Carla Sonheim

an artist, teacher, and friend, has a new and already best-selling book out called

Drawing Lab For Mixed Media Artists:

52 Creative Exercises to Make Drawing Fun

This book is third in a series by Quarry Books (the first two by Tracy Bunkers and Bee Shay), and it is FABULOUS!!! Not because I have a few pieces in it, which makes me and my family very happy, but because it is unique in a world of books about drawing, and I believe it to be the perfect starter book for anyone who wants to draw. I have always held the opinion that drawing is a learned skill, and is accessible to anyone who wants to take the time to do it. This book is your chance to prove it.

Here is something I did, a combination of exercises from the book. Michelle was a flight attendant on the United flight I took last week to Canada. I drew her on the barf bag, since even though the plane was small and bucketing over the Rockies, I did not need to use for its intended purpose. Later I copied her 14 times and changed her only with the watercolors. It was fun to change her ethnicity and attitude, but surprisingly I liked the first drawing best.

There are a few of my pieces in the book too. One of them is a family venture, and I ended up looking like someone’s matronly grandmother. Thank you to Sydney for that. There are others, including the pieces here. You will have to hunt for them in the book when you buy it, or you can leave a comment here to be entered into a drawing to

Win a free book!

So, it is up to you. Leave a comment for a free chance on the book.

I will be drawing names July 19, so you have almost a week to admire this post and decide what pithy thing you would like to say. Here is the bonus round. Carla will sign the book and include some surprise goodies from her studio. Lucky, lucky YOU.

Love and hugs to you Carla, and congratulations on a job well done!

©2010 Jill Berry Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Yesterday I waded through old portfolios and found drawings I had done, and actually took the time to ponder and enjoy them. One of my new proposals is a class called “Face the Facts”, which is about the “math” of making portraits. The average face is five eyes wide, did you know that? If you know the rules, it is far easier to draw faces than without these basics in your arsenal. Here are some of my faces.

The two in oils, bottom right and top left, are one hour portraits I did for a year with my very talented friend, Linda Churchill. We had our friends come over for happy hour, then sit for one hour while we painted their mugs. I present to you here Jan and Betty. The sleeping woman’s name I don’t remember, and the little cutie is my girl Sydney, when she was 11 months old, wearing her yellow flowered bathing suit with a stick-out skirt and matching floppy hat. She was a ripe peach of a girl, round and pink. I love this picture of her chubby cheeks.

There are about 20 rules I have learned about faces, and will share if I get to do this class anywhere. Hope so.

Off to see hubby’s band tonight with a room full of friends, then dive into the book tomorrow. My kids are at camp, it is weirdly quiet here and I am not used to that at all. Tomorrow I will work on my book and preparing for my class in Canada, which is going to be an aesthetically wonderful week. Join me!

©2010 Jill Berry Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Today I am praying for my friend Deandra, who is at the end of her journey with ovarian cancer. I am praying for grace to bless her and hold her, and her husband Luke, and her large and loving family. She told me once that she felt like the luckiest of cancer patients because of her family: she told me she was never, ever alone during the three years of treatments she has endured. Deandra is 30 years old. Far too young to have suffered what she has, but she has done it with aplomb. Deandra is a “shero” of the battle against ovarian cancer. She has been a force to be reckoned with, and if I were God, I would expect to hear a few suggestions from her when she reaches the heavenly domain.

I also am thinking of Judy Wise, my friend and fellow teacher, who is on a very interesting and challenging journey, learning a new way with her physical self, and likely, spiritual self.  Judy has had a long and interesting life, and has a similar manner to Deandra. Both are positive, energetic and hopeful people.

This is a poem by Wendell Berry, that is new, and speaks to the issues that occupy my mind today. It reminds me of Judy, and I offer it to her today for healing.

I know I am getting old and I say so,
but I don’t think of myself as an old man.
I think of myself as a young man
with unforeseen debilities. Time is neither
young or old, but simply new, always
counting, the only apocalypse. And the clouds
—no mere measure or geometry, no cubism,
can account for clouds, or satisfactorily, for bodies.
There is no science for this, or art either.
Even the old body is new—who has known it
before?—and no sooner new than gone, to be
replaced by a body yet older and again new.
The clouds are rarely absent from our sky
in this humid valley, and there is a sycamore
that I watch as, growing on the riverbank,
It forecloses the horizon, like the years
of an old man. And you, who are as old
almost, as I am, I love as I loved you
young, except that, old, I am astonished
at such a possibility, and am duly grateful.

Wendell Berry

©2010 Jill Berry Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Last week I had a very last minute change of plans, which has historically been not a situation that brings out the best in me, control issues and all. This time I decided to take care of myself, lose the stress and turn the day into something even better than it would have been. And guess what? It worked.

That day I ended up at the beach with my new gal pal, Melanie Testa. You all probably know her, but if you don’t, head on over to her blog. She is a writer, a quilter, and a journaler, so we were a great combo on the beach, sitting in the bottom of a life guard stand drawing in our journals. We have a similar take on lots of things, and never ran out of things to chat about. After hanging out there in our play house, we took a long sunny walk along the James River pier, and talked to the folks that were fishing there. One kind crab guy gave us the entire run down on the life cycle of blue crabs, something I knew nothing about. I learned a lot, I laughed a lot and it was the perfect slow arty interesting day. It was like miso soup: will cure anything that ails you. So there it is. When plans blow up in your face, head to the beach with Melly and draw. I recommend it.

