In this chapter of Diary of a Stealth Sketcher I am honored to bring you an interview with guest artist Mary Ida Henrikson. I met Mary Ida Henrikson in 1970, when she was completing her MFA at Claremont Graduate University. After graduate school, she made her living on the ocean, on the pipeline, and in… Read more
I like a challenge. Recently I have been getting together with some fellow painters to work on portraits. We paint for 3 hours, and the challenge is always to finish before the last bell rings. After holding a pose under lights, the model is surely done, but are we? These portraits are teaching me to focus. … Read more
A skull can be a treasure for an artist. Skulls show us the intricate architecture of tooth and bone, the structures beneath skin and fur. They let us see how creatures live and die. We can use them to compare different species, and individuals within a species. To an artist whose work includes portraits, figures, or wildlife,… Read more
I designed this etching, No Refuge, No Sanctuary, in honor of my granddaughter, who just turned 20. It’s no secret that being female is risky. I tried to think of a place where a woman might never be blamed and abused for her womanhood. I couldn’t think of any. Nothing can shield a woman from the damages… Read more
Just as I was looking for what to create next, nature gave me a job. In an earlier post I wrote about searching through recent sketches for ideas. Then a juvenile robin hit my window. We use window decals to discourage birds from flying too near, but sometimes it happens. I was sad that I wasn’t… Read more