Thursday, my drawing day for 1/2 hour, had me continuing on with Sorrow.
Today I made an important decision on how to move forward with this piece. Sorrow, for those that don’t know, is a drawing of a statue that shows all the characteristics of someone’s deep pain as they bow their face in pain and prayer. The statute is outside and exhibits signs of being exposed to all kinds of weather. There were two directions I could go with this drawing, 1) I imagined the statute as sandblasted (years of grit and grim that has accumulated wash away) and drawn as gleaming white, or 2) leave what I call “elements of character,” the marks of what she has endured over her lifetime.
The decision – draw the essence (to a point) that shows her fight with what life has thrown her way: sun, rain, snow and ice. But really though, don’t you agree that these marks show her strength and tells her story. Isn’t that the way life is for us, we wear the marks of our life – they define us and at times tell our story.
Sorrow will be showing her markings, characters of life – after all they are what brings us to feel the depth of her pain and sorrow. Today I used graphite pencils 4H, 2H, HB, B and 2B.
Sorrow #5
Oil Pastels by Mary 
I have to admit that I’m not entirely enjoying my marks of life, but they definitely accumulate.! Maybe I need to be sandblasted. 🙂 Thanks for the philosophical and artistic share! 🙂
So funny, sandblasting’s not for everyone you know! Thanks and happy to see you.
Ok, so I’m the only one scratching out little stones out of my wrinkles? 🙂 hmmm 🙂
Oh no, I love my marks of life – earned every wrinkle.
Great attitude. I didn’t earn all of mine, they just came unbidden. 🙂
Love to hear you thinking out loud with this Mary 🙂
Thanks Poppy!
Mary, what a treat it is to have a peek at a work in progress, i love the painstaking details.
and i agree that the textures of time on the stone will profoundly illustrate the concept of Sorrow.
Thanks very much and agree with you in leaving the textures – appreciate hearing your opinion.
Looking forward to next week’s reveal…
Thanks Elena!
I will eagerly be following your progress on this one Mary. It promises to be phenomenal.
Thanks Dorann!
this is so very very beautiful already and is going to be an incredible work of art! delicate and sensitive, yet strong as well! it’s my good fortune that i have good internet tonight while staying in town! yippee, may next thursday come pronto for your next installment! z
Thanks Lisa – I have to remind myself that there must be a flow with the fabric, even though it’s a statue, hope the hand doesn’t do me in. Good to hear that you have internet connection this evening – always the benefit of staying in town!
hey amiga
you will master the hand; with this particular study you are doing, i can all but visualize the finished piece, as if i’m there with you. it truly is a magical work of art.
i’ll be checking out of the hostal later today and (sniff) will go home, where for now i am without internet! hopefully i’ll get one more post in queue for the international women.. it will be another featuring the women of this old west cowboy town!
z
Hope you are able to post it! looking forward to seeing their lovely faces. Have a wonderful weekend!
Do you use ALL media for your work, Mary? – I don’t mean for any one, of course …
Hi M.R. thanks for your questions. I haven’t painted in oils, but have used watercolor, acrylics and gouache for underpaintings to the oil pastel pieces.
!!!!!
Well then, I await something in oils. It cannot POSSIBLY be less appealing/impressive than anything else you’ve shown us …
I absolutely agree, Mary, that she should show the signs of what life has thrown at her. Perfect and sandblasted just wouldn’t work with sorrow.
Thought so too Kerry – thanks!
So cool to watch this piece evolve Mary!
Thanks Rhonda!
Patina – the marks and wear patterns adding richness to ancient wood and stone. I remember how weird Westminster Abbey looked after the scaffolding was removed to reveal freshly tuck-pointed and blasted stone. The place look absolutely new, creating cognitive dissonance. Something was lost. Keep all the markings.
Thanks Craig – I agree and will keep some of the wear and tear on the statute.