30-Faces; Day 30 (a bit early just for Paul!)

"Mr. Wonderful"

pencil on sketchpad

This is my husband, Paul. I think it's a pretty good sketch of him. He asked me if I was going to sketch him during this 30-day challenge. At first I wasn't sure...then it dawned on me; I was afraid I wouldn't capture him truly. I realized I had to try...I'm glad I did! He is blind in his left eye...and I'm always joking with him about 'faking it', I didn't realize just how different it appeared until I looked closely at it recently, and that is why it appears unfinished here.

Paul is the very best of me! This is the man that helped me see that unconditional love does exist. He showed me how to see without my eyes. He reminds me that God created us for relationship. He reminds me that I am exactly where I am supposed to be...for such a time as this. He is...well let me tell it through ee cummings:

i carry your heart with me

(i carry it in my heart)

i am never without it

(anywhere i go you go, my dear;

and whatever is done by only me

is your doing, my darling)

i fearno fate

(for you are my fate, my sweet)

i want no world

(for beautiful you are my world, my true)

and it's you are whatever a moon

has always meant

and whatever a sun

will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret

nobody knows

(here is the root of the root

and the bud of the bud

and the sky of the sky

of a tree called life;

which grows higher

than soul can hope

or mind can hide)

and this is the wonder

that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart

(i carry it in my heart)

This has been an incredible challenge and I am so glad to have taken part in it. I look forwark to continuing this venue at a more relaxed pace. Thanks OnionBoy for hosting!

30-Faces; Day 29

"Tim"

pencil in sketchbook

Another good friend and game-night opponent!

The picture below is photoshopped with several techniques to see what happened.

30-Faces; Day 28

"Mia-Kate"

pencil on sketchpad

This is my Pastor's other daughter. She is a total sweetie and I cherish time with her while she is this young and still lets you play with her.

30-Faces; Day 27

"Josh"

pencil on sketchpad

This is my nephew. I don't get to see him much as he lives on the east coast. He is a gifted 'artist' in his own right. He plays drums and has since he was a young child. This picture was from a dad/son trip my brother took Josh on this summer to Colorado Springs where my brother used to live.

It's amazing how much Josh is growing up. He is 18 now and will soon be on his own.

30-Faces; Day 26

"Cindy"

Pencil on sketchpad.

This is the friend I have known the longest. It doesn't capture her completely, and my husband had no idea who it was when I showed him the sketch. It's from a year old photo, but she hasn't changed that much... Silly husband!

30-Faces; Day 25

"Tam"

pencil on sketchpad

This is a picture of one of my newest dear friends...who is actually a 'blog friend'. She helps me stay centered on Christ and trust what God has placed within me...as I travel this journey.

The picture below is 'photo-shopped' with posterization, outlines and one other effect which I don't recall. I love playing with photo-shop as I learn to use it.

30-Faces; Day 24

"Tree"

Pencil on sketchpad and 'photo-shopped' below.

This is a picture of one of my sister-in-law's. I am crazy about this woman! She is and has been one of my greatest cheerleaders in life. She has this incredible spirit and soul. She has taken her pain and her life experience and applied it to a heart full of love and come out this soulful, wonderful person!

30-Faces, Day 23

"Rick"

Pen on sketchpad

30-Faces; Day 22 (a bit early)

"One of the JOYS of my life"

pencil on sketchpad, unretouched

I did a couple of effects on this picture as I obviously had quite a bit of free time tonight. I did a 'film wrap' effect and a cut out effect.

This young lady is truly one of my greatest joys. She is life unedited, unscripted, untethered. She is energy. She is truth. She is light. She is straight from heaven!

30-Faces; Day 21

"SJ"

Pencil on sketchpad, unretouched.

This is my MIL and I think it truly captures her essence.

30-Faces, Day 20

Seree'

Marker on sketchpad

This is a 'plastic wrap' effect in photoshop.

This is a picture of my niece from a couple of years ago. I applied a pop-art/Nagel look to it for fun. Her favorite color is blue, so this is... "Seree in Blue"

30-Faces; Day 19

"Bob"

Pencil on sketchpad

Postarized...my favorite effect.

This is a friend from my past. He was also my husband 'best-man' at our wedding. We have since lost touch...this picture reminds me to cherish friendship AND that life is full of seasons...friends come and go.

30-Faces; Day 18

"Butch...now"

Pencil on sketchpad

This is the same man I sketched a few days back for my co-worker. This is him after the effects of alcoholism for about 5 years. It is a bittersweet sketch because it brings memories of the pain my friend/co-worker has endured over these past 5 years.

30-Faces; Day 17

"Blake"

Pencil sketch then 'photo-shopped' with hard edges

Below is the 'postarized' version of the same drawing.

Blake is my youngest nephew and this picture reminds me of how much he has grown up. I took this picture one day when he was making a goofy face.

He is being forced to grow up too fast as his family is in crisis-mode right now, so I look at this picture and travel back to happier days for Blake and I hope and pray for happier days in his future!

