A load of Rubbish!

If this looks like a pile of rubbish than that's because it is! I found this interesting discussion on procrastination (the fact I was reading it speaks volumes - although, in my defence, it had led from a search for a good book on using sketchbooks - something I feel I need to improve on! Are you impressed? The true procrastinator always has a good excuse!!!!!!) Anyway it lead to this webpage and facebook group called "Everyday Matters"! On the facebook page there's a daily challenge.

Today's was to "draw your junk drawer" - as I'm British I felt it really ought to be a rubbish drawer! Although strictly speaking it's the drawer that contains the spare light bulbs, string and bin bags - they are there peeking out in the bottom corner- and fuses...! Anyway, it was fun to do, could be worked on more but it's a sketch! We have a baptismal font that IS full of rubbish (I live in a converted chapel and - before you get excited - it's only a little font like an urn you can pick up) , maybe I should do that next...

More mono print

Today was odd, I got distracted by trivia. Plodding on with the painting but distractions kept interfering. This is one of the mono prints from Saturday. The quality of the image is poor as it was photographed in poor light. I'll replace the picture with a scanned image once it is dry enough! That's a few days away yet.

I can't decide on a title

Today's post isn't quite finished but needs to dry a bit before I can clean up the white areas. Otherwise the inks spread into them. As it is I usually end up looking like I've got some contagious skin disease by the time I've removed the masking fluid. I'm mulling over titles, do I go descriptive or surreal, you know something like "Circles converging on a triangle" or "Elephants meeting at a waterhole"? I often wonder at titles of pieces i.e. Pretentious rubbish versus stating the obvious?

I've completed the three abstracts I started last night - OK other than the cleaning up on this one. Spent an infuriating hour trying to get figures right in an acrylic picture of street hockey I started before my last commission. I think they're right now!

Finished doggy pic

This is the picture I've been working it. I think it's finished but I'm waiting on the client's approval. I've already altered it once as the dog is very shy and won't keep her ears up when photographed. So the ears are 80% guesswork but apparently correct.

Mono prints

Today I've been working up some on my mono-prints and continued with an acrylic painting I started about a month ago and stopped to do a commission. I should be able to post that soon!!!!! Here's one of the pieces I was working on -"Poppy". It's not my favourite of the mono prints but it was improved by the pastels.

It looks better "in the flesh" as I used iridescent pastels which don't show up when scanned. In fact, I'm not sure I like the scanned version... Oh well! I'm going to spend the evening on my painting, which won't be ready to post for a while.

The dog picture is still awaiting approval but as we're in a semi quarantine at present it will have to wait a few more days. I'm still happy with it.

Natalie completed

So, here's Natalie. I 'll probably do some touching up tomorrow, may change the picture then but she's virtually there. I've a glass of wine now so I'm not touching it again tonight.

Today's been pretty good. I was finally able to do some mono-printing. Fairly safe images, sunflowers and abstracts. Some have come out very well, others need a bit of work. I even managed some reading and sent off two submissions to galleries = happy girl!

Natalie Imbruglia - stage 1

Well, today has not been dull. I started the day doing domestic stuff and was planning to do some printing in the afternoon. My eldest arranged to visit a friend and was feeling a bit rundown but keen to go. So I dropped him off, came back for lunch. Took the youngest to a doctors appointment then returned for half an hour then it was time to collect the eldest. He was feeling much worse, hot, feeling cold with a headache and feeling sick. I got him home and dosed him with ibuprofen.

He was looking a bit grey so I looked up swine flu symptoms. I used the government's self diagnosis pages and on the first attempt I got past the first page and it suggested I call 999. I felt this was an over-reaction as he was conscious, walking around, drinking... So I tried again and said no to the first page and after completing the questions I was given the code to collect a Tamiflu prescription. I just had to drive 12 miles to the nearest pharmacy - oh, and find the place all before 18.30 - this was at 18.00! Have you ever tried to rush with a 4 year old in toe. Poor lad now has so many tablets in him he'll rattle if he's shaken.

