Whooo’s There?

The blog…and the sweetest little owl you've ever seen! 

©Life as an Artist’s Wife

A beautiful colored pencil drawing by Mikey. 

Summer is here! There's just something about these warmer months that motivate me to brush off the blog and start posting again.

Last year Mikey was super busy with a consulting gig, so he didn't have a whole lot of extra time to create blog content (i.e. drawings, photos, etc.) 

But, utilizing his entrepreneurial skills is one of Mikey's passions and being an entrepreneurial consultant fits right into his "modern day renaissance man" lifestyle (see the small print in the logo above!)

So, on to today's blog feature....

We see (and hear) owls quite often on our land, so Mikey was easily inspired to draw the cutie in today's post. 

And as Mikey's #1 fan, I love to document the progress of his drawings (even though I know it annoys him!) But, he is a good sport about it...most of the time! 

Here's how the drawing progressed...

The face actually looks like a mask here...

©Life as an Artist’s Wife

Color pencil drawing by Mikey.

But, add in some striking eyes and the drawing starts to come to life!

©Life as an Artist’s Wife

Color pencil drawing by Mikey.

Peek-a-boo! My artist is being camera shy. It's difficult to see in this picture, but the drawing has so much intricate detail - especially in those wise eyes and facial feathers. For the body feathers, Mikey used more of a blending technique. 

©Life as an Artist’s Wife

Color pencil drawing by Mikey.

I saw this chunky, rustic wood frame and knew it would be perfect for showcasing this drawing. It looks like the owl is peeking out of an old barn window!

©Life as an Artist’s Wife
Color pencil drawing by Mikey.

I've perched this frame on a sofa table so I can enjoy it every day! And I hope you'll enjoy following the blog as I post more of Mikey's beautiful work! 

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. 

-Matthew 22:37-38 

Just a Little Competitive Research

Yesterday morning we saw a news segment about an art fair 30 minutes away, and I thought it would be an excellent opportunity for us to check out the local art scene. Michael already had a long list of outside chores planned for the day, so I knew I had some serious arm twisting to do…but I finally talked him into it! (Woohoo!)

With my artist at a local art fair.

It was a fun outing at a beautiful park. We saw some great art and met a lot of talented artists. One thing about artists…they really love to talk about their craft! Fortunately, Michael can “speak their language,” so it was beneficial for him to connect with the artists and learn about their techniques. We also learned about the different ways they market their art (now they’re speaking my language!)

We walked away very inspired and excited about the possibilities for Michael as an artist! Oh, and we also found a couple of pretty pieces for our home!

Eraser Danger

Oh, the woes of an artist.            

Michael started on a new red-tailed hawk drawing (we call him “Fred.”)

All was going well…Then he ran into a little trouble with Fred’s right eye. So, he gently erased…and erased…and erased. Before he knew it, he had erased a hole right through the paper. (Gasp!)

 



Too much erasing = hole through the paper!

Mikey was bummed. The drawing was ruined. The thought crossed his mind “Is this some crazy sign that I shouldn’t be an artist?!”

Of course not!

I empathized with him for a bit, but then it was time to call in….

Marti the Motivator!

I reminded him that God has blessed him with an amazing talent. But, mistakes happen and with every mistake, lessons are learned.

Lesson learned: Don’t overwork it. Know when to stop. (Colored pencil is very difficult to erase because of its waxy texture, so erasing should be kept to a minimum.)

I actually think this mistake was a blessing… it’s much better for him to learn this important lesson early in a drawing, rather than towards the end of a drawing!

I also encouraged him to not spend too much time dwelling on it. It’s not going to fix the problem. It would be more productive for Mikey to pick up his colored pencils, give them a spin through the pencil sharpener, and start over!

Mikey willingly took my advice and I am so proud of him for diving into the new drawing! Knowing Mikey, he’s going to put even more gusto into the new-and-improved Fred. In fact, Mikey came up with a funny little acronym:

FRED =

   Freakin’

   Ridiculously

   Excessive

   Determination

We’ve all “overworked” something. Maybe it was ruining a chicken dinner by adding too many spices… or pulling a muscle from exercising too much…

When was the last time you overworked something to the point that it was ruined?

Airborne Action - Part 1

Moving right along to the next red-tailed hawk drawing, Michael decided it was time to shake things up from the classic "poses." It's time for some serious AIRBORNE ACTION!

Here is a peak at the progress…
 

Red-tailed hawk - in the early stages!

Michael chose this stellar stance because he loves the hawk's fierce determination as he rips through the air, targeting a tasty treat below. (Eww!)

How convenient that Michael recently stumbled upon a hawk's feather for some real-life inspiration...


A real red-tailed hawk feather!

He originally thought it was a turkey feather because we often have a troop of wild turkeys trottin’ through the yard. But, as Michael researched the red-tailed hawks, he realized it was actually a hawk feather! (Research…is not overrated! J)

In true "renaissance man" form, Michael has three drawings in progress right now, along with some other exciting projects. Stop back soon to see more of this drawing and some fun photos of cute critters hangin' around the woods!

Portrait of a Red-Tailed Hawk - Part 2 of 2

Portrait of a Red-Tailed Hawk - Finished!