30-Faces, Day 16

"Michelle"

Pencil on sketchpad

This is my sister on my wedding day in 1998. I remember this picture and the hours leading up to it. This one holds as much memory as the picture of Grandma. What strikes me the most about this picture is my sister and I had gone to a questionable salon to have our hair done and at 12:00 our hair was literally standing on end as it was sprayed and tucked...and the wedding was set for 2:15 pm. Scary!!! We still laugh about how we took the pins out of our hair and it stayed exactly as it was for hours.

Good memories...

30-Faces; Day 15

"Pastor's Daughter: age 4 Going on 22"

Pencil, sketchpad/unretouched

This young lady is an absolute breath of fresh air...every time I see her I am greeted with enthusiasm unrivaled. Whether I've seen her an hour ago or 2 weeks ago...she exudes warmth, spirit and an incredible zest for life! She is also an artist and we have painted and colored together. She has quite an eye.

30-Faces; Day 14

"Grandma"

Pencil/sketchpad, unretouched

This is the last picture I have of my grandma on my Dad's side. I hadn't been to see her in years as I was busy 'living life'. I now realize with such regret how much I missed those last years.

She had already lost her sparkle in this picture. She was quite a woman in her peak. Our favorite thing to do together when I'd spend the summer with her, was to go get a Dairy Queen Slush...I'd get orange, she'd get grape. Then we'd go to the laundromat and I'd help her do the weekly wash and we'd take it back to her house to hang on the 'line'.

This picture really evoked the most memory for me so far. It's bittersweet and I hestitated to even post it because it lacks her true spirit.

30-Faces; Day 13

"Ainsley"

Pencil on sketchpad, unretouched

30-Faces; Day 12

"Self-Portrait Age-11"

Charcoal/Pencil - Unretouched

30-Faces; Day 11

"Ginger; Portrait of a Best Friend"
Crayon and Pencil on Sketchpad (unretouched)

(Postarized and 'equalized' effect)

30-Faces; Day 10

"Lito"

Pencil on Sketchpad (unretouched)

30-Faces; Day 9

"Butch"

Pencil on sketchpad, unretouched

I was on break the other day (at my paying job) and a few coworkers came in and saw me 'sketching' and said, "I didn't know you were an ARTIST!" I looked at them as if they had 3 eyes and said, "You know there are many FORMS of art. I am a writer, a poet, a painter, a stained glass artist, jeweler, etc."

I should have never said anything, but my poor ego was a bit bruised. So...one coworker asked if I would 'sketch' her husband from an old photo (Okay...God, I get it...it's NOT about me!).

I've only met Butch once but this photo she brought me looks nothing like the man I met. He is an alcohol who is dying. I would like to get a current picture and sketch it, but don't want to offend her. I brought her this 'rough sketch' today and she loves it and is going to hang it up for her husband. Hopefully it won't be too painful to remember the not so distant past.

I really like the look of Charcoal better than pencil, but I like the non-smearing of pencil (I am left handed and really struggle with smearing). Is there an in-between pencil/charcoal? I think I use too much pressure for pastels.

30-Faces; Day 8

"Dave"

Pencil on sketchpad, unretouched

Dave is a glimpse of my past. He was my bartender at my home away from home; The Point, Fells Point, Maryland. I would go there a few times a week, typically, put a little Patsy Cline on the jukebox and croon and visit with Dave and friends.

The whole experience was very 'Cheers-esque' and when I moved from Baltimore, Dave gave me "My" wineglass. The one I always drank from. It has since broken (I think) and I have outgrown this time of my life...but what wonderful memories it evokes. Dave was one of my best 'girlfriends'.

He came to visit Paul and I when we lived in Albuquerque and it was as though he was still living in that time...very surreal and somewhat sad. I wonder where he is now...

30-Faces; Day 7

"Uncle Mike"

#2 Pencil on Sketchpad, unretouched

This was taken at my husband's Uncle Mike's wedding reception in L.A. in 1999. What I love most about this picture is Uncle Mike is the most low-key, easy-going kind of guy yet he looks so perturbed in this photo. My husband went up during a dance and this is the expression that was photographed.

30 Faces; day 6

"Victoria"

Charcoal on sketchpad, unretouched

Postarized in Microsoft Editor

I've always loved the "postarized effect" with photos and am also enjoying it with drawings/sketches. It makes sense as I love the Andy Warhol Postarized artwork.

30-Faces; Day 5

"Pastorman"

Watercolor and Ink inside sermon notes

(lightened slightly in photo-editor)

30-Faces; Day 4

"Mom" (1957)

Charcoal unretouched

30-Face; Day 3

Michael: Seminary Graduation Photo

"Jesus Freak"

Crayola Crayons: Unretouched

Increased Brightness and Contrast

30-Faces; Day 2

Dad in 1958

Day 2: Sharpee Fine-Point Unretouched

30-Faces, Day 1

Joe Lee

Unretouched Original Drawing

High Contrast Posterization of drawing #1