lotsa luck, gentlemen… If I'm curt with you it's because time is a factor. I think fast, I talk fast and I need you guys to act fast if you wanna get out of this. So, pretty please... with sugar on top. Clean the fucking car.” – The Wolf, “Pulp Fiction”

And the line he says later on in the movie: "Just because you are a character doesn't mean you have character."

I also enjoyed Harvey’s role in Thelma and Louise as the cop pursuing the two woman as they move across the country and try to get to Mexico.  Even more hilarious is when he plays Satan in Adam Sandler’s “Little Nicky.”  All around a great actor and as drawing faces go, a considerable challenge.  His face has a lot of character, and I did my best to capture it.

29 Faces September 2016 Challenge - Face 6 - Christopher Walkens

"Christopher Walken," by Dayna Winters. Copyright 2016.

Every once and a while I like to do a drawing and then bravely play the "Guess who?" game with friends and family.  If the majority of people get who it is in the image, then I know I've done a fairly sufficient job in capturing the person I'm and trying to capture.  On this go round, I showed several people my most recent drawing and the response was surprisingly the same..."I can't remember his name but he's the guy in the movie 'Joe Dirt," right?"

Right they are...today's drawing is Christopher Walken, and while he was funny in "Joe Dirt," I remember him from an earlier film....Stephen King's, "The Dead Zone." (Loved the movie absolutely, but the book is better.)  I also thought he was great in the Adam Sandler movie, "Click," and he's just an all around great actor.

And I'll close from with a quote from Walken: "I don't need to be made to look evil. I can do that all by myself."

Until next time...~Peace out.~ :)

29 Faces September 2016 Challenge Face 3 - Steven Tyler

"Steven Tyler," by Dayna Winters. Copyright 2016.

Thought I would give Steven Tyler a try, with his iconic looks I figured I'd either do it right or miss the mark entirely.  I think I did okay here and feel he is recognizable, even if I didn't say who he was right at the start. 

I'd be giving away my age here when I say I first listened to Aerosmith on a cassette tape - that's right, I said it (lol).  A cassette tape, which at the time  was a real pain in the ass to reward to get it right on the song you wanted to here.  The tape was: "Toys in the Attic."

Here's a great quote from Tyler for those who need a bit of inspiration or deep insight: "Every life has a measure of sorrow, and sometimes this is what awakens us."

With that being said, who of my generation would have thought Tyler would eventually start writing country music?  Amazing. Absolutely.

29 Faces 2016 Challenge Face 2 - Alicia Silverstone

"Alicia Silverstone," by Dayna Winters. Copyright 2016.

I remember Silverstone in her roles in Clueless, which I wasn't overly crazy about, but found it mildly entertaining, and The Crush, which a found a lot more entertaining and dramatic than Clueless. I also remember her appearances in the Aerosmith videos Cryin'; Crazy; and Amazing, all of which are songs I love.

Quote: "I think I can deceive people. I'm like, the nice, sweet girl when you meet me. And I don't have any bad intentions. But I'm a bad girl too." - Alicia Silverstone

This is my attempt to draw Alicia Silverstone, and admittedly I found her iconic pouty look a bit of a challenge.  Otherwise, I am satisfied with the piece. 

29 Faces September 2016 Challenge – Meryl Streep

"Meryl Streep," Graphite Pencil, by Dayna Winters. Copyright 2016.

So, the 29 Faces September 2016 is here, and I’m back at the drawing board again in an effort to try and meet the challenge. Of course, doing any art at all and blogging about it is the real challenge, whether or not you actually meet the 29 Faces count.  So without further ado…my first drawing is an attempt at Meryl Streep.

Streep has always been an actress I’ve appreciated, especially for how flexible she is with her acting and roles. I liked the movie She-Devil where she co-stars with Rosanne Barr, who plays a Ruth: worn out, tired housewife trying to please her husband Bob (played by Ed Begley, Jr) any way possible. Streep plays Mary Fisher, the glamorous writer and mistress who ends up getting her just rewards when the Bob ends up cheating on her and treating her just like his wife.

I also enjoyed the reincarnation/live evaluation theme in the 1991 film Defending Your Life, where she is a woman in limbo trying to get into Heaven; here she must go through a trial to review all she did in her life. Those who are on trial have their life actions evaluated. If considered exceptional, those living good lives could move onto heaven while those who had lives that were less than extraordinary or wholesome would reincarnate in an effort to get it right. 

