Think Big- Poem and the Illustration

Think Big

This is probably the first real example of a colored pencil sketch I did in the early part of this year.  The original drawing is 8 x 10 and is drawn on 300 series Strathmore Bristol Art Paper.  I used my Prismacolor colored pencils along with their pens for the details.  

This morning I decided to write a little poem for the piece that I call "Think Big".  It's still a bit rough but I was able to jot down the majority of my thoughts while enjoying my morning coffee.  Let me know what you think.  I would love to hear from you.

If you are interested in this original image, prints, cards or art magnets you will find more information on my website at Julie Townsend Studio along with all my other works.  

THINK BIG

What a cute little chap

Short, stubby and with your fine black cap

“What is it you have there?” 

It is quite big and you are so small in compare

I must ask again “What treasure have you found?”

It looks like a ball of string in red just lying on the ground

Forget the stick, twigs and grass

With that yarn your nest will be first class

Beaks will flap and feathers will ruffle

With this you’re sure to cause quite a scuffle

This will make you the talk of the flock

And your little Chickadee girl bird will be in shock

Sometimes in life you just have to forget the mundane

Go for the gusto even at the risk of being thought insane

It’s worth the effort to derive a plan

From the ground to your branch is quite a span

It will take some hard work and a great deal of thought

But the rewards in the long run will be worth the plot

My advice to you is to drop the twig

Go for the creative and just THINK BIG!

Just Paper and a Pencil

Well....there might be some ink involved and of course it's not just one pencil but rather a set of colored pencils but you get the idea.  I do love the freedom that colored pencils and a sketchbook affords me as an artist.  With very little effort you can enjoy creating a beautiful piece of art without hauling a suitcase full of supplies, easel and canvas around with you.  It affords you the ability to be discrete and yet at the same time i you can draw plenty of attention to yourself as an artist if you so choose.

I thought I would share a few of my most recent sketches that I have done in an effort to begin building a portfolio of such with the future goal of perhaps getting some illustration work or to have some of them perhaps licensed.  I know it is a stretch but you have to start somewhere and the research I have done so far says to take 3 to 6 months to build a portfolio of ideas before you start sending them out to potential clients.

These particular pieces are going to get framed this week and be on display for the First Friday event next week at City of the World Gallery in Downtown Las Vegas. I love the energy of First Friday and I'm really looking forward to seeing the response I receive from the public regarding my little drawings. You can be assured that I will be sharing in future blogs about that exact thing in the near future.

If you are in Las Vegas this next week, please consider stopping by and checking out the art.  City of the World is an amazing gallery full of many art styles and genre.  You are sure to find something to love.

Think Big

You Stole My Heart

Enjoy a Good Book

GO BIG!

Little Bird nest we found in our back yard 

Just recently my husband was doing some much needed yard work in our back yard.  This included the difficult task of trimming a rather large mesquite tree that we planted a few years back.  Mesquites are popular native desert tree but they can be a maintenance monster.  Complete with giant thorns and the tendency to grow such a thick canopy that they often become top heavy and are easily toppled by our frequent high winds.

He and his many chain saws played lumber jack and laid waste to the branches and very soon our back yard was covered with the handiwork of his labors.  It was there among the branches that he noticed a birds nest remarkably unharmed as it lay there covered in debris.  I thought this little nest would be a nice addition to our Christmas tree so I took it and laid it on the branches.

I took note of some of the materials that this unknown bird had worked so hard to gather and weave to create a home for her family.  There were leaves and twigs which would be expected as building material but I also found what appeared to be pieces of twine added to the collection.  It made me think about a scene in a movie that was a favorite that I would watch with my kids as they were small.  "Sarah Plain and Tall"  Actress, Glen Close while playing the main character of Sarah had just cut the hair of young Caleb and she gathers his hair and tosses it around the yard so the birds can make nests from his curls.  I too was the family barber and always remembered that scene when I would sweep my boys very beautiful blonde hair out into the yard.  I would think about what pretty nests the birds will soon have in my trees.

The twine in the nest made me think about if a bird might use a piece of colorful string for nesting material.  They probably wouldn't be attracted to red string as it might draw too much attention to their nest but I thought that using this idea would make a great subject for a new sketch that I wanted to share with you.

I drew a little chickadee that was busy gathering grass and twigs for a nest when he comes across a large ball of red string.  Often in life we are faced with decisions that may seem out of character and we often choose the safe route.  That is definitely a description of how I have most often made decisions.  I am an accountant after all.  As an artist though, I find myself in the same place as this little bird and I'm ready to start casting off the safe and predictable in 2016 and push myself to a new level with my art and this blog...I think it's time to  drop the twigs and grass and THINK BIG!

Think Big