Still working on Children's Book

Things are coming together for all the rough drafts of the children's book. It has been a busy week at the servo and that has slowed me down. I did one work-up for the dragon's lair, changes are already being made for author specifications.

This is quite the project to undertake while working a full-time job. I will have all the rough drafts sketches done up this week for the author to approve before working them up. As long as I can get to a point of seeing a final result the work will go quicker.

Meanwhile I have began the portraits for two other clients. I also have to find some time for Christmas printing, designing and framing to fill the card rack back up for the servo. Photographs and art print cards having been selling well so stock needs freshed up. I wanted to design some special Christmas cards for customers, but that may have to wait for a slower period. Juggling process is a learning curve as to how much time can allot for each to achieve great results all around. All good things come with pushing upward and onward.

We are taking a 4 day trip to the boss's beach house the first weekend of December. I'll be packing up my easel, pencils and camera supplies for some peaceful full day's working. It sits right off the beach on South Coast and he tells me that a short walk up the cliffside I may even spot whales in the sunrise. Here is to crossing fingers for great results....

Pen/Ink studies - HMAS Gayundah

I love a good nib pen that you can dip into the ink bottle and develop each individual mark onto the paper for something wonderful.
On one of our vacations to see family in Queensland we stopped for a look at the HMAS Gayundah. She was one of the first ships given by England to the Queensland colony. We seen photos of her at the Maritime Museum, but she is now a rusty hull being used as a beach breaker in Redcliffe. It was a sad moment for me to see something so beautiful reduced to rust so I made "Faded History"

I added watercolour pencil for the colour to really show the rusting, then decided to colour the whole picture. It is only 9X12 drawing paper as a study to which her true size and beauty is understated. I hope to work this up in a larger scale one day with more detail. I use it as a card print for sales at the moment.

There are so many pieces of Australian history people don't realize is there to see. The Gayundah is off on a secluded part of Redcliffe with a stone marker on the street above. It is a nice walk to get over to this part of the beach which from behind you can see the new highrise apartments going in behind. Old with the new...a mix that doesn't work well for the past.

Bella Finished

Had an adventurous day... finished Bella and got her ready to send to North Carolina. She is a personality with such cheeky behavior, I hope it is captured for her owner.

but the exciting part was meeting with a children's book writer that would like me to illustrate her Dragon book. This is gonna be a great challenge and my mind is already ablaze with possibilities. She is self-publishing for a target market and an exciting person to be around.

Then I sold another drawing that was originally done for a competition and they requested another piece done with all four of their kids. A customer came in asking if I could draw zebras with human eyes that she has photos of...mmm ok let me see these eyes. All I can say is thank God for some work pouring in.

Funny story of a print that was sold last week. It was of the "Emu Through the Gumleaves". The customer came in telling John that the Emu looked just like her imaginary friend Emu. John asked if I was tapping into the invisible forces surrounding the Blue Mountains' mist. HA ha...I have powers he is unaware of.

The sheep are loose

I took a trip west last year and under a gumtree sat this beautiful dog. I took several shots of him and when the owner came out of the shop talked about "Mutt". He use to run the sheep until his age got too much, so now he lays around in the shade and follows him around when he feels like it. A great dog's life.

When I got home and downloaded the shots one showed this somewhat surprised look and gave me the idea for this drawing. I called it "Oh Sheep!" A spin on what the old dog thought about working those sheep ever again.

It is 16X20 unframed all in graphite on smooth drawing paper. I tea dyed the paper for an aged look after this photo. I just thought it was fun and a nice memorablia for the trip west.

A Muse of a Challenge

My mother is also an artist, and for some time we tried to work out our busy schedules to draw duel. We would post each other a picture to create something of it. Her first challenge was a cat sitting on the back of a lounge chair. I decided to make him my studio cat muse, hers was posed in the backyard with wooden fencing as the background.

I set up a tin of paintbrushes in front of an easel at work. I outlined the cat to fit the objects around the motif to compose the portrait. Customers had fun watching as my paper muse turned into a studio cat.
He is done on bristol smooth paper with Staetler grades of pencils.
It is a fun little project that I wish could have continued. It gave us various challenges to see what would develop with different personal perspectives. I tell all the customers that stated they wished they could draw: practice makes the artist, challenges make you grow, to draw you only need grab something to put it to paper.
As Leonardo states: Oh Painter! that you cannot be a good one if you are not the universal master of representing by your art every kind of form produced by nature. And this you will not know how to do if you do not see them, and retain them in your mind.

Work in Progress

This is my little sister's puppy, Bella. I was trying to finish it for her birthday...I'm late as usual.
She is on bristol paper and being layered with Derwent graphite and onyx. There is still much to be done, but hopefully get her shipped out to North Carolina next week. I know she is gonna want Bob done too, but he will have to wait until next year.

August Art Show

In August I attended the Springwood Art Show at the high school. I entered five pieces and sold two. My favourite piece was "Emu through the Gumleaves"

Every card I've printed with this drawing has also sold. He is on bristol paper using Derwent grades layered for effects.
The other was a pen/ink with watercolour pencils "Curious Cubs". I donated them for the silent auction to help raise art funds for the high school.

I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do. - Leonardo da Vinci

I have been reading "How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci" by Michael Gelb so at the moment he is the man of inspiration for comments.