Even better was the 1992 release of Death Becomes Her where she costars along with Goldie Hawn and Bruce Willis; this film is a hysterical dark comedy where Streep is an aging actress having considerable difficulty accepting the fact that she is getting older and that age is affecting her looks. She takes a potion given to her that promises to keep her young and alive forever, but not without later being forced to face dire consequences for defying the natural order of things.

The Manchurian Candidate, where so co-stars with Denzel Washington, is a film featuring Streep as a vindictive senator and mother of a son running for vice president. The film is one of many showing Streep’s extensive acting skills and how easily she moves from a dark comedic roll, to a more dramatic one, all without missing a beat.  I’ve also seen and appreciated The Devil Wears Prada, Mastering the Art of French Cooking wear she played the role of Julie Child, and the most recent film I watched was It's Complicated where Streep co-starred with Steve Martin and Alex Baldwin (A great film if you are looking for some highly comedic moments).

On a final note, one of my favorite quotes by Streep is: “Everything we say signifies; everything counts, that we put out into the world. It impacts on kids, it impacts on the zeitgeist of the time. - Meryl Streep.”

When attempting to draw Meryl, I think the cheekbones and facial structure was the most challenging, but overall I am satisfied with the result. I chose graphite pencil for the drawing simply because I enjoy doing pencil sketches and attempting to give the image some varying degrees of depth and shading with a single color rather than multiple colors. Of course, I enjoy colored pencils too J, but I am perfectly content drawing with plain pencil any day of the week.

29 Faces Day 11, 12, 13, and 14 - Some of My Favorite TV Characters

So I wasn't really inspired over the last few days. I just decided to draw some of my favorite television characters and I had a pretty relaxing time doing so.  The first picture is my effort at a young William Shatner as James T. Kirk in Star Trek. Yes, I am a fan of Star Trek, and I can still remember when my grandmother brought me to the movie theater when I was a kid to see the first film.

William Shatner as James T. Kirk ©Dayna Winters

Of course, then I got on the Star Trek run and did two more characters from the series.  Spock and McCoy....

Leonard Nimoy as Spock ©Dayna Winters.

DeForest Kelley as Leonard H. "Bones" McCoy ©Dayna Winters

Then, in a total stream of consciousness leap in which I cannot clearly connect the dots with, I decided to draw a character from American Horror Story (I love this show!!!!). So, here's my effort at Evan Peters.....

Evan Peters ©Dayna Winters

I hope that all who are participating with the 29Faces challenge is having a fantastic time drawing or using whatever medium of preference.  I thank everyone for their kind feedback and comments as well :).

29 Faces Day 8, 9, & 10 - Some Memorable Faces

Stevie Nicks  ©Dayna Winters.

I find that some days I can produce three or four pieces, and other days I just can't even think about producing a thing.  Today was a good day and I played catch up with the 29 Faces Challenge.  With no ideas in mind, I browsed the Internet for some ideas.  As one would have it, when you browse the Internet it is often like and act of stream consciousness where you go from one seemingly random thing to another.

My first image is an effort at drawing Stevie Nicks, my second, Carolyn Jones in her role as Morticia in the 1964 television series of the Addams Family, and Wednesday, in the most current depictions of the Addams Family in films where she is played by Christina Ricci.

Carolyn Jones as Morticia Addams ©Dayna Winters.

Christina Ricci as Wednesday Addams ©Dayna Winters.

29 Faces Days 5, 6, and 7 - Three Times the Charm, Or Not...

Halliwell Sisters. Copyright Dayna Winters

First, I want to take the time to thank each and every person that visits my blog, and I want to especially thank the people who take the time out of their day, their busy schedules, and their ever so valuable time to comment on my blogs and artwork.  I so appreciate the feedback, support, and kind expressions you all share with me.  I look forward to all the comments I receive, and I love hearing what others have to say about art, drawing, painting, crafts, reading, writing, and whatever topic is at hand.  Thank you so much for engaging with me, and sharing your thoughts.  I appreciate you and what you share.

I was pretty quite over the weekend, and pretty tired.  For anyone who reads the health portion of my blog, you already know I am battling with a variety of health conditions, all of which are culminating in gross fatigue. It is a fatigue that a few cups of coffee or a couple of naps will not conquer, so I have to take it as it comes and work with it as I work with doctors to improve my condition as much as it is possible to do so.

