Blog

         Working at an Art Crawl

I am a quiet person that likes to stay at home, working in my art studio, reading a good book, or working in my garden or flower beds.

I belong to a local co-op art gallery that takes part in art crawls every other month. When it comes time to go to these things I usually don’t want to go, but I make an effort to push myself to advertise my art.

Tonight I saw quite a few people stop at my painting for long periods to time (that means they really like them) to look.  

I made an effort to meet and talk to people that came into the gallery.  It turned out to be fun, and it wasn’t because I was serving the wine. ( :

                                         Here is some more of my paintings.

Thank you for reading my blog,

Debra Snyder Heard                        

      "The vulgar wil see nothing but chaos, disorder , and incorrectness."   By James Ensor

My painting has been put aside for a short time, while I’m taking an advance college anatomy drawing class. I have about five weeks left (Thank you Jesus). The homework keeps me very busy.

My style of drawing and painting is very tight and detailed (I want to say Classical) rendering which turns out to be beautiful work.

I forgotten how a lot of art college professors love ABSTRACT works.

I’m very much out of my comfort zone, which can be good (or bad). While my art professor is making other students work smaller, tighter, more detailed, she is having me work LARGER, LOOSER, GEOMETRIC and less detailed.  I really have to control myself from running out of the room.

There are good days and bad days for me in this class. I’m open to learning new things, but being older and doing things a certain way for a long time makes it hard to make changes. It takes practice and I’m doing the work. I'm learning a lot and really like the teacher and students in the class.

I wonder how this class is going affect my future drawings and paintings.  I have gotten some new ideas of how I want to render some of my future art works, so it going to be a good thing.

    "Lacy" by Debra Snyder Heard

      A quick 40 minute pose drawing

The model for Thursday night open studio sessions (not part of my college class) did not show up this past week, so another artist posed  for us.  It's a 3 hour session and local artists meet every week meet at this studio to draw/paint models. It gives me a chance to practice what I have learned in class and combine drawing the way I like. I'm also meeting new artists and it is fun looking at each others artistic style of the same model when we finish.

Thank you for reading my blog,

Debra Snyder Heard

                 "Between each fruitful phase are long periods of exploration, faltering, learning, and working things out." By Kenneth Noland

From nine to two today I licked the canvas! I saw myself drawing and trying to get everything perfect as I was painting. I was getting very stressed out and not making progress!

 It was the same feeling as housework. Clean the kitchen; leave the room, next five minutes no one can’t tell that I was ever in there cleaning. It was a never ending, unrewarding cycle of not accomplishing anything (like housework living with a house full of guys).

 I stopped, fixed myself some hot tea and looked up art blogs on licking canvases. Guilty as hell!

 An hour later I was back to my painting. This time I layered  more paint on my brushes. I placed only one stroke for each part of the canvas. I painted each stroke as the one only and last time I would touch that canvas area. When I finished I stepped back and looked at my painting. IT WORKED!

 Orange Lilies by Debra Snyder Heard

 I am about half way through with this painting. Still have a lot of work to do.

 Thank you for reading my blog,

Debra Snyder Heard

I just finished a 4 day Still Life/Figure Oil Painting Workshop from the artist Robert Johnson, in Fredericksburg Texas.

I feel like I learned a lot, and also learned I have a lot of work to do.

Even though I just started back into painting, my drawing skills really helped me tremendously. 

  Meeting other artists that have a lot of the same goals is a wonderful way to keep motivated. Learning from a more experienced artist is even better!

 The timing was perfect because Friday night was the monthly art crawl to visit the open art galleries.

It was a long drive to and back, about 12 hours each way. Driving in heavy rains, having a flat tire, being strung out on coffee, was part of my travel experience.

My husband asked me if I would do it again and did I think it was worth it?

I told him yes, because it takes a lot to be committed to improve. Other people in the workshop drove for 2 days to get there, and lived farther than I did.

Thank you for reading my blog,

Debra Snyder Heard

        Turning Angel by Debra Snyder Heard

I’ve been going through a lot of changes lately.

Artistic Changes:

-       I get a lot of requests and questions asking if I do oil paintings. People wanting me to do commissions paintings for them.

         I need to go where the money is.

-       I’m seeing that oil painting is looked on higher in the art world when it comes to money and art competitions.

-       I’m wondering if I’m staying with pencil because it’s a comfort zone.

-        I've spend years practicing my drawing skills, about 30 years. It takes a long time to get really good. It’s like having a best friend or lover that does  

         not take me for granted, and has more respect for me, the more time I spend with him.

-       I wonder if I’m changing gears too soon?

I’m not abandoning my drawing or my main theme. I plan to do both, painting and drawing!  My first love will always be drawing!

Thank you dear readers for reading my blog. If you have advice or want to say somthing please do!

Debra Snyder Heard

                                                                                Renaissance Woman

                                                                                by Debra Snyder Heard

                                                                                      Art is not a thing, it is a way.” – Elbert Hubbard

       I’m off to the Texas Renaissance Festival this weekend.  Hopefully come back with a lot of good pictures to work from.  It is a 7 hour drive to the festival and back for me. As an artist I have to travel a lot, to fairs, art workshops, rodeos, and festivals.  

In the past I would not drive long distance by myself.  This was one of my self –limiting beliefs of not being able to do certain things (like driving at night). I have stopped that, because the more I do something out of my comfort zone, the more comfortable it gets.

This drawing of “Renaissance Woman” was done a few years ago; from an earlier festival I attended. I thought this woman was absolutely beautiful the way she smiled and showed her music skills.  Everyone always looks at young perfect girls for beauty (which is so cliché and mostly shallow).  I hope to see this lady again, at the festival,  to take more pictures (better camera this time) and  to draw her again.

Thank you for reading my blog! If you want to say anything or have questions, I would love to here from you!

                          Turning Angel By Debra Snyder Heard

                        "Talent is long patience" By Gustave Flaubert

I think of art as a challenge to be accomplished. Same entity as a mountain climber looking at a huge mountain, for example Mt. Everest, and feel the need to see if he/she can make it to the top. It will take a lot of preparation and skill. Creating art is the same way!

 While I work, I concentrate on what is the best way  to achieve my goal. The creative process makes time and everything around me cease to exists. It is living in the moment!

More Reasons:

-       Without it I would be miserable. To me it is a method of survival .

-       Look back and see progress.

-       Is a talent and skill that I have worked for, and no one can take away!

-       Feeling of success and achievement when I get through.

-       Helps me look at things closer and connect.

-       It is a way for me put my thoughts, ideas, opinions, and feelings into a visual medium.

-       It is my idea of fun!

-       Because I can!

Thank you for taking time to read my post! Share your ideas with me if you like!

Debra Snyder Heard