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SInce February is Black History Month, I will attempt to make ATCs that show respect for images and music made by Black artists. This will be a month of learning, and I will be sharing many URLs. I will not be using the list of prompts that I used in January.
I DID purchase Task Cards to Celebrate Black Artists from the TeachersPayTeachers.com website. The author has a YouTube channel: Dawn of Joy Art Studio. From those task cards, I followed links to images by Jacob Lawrence,
Ndikhokhele Bawo
Ndikhokhele Bawo
Today I found the link to a video that I saved some time ago. The Instagram posting that I first saw showed Lil Eliana singing Ndikhokhele Bawo, with the adults singing backup. It is SO beautiful! When I found the original link, I did some searching and found a newer, longer video on You Tube. Once again, I took some screenshots, blending various layers, and produced this drawing that gives me great great joy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSnGZaRjXWQ
Ndikhokhele Bawo Hybrid
Ndikhokhele Bawo Hybrid
This "hybrid" version of the card is for my personal collection. The digital image was printed and I added a layer of color over and around Eliana.
(I wish I could draw faces well enough to capture this lovely little girl's face. This would be a great hybrid to share if I could "do" faces well.)
This particular ATC just makes me happy.
Happy Black History Month!
It IS Prettier without the URL...
It IS Prettier without the URL...
Sometimes my concern over "giving CREDIT to the source" overrides my common sense.
This card is SO much prettier without that URL!
Inspired by Alma Thompson A
Inspired by Alma Thompson A
Acrylic on heavy black watercolor paper.
Similar to my "meditation circles," but so much more colorful!
TRADED
Inspired by Alma Thompson B
Inspired by Alma Thompson B
There was paint leftover, so I made a second, quicker card.
Inspired by Michael Cummings
Inspired by Michael Cummings
https://www.pbs.org/articles/black-quilters-historians-and-memory-keepers
Inspired by the video linked above.
Second Try....
Inspired by
Jacob Lawrence
Angel A
Inspired by
Jacob Lawrence
Angel A
It took me four tries to get an ATC that I thought was good enough....
https://www.singulart.com/blog/en/2023/11/20/jacob-lawrence-famous-paintings/
TRADED
Inspired by
Jacob Lawrence
Angel B
Inspired by
Jacob Lawrence
Angel B
I really love the concept and the technique for these little "angel cards." I will be making more for trading.
Inspired by
Jacob Lawrence
Angel C
Inspired by
Jacob Lawrence
Angel C
I used a different background on the third angel. It is 14-count aida embroidery cloth, painted with acrylic paint. I like the contrast.
African Fabric
African Fabric
My daughter lived in Africa for several years. I had read about the lovely hand-printed or hand-dyed fabrics that were once made there, so asked her to bring me a bit of FABRIC when she came home. I was surprised that the fabric came in two separate pieces. She told me that was the only way it could be purchased.: as a set of two different lengths. The larger piece was for the dress, and the smaller piece was for the head!
There are imperfections in my stitching, but I still love these little ladies. I looked up "Traditional African Names" to give a name to each ATC.
I was disappointed when I attempted to photograph this particular set of cards. The colors and textures of fabric are hard for a non-professional to photograph well. Amina and Binta are much more charming "in person." Later in the day I quickly made a third card. Chiamaka is mixed media. She is mounted on painted canvas. Her body is mulberry paper. Her dress and head wrapping is fabric. I used matte medium to apply the pieces to the canvas.
Amina
Amina
(Swahili, East Africa): Trustworthy, faithful.
Binta
Binta
(Igbo, Nigeria): God is beautiful.
Chiamaka
Chiamaka
(Igbo, Nigeria): God is beautiful.
Kente Fail
Kente Fail
I thought I could do some simple kente cloth patterns using fine-gauge plastic needlepoint canvas and yarn. It too me FAR to long to make this poor little piece.
I learned a lot in this attempt: 1. Weaving can not really be done with a needlepoint base. 2. Wool was not the appropriate yarn. I should have tried cotton. 3. This took FAR too long for an ATC... especially for a BAD ATC....
Inspired by Nick Cave
Inspired by Nick Cave
... and also some traditional West African ceremonial costumes....
I love the concept of this little card... but the technique still needs a little bit of work!
I will be trying this again.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Cave_(artist)
Elizabeth Cotton
Elizabeth Cotton
A clip of Elizabeth Cotton, playing a folk song called "Freight Train," just popped up on my Instagram feed.
I was inspired to do a "trace-drawing" for this ATC.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DGhGCPVh3qQ/?igsh=cHg4dTRpbXJxaGY3
If you don't have Instagram, this YouTube link goes to a different performance of the same song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxFxLOjY318
Selma Burke - Study
Selma Burke - Study
This is a study of a statue by Selma Burke. I found a link to a 3-D image of the statue, zoomed in to draw just a small portion of the statue, and took a screenshot. Finally, I did a "traced drawing."
https://americanart.si.edu/artwork/untitled-woman-and-child-71832
Honeywood Study
Honeywood Study
I fell in LOVE with the original lpainting upon which this study is based. Varnette Honeywood is an artist who is new to me.
