Working my way back to youuuuuuuuuuuu :-)

Goodness gracious where did the time go? I've probably read a billion blog pages and at some point or other the writer is bound to have a lapse of writing and come back all apologetic. So now it is my turn, Gomen kudasai, (please accept my sorrys) as they say in this corner of the world.

So I think working backwards might be the way to go here. The most recent portrait to garner my signature was a sweet teeny tiny little Yorkshire Terrier belonging to a wonderful friend ( Hi B.!:-)) I hadn't done a straight haired dog in a while so was wondering about getting the shine in on her coat.

I didn't work from this picture but you can get an idea of how minuscule she is :-)

I didn't take too many along the way pictures but did have fun playing with camera angles on the close to finished portrait as you'll see below.

.........and from the top!

This little sweetheart had the most expressive eyes that lit up when you caught her smiling:-)

 

Then the final picture although I have no idea what happened to cause that line down the side and only noticed it later. Sadly it is the only final shot I have.

Can't forget that cute lil' tongue!

Spot the difference :-)

So I have two pictures of the same dog, Ruthy. Actually she was the multi-coloured pup you met in the last post. Can you spot the small tweak I made from one photo to the next? well, apart from the fact that the first one is taken in closer proximity to the artwork. :-) C'mon you didn't think I'd make it THAT easy!? LOL!!

And then this one. Taken a little further away. I'll be perfectly honest with you, I hadn't intended her to fill the paper so much. But she looked a little stumpy in the crown when I left her coiffure tight to her head. So I went at it. I continued to primp up those beautiful poodle curls and she just expanded past the paper's borders. I loved the end result as it was a bit of a departure from what I have done so far. I think on my next in between commissions experiment I may just do eyes, cat's eyes as I'm suffering from withdrawal symptoms for cat portraits :-) If you follow my FB page at all you'll know that the cat commissions are few on the ground but the dog commissions are rolling in. Not complaining at all at all. Still thrilled to bits that this is working out beyond my wildest dreams :-) 

                     

Happy New Year!!

I'm excited. I'm not even 6 months in and there is a waiting list. People are out there wanting me to draw their beautiful, precious fur-babies. What an honour and what a responsibility! What am I like?!!! I'm giving it my all and enjoying every minute of it. I can't believe that this time last year I didn't know the joy of drawing, painting, experimenting and really breaking out of my paralysis of "Crap! what is the difference between a 2B and a 2H, wahhhhhhh difference must be so big I can't draw......

I am truly looking forward to what 2013 brings on all levels. 2012 was a stellar year for me. I took many leaps of faith with skills I had within but didn't acknowledge, use or even recognise. I became unemployed (but thankfully found part-time work to tide me over), I looked inside, I found art, I resurrected my yoga, I published a book and most of all I listened to me. It was one of the best years out ever. I thoroughly recommend taking a year out from your 'regular life' and just listening to what is inside YOU. We are all here because I found art. No, really you are only reading this far because you are most likely waiting for me to slot a picture in  somewhere soon :-) Ahhhh go on!!! I know you!!! ;=)

My rendition of Lucy in the Sky with Diamondssssssss

            I started my learning curve with paper. This almost had me running the other way!!! Seriously though, art or paper for art is like learning a new language. until you realize that all these lofty sounding names are actually brand names rather than a type of or kind of paper. Strathmore?...... name only! ......and there was me imagining it was a British paper made in the tiniest heirloom village of the British lake district by the 7th generation son who had learned the trade from his ailing grandfather who........ bleh di bleh bleh bleh..... NO! Strathmore is just good paper that is available in good art shops.... bah dah boooom!! They have a large variety within the brand, which most definitely can be confusing to the non-paper "knower", but what I have used, is just wonderful paper, period.

     I can say wonderful paper because I use it. I do trial runs when I get commissions. For those trial runs I use cheap stuff as in cheap paper. Then for the ordering client I move to the 'good stuff' as in good paper. Chalk and cheese, as in the very difference differences are made of. Chalk, dry by nature, cheese the very opposite, fatty. Here is a Pug-sicle I did as practice on the cheap paper. It looks  no different than what is done on the good paper BUT, and here is the big thing, it is that aforementioned chalk and cheese to draw on. This  paper disintegrates with an eraser nearby. Truly, it is that weak. Wait until I tell you about pencils! you'll never look at them the same again!

Trial run