I promise I am working

You have gotta love Christmas season. I am keeping up with commissions while starting a new job at Big W and still doing some hours at the service station. Household duties and blog have been taking a step back. Just a catch up on some of the pieces I have completed.

Western Australian parents of a friend:

Client's mother in law:

Client's father in law:

Client's son-in-law's Jaja:

Now working on a client's father in law twice, then her mother twice and sister in law's mother. Then a family of 7 people. When I can get a sit down time I photographed the mother in law's hair as I worked in stages to show build up and did the same with the sun spots of Jaja. I will write up the posts soon.

Watercolour portrait Weekend- "One Eye Wide Open"

It was that kind of crazy long weekend that makes you want to scream lol.... So I got out the inktense pencils to see what I could come up with.

Doing that 1930s style with modern colours kind of day. It just takes a bit of layering and playfulness. I will set her aside for a couple of days and decide what if I want to do anything else with her.

Now onto the serious work.... Beginning number 2 of the same portrait. I have 2 total of this gentleman for a family christmas present extraordinary. I will finish him this morning and get going on the mother in law. (If you follow this blog you might remember the earlier portrait done of this gentleman for the client earlier this year. )

Pinterest
Have you been hooked into the Pinterest trend? I had no desire to go around pinning things until I realised "I already do". When I am research art history, art shows, methodology, etc. I save articles, pictures, etc. So I went onto Pinterest and now hooked. When looking for how the art trends are moving I pin it now instead of the loading my hard drive with stuff to look at. Give it a go... set up boards with pictures you are gathering for your next painting idea.

Family Support of an Artist
I have decided that as much as my boys says they support me pursuing artwork, they thought it would only be when they don't want something or attention. There is no respect in being around the work I am doing, or for myself when I am doing it. The statement clincher this weekend "you are going to draw...but your husband is home." So I have began researching an article for this blog about family support, nagging and their belief that art is not really a "job" because it doesn't have a week to week pay check. Time management for yourself is nothing if you don't get your 48 and 23 year old babies to be less dependant. Any suggestions for research material would be greatly appreciated: crofttravels609@yahoo.com.au. Hmmmm at a job I was lucky to clear $300 a week, in the 2 months I have been unemployed I have netted $2500 between artwork, yard sales, ebay plus have put applications into 58 jobs and worked 2 days a week at old job for rent money. Imagine if I really inputed time into the effort how much I could earn.

Day 3 and Finished 1945 Portrait

Adventurous is trying to work on a drawing while everyone is home and still demanding on your time. I may have to look into finding my own space away from home.

Anyways....

Here is the first few layers of hair, adding the razor marks that will be lightened during the finishing stages of shading. 

I then start shaping the face with the dark shadows around the cheek area down to the chin. This will also take several layers with 2H and B pencil.

 Progression of the shading across face. Always curve your lines around like you are sculpting the face with pencils. Feel where the bone structure will be strongest.

 Then start shading in the shirt in tie. Shirt is done with the same pencils of the hat, tie is a build up of 6B and 9B to get the correct darkness and hit of light. Curve the strokes to build up depth, short soft strokes for smooth surfaces.

Then we have a finished product...well it will sit for a day or two then I will go back over where I think more shadows and detail need to be inputed. 

Compare with the original photo, and I already see areas that need darkening. It will be left until I am refreshed and have good light to produce right effects.

Part 2 - 1945 portrait

Well yesterday I got sidetracked with a friend coming from Perth and taking husband to the doctors, so I didn't get to touch the drawing.

This is the ending result of Day 1

I finished the "C" strokes of the ribbed band, discovered a buckle and strap along it and filled in the brim. I used the B pencil to start the shaping of brim and added contour with the 9B pencil.

Start of Day 2:
I started definition of eyes, brows and beginning shadows for depth around the face. Using the 2H pencil I being picking where I want to add the shadow and lines of the face. The eye is the most important role so must be dealt with carefully. This gentleman has very light blue eyes that should command the portrait.

I used the 2H and B pencils to contour the shadows for shape, not going too dark until the finishing touches. They pupil begins with a light touch for colour with 2H then B for making the outline and pupils. Do not start the lashes until you are satisfied with the shading. I then used a 6B pencil for initial layout of eyelashes and adding more contour around the socket shadow, finishing with a 9B for depth and darkness.

Next I build up the shape of the ear using the same pencils and "C" strokes for curves. I blend with paper stump to fill in all colour and keep building until I am satisfied withe the definition. I do all this by  trail and error judgement of my lines and shadows. The smooth Bristol paper being used is forgiving of colour, but do not press to hard for dents in the paper that will make white lines the graphite is missing.