At first, I saw simple shapes and thought it would be an easy piece to "trace-draw" on my iPad. Hours later I had learned a lot about technique... and I had gained a HUGE amount of respect for the real complexity of this composition! Some day I may try again, to better do justice to
"Famly Time."
https://crystalbridges.org/blog/artist-highlight-varnette-honeywood/
Snowy Day Study
Snowy Day Study
I happened upon an article about Ezra Jack Keat's book The Snowy Day. I thought this would be quick and easy to draw... but once again:
I. Was. Wrong.
I finally traced the image, made a stencil, and used it to make this ATC homage to the classic book.
Zora
Zora
Zora Neale Hurston wrote Their Eyes Were Watching God in 1937. I think I read a bit of the book years ago... but I've ordered a copy to read again in 2026.
I need to learn more about this amazing woman.
Traced from a photo I found on Facebook.
Life Doesn't Frighten Me
Life Doesn't Frighten Me
I was looking for an image by Jean-Michel Basquiat when I discovered this book, written by Maya Angelou and illustrated by Baswuait. I reversed the colors, made a quick little sketch inspired by the book... and ended up with a simple ATC that makes me smile!
Bojangles Sketch
Bojangles Sketch
Study of an illustration from the book Rap a Tap Tap: Here's Bojangles - Think of That!, by Leo & Diane Dillon.
Bojangles Digital
Bojangles Digital
For this version, I traced and adapted the figure from the book, then added geometric shapes.
I like this well enough to do a better version, later, without tracing. I still need to learn how to tidy up the geometric shapes when using Procreate. (I usually avoid that style of drawing when drawing digitally, but this design NEEDS precision...)
Burke Duo
Burke Duo
These two cards were originally drawn the same day as "Selma Burke- Study." Neither worked very well alone... but as a pair, I like this ATC!
Phyllis Wheatley Coloring card
Phyllis Wheatley Coloring card
Yet another traced drawing, taken from an illustration in a book of poems by Phyllis Wheatley.
Why: Inspired by Burwell
Why: Inspired by Burwell
Inspired by the art of Lillian Thomas Burwell. I usually give an "Inspired By" ATC with the artist name in the title. But the full name is too long this time! I learned about Burwell from a post that popped up on Facebook, and I will be watching a video about her on February 26.
Abstract: Heat, Inspired by the work of Lillian Thomas Burrell
Abstract: Heat, Inspired by the work of Lillian Thomas Burrell
Long title this time. Prismacolor pencil on Stonehenge Black watercolor paper photographs SO nicely!
Abstract, Inspired by
Mildred Thomas
Abstract, Inspired by
Mildred Thomas
Inpsired by the work of Mildred Thomas, this mixed media piece is an attempt to reproduce the energy of "Magnetic Fields," painted in 1990.
https://nmwa.org/blog/artist-spotlight/5-fast-facts-mildred-thompson/
Inspired by Ernie Barnes, A
Inspired by Ernie Barnes, A
Inspired by "Ring Around the Rosie," by Ernie Barnes.
See the website:
https://www.blackartdepot.com/collections/artist-ernie-barnes-art-gallery
Inspired by Ernie Barnes, B
Inspired by Ernie Barnes, B
Figure exploration, based on a single figure from "Ring Around the Rosie" by Ernie Barnes.
Digital traced drawing, with adaptations.
Inspired by Ernie Barnes, C
Inspired by Ernie Barnes, C
A second exploration of a single figure from "Ring Around the Rosie" by Ernie Barnes.
Digital traced drawing, with adaptations.
About the "Inspired by Ernie Barnes" ATCs.
About the "Inspired by Ernie Barnes" ATCs.
I did a LOT of searching for "Black Artists" this month... and I didn't find Ernie Barnes until February 25. I am SO impressed by his body of work. The sense of movement is what most appeals to me. However....I wasn't sure if I could make an ATC inspired by his paintings. So much detail. So many topics that I don't feel qualified to cover. Such fantastic composition skills....
....and than I saw "Ring Around the Rosie." Yes. I "cheated" by making three traced drawings. I was in the recovery room, with my iPad, waiting for my husband to return from a procedure. (Joe's fine, thank you!) The first ATC was loosely traced, then I tried to fill in part of the figure with "Zentangle-inspired" doodles. Then I got carried away with one of the "Inking" brushes in Procreate. For every stroke you see on cards B and C, I probably made ten more that were immediately erased. It is going to take a LONG time for me to learn to imitate lovely brush strokes using digital media. But if I were to attempt this image using traditional media, I would have wasted about a hundred pieces of 2.5 x 3.5 card stock!
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