Long time no post! I have a couple things I’m working on right now. This was an unexpected little piece, done (I hope) as a gift for a professor for a professor. This is the Chapel of the Macchabées, attached to the Cathédrale St.-Pierre in Geneva.
(desc. a colorful vaulted Gothic ceiling viewed from below.)
![First plein air painting of the new season! (Admittedly, I won’t be here for most of it, but at least I got one good painting out.) This was a remarkably non-frustrating piece.
[desc. watercolor of an old Ford truck and two tractors without cabs on a hill.]](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3z66fXOhY1ro3jnto1_500.jpg)
First plein air painting of the new season! (Admittedly, I won’t be here for most of it, but at least I got one good painting out.) This was a remarkably non-frustrating piece.
[desc. watercolor of an old Ford truck and two tractors without cabs on a hill.]
![And here is my most recent intensive watercolor! This is the Rue des Barres in Paris, where the workshop/studio program that I participated in July 2011 stayed for several stays.
[desc. watercolor looking up a street of medieval buildings with cafes at the ground level; one side of the street is shaded, the other lit. The outline is in green and the overall color scheme is cool.]](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3nplz0CP01ro3jnto1_500.jpg)
And here is my most recent intensive watercolor! This is the Rue des Barres in Paris, where the workshop/studio program that I participated in July 2011 stayed for several stays.
[desc. watercolor looking up a street of medieval buildings with cafes at the ground level; one side of the street is shaded, the other lit. The outline is in green and the overall color scheme is cool.]
![Aaaaand back to the watercolors and vibrant colors.
[desc. watercolor of a person lying on their back stretched over a pillow, head turned away, from a top right view.]](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3npezIxXK1ro3jnto1_500.jpg)
Aaaaand back to the watercolors and vibrant colors.
[desc. watercolor of a person lying on their back stretched over a pillow, head turned away, from a top right view.]
![I think this might be the nicest or at least one of the nicest drawings I’ve ever done in soft graphite. It is also the drawing that made me think I maybe need to get some hot press watercolor paper to draw on instead of all cold press … the texture is nice but it’s hard to get the detail I want.
[desc. graphite drawing of a person sitting on a stool, facing slightly to the side, and looking down to the front.]](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3npc1ncJX1ro3jnto1_500.jpg)
I think this might be the nicest or at least one of the nicest drawings I’ve ever done in soft graphite. It is also the drawing that made me think I maybe need to get some hot press watercolor paper to draw on instead of all cold press … the texture is nice but it’s hard to get the detail I want.
[desc. graphite drawing of a person sitting on a stool, facing slightly to the side, and looking down to the front.]
![At the end of May, I expect there will be a sharp decline in art from me for a few weeks, and then hopefully a picking-back-up … I am currently planning on doing an internship in Switzerland (!) for the summer months, so the picking-back-up likely will involve mountains, churches, castles, etc.
[desc. watercolor in warm tones of the back of someone sitting on a tall stool and looking to the side.]](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3np7eZj321ro3jnto1_500.jpg)
At the end of May, I expect there will be a sharp decline in art from me for a few weeks, and then hopefully a picking-back-up … I am currently planning on doing an internship in Switzerland (!) for the summer months, so the picking-back-up likely will involve mountains, churches, castles, etc.
[desc. watercolor in warm tones of the back of someone sitting on a tall stool and looking to the side.]
![Bit of an illustration dump coming up — I’ve largely been focusing on writing the last month or so, which, well… doesn’t leave as much time for drawing. Still, I go to life drawing every week, and the plein air season recently re-started (well, the “season” of the group I paint with never really ended because of the weirdly warm weather this year), so you should be seeing some more new art from me now.
[desc. watercolor in greens and grays of a person sitting in profile with one knee bent up and one arm resting on it, straight, blocking the view of the face.]](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3np1tmBFZ1ro3jnto1_500.jpg)
Bit of an illustration dump coming up — I’ve largely been focusing on writing the last month or so, which, well… doesn’t leave as much time for drawing. Still, I go to life drawing every week, and the plein air season recently re-started (well, the “season” of the group I paint with never really ended because of the weirdly warm weather this year), so you should be seeing some more new art from me now.
[desc. watercolor in greens and grays of a person sitting in profile with one knee bent up and one arm resting on it, straight, blocking the view of the face.]
![This is the Rose Theater in Omaha, built 1927, now mainly used for children’s productions.
[desc. watercolor of the left section of an ornamental theater proscenium. Many colors occur.]](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m1o40g9aTY1ro3jnto1_500.jpg)
This is the Rose Theater in Omaha, built 1927, now mainly used for children’s productions.
[desc. watercolor of the left section of an ornamental theater proscenium. Many colors occur.]
![This painting’s from back when I did “The Only Way Out Is Up” — it’s a dirt road cut up near Pisgah. I forget whether it was October or November, but it was a fantastically gorgeous day and place to paint.
[desc. watercolor painting looking up at the trunk of a tree bright with fall foliage sticking out from the side of a yellow bluff.]](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m1nxy6doXK1ro3jnto1_500.jpg)
This painting’s from back when I did “The Only Way Out Is Up” — it’s a dirt road cut up near Pisgah. I forget whether it was October or November, but it was a fantastically gorgeous day and place to paint.
[desc. watercolor painting looking up at the trunk of a tree bright with fall foliage sticking out from the side of a yellow bluff.]
![Fun times in life drawing!
In my head, I know that I should probably tone it down a bit and just practice the shading and proportions and not try to mess around with color at the same time.
In my heart, I get kind of discouraged doing the same thing every week.
So here we go!
[desc. a watercolor of a person sitting in profile done in green, blue, and purple, with a red background.]](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m1lx9qwmaf1ro3jnto1_500.jpg)
Fun times in life drawing!
In my head, I know that I should probably tone it down a bit and just practice the shading and proportions and not try to mess around with color at the same time.
In my heart, I get kind of discouraged doing the same thing every week.
So here we go!
[desc. a watercolor of a person sitting in profile done in green, blue, and purple, with a red background.]
My name is Sharon J. Gochenour, and I am a recent graduate from MIT, natural daylighting researcher, frequent baker, writer of fiction, design aficionado, and, most relevant to this blog, (budding) illustrator. Here you will find efforts to that effect.
My other blog, where I post process posts and other bits about my life, is here. You can also buy notecards and some linoleum prints there.
My Society6 page, where you can purchase prints of most of my other work, is here.
You now can like my work on Facebook too!
IMPORTANT NOTE: It's great if you reblog illustrations from me! However, if you do so, PLEASE LEAVE A CREDIT TO ME in the text portion of the post. Illustration is an important part of my income right now, and I deserve to get credit for what I've produced. Thanks!
