The Art of Working in a Small Space

Mini-Studio

I'm still adjusting to painting aboard our sailboat - I admit at times I feel constrained by the limits of the space. I also miss not being able to make a mess, this is our living space after all. A major clean-up is necessary after each session.

I miss actually standing at the easel. Of course, now that I must work small, due to the size of the cabin, I crave working on a large canvas...

I do, however, love that I don't have to hop on a bus or ride my bike for 30 minutes when I have the urge to paint something "now"! I can drink my coffee while staring at my work to assess my next step, crack open a tube of paint and just begin...

 

Playing With Colour (Inspired by a sketch in "An Illustrated Life")

Leaping (Reference: Anatomy for the Artist)

Porltand Island Resident

The Joy of Sketching

I like the angular quality  in the figure on the right. It's something I have struggled with a lot, while drawing the male figure. I still do.

I sat on a concrete block in December, drawing a store front. The most interesting thing in the drawing is this telephone pole. I tried to capture the details in a very loose way. It feels a bit odd. I usually only get like that when I'm life drawing.

Now, I just begin drawing; not wondering if it's a worthwhile subject to draw, I just do it. The cormorant was fun. I was cleaning the cabin in preparation for our Christmas, on the 24th. He just sat there on the next dock, waiting out the gale force winds. So, I grabbed my sketchbook, and started sketching. He stayed in one position too long, meaning I got finicky; but then he kept darting here and there. The second and third drawings, are more fluid as a result.

Working on a small painting in the cabin.