I am so excited to share with you Michael’s finished red-tailed hawk portrait!

He put his heart and soul into this project. Tears of joy filled my eyes as he showed me the completed drawing. (I think there may have been a tear in his eye, too!)

Actually, he had many mixed emotions: relieved to be done…happy with his accomplishment…sad to “sign off”...and motivated to move on to the next drawing.

As a small child, Michael was always told he had a special gift. He took several art classes during college and dabbled with drawing throughout the years, but never had the opportunity to focus on it as he does now. I am so proud of him for stepping out of his CEO comfort zone (for now) and pursuing these lifelong dreams!

As for his next drawing...? Since he's into red-tailed hawks at the moment, I suggested he continue his momentum and draw a few more to develop a series or set. And since I'm his "art consultant and business partner" he happily agreed with me. So, Michael will be working on 2-3 more to finish out the Red-Tailed Hawk Series! 

Portrait of a Red-Tailed Hawk - Part 1 of 2

With a couple of colored-pencil drawings in the bag, Michael is feeling good…he’s gettin’ his artistic groove back!

Next up on the artist’s agenda: a detailed portrait of a red-tailed hawk. Let the research begin!

A stickler for artistic accuracy, Michael scoured the internet for pictures of these handsome hawks. And, yes, there are a gazillion red-tailed hawk images out there….but to find a non-Photoshopped image is like finding a needle in a haystack...or winning the $590 million Powerball!

Michael started this drawing in April (which was before I started this blog), but here's what I would've been posting along this portrait's journey. Take a look:

The outline is in place!

Michael started with the feathers in the lower right corner of the picture...but he just wasn't feeling the feathers yet. The "feeling good" artist quickly became a "frustrated" artist. I suggested he move on to another part of the head. The beak...it was a beckoning! 

 

A little more detail added to the beak and head.

Below is an artist happy with his progress so far! Taped to his drawing board is his photo inspiration (non-Photoshopped!), practice sketches of the feathers and other features, and little yellow sticky notes (for example, "don't get too dark, too fast!")

A happy artist!

The eye of any hawk is such a striking feature. I was super excited to see this hawk's eye come to life...

EYE love it!

The feathers are falling into place beautifully...

A closer look...

 

At his art desk, adding the final touches...


 The focused artist at his art table.

 

Check back soon to see the final drawing of this amazing portrait! 

Tip from an artist's wife who blogs about her hubby's work: Some artists aren't super excited to get their non-finished art photographed...or posted online for the world to see. But, if you flash a nice big smile and say "pleeeease" in your sweetest voice, you just might get the shot!

 

Michael's First Red-Tailed Hawk Drawing

One of the many perks of living in the woods is the wide array of wildlife we see. From beautiful birds soaring high in the sky, to countless critters congregating in the creek, every day brings on environmental excitement!

One of our favorite sightings is the red-tailed hawk.

Well, leave it to Michael to take bird-watching to a whole new level! He researched all about these hawks….from color patterns…to behavior…to feather formation…he knows it all! In fact, Michael is now a red-tailed hawk expert (uncertified)!

Of course, Michael wanted to practice his colored pencil drawing techniques on this beauty. He chose the color palette, picked out a pose, and went to work! Check this guy out! 

Michael's first red-tailed hawk drawing.

The detail in the face and feathers is fantastic! Michael has a way of making it look so easy, but those feathered wings were quite the challenge! (I think he was about ready to clip those feathers by the time he was finished!) But, he worked through it and the finished drawing is beautiful!

He wanted me to have this drawing...and I am very excited to get it framed and displayed!

Stay tuned for future blog posts on his newest red-tailed hawk drawing!

Passionate about Porsches

A successful artist is always passionate about his subject. Well, Michael is fascinated with a lot of things. (Have you seen his massive book collection?!) Everything from animals (underwater, on land, and in the air) to airplanes to anything with wheels!

Speaking of “anything with wheels,” Michael has been dreaming about Porsches lately, so what a perfect subject to practice his newly learned colored pencil techniques on! (And drawing a Porsche is much more economical than buying a Porsche!)

Mikey's first colored-pencil drawing in over 20 years!

 

Ta-da! You wouldn’t believe how many different layers and shades of color create that vibrant shade of blue. He used 5 or 6 shades of blue, violet, red, white, black…just about every color of the rainbow!

 

I think Michael's new drawing books was money well spent. If this first colored pencil drawing is an indicator of things to come…Mikey is going to produce some amazing art!

Learning the Complexity of Color

As an artist, Michael has experience with pencil drawing (I’ll post some of his amazing drawings in future posts), but he has very little experience with colored pencil drawing. That brings on a whole new level of colorful complexity! From selecting specific shades…to learning layering techniques…to picking out the perfect paper…there is a lot for an artist to consider.

But, not to worry. Michael, who loves to read and research, recently purchased some new drawing books!

Mikey's new drawing books!

Michael has been reading these books front to back, day and night. Countless pages are flagged with sticky notes and scribbled with important tips. Michael has been absorbing as much information as he possibly can about technique and subject matter. (By the way, Michael did take several art classes in college….and is now kicking himself for not paying more attention in Color Class 321!)

Well, with several hours of studying under his belt, I think Mikey is ready to put his colored pencils to the test…