and a little sketch to illustrate a point below.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
First Sneak Peek
Here is a sneak Peak from the book in the making! This is step 1 and the last step of this demonstration. I'll have more sneak peeks from time time, some with more steps and some with less steps like this one.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Times Are Changing
On Thursday I had the unfortunate task of picking up my artwork from Monadnock Fine Art Gallery because they are closing their doors due to the economic climate. They are greatly going to be missed by us artists as well as the community. I have been told that they are going to still function for us hosting rotating shows at various upscale Main Street businesses and keeping up their website.
Two years ago I had come to a different crossroads. I started teaching part-time at a local grade and middle school. It is a demanding part-time job with 10 grade levels to teach in 2 days, along with no curriculum provided. My studio time out of school was invaded by constantly thinking about what projects I was going to do next and doing examples. Not only was my time eaten away, but my mental ability to stay focused on my artwork when I wasn't teaching was stressed. SO I had to down scale my fine art projects which included removing my artwork from galleries that weren't performing and putting my colored pencil portrait book project on hold. I decided to just keep my artwork at Monadnock Fine Art Gallery (the one that just closed) and Chasen Galleries.
photo: artwork picked up from Gallery on the studio floor
Two years ago I had come to a different crossroads. I started teaching part-time at a local grade and middle school. It is a demanding part-time job with 10 grade levels to teach in 2 days, along with no curriculum provided. My studio time out of school was invaded by constantly thinking about what projects I was going to do next and doing examples. Not only was my time eaten away, but my mental ability to stay focused on my artwork when I wasn't teaching was stressed. SO I had to down scale my fine art projects which included removing my artwork from galleries that weren't performing and putting my colored pencil portrait book project on hold. I decided to just keep my artwork at Monadnock Fine Art Gallery (the one that just closed) and Chasen Galleries.
So now that my best selling gallery is no longer needing the same output from me, I can resurrect my portrait book project. I am thinking of this change as a good thing and a chance for me to finish a project I really feel strong about. I have one chapter finished, and a table of contents finished already. Basically I have the book planned out which is the hardest part. I am thinking the rest of the chapters will take a fraction of the time that that first chapter took, as it was a huge learning process. I am also excited about how my teaching experience has enlightened me on a new direction for my exercises in the book. I am looking into self-publishing options in ebook and print format which was not as available two years ago, so the formatting and editing will lie on my shoulders, but I think it is worth it.
I hope you all are up for the ride into this new venture with me! It will also mean less artwork displayed on this blog for a little while. So watch for book sneak peaks and the occasional still-life or portrait in this space!
I hope you all are up for the ride into this new venture with me! It will also mean less artwork displayed on this blog for a little while. So watch for book sneak peaks and the occasional still-life or portrait in this space!
possible ebook cover concept
Monday, March 28, 2011
80's Makeover & Smurf study
I finished! Here's my 80's still-life all finished. I think I'll name it "80's Makeover" instead of Heartbeat City. I hope you enjoy it.
80's Makeover
6" x 18"
Coloursofts on Pastelbord
& a Bonus little study up for a "Buy It Now" auction below.
I decided to make a companion little 4x6 drawing of a smurf. It is Derwent Coloursofts on Fisher 400 mounted on board. If you are interested the price is $30 with free shipping and the auction is here: http://bit.ly/eUKqGI
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Update on 80's Still-life
I've gotten a bit further, but will have to put it on hold for a bit to do another project that has come up and has a deadline soon.
I've added my own 80's picture which is authentic eighties, although I did not have pink hair. Also added in is my 8year old in the very large for for her sunglasses and a teddy bear rainbow pin. The beads had to be rethought as what I have is a silver bead mardi gras necklace. I rendered them silver and it did not look right so I am trying to make them into pearls ala the Material Girl... they are still in progress.
Enjoy!
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Heartbeat City - 80's Themed Still-Life
I have been following the UKCPS (United Kingdom Coloured Pencil Society) for a while because I like seeing new and different colored pencil drawings. BUT recently I saw a blog post there that mentioned there would be an "Eighties Themed Prize" at their next member's show. I couldn't contain myself and joined the UKCPS even though I am a bazillion miles away, just so I had an excuse to make an 80's piece!
I've gone for the early eighties, even though I was young in the early eighties, because that is what people think of as "80's" now. I think my young age then has influenced what I chose for props however! I went on an eighties search for props in town and ended up buying this old Polaroid camera at the Salvation Army. I LOVED the rainbow on the front of it and that set the whole theme of the still-life. My daughters did an eighties makeover day with glasses, pink hair, and loads of eye makeup and I spruced up an authentic photograph of me in the late eighties (which will be seen soon). I've added a few other little eighties props, lipstick, those gasket-like rubber bracelets (I remember Madonna wearing) an authentic 80's rainbow teddy bear pin (my sister sent), a beaded necklace, a smurf, and the Cars cassette Heartbeat City. Like I said this still-life might be influenced by my young age in the early eighties. I did leave out the scratch-and-sniff stickers... but not much else.
I've gone for the early eighties, even though I was young in the early eighties, because that is what people think of as "80's" now. I think my young age then has influenced what I chose for props however! I went on an eighties search for props in town and ended up buying this old Polaroid camera at the Salvation Army. I LOVED the rainbow on the front of it and that set the whole theme of the still-life. My daughters did an eighties makeover day with glasses, pink hair, and loads of eye makeup and I spruced up an authentic photograph of me in the late eighties (which will be seen soon). I've added a few other little eighties props, lipstick, those gasket-like rubber bracelets (I remember Madonna wearing) an authentic 80's rainbow teddy bear pin (my sister sent), a beaded necklace, a smurf, and the Cars cassette Heartbeat City. Like I said this still-life might be influenced by my young age in the early eighties. I did leave out the scratch-and-sniff stickers... but not much else.
I decided to do it on Pastelbord in case it does get in the show, so I don't have to send a picture under glass. As you all know my works on Pastelbord get varnished instead of sealed under glass. This will make it cheaper to ship and I won't worry about glass breaking along the way.
The short side of doing this on Pastelbord is that I don't like the way portraits look on Pastelbord with the graininess of the board and the inability to get really subtle changes in value/color or details for that matter. It is also hard to make corrections on - which I always need doing portraits to get the likeness just right. I'm plugging my way through however as the picture is so much fun.
If you want to enter this contest and join the UKCPS to do so, you can on their site (links below). The closing date for entry is 23rd April 2011 and they are only selecting 24 pieces! Eek!
Work in Progress!
Heartbeat City
6" x 18"
Coloursofts and Prismas on Pastelbord
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