Lily S. May–Life with Art
I've been enjoying working on a series of scratchboard drawings to go with writing I did a few years ago. I hit upon scratchboard drawings because they can bear some resemblance to lino and woodcuts which I love but gave up making because of repetitive strain from carving. I made the three papier mache masks… Continue reading Scratchboard and Masks
Last week while looking through the sketchbook in which I found the artwork for my previous post, I came upon a drawing I had forgotten. A few years ago I used the drawing as a starting point for an oil painting. The painting was, in its style, unlike other work I had done. In the painting,… Continue reading The Road
We are walking in a garden we are blind to though it bears our names. And the suffering, the suffering is great, but the unveiling of the heart is greater. © 2015 Lily S. May
Yesterday, while waiting in line for rush tickets at Koerner Hall in Toronto, I whiled away the hour by drawing. I used to take crossword or sudoku puzzles to places where I'd have to wait in line or for an appointment. Then it dawned on me that a small sketch book and pens would offer… Continue reading Among the Falling Leaves
Here's another, and quite different, ink drawing I found in a sketchbook last week as I was reviewing my art work. It's from 1988, signed under my birth name that I later changed. It looks to me like a science fiction image, with an emphasis on environmental degradation. Also, I was exploring body image and different parts… Continue reading Sci Fi
These days I seem even more engaged than before in reviewing my art work. I believe this is a life review of sorts since the work spans decades. This week I had a look at my old sketch books. The drawing in this post is a recent one from around 2011. I'm guessing that's the date because… Continue reading By Our Hearts
I've kept a few of my old sketchbooks. Here's an ink drawing I did in '87 that's in one of those books. I made it close to the same time as the paintings and drawings in my last post. A sketchbook can serve as a visual journal. This drawing of my then bedroom brings… Continue reading Open Sketchbook
When I was around 16, I made a pastel drawing of lilies of the valley in a ceramic bowl. I loved those flowers and was very happy with what I’d done. That drawing was saved, I don’t know by whom, and now hangs on the wall of one of my relatives. When I saw the… Continue reading Finding My Way
I no longer have any art work that I did between the age of three and my early twenties, other than one or two pieces that are now on relatives’ walls. I would love to see some of that lost work today. I have, however, kept a small sketchbook and index cards from the late… Continue reading Art and Intuition
In the night, I remembered that I had two other very early drawings I made as a child of around three years old. I located them on my second try—one of those cases where you know you’ve seen something, but wonder where you’ve put it. This time, my memory served me well. I don’t know… Continue reading Childhood Crayon Drawings
Arts of May 