Collaborating part 2

The thing I like about collaborating is that there is a place to start from, instead of facing the empty white sheet of paper.

©O'Brien & Marx, Round & Round, silkscreen, colored pencils, petals, 17x14", $500. unframed

In this one, I drew a bit on Lesley's bees, and surrounded them with drawn circles and honey comb. I tore out a section at the upper left then glued the whole piece over a drawing I had started. Embellished with Hydrangea and Forget-Me-Not flowers.

Spring, Eagle, East

Years ago I learned from my spiritual teacher, Grandfather Wallace Black Elk, about correspondences between the seasons, the direction and the animal who guards that season and direction. East is the direction we face in the Spring, with Eagle flying guard. There are other correspondences like the color yellow, the time of rebirth, and the time of youth. This drawing of an eagle feather was done in 1985, and it was the inspiration that called me back to drawing at the beginning of this year.

©Kathleen O'Brien, Helpers, drawing, 17x14"

There is something so soothing about rendering beloved objects as observed, and also laying out the design from imagination. This was done on smooth Bristol paper that allows for subtle shading. I think this might have been the first time I drew cascading ribbons, symbolic of descending energy, that appears in almost everything I draw now. That rainbow has stuck with me all this time, and long before. Do you recognize the artists who I like to imagine looking over my shoulder?

This will be in the exhibit Birds of a Feather, NFS - I framed this one for myself, but want to share it for the merry month of May with you at Rezny Gallery.

coming soon, Birds of a Feather

In preparation for our show, birds of a feather, Lesley sent me a few of her prints for me to draw on. It's been a fun challenge to draw off her inspiration. The texture provided by the ink has such a different and enjoyable quality for taking pencil marks. She is staying over from Nashville to demonstrate how to make a mono-print at the gallery the day after our reception (see below for details) and visitors can make a print. I wanted to have some samples to show people who return to the gallery to draw with my pencils on two May Saturdays. This piece drawn on silkscreen turned out to be the one we're using for our postcard invitation.

©O'Brien & Patterson-Marx, Birds of a Feather, drawing and collage, mica on silkscreen, 18x14"

Birds of a Feather

works on paper and found object sculptures

Kathleen O’Brien & Lesley Patterson-Marx

May 2-31, 2014

Reception May 9, 4-7 pm

 ask about on site Mother’s Day weekend specials...

MS Rezny Studio/Gallery

903 Manchester Street, Lexington KY 40508

msrezny.com                  859 292 4647

Monoprint demonstration with

Lesley Patterson-Marx on May 10, 12:30-3.

Make a print to bring back and draw on with

Kathleen O’Brien on May 17 or 24, 12:30-3. 

Sun Worship, a drawing

Will this winter ever end? I tell my students, "Consider the power of art." If you need light, get out your yellows and make a sun.

©Kathleen O'Brien, Sun Worship, drawing on Twinrocker Linen paper, 20 x 15"

Year of the Pencil

When I asked myself what I really want to do this year, art wise, it is to draw. When I count up my colored pencils it comes to 694. This doesn't count the graphite ones. I almost HAVE to draw.

©Kathleen O'Brien, a bunch of pencils & a waterbrush

Then my dear spouse disobeyed me and got me the Cadillac of the pencil world, Caran d'Ache Luminance for Christmas. The direction was cinched. In large part that was the impetus behind going to Twinrocker Hand Made Paper to get the best paper available in the USA.

©Kathleen O'Brien, Caran d'Ache Luminance colored pencils

I want to say a few words about my experience with different pencils.  For years my favored choice was Prismacolor. They still are in many regards except for the pesky tendency for the points to break upon sharpening. They are soft, waxy and blend easily. The Art Stix are great for covering large areas quickly.

I like to use Faber-Castell Polychromos when I need to keep a sharp line, as they are harder. One nice consistency between the 2 is the shaft is round. This helps to differentiate between them and the watercolor pencils, which are hexagonal. The Faber-Castell Albrecht Durer watercolor pencils are very vibrant. It is exciting to activate them with a water brush. 

These new Caran d'Ache Luminance are really wonderful to use, even over other colored pencils. They have the highest rating on the market for light fastness. I also recommend Caran d'Ache Supracolor II Soft Water-soluble pencils and their Neo-Color II Water-soluble Crayons.

Please tell me about what favorite pencils you like to use. Must go draw now....