Eric Bana

This handsome chap was on the cover of the Telegraph magazine this week, and I was looking for inspiration. I think I found it! Quite pleased with the result. I'm still focusing on the black and white images, trying to go back to some caricatures.

Apparently he's in the new Star Trek Movie playing the baddie. If he's the baddie, the chap playing Kirk will have to be seriously good looking to get my vote, or at least a better actor. (I've always preferred Patrick Stewart to William Shatner.)

I've been working on a large abstract but I've got a teeny little problem. I'm running out of acrylic paint and I can't justify getting some more for a couple of weeks. I might have to ebay some stuff see if I can get the funds that way. Or go mixed media...

No life drawing class this week, tutor away, but next week I'm out twice, hear me twice! BAFA meeting and life drawing class, can't wait.

Catherine Zeta Jones

Thought I'd try some black and white sketches for a bit. This one is OK but I don't think the nose works, I was experimenting with a slightly different "format" for want of a better word. I'll try again and post the new one tomorrow.

The conspiracy continues

Another vet visit today, here he is in the new dressing - much better than the last one - purple. He apparently cut right down to the bone, rupturing the joint capsule but fortunately missing any tendons and nerves! Poor chap!

Bob Marley

I've been planning this one for a while, ever since I hit on the idea of combining an abstract background with a pencil portrait. I wanted someone with dreadlocks and Bob Marley seemed the obvious choice. Then I found this fantastic black and white image of him singing with the dreadlocks flying. I just had to add colour.

I'm really pleased how it's turned out. I especially like the streaky effect on the hair but I'm debating whether there should be fewer to get the full thick dreadlock effect. I'm going to mull it over for a bit - I can always add more ink, but once it's on I can't reverse the process.

Whether it looks like him is difficult to gauge and most of the facial features are obscured by the hair!

Life drawing class

The conspiracy continues... now Andrew's joining in- or should I say his employers are. The day was as hectic as expected but I managed to get to all meetings on time. I collected the dog complete with bandage and treatment regime. All working well so far...

I had a phone call at 4.30 from Andrew to say he would be working late. This evening was my first life drawing class and I had been really looking forward to it so was more that a bit disappointed - I think spitting bullets is the term! After one and a half hours frantic phoning around I finally arranged for someone to mind the children - she would have been my first choice but she's 30 weeks pregnant and I wanted to pursue other avenues first. (Thanks so much Tasha, if you're reading this - you're a star!) Anyway I packed the children off and arrived at the life drawing class about 2 minutes past 7pm. My initial sketches were so so but I think I was getting into my stride by this one.

It's a bit faint as it's a photograph of the drawing. This one was a twenty minute sketch - we had supposed to be doing 45 minutes but I wasn't happy with my first attempt at this pose. I think it's working well - wanted to work on it more though!

I think I might try some quick portraits before I head to bed!

Conspiracy theory

I've long held the belief that children have a telepathic ability to maximise the disruption caused to their parent due to attention demands, illness, accidents etc. I hadn't realised this telepathic ability stretched to the household pets as well. Today I had planned the morning for drawing - nothing else on the agenda.

A touch of back story - last Tuesday we bought 8 fish - 2 goldfish to go with our existing lonely goldfish- Pizza and 6 tetras for the tropical tank. One of the goldfish had an ulcer which, after phoning the aquatics department, we decided to treat and if it didn't survive they would replace it. Anyway, it died yesterday so I went back to get a replacement - we thought we had a healthy one but I noticed it had a small white spot when I finally released it into the tank, yesterday. When I checked the tank this morning Pizza was covered in tiny white spots.

So, after dispatching the children at various bus stops and educational establishments, I fished the fish out of the tank and into a container and drove carefully to the garden centre for some advice. Apparently it's white spot and I needed to do 2 water changed and wait 3 hours between before giving them the treatment. That took up nearly half the morning.

This afternoon, Dominic had an appointment in Aylesbury - a good 3 hours when taking into account travelling. This evening, Andrew came back from walking Arrow - our daft Springer spaniel- and found he'd cut his paw badly, no idea on what but it was bleeding and wouldn't stop. So after wrapping it up he was taken to the vets and has had to stop in overnight. Which means I have to go and collect him tomorrow. I also have meetings about both sons tomorrow morning plus Ewan's swimming lesson. I will get some drawing done tomorrow night, I've signed up for a life drawing class - 5 sessions. I'm really looking forward to it...

Despite all that disruption, I have managed to get some drawing in today. I've started a picture of Bob Marley - approximately A2. It's going fairly well, I'm trying something new, I thought I'd try mixing a pencil portrait with the abstract technique I've been using, let's hope it works! It looks very odd at the moment as I'm not drawing the whole face to ensure the ink adheres well to the paper.

