What is Home?

Home Sketch

  What is home? I am sure the answer to that question is as varied as the people on the earth. Many things play a part in what one thinks of when they hear the word "home".

  For me , the answer to that question has changed drastically in the past year. My growing-up years were essentially spent in one small town house. It was a home filled with family, and music, as both of my parents were music teachers. I can remember my Mother sitting down at the piano to play Claude Debussy's "Clair de Lune" before dinner, it was a favorite of hers. She also taught piano lessons, and my Dad loved all classical and jazz music, so the stereo was most often playing something.

 

My Mother's Piano

 



Then I got married. We moved a few times, but finally settled in a small town. We raised our two children in this home. I lovingly took care of the 1906 farmhouse that we bought through farm auction. It was originally built by my husband's great-grandfather as a wedding gift for his bride. I was proud to take care of this beautiful home, as I painted, sanded floors, redesigned and updated her. I am still proud of how much love I put into that place to make it a home.

1906 Farmhouse

 Exactly a year ago today, my husband asked me for a divorce. I moved away from his family home to create a home just for me. This is something I had never done before. What I have discovered in this process, is that home is not a certain place, it can be anywhere. I now live in a 500 square foot studio apartment. It is my home. Home for me only needs a few things; at least one comfortable chair to read in, an outdoor chair to drink a cup of tea, a few flowers in a pot or vase, and of course, it must have music to fill my soul.

 My Patio Space

 

 

Seat and Shelter

After researching Baroque architecture, and creating abstract forms, it was time to create something new from these abstractions. I did a seat and shelter structure.Above are the drafted drawings of my structure, and the materials I envisioned using. I incorporated the visual texture in the stained concrete, and textured canvas of the awning.Here is the model I made to a 1'0"=1" scale.

Finally, I also drafted a plan view, and did a rendered sketch of my model.The photos on this poster are taken at 9am, noon, and 4pm to show the progression of the sun on the shelter. If I were to build this, I would shift the orientation, so that the shade would be over the seat.

The Spiritual Curve

 The Spiritual Curve is a metaphor I came up with to represent the curved line found in Baroque architecture and the religious nature of the time period. The title also has meaning to me personally, as I have been on a new journey myself.
 The inspiration came from the architect Jules Mansart, who designed for King Louis XIV. Mansart designed the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versaille, and other Baroque structures. I then found a natural inspiration that in some way represented this time period. I chose a Florida coneshell. I felt this represented the curved line, visual texture, radial balance and rhythm through repetition that I was seeing In My Barouque Time Period.
 I then did realistic drawings of the shell, and small thumbnail sketches of it's parts and elements. From there I abstracted the elements and principles of design and sketched thumbnails of my abstractions.After the 2 dimensional drawings were complete, I then took these to 3 dimensions, by making small informal study models.
 Finally, through the process of hard work and editing, I came up with  a final abstract model.See it here

Morrill Hall

A 2 point exterior sketch I did of Morrill Hall. Again, this is on the campus of WSU. I would like to improve my skills in this type of sketch, as this one is a little bit skewed. I am improving my skills in sketching trees and bushes, so I know I will improve in these perspective sketches too. The thing I do like about this sketch is the use of value achieved in the graphite.

2 Point Perspective

This is my first 2 point perspective. I did a corner in my little apartment. While I like the range of value I achieved in this sketch, I wish I would have used a little more white. These windows are one of the reasons I rented this space, I just adore all the light they bring into my tiny place!

College Hall Sketch

This is College Hall on the campus of WSU. I love the buildings on this campus, many of them are this old style of architecture, and have such great detail.It makes for a challenging perspective sketch, but it is a fun challenge for me. I see in this work that I would like to improve upon my sketching of plant materials, and the perspective is a little off. I guess i need to pay more attention to these things while I am sketching.

A Favorite Way to Sketch

Take a nice warm summer evening, or afternoon, add a glass of wine, a good friend, and a sketch, and you have my recipe for a very enjoyable time! For this sketch, I did one study in graphite, and another in ink using a hatching technique for the shading. Combining the elements of shading and perspective drawing proved to be easier than i thought it might be, maybe it was the wine!