Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Two Thoughts at Cloud City

5/10/16 ink
In addition to the usual umbrella café tables, Cloud City Coffee’s patio has a tent with picnic tables under it, so you can choose to sit in either the sun or the shade. This morning I did both, moving around at will to vary the views.

I’m still thinking about some lessons from Liz Steel’s SketchingNow Edges. In this online course, Liz talks about “lost edges” – deliberately avoiding drawing some lines or “edges” in a composition so that the viewer has to fill in the part that’s undrawn, becoming a more active participant in the viewing. As I sketched the young man eating a sandwich with his back to the sun, I couldn’t really see much of the shoulder that was away from me. Typically I would just fudge what I can’t see and draw it anyway, but this seemed like an opportunity to let the unseen shoulder remain lost.
5/10/16 ink, colored pencil

That was one thought this mid-morning. The other was the fact that it was 65 degrees and sunny on May 10. When I sat in the shade it was cool enough that I was glad I had my sweatshirt; when I moved to a sunny table, I was happy in a T-shirt but didn’t break a sweat. I was wondering if there’s any place on earth where it’s like this all year round – the absolute perfectest weather for outdoor sketching – and if there is, how soon I could move there. 

5/10/16 ink, white gel pen
5/10/16 brush pen, white gel pen

7 comments:

  1. So glad your weather has improved! Great to be able to sketch comfortably in the sun or shade. Your people sketches are getting so good!!! Love the patient dog too.

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    1. Thanks, Joan! We're supposed to be in for sunshine the rest of the week! So amazing for May!

      - Tina

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  2. I believe the place you are looking for is called Santa Barbara, CA. San Luis Obispo would also fit the bill. ;)

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    Replies
    1. A-ha -- so it does exist. Now, to move there. . . ! ;-)

      - Tina

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    2. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    3. Yes!! I have to agree with Simple Living! As a native of coastal/southern SLO county, I can testify that the weather is mild like that for the majority of the year! In fact, if it drops below 60 or gets hotter than 80 everyone kind of freaks out. What's going on!?!?!? Hahahaha!!

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    4. Awww, man. . . I'd better get down there!

      - Tina

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