Sketches on Holidays

Whenever I'm on holidays at Brunswick Heads, I find that the arty side of me gets itchy.  This is because there's no television and not a very good selection of radio stations.  So, when I have a clear-enough head from the big city, I find I want to photograph and draw everything I see.

And it's around this time, I realise I should have brought along something to draw with!  Not a problem, I went out and bought some cheap art materials and sat in the cool shade of the fly of the van and began on a drawing.  Here's the drawings from day one to the last one... there's not many as we got in and had some fun in between.

Camp Kitchen  

The camp kitchen is where everyone cooks.  It's a shared environment and we have all had great times there.  There's two BBQ plates, two hotplates, a toaster, a kettle, a microwave, a fridge (which is regularly raided by greedy people) and a massive sink to wash up in.  It's a great place to eat too if you don't want to eat at your van or don't have the space.

Paperbark Tree 

I drew this tree in the first drawing, but wanted to do one of it on its own.  I think it turned out better; but I needed a bigger sketch pad.

Tree Tops 

There's these big pine trees lining the front of the van park; and the tops of them all look different from each other.  I spent my last few days, trying to get them looking right... it was really hard.

On The Riverfront 

I drew this view on the river front when I was having lunch with my parents under the trees there.  There's boats all moored along the front, and the shade was lovely.  A few days later, I came home

Necklace Wall-Hanging is Complete!

Yesterday I was at my easel working on the wall hanging for my necklaces.  I wanted to get it finished and done before Christmas; and so I could also get it all done up and complete before the New Year.

Besides, I wanted to see if it worked.

Anyway, I worked through the afternoon on it until dinner.  Then, I took an hour's break and got stuck back into it and didn't stop until it was finished completely at 10:30pm.  Wow!  What a long time to be painting!  But then, I also sat through 'The Santa Clause 2' - a funny Tim Allan movie - to help me keep going.  Well, Here are the photos to it.  Hope you like it as much as I do.

Necklace Wallhanging1 

Necklace Wallhanging2  

Necklace Wallhanging3  

Now, all I need to do is hang it up on the wall in my bedroom and put all my necklaces on it with the Alligator clips.  I'm so thrilled at how it worked out.  Until my next post - and project - keep creating!

Christmas Is All Wrapped Up

I must say that this year hasn't been without it's problems; especially now.  As some of you know - from following my other blogs and knowing me in Real Life - I've recently suffered a loss of a dear feathered friend over the weekend.  
But I find that if I delve myself into my work, I get through grief and loss better.  So, I found myself working through the rest of Gabe and Kat's Christmas present faster than ever before.  I got around 8 pegs painted each night over the last 3 nights and before I knew it, they were finished!  This morning, I varnished them; and here is the next set I did this morning.

Painted Pegs for Gabe & Kat1 

Painted Pegs for Gabe & Kat2 

 

Arty Pegs for Chrissy Pressies

I've got about three weeks until Christmas Day; and I have finished all of my present shopping.  Yep, I'm that organised!  But I'm taking my time with one lot of the family presents; and for a good reason too... it needs a lot of patience and detail.  Fortunately, I have that in spades.
I'm painting up a set of clothes pegs for my brother and his partner so they always have enough to use.
I thought of making them some - personalised ones - while I was minding their place at Brighton in October.  Thought it would be a fun thing to have on their clothes line... and a very arty thing to add to their house if they use them on their clothes horse too.  I've taken a few pictures of the ones I've gotten done so far... nice don't you think?

Personalised Pegs1 

Personalised Pegs2  

Well, Until my next post, keep creating!

Christmas Presents Artwork

I love doing arty things for Christmas.  And this year, I'm going to cover two present for the price of one.  I have begun painting up two different types of clothes pegs - the ordinary pegs with the metal springs in them, and the dolly pegs.  And so, what I'm going to do is split up the sets and give them to two different parts of my family who are in great need of new clothes pegs.

Mum and Dad's pegs are brittle and need updating.  I thought it would be wonderful for them to use the ones I have painted up outside; as they bring them inside each time.  I'm also giving my brother and his fiance a set for when they move into their house over Christmas; as when I was house sitting over the first week of October, I found they didn't have enough pegs for a full load of laundry (and Dad noticed this too).  And a lot of their laundry ended up on the ground on a windy day.

So, I'm looking forward to having these done, boxign them up and giving them to their new owners on the Big Day.  I can't wait!
What are you doing - which is arty - over Christmas?  Are you giving some art work to family or buying something arty for a family member?  Until my next post, keep creating.  