This weekend I spent trying to catch up on a few things and battling through intermittent periods of fatigue and energy. I decided I would do three faces in one drawing to catch up quickly so I don’t fall too far behind the 29 Faces challenge for the month.  I know quantity is not important but I am really sticking to the commitment I made to myself to do it, and my commitments are more of a challenge than ever before with the constant fatigue I struggle with.  I am not necessarily thrilled with the piece, but I don’t hate it either.  It made me search out a quote about art and frustration, and I found one that perfectly suits the occasion…

“Art is challenging and frustrating but I don't linger in it. I work on five paintings at a time so if I'm frustrated I put one down and begin another. “ – Robert Bateman

I think getting over the frustration and moving on is the next best step to the walk away and come back to it later technique when handling artistic frustrations.  Yes, I walked away from the drawing when the rendition of the Halliwell sisters from Charmed (the Paige Era) did not come out the way I would have liked.  I came back to it and even considered starting over, and when I made the effort to do so, it was a half hearted effort because I felt like all the work on the original piece was going to waste.  I went back to the original drawing and worked on finishing it off.  So after working on the piece for I while, I decided it was as good as it was going to be, at least for now.  After two attempts at the same drawing and returning to the initial piece, I was what I will call finished. Three times the charm so to speak…or not.  Anyway, onward to other projects I have waiting in the wings of my imagination!

The result is the picture I’ve shared here…It’s not an exact rendition, but it’s not half bad either.  Now I only need to do an additional drawing to be back on top of things and on top of the challenge.

In the meantime, I’ve been visiting blogs of others who participate in the challenge, and I’ve seen some images shared on Facebook.  I gotta say, the work is breathtaking and inspiring.  I love getting a chance to look at all of the wonderful creations that everyone is producing.  There’s so many imaginative works and incredible depictions, I encourage everyone to check out the contributions to the 29 Faces Challenge, even if you don’t participate.  The blog where you can access all other bloggers participating is located at http://29faces.blogspot.com. 

Until my next post…love, and light. 

Namaste.

29 Faces Day 3 – “All Work and No Play Makes Jack a Dull Boy”

So I decided to go with Jack Nicholson this go round and made the attempt to capture his image in the iconic role of Jack Torrance in Stephen King’s The Shining.  Only Nicholson could play such a role with such creepy perfection…”All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy,” was the phrase that continued to run through my mind as I tried, (and I emphasize tried) to capture that madman look in his eyes in one of the most unforgettable madman stares on film.  See the video below for reference.

I don't think I hit the mark on this one. Something is way off with the drawing and maybe when I walk away from it and come back to it with fresh eye's I can put my finger on it.  To me, the eyes aren't right and the jaw bone is way off.  The mouth turned out way better than I anticipated though.  Maybe next time I'll get it the way I want it.

Jack Nicholson by Dayna Winters

One question came up while I was doing the work and it would be interesting to look into...when, during the creation of a piece does that piece go beyond being two dimensional.....not physically speaking, but in the emotion it captures and evokes? When you are drawing, when do you know you have done the image in such a way that it captures the precise emotion you want to share with the viewer?  How do you know you've achieved this?  What do you feel?

Save the Frogs

So I've been working on a project for several weeks now.  It's an art contest entry for the annual Save the Frogs! Contest.  I found the contest while looking for some art competitions online.  I have special affinity for frogs, have since I was a kid.  I used to catch frogs in the creek near my home and I remember the day I was lucky enough to find a humongous bull frog hiding in a bush in my front yard.

With my affinity for frogs and art, I couldn't resist, and decided I'd enter.  I don't know if I'm allowed to share my entry yet, but at some point I definitely will.  I can tell you a bit about the piece though - I've drawn a bunch of frogs in the grass and depicted an image of what happens after it rains.  I can remember many a rainy nights when there were miniature frogs hopping all over the yard and the road.

Save the Frogs! is a non-profit organization looking to prevent the mass extinction of amphibian populations.  The annual art contest encourages artists to be creative and the art is used to spread awareness of the issue.  Last year, the organization received more than 9000 art entries from more than 60 countries.  Anyone of any age can participate.  The contest runs from January to October 15 each year.  This contest is great for adults, students, kids looking for a fun project, and even entire classes have participated in the past.  I had a lot of fun creating my entry, and I encourage anyone who likes art to let their inner artist shine for a good cause.  You can find out all the details and view the artwork previously submitted at Savethefrogs.com/art.  Good Luck!

What Inspires You?

by Dayna Winters.

