Saatchi Online Showdown

I have entered another competition on Saachi Online http://www.saatchionline.com.

It is great how people can vote for their favourite piece of art,  Prizes can be won and the winner gets to showcase in a gallery, dependent on the competition, in this case it is SCOPE in New York and here is my submission; http://www.saatchionline.com/showdown/match/showdown/3/artist/175023/art/1162926.

I would be very grateful if you would vote for me. Please and thank you.

xxxx

Photography

My 4 year old, Melissa, is showing a real interest in photography, she takes my camera around the garden and snaps away. I find it fascinating that she clicks at everything and anything and is not inhibited by it, at all. It saddens me that as I have gotten older I have become more conservative and restrictive in what I see and do but having young children is liberating and you get to be a kid all over again. It is truly wonderful and I am learning so much from them as they do of me.

Enough gushing.

Here is the beginning of my inhibited photography. Nature.

Hand Study

I have just finished off doing my hand study. I need more practice but I good start, me thinks. 

Artists are their own worst enemy and critise themselves endlessly I need to keep my chin up because no one else will do it for me :) - just though I would mention that.

Wonderful colours

Thought I would post my lovely new colour wheel, colour chart and new sketch book. Wonderful!

Dancer

OK now I have this right, the sketched picture is posted last so that it appears first. Complicated, no?

I have a mental block when it comes to drawing people. I have been to life drawing and have had some good results but for some reason I find it easier to draw models than I do copying from a book. I do not have a model sitting infront of me therefore I am copying instead.

Getting the body in proportion can be 'tricky' I find the arms always seem incredibly long compared to the rest of the body and can look odd or too short for that matter.

Here is my not so perfect master piece.

The Complete Book of Drawing -Book Review

I am using a teaching aid to help me to build up my work it is called: a book. Shocking, I know!

I used to have lots of how to books and subscribed to art magazines, not so much now. Actually, I have very few art books left. I have 'The Complete Book of Drawing' by Barrington Barber - what a fabulous name. It is proving to be a good investment.

I am looking forward to building up my portfolio and I am thoroughly enjoying TV-less nights and sitting with sketchbook, pencil, water paints and brush in hand ready for the next creation to unfold,

Tulip

I have a new sketch book. A bigger one this time. The little one is good for travelling with and doodling.

 

I really like tulips, they are happy little flowers and they come in so many wonderful colours. I sketched this first (see below) then I set to task with my water colours. Tulips should be painted in lovely vibrant colours.

A painting - WIP

This is one of my acrylic paintings I have sitting in the corner of the room waiting to be painted to completion. It is of my daughter at her Christmas concert, she was one of the ballerinas performing "Snow Flakes" (instead of Swan Lake, get it?). It requires a lot of work, I was inspired by Degas (which I studies whilst at art college) but I need to research the lighting aspect so this piece of work is on hold for now.

Hair

Pot

A quick sketch and a touch of watercolour paint. Et Voila!

Owl and Cat

I know, there are all sorts of 'school boy' errors but you know what? It does not matter, it is all about practice and development, if you don't make mistakes you never learn anything. I am not ashamed to post my child like drawings, I am practicing and like I have said before, practice makes perfect. My drawing skill are lacking currently because I have concentrated on paintings over the past several years, I am starting at the beginning.

My cat looks 'snooty'!

I blame my tools - bike

A workman should never blame his tools but in this case, I do. The pencil I used was my daughters and it smudged and made drawing a little challenging. Evenso, it turned out OK but I would have preferred to have used a harder pencil to define the straight lines.

5 minute sketches

I think it is time for my 5 minute sketches to come to an end and start doing some detailed drawings that have some life in them. It has been good getting back into drawing again, I underestimated how much this can help with inspiration, development and creative thinking.

I used to love to draw with varying degrees of HB pencils and I did some great drawings of horse and still life and life models. So now is the time to get some more practice in and see where it takes me.

Below are some studies I did when I was at art college. The horse is Ben, a 16hh gelding, ex-trotting competition horse. I used to ride him and take care of him. I drew this for the owners as a gift. I wonder if Ben is around now, he would be getting on a bit. He was a beautiful chestnut colour and he was a real character - I had to draw him.