Next start building shadows of the skin colour for hair and forehead. If hair is begun before a base effect is established you loose all the strokes you do for hair. Using the 2H I continue to softly add graphite then blend until I achieve the colour of the skin in this area. Pay attention to how the shadow of the hat brim curves around the forehead and light falls directly on the frontal features. 

Now take the HB pencil and lightly lay short "X" strokes in various places where the hair lies. Pay attention to where the hair line directions are, and ends at sideburns, neck etc. Do not layer to deeply for beginning, this is just a base hair definition. This gentleman's hair is not thick in most areas so the lines will be further spaces and hair shafts are short so they will be dealt with in short strokes. 

Once you have the base hair layout then look for where the hair is thickest for more defining strokes and build up. This section will take a few hours to complete then I will use 2B pencil for added shadow definition and distinction. 

Hopefully I will get the hair done and start shadowing the mouth, chin and neck today. Husband is home throwing up and son is off work. If they know what is good for them they will leave me alone most of the day. I will keep track if I get further than these steps and list them tomorrow.

Day by Day Portrait

I have received 5 portrait commissions of 3 people, so I thought I would try to give a blow by blow build up of what I do to complete one. 

Set up your area with paper, pencils, etc.
Have husband come home and have you run him to Scotts Auto for work truck parts and find out son has killed your car battery.
Sit down to the drawing board and sketch up a light sketch wit the F pencil. I use this grade because it doesn't scratch up the paper and is easy to erase as your work over your photo.

Answer the door 3 times for people and answer 2 marketing phone calls. 

Enlarge the photo with any photo program that will allow you to zoom in and out for detail. I zoom closer to the hat for detail of the badge using 3H and B pencils work up some resemblance to give the impression of depth and detail. 

While close up I notice there are ribs in the band. I use the B grade to show indent of ribs while following the shape of the hat around the band. Then fill in with "C" strokes over each rib varying the pressure. This can be tedious so I switch to the top of the hat using the 3H and start filling in shadows. This is purely a feel and look exercise. Look at the shadows and follow the shades using varying pressure strokes, then blend with paper stump lightly as if it is going across the surface of the hat. Blend up layers to darken and feel your way across the shape of hat. Then back to the "C" strokes.

You are not trying to duplicate the photo. Why draw it if you just want the same image. You are capturing an essence and spirt of the subject. 

Now hubby is making another entrance to the house with work truck and I have to start dinner. In between I will continue working the band then brim. 

Until tomorrow's update.

Back in Action - getting show ready

Feels good to get back to the drawing table, it took awhile to get the mind back into the groove of thinking out how I want something to lay out or tell. This week is finishing touches on pieces for the Springwood Art Show on 24th August to the 26th of August. I have got three pieces finished and framed, just need the wire to hook them up...but the last piece isn't finished.

First piece, "Bourbon Street Snooze", is graphite and watercolour pencil. Just subtle touches of colour in the composition to give a slower side of the fast pace of Bourbon Street. In a crowd of many this guy was resting in a doorway like no one was around. It touched me, and I hope it touches someone else with its undertones of suggestion.

Second piece, "Quilted history", is a collage of newspaper, card paper and scrapbook designed paper with oil pastel painting of the character and gold ribbon in the quilt pieces' ditches. The art of quilting is fading away, material has become to expensive, women don't have the time or patience for it and modern society finds going to a store more convenient than making your own blankets. There is more to the history of this work than just making a warm piece to your home - it is art, history, community togetherness, women bonding and making use of your resources. 

The third, "New Orleans Blues", is a collage of music paper, acrylic paint and ink. I drew this out while sitting at the hotel in New Orleans. It is a feeling that you get while hearing music there, a sort of vibration that reaches out to touch your heart beating with it. There is no face to the person playing, and his instrument is the torch between you both.









The fourth piece is a joker carrying a bag pipe through a crowd of people. The joker is the only one in colour, everyone else blends into everything else. It takes a lot of guts for a person to come strolling around a festival full of people dressed in purple tights and bag pipes. This piece will be about being your own person even when the odds are against you. I'll post a break down of it being completed (hopefully by Thursday for the show).

The other piece completed this month I am not sure if it is telling the story to another person as I feel it. This gentleman was playing his guitar busking on Beale Street with a big man playing the drums. He sat there with this cigarette hanging out of his mouth, but never did his fingers leave the strings, ashes just fell onto his legs as he played with his eyes closed and swaying with what the chords were doing with him. If I would have had the money their CD would have been bought. The emotions from this man were compelling. I stood there drinking in his features, mood and melody. To be that close with one's art makes me want to cry. I have only painted his image, I need to go deeper into what he made me feel.






