A Suzi Class

Goddesses of Summer and Autumn

I don't think I ever posted these drawings completed a year ago here, but with the seasons in the midst of their mesmerizing tango, moving gracefully from summer to fall, now is as good a time as any, yes?

Last summer, I took a portrait drawing class online with Suzi Blu and it was nothing short of amazing for me. The class was called 'The Goddess and the Poet' and it reawakened something within that had long been silenced but had begun to scritch and scratch and niggle its way back into my awareness. Suzi's class came at the perfect time – I was ready to reopen a door that I'd shut many long years before but had little idea how to go about it. The urge to pick up pencils and draw once again had been pulling and tugging at me for awhile. I've always been fascinated with faces but felt that I lacked the skills to properly draw them.

I blogged about the class at the time. My grandmother had recently passed away and Suzi's class was just the kick in the pants I needed to get back to art-making. And poetry, too? Had the sky just opened and rained sparkly juju down uponst my dumbstruck self? How did Suzi know?? Hmm...

Suffice it to say that I loved it. I was drawing faces night and day. I was holding pencils in my hand and making marks on paper – and they weren't half bad. Wow.

In the photo above, the faces were drawn in a sketchbook, torn out and placed in a journal before embellishing with layers of color and texture.

A Suzi class is enlightening, thorough and just fun. You can find one at Suzi Blu's Les Petite Academy.

I'll leave you with another drawing (and a poem) from the class:

Gypsy Moon

she dances with Venus
under a dark Gypsy sky
&stars tumble

they spill from her lips––
sapphire offerings
glittering in dusty corners:

gather your dreams
 like lost children
from the far places

draw write paint

dance sing
  the magick of Self

weep

&laugh
     &remember...  

she turns, hums
floats on a whisper
  kisses the Gypsy Moon––
eclipses the Moon
&stars tumble

© Deborah Gilchrist

Summer of Love

It has been quite awhile since my last update. Sadly, my grandmother left us on June 19th, and it has taken some time to right myself again. I haven't been feeling all that creative until very recently. I did myself a huge favor and signed up for a 'Summer of Love' workshop with Suzi Blu. A class forces me to just do it. And a Suzi class is far too fun not to do it.

The workshop I'm taking is called "The Goddess and The Poet" and it's all about drawing faces with some stylized and some realistic elements. Faces with a spiritual essence that hopefully draws the viewer in, and then adding some embellishments and maybe some slightly surreal elements, and poetry. What's not to love? Above is a graphite drawing, my third, not yet finished. This week we're adding color and working in our Moleskine journals. Ohh, Moleskine – who knew? Well, apparently everyone but me. :) The Italian paper is gorgeous – buttery soft in both color and texture and loves Prismacolors (long my fave pencils). It's like a little slice of art heaven.

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In my absence, I've been honored to receive another blogger award – One Lovely Blog – from Catherine Witherell of Happy Day Art. Catherine is an amazing metal clay artist. Her jewelry is just stunning so when you visit her blog be sure to wander through her Etsy shop, as well. Thank you, Catherine! I now have ten awards to pass along... oh, I'm sooo behind. I am working on choosing, though – it's tough! Stay tuned...

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I miss my grandmother. Gram, if you're out there somewhere reading this, I just want you to know that I get it, now. ;) Thank you. Love you.

Keep dancing...




xx