Today's art prompt suggested I draw or write an image about what inspires me.  I went with the use of a graphite pencil to sketch out the image, and later colored it with colored pencils.  I wanted to depict mother nature with flowers all through her long flowing hair, but I also wanted to give her an extra fantastical appearance, since my art is inspired by fantasy, myth, and nature.

I thought it would be cool if she were blowing dandelion pappi ( the little wispy things that blow in the wind and children make wishes with, and and yes, I had to look it up...winks).  As I was drawing, I decided to make the pappi form the word "inspire."  I think the idea worked out well, since the word "inspire" is derived from the Latin inspirare meaning blow into or breathe. 

Drawing Your Favorite Brand

by Dayna Winters.

Today's art prompt in the October 31 Day Art Journal Challenge was to incorporate the label of one of my favorite brands into a piece of art.  I chose to draw of Opium perfume.  It's a fragrance I have loved for many years! I incorporated a few other items to make the sketch more interesting...a picture of  an antique, handheld mirror, and a few beautiful vintage perfume bottles.  I decided to use graphite pencil for the drawing and leave the image in black and white.

The bottle to the left side of the drawing reminded me of a bottle my grandmother had - or at least it was something similar.  I remember the metal meshwork at the bottom of the bottle and the unusual shape/design.  I had a great time using the new blending sticks/stumps I picked up - they are made of tightly wrapped paper and they make blending the graphite into a smooth design extremely easy to do.  

Before I was relying on an old eraser or my fingers to blend the lines and shading.  They come in a multi-pack of 10 with different sizes, lengths, widths, and tips.  You can see a larger image of the blending sticks below.  The blending stumps do a far better job.  I got them for relatively little expense and highly recommend them.  I'm using Loew-Cornell Blending Stumps and Tortillons made of tightly wrapped soft paper felt.  You can get them in a 10 pack for just under $6.00.

Art Journaling - The Creation of the Silver Lady

"Silver Lady," by Dayna Winters.

There's been a lot of talk and communication about the Blood Moon in October.  A recent art journal prompt suggested I "create the moon," in a work of art.  I decided I wanted to draw an image of the moon with a feminine appearance.  I've heard some of my friends say that it is not very often you see the moon as feminine - a lot of time the moon is depicted as male.  I originally started the piece with colored pencils.  I got a chance to pick up some blending stumps and I liked how they worked in terms of blending and minimizing the grainy-look pencils sometimes leave behind.  

When I had the basic image done however, I thought long and hard about doing the background with paint.  I decided to go with the urge.  I mixed a dark blue with some black to make it even darker - I wanted to emulate the look of deep space and a darkened sky.  As I worked the paint around the moon image I drew, I just went with it, not worrying about whether or not I went over the lines.  I spread paint into the image as well, to give the image a more unified appearance with the dark space around it.  I took white paint while the dark blue paint was still wet, and I ran circles around the moon's body to give the illusion of light.  The stars in the background were easily created with white, pink, and light blue paint splatters.  I finished the piece off by adding a little black glitter paint to the eye, mouth, and outer light ring. This was my first real attempt at creating anything with mixed media.

When I put the painting away to dry, I had the image tilted a bit.  When I went back to check on it later, an interesting thing had happened...the glitter paint in the eye had bled and dripped down, forming a single teardrop falling from the moon's eye!  I thought it looked amazing and decided to keep it!  My son pointed out that I had painted the blue moon and the moon was not only visually blue, but emotionally blue too.  I titled this piece: "Silver Lady," and the signed original is for sale.  I'll be making the picture available in the form of reprints as well.

Art Journaling - Drawing Something With Wings

The sixth prompt for the art challenge I'm participating in suggested I draw something with wings.  Usually I would have whipped up a fairy as I love drawing and painting them, but I wanted to do something a little different this time.  I found a depiction of a jeweled Egyptian Scarab and decided to draw it.  I like what the scarab symbolizes - rebirth, creative forces, eternity, cycling, and it's a solar symbol.  

In the body of the scarab, I used really tight vertical lines and a variety of different colors to make a interesting visual effect. I used the same technique in the reddish-orange disc symbolizing the sun.  To make golden edges, I used yellow colored pencils and then blended in a tan/light brown color.

Art Journaling - Exploring New Techniques

I enjoy art journal prompts - they challenge you to see things differently, to be creative, and to come up with innovative means for meeting the challenge.  For instance, the fifth prompt in the current challenge I'm participating in suggested sketching something that contained horizontal lines.  After reflecting on this a bit, I thought bumble bees might be an ideal image to incorporate into the sketch as their black and yellow coloring create horizontal stripes naturally. I added a few sunflowers and began to fill in the piece with colored pencils.  As I did, I wondered what it would be like if I was to make the entire image in horizontal lines.  I tried it in a small area and thought the end result looked neat.  

