Thursday, September 17, 2009

Coming into focus

Rose
colored pencil on paper
4.5 x 6.5 inches
©Ann Thompson Nemcosky

This is a drawing that I began quite a while ago, before I got sidetracked with things like making a planner and experimenting with combining watercolor crayons and colored pencil. All good stuff but sometimes I feel I am making little progress moving forward, just jumping around from one idea to another without direction. I do have a lot of ideas for works I would like to do. I just seem to be having trouble settling into one train of thought in order to explore each idea fully. I began this year with the concept of "focus" and that seems to be exactly what I am lacking these days. When I returned to this drawing determined to finish it up I was reminded of Georgia O'Keeffe and her flowers and what she had to say about looking, really looking at a flower. Having focus, if only briefly.

"When you take a flower in your hand and really look at it, it's your world for the moment.
I want to give that world to someone else.
Most people in the city rush around so, they have no time to look at a flower.
I want them to see it whether they want to or not."
-Georgia O'Keeffe

19 comments:

Shirley said...

WOW!!!

Teresa said...

A beautiful flower! I can relate on the jumping around thing... I love to experiment (a more scientific name for jumping around) so I could use some focus too!

Love the O'Keefe quote!

nanke's stuff said...

This rose is so beautiful! I just love all the subtle color changes in it. nancy

Rose Welty said...

Lots of great movement here Ann, without disturbing the peace - well done!

Alex said...

Another fantastic one! My mom's a rose lover, so I like the flower because my mom loves it too. But I don't just love this one because it's a rose, it's because it really doesn't looking a drawing at all as it's as realistic as a flower can be. Ann this is truly another piece that's out of this world, and I hope you fetch a huge amount for it :)

Spinneretta said...

It's beautiful :) I just noticed your planner... I was about to check it out :)

Anonymous said...

How wonderfully tactile your petals are, especially at blossom's center. My first job was in a florist (age 14), where I had the task of stripping the thorns from the rose stems. I look at this and feel the bloom. Lovely.

Jennifer Rose said...

that is gorgeous!! love the colours and it looks so soft :D

Unknown said...

This is so beautiful, Ann! And it does remind me of Georgia O'Keeffe, who I am distantly related to btw! Distantly.

Carol said...

So beautiful. I just love the colors you used.

Karen said...

This rose is really beautiful. It looks so real. Having looked at some of the other flowers you have done, I would say you must love flowers, because they are all done beautifully!

Lynn said...

Wow, that just took my breath away! The subtle variations in the colors are wonderful.

Leslie Hawes said...

Even jumping from flower to flower in a cutting garden will eventually result is a beautiful bouquet! You are focused.
Gorgeous Rose!!

matlowe said...

Sounds like good advice, and I see the rose. Georgia would have been pleased I think.

Sherry Pierce Thurner said...

I can almost smell this glowing rose.

Kelly said...

...stunning........I love your drawing of the rose...the shading is so subtle. I like the quote you chose as well.

Ann said...

Thanks everyone! I do appreciate all of your encouraging comments :-)

Sandy said...

I agree W-O-W fabulous!!!

Krista Meister said...

Ann, this is indeed FABULOUS, to borrow others' words. You have such a beautiful talent with pencil.

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