Excitement over, I decided to do a caricature to calm my nerves - that and a beer. Which I've reached the first stage. Natalie here. I'm finding the celebrity caricatures harder than the commissions because I know so little about the celebrities. So she's water-boarding. OK so I'm clutching at straws, but it makes a pretty picture.

I'll paint it tomorrow and post the finished picture.

Who knows, I might even get around to my printing, as well!

Abstracted

Another abstract today. Maybe I should change the name of my blog to "Drawn to Abstraction!" This is the one I was working on yesterday. I haven't thought of a title yet. Maybe I should use the one I've just coined? Hmm.

I've nearly finished to dog painting, just letting it sit in a corner to see if any errors "leap out" at me.

There are just too many distractions now we're in the school holidays.

Tiger, tiger...

I've had a productive day today. I finished my tiger picture - see below. I'm thinking it should be called "Blake's inspiration". I've always been fascinated by tigers but I wouldn't want to meet one without a cage. It was started as an abstract but I didn't want to finish it as one, maybe I'll try again... I've included the poem, it's too good not to. I've also nearly finished an abstract - waiting for it to dry.

I've had the subject of my commission over for a photo shoot. A camera shy mongrel, she's lovely but terrified of cameras. Eventually got some useable pictures and one the client wants a copy of! Just need to finish the picture now.

William Blake. 1757–1827

The Tiger

TIGER, tiger, burning bright

In the forests of the night,

What immortal hand or eye

Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies

Burnt the fire of thine eyes?

On what wings dare he aspire?

What the hand dare seize the fire?

And what shoulder and what art

Could twist the sinews of thy heart?

And when thy heart began to beat,

What dread hand and what dread feet?

What the hammer? what the chain?

In what furnace was thy brain?

What the anvil? What dread grasp

Dare its deadly terrors clasp?

When the stars threw down their spears,

And water'd heaven with their tears,

Did He smile His work to see?

Did He who made the lamb make thee?

Tiger, tiger, burning bright

In the forests of the night,

What immortal hand or eye

Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

Still procrastinating...

I'm stuck with my commission - I need to see the dog and take some pictures and check colour. Spent some time playing with abstract ideas. Started a new abstract and a picture of a tiger - waiting for drying time on the masking fluid before painting. Should get some more done tomorrow. This is an abstract I did about 2 weeks ago - I love wheels! I love circles in general!

Uninspired

I'm on a downer at the moment. Want to draw but not getting around to it. It's the dreaded procrastination. I start the day with good intentions but don't seem to get around to it! I need to discipline myself more and being tired doesn't help. So I'm off to do something and hopefully there will be a post with a picture tomorrow!

Where does the time go?

Last week of term is over and I haven't posted since Monday. I haven't had a good week for drawing, well not completing at least. Too much going on

I've been working on the recent commission, going well so far. Not ready to post .

Tuesday's drawing time was taken up with a BAFA Art gallery meeting... very useful, there is talk of continuing the Buckingham Art trail and actually advertising it more extensively. I can't even find a proper web link. Just 4 lines on the Buckingham festival site - hopeless!

Wednesday was taken with craft club, a completely pointless afternoon trip to collect a part, which hadn't arrived. A swimming lesson and an evening on the boat.

Thursday was a leavers assembly and then sorting out leaving stuff for today.

Today was an awards ceremony and a child who claimed to be well, but is far too quiet and cuddly for normal. He was in full Limpet mode. I sent out some more approaches to gallery. Got a rejection slip which had me quite positive until I engaged brain and realised it was probably a form email - ho hum!

Tomorrow we're, hopefully, back on the boat.

Monoprints and abstracts

I finished a couple of abstracts yesterday so here is my favourite. It's called "They trample our hearts". I wasn't sure it was going to work but I think it's turned out quite well. I could do some arty waffle here. It's a metaphorical piece about childhood, how whilst we might follow in each other's footsteps, the impression we leave is different and unique to us. The colours represent earth, life and passion. The heart represents love and can be difficult to find, but is there for those who seek it. The black lines the relationships which tie us together, tenuous, fragile and yet beautiful when seen together. Is that enough arty waffle?

I've also photographed a monoprint from last week. No arty waffle here, it's a fish, I like fish and it was all I could think of to crawl out of the Artist's block I was in!