For September I will be getting more work together for the Blackheath Art Prize. It runs 28th September to 1st of October. Maybe I can get my groove back for it. I have entered the Springwood Show for the past 3 years, but this will be my first for Blackheath.

Cheers!

Study of the Human Figure (when you don't have a body)

A lot of people, like me, cannot have the pleasure of live models posing at their whim. I know it is better to have that practical experience, but they are not lining up at my door yelling "draw me". There are some apps that can help with those days no one is around:

For my iPod I downloaded the free version of Randompose. The full version is only $4.49 at the app store and is made by Art and Mobile. There are over 15000 images of nude reference poses for drawing study that were taken from posemaniac.com archives. They are the muscles of the human body and the poses are challenging. I try to pick a random one each day to study some sketch ups. The screen is really small on the iPod for my eyes...so for my pc

I downloaded Kindle and bought the "Art Models 6: The Female Figure in Shadow and Light" by Maureen and Douglas Johnson. There are several version of these type of books, but this offers shadows and a good variety of body types. This is another daily exercise of picking one figure to work out.




The more practice you get at working out how the body moves and is shaped the better you can work out your compositions and figures for paintings/drawings/whatever. One day I use pencils to work on lines, and another charcoal to develop shadows and be loose with the composition. There will be a day I can proper studies, but there are at least alternatives for us busy artists to enlist.

As I said, I am practicing - never said I was good at it.


My hubby and I are researching about becoming one of the growing numbers of grey nomads roaming the roads in a caravan working when needed. I want more time to draw and sell, he wants to be able to fish at least once a month. The more we look into buying a home the more we know it could never be paid off in our lifetime to enjoy it. We have joined the Workabout Australia Club and looking into what type of "home" would serve our needs. The hardest part is figuring out what we can and cannot have in such a smaller space when my art gear already overpowers a bedroom. This may be my opportunity to put my toe in the art market, weekend markets, etc. I will definitely have more time for developing possibilities. It will be discussed more while we are on holiday in the USA, but this seems to be more a planning time than a question of doing it.

Don't forget about my new merchandise store...new content added daily.
www.cafepress.com/shops/CroftAngleArt
Any help to get us on the road would be greatly appreciated.

Is it May yet?

It has been a tiring week of train noise and busy work shifts, but through the sleeplessness I did get much accomplished. I cannot wait for my vacation in May to get here for the quiet reflections at my parent's homes.

I have mastered making my own cards with the Swift Publisher, no more printer bills yeah! Now to finding a shop that sells card stock in packets and not individual sheets at expanded pricing.

There are two more dog drawings for the series done: Karen's Miss Molly and Dawn's Baby Rocky. (My scanner is having issues this morning with resolutions, please bear with me). They are so cute, I think I've done them justice with their portraits.

There is also a commission piece complete, another one for Jill....he has such beautiful big eyes and pouty lips that was a joy to draw. My favourite model type.

Craig and the boss have bought me frames from yard sales cheaply, I took two of this this week to decoupaged newspaper around them and lightly painted over that for a bit of a retro look. They are to hold two of my stock photos of old film cameras that I play with. The photos were originally taken to  make a calendar selection on the redbubble site that I sell from. I believe the look will be great for a photographer's room or office. 

Now have to complete another commission for Jill, one for Jenny and there are two of my own pieces sitting on the board to be finished. Hopefully it is another resourceful week, but with more sleep please.

It has been a full on couple of weeks with birthdays and work, but I am trying to finish too many projects at once has my head spinning. The bedroom walls still have 2 more to paint, bathroom needs a second coat and cleaned, wardrobe and bed of main bedroom need to be scrubbed of mildew and the cleaning has been put off because I can't be bothered.
Then onto the art stuff.... quilt/sewing machine painting is almost complete, Jenny's fishing boys have been started, a dog series of cards to be made, frames to be decorated, matting cut, got 3 more portrait commissions, girl with horse is still sitting on the drawing table and I just finished a piece for Full Metal Jousting calling for drawings. All this on top of a full time job.... I'm tired, but will get it all done. Craig tells me just take one at a time and they will all come together. He is getting a long weekend and will take over the bedroom and bathroom tasks - Yeah!

