First 3 portraits done

They are just 8X10, so quicker to get finished. Once you get the layers of hair, the shading of the faces is pretty simple. These three are for Jill, they are her grandsons. I've got the matting done, now have to find frames tomorrow in Penrith.

Now the the last three..... they are a mix of photos to be put together- example: Lani with hair down, but with this smile and holding this Guinea pig. Finally a girl with hair to play with! Alec is going to be a bit more of a challenge, as most of his pictures there is only part of his face. I'll have to "imagine" where the ear and hair go for that side.

Cheers for now.... pencil moving moving, keep those pencils moving.....

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.

Norman Lindsay Gallery's Life Drawing

What a wonderful four days to spend doing what you love! The atmosphere at the gallery grounds was astounding, the teacher (David Newman-White) was outstanding, the models were wonderful and the lessons were inspiring. This is worth everything you can do to attend. There were people there from Victoria, Queensland and all around New South Wales - 14 in all.

Day one - Graphite pencil, continuous line with reference artist being Kimon Nicolaides (model: Passon)

Foreshortening was a definate challenge! Passion was a beautiful model - wish I had more time with her.

Day 2 - Conte Crayon, light & shade, artist inspiration: Kathe Kollwitz, model: Natasha

Conte Crayon is not my friend, but it will be nice to learn control of pressure for different tones.

Day 3 - Willow charcoal, form & anatomy, artist inspiration: Lucien Freud, model: Rodney

Another medium to learn pressure for different tones. I loved Rodney as a model, would love to do character drawings with him. He is so versatile with his look. Wish I could have captured him better.

Day 4 - Willow and compressed charcoal, artist inspiration: Norman Lindsay, model: Berinice Doray

Another beautiful model and I am starting to get the hang of the charcoal. The top one we had to cover the entire page with willow then notch out the white with an eraser and follow up with compressed charcoal. That was fun and can't wait to do more.

All of the classes were very inspirational and my mind is racing to do heaps more. I definitely want to work up this quick sketches as well. I was scared at first because of never had taken a drawing class or life drawing before. There is a lot of studying I need to do on anatomy and measuring.

David is holding a portrait workshop in Lithgow each month from February to May with colour. I so wish I could do each of them, but there is only 4 spots in each, they cost $200 per session and I have to work every Saturday. Check out David's website at www.newmanwhite.com.au...he has amazing portrait pieces.

Bye for now...I am back to 12 hour days again, plus I have an essay due on the Renaissance for Monday.

As another year comes to an end

Someone stop the merry-go-round, I need to type in my blog. lol

Since my last entry the days have blended together. I started college...now one of the determined few working at at getting a double major bachelors degree in fine art and visual culture. I took two classes for the first term and work went to an 80 hour week at the same time - eeeekkkkk! Learning about Modernism was a challenge, but can now count myself into the understanding why some of it is done. There is even an appreciation built for some of the Expressionists, Impressionists, Dada and more. It lead me to even undergo the Picasso exhibit at the NSW Art Gallery (more on that later). What else..mmmm.. photographed an engagement/rehearsal/wedding of a mate's daughter and organised albums, prints, etc and now painting their portrait. Practicing anatomy drawing for an upcoming life drawing class at Norman Lindsay's Gallery. Work has fluctuated between 50 to 80 hours a week depending on how much the boss will let my leash out. Had the inlaws visit for 3 weeks, Nat visit for a week, and we are renovating the house. Did I leave anything out? Who cares....I just been spinning and going with the flow. At this moment I am trying to eat lunch, wait on customers, type in the blog, and line up the studies for this afternoon - Multi-tasking to the ultimate insane levels. I need a shirt that says "Crazy Train".

This term I have limited myself to only one course, Introduction to Visual Culture, which is studying the history of art from the Greeks to Modernism. The most interesting thus far was the art of India, the beauty of their detail in Buddhism and Hindu works is exquisite. Currently the project is a 1200 word essay on how the Renaissance art demonstrates a "rebirth". I am now in love with Sandro Botticelli's work.

Art work wise there has only been my anatomy studies and the wedding portrait that is a work in progress when I can sit down to it. This is the beginning (the only photo I have on me at work).

This is the latest anatomy study of the morning: no, it is not me - it is from the Human Anatomy for Artists book by Dr. Gyorgy Feher.

From the 2nd of January until 5th I will be attending Norman Lindsay Gallery Life Drawing Summer School. It will be my first drawing class since high school (that was a long time ago). The teacher is David Newman-White with a lot of diplomas listings behind it. He studied Fine Art at Sydney Technical College, Alexander Mackie and the University of Western Sydney. He has exhibited in Hogarth Gallery, Coventry Gallery and Casula Powerhouse. He currently lectures for Nepean Art and Design Centre at the Western Sydney Institute, Nepean Collage. Impressive eh... I looked him up online and was very impressed by his work, so hopefully I'll learn lots of new tips this week.

Craig has been off work for the last two weeks and currently has all the walls in the kitchen, bathroom, spare room and dining room tore up to replace wall paneling and plastering. So I don't know how much work I will accomplish outside of the life drawing class. If I am not able to draw, I will post my latest readings for class, an artist bio or something art wise until my own work is able to be accomplished again.

Happy New Year.

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!

Croft Angle Art on display at Colourart in Springwood, NSW

ColourArt Store in Springwood, NSW is displaying my artwork this week as a feature in the windows. How exciting! There are three for the outer window and three on the inside. The ladies there are so wonderful and always helpful with encouragement. I have had some pretty out there questions for them for supplies and they always come through with something I need.
The store:

The inside display:

The outside display:

I had a great time in South Australia and got great ideas for dragon emotion flashcards from my godson, Leslie. We drew an entire afternoon on them together. I also got drawing/colouring time with Matty, Tiffy and Rachael. They are all so very creative.

My job list and ideas are stacking on top of one another. I have serious work to get done. Have a great week.