New work

I’ve started work on some African animal portraits for an exhibition later in the year. I’m enjoying it so much I think I’ll exhibit some in local shows before then though.

Portraits

It’s been ages and ages since I wrote but I’ve been busy preparing for The Little Archie’s exhibition at Oak Hill Gallery and drawing my own children for their grandfathers 70th. Hope he likes them. You can try and guess which famous people I’ve tried to paint. Good Luck.

Kennedy’s daughter

Today I tackled a really large portrait and I’m feeling ok about it. Last year we went to Africa and stayed on D’s dad’s farm. Whilst there I took a picture of the cook Kennedy’s eldest daughter. So here she is. I’m at the stage I always get with watercolour and portraits. The point where you think you could fiddle about with the detail forever but if you go any further it will start to look overworked or ruined. I was aiming for vibrancy, light and life.

Benji

I didn’t know if I’d enjoy doing this and it was a struggle at times but in the end it was just as satisfying as any other portrait I’ve done. When you get such lovely responses from the people who requested the portrait in the first place it really makes it all a pleasure.

Lovely watercolour and ink

Here’s a little sketch I did today. I’m getting truly addicted to using ink and watercolour. Been so busy with school and kids this week it has disappeared in a flash. Some very happy things have happened though. My book for The Sketchbook Project arrived and this is my first entry. It’s smaller than I thought but I like that. I also managed to get my pieces completed and framed in time for The Continental Hotel first major exhibition of the year. I sold there last year just in time for our overseas trip, so fingers crossed for this year. I’m stepping away from the usual portraits so we’ll see how it’s received. Friends and family are being kind so far but you can always rely on them. And the last really good thing is that my work was chosen to go in The Style File. Really really excited about this. Oh and there’s more, Illustrators Australia have announced calls for entry for there A3 print show, so I have a focus for the next couple of weeks!

Summer Shower

When I started this portrait project I asked my friends to send me photos, with certain conditions attached. I got this beautiful picture back from my dear friend Susan and my first thought was…. some people just can’t follow the rules! As it turns out, now I realise that I shouldn’t underestimate some peoples cleverness and particularly this person. In giving me the photograph she inspired me to try something new and I’ve absolutley loved doing it. So, thank you Susan, you’re a star.

Portrait project

I started a project to give my drawing skills a boost. I asked friends to contribute photo’s of themselves or their children so I can draw them. I’m absolutely loving it, and building up a really nice little portfolio of work. The first one here has to be my favourite portrait to date. I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to do it if I hadn’t asked people and offered to do some work for free.

McClelland Sculpture Park….soooo beautiful

Last week I had the pleasure of spending the afternoon with some lovely old college friends in the beautiful and inspiring McClelland Sculpture Park and Art Gallery. It is well and truly worth a visit is you are ever anywhere near the Mornington Peninsula. They have a new walk featuring some truly fabulous new sculptures.

Exhibition at Oak Hill gallery

Last October I won an illustration competition and part of the prize was an area of exhibition space for a month at a local gallery. Oak Hill Gallery is a delightful little spot in Mornington which is well worth a visit. I know it’s just small works, but along with family and college commitments it’s been an interesting time trying to get these pieces together. The opening night is on 30th May and I’m nothing short of terrified.

Progress….I think

Watercolour

This was a college assignment returned to me this week.

And this is a watercolour sketch I did this afternoon which went quite well. I will keep bashing head against the wall of watercolour painting until it starts working for me. It’s got to be the most frustrating but rewarding medium there is.

Au Chocolat

Just looked back at the original sketch I did for this. God I really killed it didn’t I? One for the filing pile.

Work in progress

Mixing it up

I can’t believe I spent so long working out these illustrations and trying to get a free feeling to the watercolour.  I put them into an exhibition and felt they probably weren’t really fitting. And then last night I did this impromptu experiment with mixed graphite, watercolour and pastel. I’m really happy with it and I’m going to do some more and see where it goes. I have to say though the snow falling on it makes it particularly fab.

New skills…. book binding

I made a book today. It was an assignment for computers so it’s filled with altered portraits that I done over the past couple of years.  The tutor did an excellent job of explaining how to do the book binding. Of course I didn’t listen to a word of it so I had to watch a wonderful American lady on you-tube. They both made the whole exercise look easy but I can assure you it isn’t. There were scalpels and large needles involved, no blood (thank god) but sweat…it’s 36 degrees outside today. It’s one of those things, like quilting or dress making, that’s all the the prep and should involve measuring carefully. That’s probably why all the pages are jiggly.  I’m fairly pleased with the result though. 

Altered Book

This is an old girls annual I picked up a while ago called ‘The Superb Book For Girls’. I don’t know if this picture makes a whole lot of sense but I just love this paper cutting and I might just keep going with the idea and see where it takes me.

Happy Father’s Day

It was father’s day here on Sunday so I thought I’d finally have a go a drawing my Dad. It’s not an easy thing drawing a family member and it’s taken me a long while to pluck up the courage.  I think I’ve captured the likeness, although my sisters say the nose isn’t nearly big enough.

New Stuff

The other day I had a wonderful surprise from an old school friend. She sent me this sketch that she drew of me when we were 18 and doing our art A Level together. Twenty years ago!

I’m gearing up for the Mount Eliza Art show at the end of October and thought I’d be organised ahead of schedule for the first year ever.  Forgot to take a picture of this one before putting it in the frame.

This one’s fairly large. I was experimenting a bit with the soft white pastel. I quite like the effect.

This one isn’t going in  the show, it was for a college assigment. I worked so hard on it I thought I’d show it off. I love this method of working, especially for illustration, as it has good dramatic effect.

Red Head

Today’s work…bring on the colour.

another portrait

Finished this last weekend. I’ll probably exhibit it at the Continental Hotel in Sorrento in a couple of weeks, depending on what else I come up with in the next week. Experimenting with colour is great. Must get out of the habit of blowing the pastels though, not sure it’s doing my lungs much good….cough