Today I've been working on a commission. An acrylic painting of a dog. She's a scruffy thing but quite sweet. So far I've done the background and roughly positioned her, then decided she needed moving so painted over most of my original outlines. Frustrating. That was my main activity for today despite setbacks I'm at a net gain.

Sophie Ellis Bextor

I've had a reasonably productive day today. I've completed 2 abstracts. This caricature of Sophie Ellis Bextor. I w

as a little stuck on pose but the Blue Peter connection was overwhelming.

I've also done my artist's statement thingy - name has gone. Now to watch Torchwood!

Duffy

Well, I started today thinking I would get little done on the creative side of life. Ewan's induction at school, weekly shopping, after school activities, meetings, school run etc. In spite of all that, I managed to do the following Black and White caricature of Duffy. In fact, it's even one of my favourites of the Black and white ones.

So, feeling quite positive overall, I was content to have achieved that. However, I had forgotten that tonight would be a BAFA meeting. The theme was an introduction to monoprinting. Let me just say that my last experience with monoprinting was as a A level student and I was heartily sick of the medium - more a flaw of the teaching than the medium itself. So, I was more than pleasantly surprised to actually enjoy it, and have produced some pieces that I'm very pleased with. They need to dry before they can be scanned, so I will post them in a few days time.

End of an Era

Today I went on my last playgroup outing with my youngest - he starts school in September - I have mixed feelings about that. We went to Mead Open Farm. So, after a moderate drive I got to watch him play on an adventure playground, reluctantly pet animals, wield a golf-club on the crazy golf and slide from dizzying height in the indoor play area. I did manage a little bit of sketching. Not my best picture, and one I would have preferred to spend more time on, but sometimes you have to "go with the flow!". It has a certain naive charm, but it's not winning any awards. I've left the springs on the image, I like them.

Drew Barrymore portrait

Well, I did the car boot. I sold one card... to Andrew. Not what you'd call a staggering commercial success! (Did you see what I did there? Sarcasm, it might be the lowest form of wit but it makes me feel better.) I did give out business cards and a few people did seem genuinely and not just politely taking the cards in order not to offend my 8 year old assistant. Andrew also pointed out that at £8 a pitch it was cheap advertising. Only time will tell if it was worth it. It was a usefull exercise in ironing out problems such as how to display my cards and I need to find a better way of showing the paintings. I really need to look at craft fairs though. Most people at car boots are not looking for fine art, unless it's seeking a bargain to show at the "Antiques Roadshow"
Not that I'm a cynic you understand.

So, onto todays post. This one's another attempt to get Drew Barrymore, but a portrait this time. I'm still not 100% happy with the left eye, when am I ever but her eyebrow really was that bushy compared to the left, probably just an optical illusion caused by the shadows.
I also had some other ideas following the car boot. I haven't done a Bond yet and loads of people asked for Michael Jackson, so when I've got some printer ink, I'll try him. I can't decide what era though, probably the Thriller/Off the Wall period.

Preparing for sale

I've spent the entire day packaging artworks and bagging cards I picked up at lunchtime. No time to draw, other than a quick sketch first thing. Even if I had produced anything, my printer/scanner is out of ink and won't let me do anything until I replace the cartridge. More excuses... The plan is to do a car boot tomorrow and try to gauge interest in the cards and possible commissions. So, back to the preparations...

The elusive Internet!

We had a catastrophe yesterday, especially for a certain 12 year old in our household. The Internet router died! SOB... As you can see it has now been replaced, obviously. Don't you hate it when people state the obvious. Anyway, yesterday was life drawing class - the last one - wine and nibbles prevailed. We were all envying the model and the room was unbearably hot. A combination of unusually warm weather - for the UK- and poor ventilation. Mixed results, Some I'm really pleased with!

On Tuesday I dropped some pictures off for printing and the proofs were ready today, I'm really pleased how they've turned out. Just waiting for the order. I've also started packaging up the finished pictures ready for sale.

Finally I've started another picture of Drew Barrymore, hopefully I will be able to post it tomorrow, in the meantime. Here's another abstract.