Any of you who have taken my journaling classes will see the techniques here: attending to the day, the surroundings, making it simple. I did all of the drawing at the beach, and penciled in the words. Later, out of the sun, I finished the text and added contour lines, and a the diagram of the pier. This is how I journal most of the time. The advantages are: no preparation of pages, super simple supply list (two pens and a pencil, plus my journal), finishing with three colors of Pitt markers. Voila! Can’t be much easier than that, and I needed easy.

It was a day of good medicine, and one of the very few days of no plans I have had in ages. Even took a nap. Made a friend too, which was the bonus round. Get to it!

©2010 Jill Berry Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Beautiful is the word on this pendant, that arrived in the mail to me on Friday, along with a beautiful card.

Beautiful is when this kind of thing happens at just the right, and unexpected time.

Beautiful is the heart of someone who would do this for someone they hardly know, because their heart moves them to do so.

Beautiful is the community of people who believe that kindness makes a difference, and practice that belief.

Beautiful is that this pendant has a “k” on it, which is my middle initial, and one of my favorite letters.

Beautiful is the grace, style, and translucent magic of this piece.

Beautiful is that I get to keep this necklace, and this experience, forever.

©2010 Jill Berry Blog. All Rights Reserved.

In mid-December my friend Deedee had her annual women’s dress up ornament exchange party. 40 fabulous women in a room with trading, champagne, food, and lots of shenanigans is my kind of evening. I laughed, a lot.

Have to say I went there with a mission, to get the ornament Deedee herself made. One has to make choices all evening in a trading session like this, between am I stubborn as a goat or generous enough to let this go?  Mostly I was stubborn and I got the goods.It is a hybrid Barbie Bird. Who wouldn’t want that???

These women come mostly from Estes Park, Colorado, where Deedee lives in her cozy arty house in the woods. Entering the door, you step into a room full of coats, pass a room full of art and packages, skip by the kitchen into this room, filled to the brim with giggling girls. Everyone is dressed to the nines. Paparazzi should be lined up outside. The air is full of cheer, smoked salmon, dark chocolate and laughter.

I wore a church hat, a long wool skirt, my Nana’s lambskin collar and pearls. Dishy.

It was an joyous, yummy, all-about-the-holidays evening. The kind of time that sits with you inside a long time, and the kind you pencil in on your calendar for the next year, and start looking forward to as  soon as it ends.

Better start planning the outfit now.

©2010 Jill Berry Blog. All Rights Reserved.

I am overwhelmed by the beauty of Ann’s life, and the beauty of this tribute. I imagine Andrew out there on the sand, carving this name that means so much to so many of us. Ann came into my life at a pivotal stage for both of us, and we had a lovely series of exchanges. She is a person who leaves a huge hole, one that cannot be filled by anything but the memories she leaves for us, and for her family.

This is a time I am envious of everyone who is comfortable with the cycle of life. I am not one of those people. It makes me sad and angry that it does not make sense. I have another friend who is dealing with ovarian cancer, who is newly married and 29 years old. Her name is Deandra, and she is a beautiful young woman who should not be dealing with cancer. Cancer just plain sucks.

Today I will light a candle for Ann, and again on her birthday, and one for Deandra. And I will think of Andrew and his writing on the beautiful beaches, that beautiful name.

©2010 Jill Berry Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Or this;

Paul then went to my kids school, and showed 60 little darlings how to make a pop-up book. He laughed at their questions, “Can I have it? Will you make me one?, How old are your kids?” In the UK he said the questions go directly to “How much does it cost?”. At dinner we discussed the cultural differences of Americans and Brits. It is Paul’s opinion that Americans are still exploring, themselves and what is around them, while the Brits are content to believe they have already found whatever this life has to offer. And they found it long ago, in the time of the Saxons. Maybe so, but that does not explain what you are about to see. Enjoy.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3qvJgY9XQI[/youtube]

©2010 Jill Berry Blog. All Rights Reserved.

I also love the rest of what is going on here. This is the first real computer obsession I have had in a while, and I have seen and read such enriching things it was time well spent. Kind of like a digital spa day.

Oh, and those of you who may think this ornament is a little over the top, you are right! I made the first one for my mother, who thinks it is just right. On the more serious side, the last paragraph of Obama’s acceptance speech is wrapped around the outside of the tin. 

My offering period will end on Feb 11 at midnight, and I will use the random number generator to pick the winner on Feb 12, hopefully getting it out in the mail the next day. Thanks to all of you, your wonderful thoughts and notes and I hope we keep in touch!

©2010 Jill Berry Blog. All Rights Reserved.

It is a watch tin tunnel book ornament about 3″ in diameter. I am running out of time, it is late and I barely made it! Check out all the other participants, there are hundreds! You need to leave a comment if you are interested in Obamangel! The winner will be announced on February 12th.

This is pretty exciting, I hope to meet lots of you!

©2010 Jill Berry Blog. All Rights Reserved.