Full Metal Jousting is a program on the History channel with full contact (no show lances) contests. I interviewed a lovely couple back when I was doing some travel writing and follow them on Facebook (mostly to see the lovely horses) and if I ever pick up another article to get published. One of them posted a call for writing, pictures or drawings for a contest with subject being the program. I thought it would be fun and started....but I didn't realise there was not much time before it was to be turned in. So I rushed through it a bit, but I think it came together alright. There are not that many reference photos of their armour to go by, so I "invented" some of the details.

I asked my friends and family to send me photos of their dogs for a series of cards. My card rack at the service station is getting a bit low so another printing is to be ordered. I keep cards here with my business name printed on back of art pieces I've done that customers have watched me put together and photographs. It is another marketing showcase, that is not a huge money maker but paid for one of my college courses and keeps me in art materials. I hope to one day be able to do a bigger printing to get other shops to carry the line. (Hopefully be a part of a regular income if I ever go full time artist). Here is the first of this series, "Ginger Doll". She is pen/ink with a drawing nib. 

Well the service station is picking up again (Oh yeah)... so that is all for today. I have to start those commissions this weekend and finish something on the house. So will keep you updated.

Questions, Quarries, Quelines and ?

This week has been a mix of organisation, research and painting. I have been reading "How to Survive and Prosper as an Artist" by Caroll Michels to decide whether to pursue more work in a professional capacity, or just keep doing commissions and sales. There are also questions as to doing more commercial pieces or fine art contemporary...maybe both. Michels states that webpages for professional artists should be set up as either a fine art portfolio for curators and business managers to observe, or they should be marketing pieces for sales of work.
I have no formal training, besides four years of Mrs. Sharon Eck's high school art classes, just a love and passion for art. Where do I want to go with this passion? Am I satisfied with local exhibitions, portrait commissions and experimenting with different mediums? Since career prospects were mentioned in high school life, the counsellors have steered me away from the art field stating that it is not a career. The old starving artist can't make a living, which I am finding is more a conceptual ideal of bohemian artists than reality. The older I get my mind is set only on the figurative ideas of pieces for portrayal, but I find that life's necessity of full-time work keeps me holding that possibility under.

Besides the mind of queries, I did finish a drawing of Dad and Debbie that she asked me for. It is A2 size done in Derwent graphite and watercolour pencils. Now to get it safely to Florida when I go visit and find a place there to frame it.

This is another ongoing experiment in the works. I had a dream of this done all in sepia ink tones with dripping ink. The dream was regarding history becoming faded and forgotten. I did a workup sketch, but wasn't satisfied that it was conveying my idea. After doing some collage work in class, I thought the quilt background in clippings and paint the sewing figure in the foreground. I am now also thinking of adding ribbon stitching between the quilt pieces to mix my love of quilting and painting together. I am not sure how the canvas will react to being punctured with needles though, so still thinking it through. I just started painting the figure today, but have to quit to go to work. Hopefully will get back to it this week, planning on doing it in grey tones now. 

All for now... keep searching for answers.

Experiment done

I have posted an unfinished version of this on Facebook for opinions, they choose that I should finish it. In the spirit of Renior's dot paintings the experiment is dot drawing. I choose a scene from a photo taken at Culburra Beach in NSW, then using HB, B, 2B, 9B, F and 2H Derwent pencils began making tones of dots to compose the drawing. The idea came while trying to find a way to draw sand in a more realistic manner.
A close up to show more detail:

The total drawing:

It is not realistic in time taken to compose such a drawing to work any larger than this 10X12. Some 5X7 cards for more tone control might be a better option. To get depth and rounded perception is difficult to obtain, but maybe with more experiments a solution may present itself.

I am back on the board busy for a bit, began the sketch ups for Dad and Deb portrait and Jenny's Boys fishing. There is also a beginning series of collage quilt backgrounds with painted foreground of WV memories being worked on the easel and a pastel girl with horse on the drawing table. My head is so full of concept pieces that partial sketches keep being made up while I am at work. They may never all be completed with the little time I get, but I sure will have fun trying.

Next 3 portraits done

These were fun portraits to mix and match different photos to make the ultimate portrait of the child. Lani's is my fave because of the guinea pig, Adrian's hair was fun with all its curls, but Alec I am still not sure about. His hair and outfit is from a photo in France, but face is more recent from home goofing. His father liked the smile better. Vince will be by this week to check out if it worked.

There is so much to do today. I am so excited for the ideas flowing. I have Dad and Debbie's portrait set up to start, frames to decorate, collage to seal, pastel to shade out, etc. Oh yeah, I've gotta do housework sometime in that time period too lol. 

What a great start to the year

Well the Emma and Scott Wedding portrait is finally done. The photo is a bit dark, having taken it after work, but it is the general idea. The matting and framing is done, but they are on a beach somewhere and won't be able to get it to them for awhile.