So I continued to do it through the entire image!  I like the result and hope to use the technique in future works.  I would have liked if the lines were tighter and straighter, and I'll go for this effect the next time I try it.

Art Journal Prompt 4 - What Color is Your Rainbow?

The fourth prompt for the October 31 Day Art Journal Challenge encouraged me to choose my favorite color and create a rainbow of it with all the various shades the color could produce.  Anyone who knows me well will tell you that red is one of my favorite colors.  I made up a rainbow arch featuring degrees of red with everything from pink, to salmon, to fuschia, to red, to orange.  I then found the perfect poem relating to rainbows entitled "My Dream of Iris," by Mark R Slaughter.  Iris is the goddess of rainbows as well as a messenger of the gods.  The last stanza in the poem is my absolute favorite, so I put in right inside the arch of the red rainbow I created.  It is a plea to Iris and reads:

"Take us on your wing to new endeavours -

Show that nothing in the ethers tempers you!

And every time you render us a rainbow,

See it fires a lust for zest anew!"

The art prompts are really ideal for people of all ages, and you might find some of them great for a family project.  You might even want to suggest them to your kids if they are looking for something to do on a rainy day.  You can find the prompts at Nicci.ca.

Art Journal Challenge Prompt 2 and 3

For the second prompt in the October Art Journal Challenge, I was encouraged to write about one of my favorite memories.  I remember flying kites with my kids when they were younger, and made a simple, colorful sketch to reflect that fact:

 Then, for prompt 3, I was encouraged to draw something related to what I would consider my life's theme song.  Humorously enough, I figured I'd choose the song "Witchy Woman," by the Eagles.  I added a variety of symbols to the image including a pentacle, goddess symbol, god symbol, a conical hat, and Hecate's Circle.  I then had a little bit of fun playing with color and scribbling in rainbow colors!   The sketch actually worked out thematically since it's October and the Season of the Witch too (smiles).

Then, in some free time, I sketched a picture of my son Michael holding his ferret.  The sketch came out pretty good, although I still think I'm truncating some of my images. In the meantime, back on the farm, I've got a couple of projects going and I'm pacing myself to get them done.  There will be more on those projects in future blogs. :)

"Mikey," by Dayna Winters.

Conclusion of 29Faces

I am saddened that the 29 Faces Challenge is over until February.  I had so much fun doing the drawings, challenging myself, and meeting other artists.  So, I've decided to jump right into another challenge - The 31 Day Art Journal Challenge, where you get a prompt a day and you create whatever the prompt suggests! I found a spiral sketch book I had laying around and chose to make it my journal for the challenge.  I designed an art journal cover page to get started:

"Art Journal Cover Page," by Dayna Winters.

 For day one, the prompt "Day After Day," was offered - The prompt suggested that if I could have whatever design I wanted on a mailbox with whatever materials I wanted to use, that I should sketch my ideal mailbox design.  At first, I had no idea what kind of design I was going to come up with - then I found a gorgeous tribal tattoo online that I really liked and the image got my ideas flowing.  So, I ended up sketching a mailbox with an owl in a mosaic design!

"Day After Day," Prompt 1 - 31 Day Art Journal Challenge.

With a great bout of insomnia last night and some free time a few days back, I had some time to polish off a couple of new sketches too.  I drew a sketch of Pierce Brosnan and one of Bruce Willis.  I think the sketch of Willis is more true to life than the sketch of Brosnan.  I sketched Madonna as well.  I like sketching because it is something I can do, even if I'm on the go, in a waiting room, or just relaxing.  Most times, a draw a little, take a break or two, and return to the drawing later, just so I don't force the issue and become frustrated.

"Bruce Willis," by Dayna Winters.

"Pierce Brosnan," by Dayna Winters.

"Madonna," by Dayna Winters.

Finally, I got the most adorable sketch of one of our pugs - Precious.  As I was taking photos of the dogs, Precious proved shes a big ham by standing in front of the camera and not letting me take pictures of Puggy.  She just had to be in the camera  and kept walking in front of Puggy to prove it!  Anyway, I was waiting to get into an appointment and had a chance to whip up this sketch of her:

"Precious," by Dayna Winters.