Life Drawing Masterclass

Yesterday, I was off early in the day to attend a Life Drawing Masterclass.  It was a full day - from 10am until 2:30pm - of learning the basics of Life Drawing; with a model there as well.  
I arrived there about half and hour early because my bus was either going to make me early or late - depending on with one I caught.  This gave me a chance to walk around the 'Artwaves' exhibition and to vote on the one I loved the most (which was Identity by Chanel Tanent in Gallery 3).  By the time we all signed in and had picked our places, the teacher was ready and the model had arrived.
Kay Kane works at Griffith University teaching students how to draw with pencil and charcoal and she also teaches animators drawing as well.  The model we had was somebody known to me as I had drawn him before at Southbank last year.  The funny thing was that I didn't really know him until he disrobed and posed that his name popped into my head; just before the teacher told us his name.
We learned how to use the cloud technique with drawing people.  This is when you use the side of your charcoal to shade what you see of the model; starting at the centre of him, then going up and filling in where the arms are and legs.  It was a great exercise for us to do.  By the end of it, we had to draw a fixed line around the cloud with the pointed end of our charcoal and then fill out where the arms and legs would have been.  And believe me!  Mine didn't look anything like what he did!  It was a mess.  We had a break and I went and said hi to the model - seeing I knew him - and caught up with him.  Then, the teacher worked through until around midday - lunch time - and we worked for another hour or so and we had a few more exercises to do before going back to clouding again; but we found we had all improved on that morning.
Kay Kane then talked about her doctorate and what her main piece of work was and how long her current works took her to do, where there's other Life Drawing classes and asked if we'd like to attend another class like this one at the Logan Art Gallery.  Most of us wanted to know faces and heads - portraits - and she was pleased to see we wanted to get into the nitty-gritty of all; and said she'd love to do another workshop in the future.  This is something I will definitely be looking out for!  
I got home at around 3:30pm - when Dad picked me up - and as soon as I walked through the door, all I wanted to do was go to bed and sleep until this morning.  My feet hurt from standing in front of that easel for 5 hours.  My knees hurt from not being able to sit once in a while; and I was so very tired from looking at the model, then looking at my work, then looking back at the model again.  But you know?  I'd do it all again because it's the passion of working with the human body that keeps me wanting to learn more about how to paint it and draw it.  Until my next post, keep creating!  

Life Drawing Workshop 

It's Finished!

After 7 months of working on it, my self-portrait is finally finished and signed.  I sat down yesterday and did up the finishing touches on it within about an hour and a half and I'm pleased with it all!  

However, it hasn't all been plain sailing with this complex works.  I have never done a nude before and I've never painted a self-portrait of myself where I'm a full-sized figure.  So, these were the main things that threw me; and why it took so long for me to complete it.  I also enjoyed the learning experience so much I almost didn't want to finish it.  But I had other things that were on my mind, so I had to complete it.

There were other faults with it, but if I didn't sign it, I would've been picking at it until Christmas.  So, I thought to keep it the way it is now and sign it - faults and all.  Besides, it's the faults that make a painting, if nothing else.  Well, I'm happy it's finished and signed now; and I can work on something else.  Until my next post, keep creating.

I'm Being Interviewed!

I've got a big interview coming up next Wednesday and it's going to be with the editor of the South City Bulletin which covers Logan City.  The editor, Wendy Johnson, has asked me to write a piece about what other hobbies I do besides writing and I thought to tell her about my painting and interests in the arts.  Well, writing the article took about two days and half a day of editing.
Today, she read it and asked if I had any photos of myself and my art.  I didn't think I'd make the cut for the Bulletin; so I didn't put in any photos initially.  So, this afternoon, I spent about an hour looking for photos of my works that I had spent the last year on; then looked for my first painting I had done when I was 24 and photographed that and sent that along with the others.  
Well!  Wendy e-mailed me back and said we should get together for a coffee and she wants to see my other pieces I've been working on too.  This will be a good boost to my portfolio and profile online too.  I can't wait!  I'll keep you all posted about what happens.

Necklace Wall Hanging

As I've been talking about, I have begun my next new project.  I've been so excited about this that I started it yesterday afternoon after I returned from the doctors.  And, once I finished dinner, I set myself up in the living room and kept going for another hour or so.

Necklace Wall Hanging - Part One 

I hope this works out the way I have planned.  If so, I'll make another one for somebody in my family. 

A New Project!

As I mentioned yesterday, I have an idea for something around the house; for my bedroom actually.  So, instead of sitting on it - mentally - I thought to head out to Garden City and see what I could find at Riot Art to make my idea a reality.

They had all kinds of things there; and I'm proud to say that - after about half an hour of mulling over scrapbooking split pins and jewellery chains and alligator clips - something clicked in my head!  I'd work on the painting... make it look great!... then, I'd attach the chain to the painting in strategic places with the split pins - putting them through the chain.  Then, I'd slip an alligator clip through between each split pin.  These alligator clips will hold my necklaces nicely and securely without destroying the chains or weakening at any point because they're metal.  The way I know is because I wouldn't attach my necklaces with the teeth, I'd use the little hole left just before the teeth begin... in between the jaw of it and the teeth, there's enough space for a necklace chain to go.

I know it's all in the planning stages right now, but I can see the finished product in my head.  This is my next project.  I know it will work; and I'll let you guys know when it's finished - complete with photos of how it's going.  Until my next post, keep creating!