We had a couple of slow days at work, so decided to play with the pastels again. I choose a photo taken by my granddaughter, Chrissy, of her husband and daughter fishing at Easter. Austin's face isn't quite right, hard to get nice shapes when points are great. I have to find a better method of sharpening them, Derwent sharpeners get dull quickly and just want to break the points off. Not bad for a study though...I'll keep at it.

Vince stopped by yesterday and gave me six portrait commissions. So happy, can really use the money for getting ready to head home for a visit. First young man is almost complete and two other are sketched out ready for detail layering.

Not bad for the first month of the year. I check out some art competitions to see if I could make up ideas for their submission base. There is one in Townsville that has to have some connection to its history, I want to try doing a portrait of my father in law, behind him his father and in the background a sheepherder to represent his great grandfather that was brought here for the job for a bloke in Townsville. I'll call it the "Road from Townsville". Another regarding Anzacs got me thinking about my family's military history, I'm researching different uniforms of all the wars my family has been involved in and titling it "My Inheritance". Another pastel is on the board for Springwood Show, Katie and her horse "Bo" hugging. Want to see if I can get muscling and hair with pastels.

Lots of ideas! Now time to do them all. Cheers... talk to you later.

Working through Creation

As world took so long to create, so does time for me to create make. The job is back to 6 days a week and on the 7th day is not a restful one. That is when to catch up on grocery shopping, cleaning, errads and the lot. We have also began renovating the house so that I can have a bigger studio area than the corner of the dining room. An hour a day and a few more on the day off and the walls are finally done with the trim's first coat drying. Hopefully the studio will be done this week.

I have made some play time at the shop. Graphite detail is my love, but takes so much time. I have brought out the chalk pastels to experiment. I started a portrait of my son to give to my Daddy for Father's Day, but didn't get it complete until the week after. There is still priming to be done whenever there is a sunny day on my day off. (I took the photo at 5am so light isn't the best.)

My husband loves information and lore on Ned Kelly, so on my husband's birthday this month I took him to see the Kelly Gang armour and Irish immigrant collection at the National Museum in Canberra, ACT. Of course our Irish roots began showing so an experiment with Celtic tones had to be undertaken.

Mawrth is Welsh for March; fire and flame feature strongly in Celtic myth and is symbolic of the power of the sun; The number three held special importance in Celtic belief and the triskele in motion shows its spiritual strength; a triangle consisting of three circles was the mark of divinity or holiness and was used by many in their markings (tattoo). I used the word March for symbolism in the "Beware the Ides of March". Putting it all together she is a druidess with divinity markings and great spiritual power brought by the sun to protect from harmful spirits. March is the month of winds and that is why she is clutching her hooded shawl in the front of her and hair is blowing wildly.

It is a bit too comicbookish for me, but was great fun to experiment with. I mainly was practicing control with the lines and getting some perpective dimisions. I am not a great fan of colour because I have shading issues to get depth and my beloved realism. So I made this full of colour to try and break my fear of it.

Time is about to get even more constrained for this household, I have found a University to finish my BA in Fine and Visual Art. They also have a program for undergrad diploma in secondary education. My life aspiraiton has alway been to become an art teacher. We will see with how hectic life's schedule can get as to how I go with completing my life's goal. Crossing fingers and saying lots of prayers!

Until I can write again....may peace and love follow your days.

Lost sight and now back

I have not been able to post a blog for awhile, one morning I woke up blind..literally. After several doctor visits I found out that I am diabetic. As I've gotten the sugar level down the sight has returned, but the eye specialist does not want to redo my prescription until everything stabolizes. It has been a nightmareish trip of different educators, specialists, exercise physio, dieticians, and support groups.

Things are slowing down and this is the first week I've been able to get back to work. I missed drawing! The thought of never being able to draw again (well the whole sight thing) has been making me push to get my life in order for it all. I am following all instructions to the letter.

At work this week I went back to the dragons. These drawings need to be finished ASAP as the author would like to publish by Christmas.

Poor Dragon is afraid of the dark.

Take my hand and be my friend.

In progress: fun at breakfast.

I hope to get the last pages out next week...we'll see how customers run at the servo.

There is also work to be done for the Springwood Art Show coming in August. I started a piece showing a girl sitting at Culburra beach, it is all done with dots. Each little detail with thousands of dots, ok maybe I was getting ahead of myself with this idea. The impressionists did it with paint, graphite pencil is time consuming, but hopefully rewarding in the end. Here is a corner closeup.

Have a great week!