I've also had a telephone enquiry about "live caricaturing" at a party. I've said I'd be interested but I need to get practicing and hone my skills. So this evening I've spent some time on quick pictures, straight to ink. BTW , No, I'm not posting them, not happy with them. Just a little bit rusty, Maybe tomorrow...

Elvis Presley

The stewarding went well on Monday, sadly no pictures sold, I need to sort out some cards, so I thought I'd work on some staple images. Hence Elvis here.

All the time I've been doing this caricature I've been unable to stop thinking of the line from Terry Pratchett's "Soul Music" ... "Are you Elvish?"

Enough said.

Matt Damon

Well, here he is. Likeness good, background (shaky hand movement) so so. I liked the street hockey idea, not too sure he works well in a Victorian terraced street, though. Maybe in the morning it might look better, oh, hang on it is the morning. Needs a couple more finishing touches maybe...

Oh yeah, and now I know what was wrong with my pastel portrait! Chin...too narrow.

I'll be stewarding for a couple of hours tomorrow and I need to decide who to do next.

Watercolour landscape then return to caricatures

This is a painting of Kensington Bridge I did for the Stowe exhibition. It's a subject I want to do in more detail and with some people in the foreground. I had to repaint it quickly as I wasn't too happy with the original and I was running out of time. (I'd already submitted the title!) It's OK but the more I look at it the more I see bits that need working up and defining more... I can see the paints coming out again on Wednesday after the exhibition.
I've now returned home, and with the exhibition and RA entry out of the way I've started a caricature. I need to re-discipline myself. I don't want to rush it and I'm struggling with a setting idea but I've got the likeness - Matt Damon again. I just seem to be stuck on the old action hero type image. Not sure if I should go with that or if inspiration will strike. We'll see! I've looked up hobbies - politics and philanthropy! Yawn! I'm not inspired.

Finished

Well, I've done it! My RA entry has now been submitted. I spent yesterday completing framing and moving pictures. The six pictures for Stowe were deposited first, just before midday, and then was the long journey to London. I don't advise transporting a 122 x 76 cm picture on a windy day - I nearly took flight on more than one occasion but I did it. I was pleasantly surprise at the general friendliness and goodwill expressed by my fellow competitors. I wish them well.

We're on the boat this week so getting to the station proved complicated, especially when we were 2 miles short of our destination on Monday evening. After some cycling and car juggling I was only and hour behind schedule and even passed the boat on the way home. Not much time to do other drawings but managed some quick sketches on the train. No images yet but when I get home I'll download them.

Finished?

I've finally finished my RA entry, well, I've stopped painting. There are still areas I want to work on further but if I don't stop now it won't get framed in time. I really must overcome my procrastination gene- it's mainly fear of making a mistake! I'm about 85% happy and have learned some useful things for my next big painting. I'm still ambiguous about using acrylics again but having found some ways around the limitations i.e they dry too fast, I think I'll probably try them again. Only the framing and delivery to go now, train trip to London required - I don't fancy putting it in the storage locker of a coach- all those heavy bags and sharp edges. Fortunately the canvas is nice and light but the frame...acres of bubble wrap required.

Tonight, I need to concentrate on framing and finishing off the 6th picture for the Stowe exhibition as we're on the boat from tomorrow. So I'm not going to get any portraits done, I don't think. This circle abstract picture is one of my entries for Stowe. I decided to exhibit a range rather than just portraits.

Averting disaster

Now, you may need to sit down before you continue...

But...

I've actually...

Done a portrait!!!!!!!!!

(Firework display overhead , lots of cheers and champagne corks popping)

So here it is, Blue boy (Adam) mark 2

I left you yesterday heady from solvent fumes after spray painting and I greet you today heady with fumes from pastel fixatives. I may possibly have mentioned entering some pictures into an exhibition at Stowe school next week. Well, yesterday I went to frame the pictures and discovered I'd inadvertently put one of my pictures onto a recently oiled paint palette. The picture is effectively ruined. As I had already specified the picture details on the form I am not able to submit any other picture, so I've had to redraw him. Actually, to be honest and though it pains me to say this... I think I prefer this one to the original, (below).

I might need to touch it up a little, but me likey!

I decided to take a break from the RA entry as I'm feeling more than a little resentful of the time it's taking, and jaded with constantly looking at it. That and I had illness issues with children, well child to be more precise, but nothing that a pep talk and calpol couldn't fix!!!! The drive to and from his school ate into my painting time quite severely.

I have 4 pictures framed! Only 3 more to go!