United Kingdom Flag

I thought I would play with the UK flag by using different colours. I have an idea for a painting that will include a rose too.

Sketching is helping me to think outside my normal ' art box' and helping me to explore creative ideas. It is taking me back to when I was a kid and I would sit for hours drawing and colouring and using my imagination. I had forgotten that art can do that to you.

I am also experimenting with different mediums, pencil crayons, graphite, HB pencils (used to be my favourite), water colours, inks. I am getting a feel for what I prefer, it also depends on the subject matter too.

Transportation - A better solution

I love riding my bike, I also used to be an avid horse rider. If it was not for all the crazy drivers who think that driving close to a horse and tooting their horn does not provoke an unsafe situation then think again, horse riding would be safe if it was not for the speed demons. It is not only unsafe for the rider and horse but also for the driver too. Sad to say there are so many irresponsible, thoughtless people out there who somehow get a license to drive. STOP IT! Same goes for cyclist, don't drive too close or fast. Give everyone room to move, the road is not just for cars! Horses and bikes were here before the car, give these riders more consideration, they have to be somewhat brave to handle heavy traffic.

Horses

It has been a while since I have drawn horses. I am a little out of practice but practice makes perfect.

Hearts

My little girl loves hearts so I did this one for Melissa. xxx

Eye

Faces

So this is an example on how to go about laying out and drawing a face. Again at the moment all I am doing is sketching which means that I am not doing detail including a huge amount of shading. Later I intend to do more detailed drawings but for now I want to sketch images that take no more than 5mins at a time.

Advertising in your face.

Unless a televised advert is clever and in some cases witty I really don't care for advertising overload. How I am meant to look -I really cannot look 20 for the rest of my life and some fancy anti-aging cream will only work to some degree - hemorrhoid cream is good for decreasing lines, apparently (I have time to try it). The lifestyle I should lead - I am sure everyone would like to afford a brand new car and have the latest designer gear and be a size 8 (UK) straight after giving birth. I mean really. Do not get me started on kids toys. This is my rational for the sketch.

Art Box

My art box. Somewhat messy but I know where it all is.

Sketching Frenzy - Part 2

I love my notepad!

Sketching Frenzy - Part 2

Another crazy day at the Office.

Sketching Frenzy - Part 2 - Dream House

My future house...

Sketching Frenzy - Part 2

Sketching Frenzy - Part 2 - Flower

Sketching Frenzy - Part 2

Sketching Frenzy - Part 2- Champagne

Sketching Frenzy - Part 2 - Home Set-up

My home set-up. Sitting on the sofa, sketching, researching and uploading photos.

Lost Art of Drawing

I have decided to try and fill a book or two of sketches/drawings by the time summer arrives. It has been a while since I have doodled on a sheet of paper and a habit that I have lost since art college. I think it would be wise for me to sketch more to find inspiration in my surrounding that may lead to a painting of substance.

Indeed, I do have three paintings in need of completion. If I was a full time artist they would have been finished by now but I cannot seem to entirely paint them. It maybe that I have 'painters block' but I think for now drawing is something I can do anywhere at anytime. Besides, (I am making excuses to some degree), I am in the middle of de-cluttering and about to sell my house for a new destination entirely and I do not want paintings being damaged in the move as they have in the past.

I will be posting my sketches as I work through my little black art book and who knows what will transpire.

Sketching Frenzy - Red

A pretty little bike bell. DringDring have some great designs.

Sketching Frenzy -Louboutin Shoes

Who doesn't want a pair of Louboutin's?

Sketching Frenzy - Cycle Chic

I love CycleChic Copenhagen blog and Pays-Bas. There is some fantastic photography and it is lovely to see so many people cycling - yes, cycling is back and I want to join the revolution. A lovely Dutch bike or Pashley. Sadly, where I live it just is not set up for cyclists and I know too many people who have been in serious accidents, more than once! So until I live in a place that has more cycle lanes then I will stick to the trails and enjoy the views.

Sketching Frenzy - Hot Choc

Sketching Frenzy - Candle Holder