What's old is new?

I did a double take at the grocery store when I saw the People's cover memorializing Elizabeth Taylor. Looks like People's art directors and I have the same taste in beautiful photos!

I got around to rummaging through some old drawings and pulled out the one above. I did this years ago, at least 10, with a limited palette of coloured pencils on super slick Lettraset paper (if some of you remember that!) A softer rendition, using lots of cross-hatching throughout the face, then directional strokes through the hair. I still like it :-)

A stunning woman and a film icon; a heartbreaking loss~Godspeed, Liz.

Projects and....a Puppy!

Time does fly! Literally! These months have evaporated, between being busy at my "bill paying job" and trying to finish up 4 projects on the go (all of a creative nature) I have had a very full plate.
So while I do have art to show you, I must to wait for client approvals and a birthday to pass before posting. In the interim....

We did it.

We got a puppy.

And no, you can't see the hole in my head.

Only my mother can.
And apparently she is able to do this no matter how old I get ;-)

So I thought I would share a bunch of those mushy, gushy isn't-he-the-cutest-thing puppy pictures! (Note: For those of you serious blog readers, you might want to stop here as the remaining part of my post gets awfully syrupy)

We already have an almost-5-year-old-Blue Picardy Spaniel in our family and were going to get, at some point, when we had more space, another Blue. Fate had other plans, and waiting was not part of them, so excuses were set aside and we welcomed home Brighthope Power Point, aka "DAX" (Eighteen weeks young as of yesterday)

Although I'm sure he still hopes, for the most part Suede has resigned himself that the puppy is not leaving and has become a wonderful big uncle and role model to little Dax.
Note Dax's careful positioning to be just like his big buddy Suede! (The following pictures were NOT posed. Honest!)





Too precious right? They cuddle like that all the time. I can't help but smile; if only life was that easy!! And Dax will pretty much cuddle with anyone that will have him....


Dax is named after a medival French city, and he is the only son of the wonderful Ciron of Brighthope kennels. With a litter of 1 boy and 6 girls, Ciron obviously likes to produce girls! Dax will get a little darker as he ages; he will be a black and grey roan. Right now he is a super gangly youngster....



Here is Dax trying out for a part on "Meercat Manor"...


We can already see glimpses of the handsome dog that Dax will become.... they grow up so quickly!

One More Christmas Post

"Marne"
Christmas 2010, Enamel paints on porcelain

I wanted to show something different I did this year;
This is an original hand painted ornament I created for an extra-special Christmas gift :-D
It is a flat, porcelain ornament and I used enamel paints, with some gold burnishing on the background. It was a pretty good surface to paint on and I was very pleased with the outcome.

For inspiration on this piece, I tip my hat in the direction of Jennifer MacNeill-Traylor, who has painted a few of her own ornaments. I found the porcelain blanks one day and decided to give it a try.
Surf on by and check out her artwork on her regular blog and her fabulous Painted Ponies (one of my New Years resolutions is to save up my pennies for one of Jen's original ponies this year!) You won't be disappointed!

Everyone is back and school and/or work tomorrow and I will be trying to finish up my entries for this year's Art Show at the Dog Show. Will try to post work in progress....stay tuned!

Miniature Portrait

FRASIER
Watercolour on Board, 3.25"x 3.25"

Here is a miniature portrait I did for a Christmas gift; This is Frasier, a wonderful old gentleman who was mostly beagle with a dash of the unknown.

Sadly, his body gave out before his wonderful soaring spirit did....

(Stage 1 shown right, stage 2 shown left, final above)

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas
and a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous 2011!!

* * * * * * * * *

Helping Paws

I belong to the Canine Art Guild, a wonderful group of "dog" artists. Each year,due to the hard work of a number of members, the CAG puts together an online exhibition entitled "Helping Paws" where participating artists donate work and pledges a % of the sale of that work to a specified Animal Charity.
I submitted two pieces this year and, although the show does not go live until December 15th, I wanted to post the news in case anyone is looking for a great Christmas gift that gives in two ways :-)
"What's Up Dach?" and "Soulful" were accepted into the 2010 Art Show at the Dog Show earlier this year, with Soulful winning a Fourth Place Award in the Drawing Category.

SOULFUL
Frame Size: 12"w x 12"h, Painting size: 5"w x 5"h

Fully framed in a simple, dark frame that has slightly distressed edges and matted with a warm mushroom and off white double matt .

Your purchase of "Soulful" will send a donation of $75.00 to the American Lab Rescue. This rescue group is a not-for-profit organization specializing in re-homing pure and part bred labrador retrievers and in just over 5 years American Lab Rescue has helped place just under 4,000 dogs!

WHAT'S UP DACH?
Frame Size: 13"w x 11"h, Painting size: 6"w x 4"h

Fully framed in a simple, dark frame that has slightly distressed edges and matted with a neutral grey-brown and off white double matt.

Your purchase of "What's Up Dach?" will send a donation of $75.00 to the Canadian Dachshund Rescue. This rescue group is a not-for-profit organization specializing in re-homing pure and part bred dachshunds and in since 2001, the CDR has helped over 700 dachshunds and dachshund mixes find forever homes !

Both groups need financial help for their ongoing vet bills and foster family support. If you have any further questions or would like more detailed photos, please do not hesitate to contact me

Sort of painting...

So I finally have something to show you...sort of....

I've been working quite a bit and not a lot of time has been left for the drawing board. So, I have started a little painting; in acrylics of all things!

I have been doing some embellishing on my Front Runner pony figurines using acrylics and while I was waiting for one to dry, I pulled out some art media board and started on a small painting. This is based on a photo I took of some Connemara ponies while we were in Ireland eons ago. They might stay Connies or I might turn them into Highland ponies, another fav.

I promise this will get finished this week; and thanks very much to those who posted me privately...it was nice knowing people are missing your work

Bye, Bye Summer

Summer is officially behind us now, and I think I saw part of it!
It has been a very busy last couple of months, and I really cannot figure out how other artists balance family, working at a "paying" job and creating wonderful art on a regular basis. Even though I was always a good multi-tasker, I just haven't been able to do it, so my apologizes to the lack of posts. Perhaps with school now underway and things a little calmer, my posts will increase.

I had a nice break when our family went away for a week of vacation. We rented a cottage and it turned out to be pretty nice; all except for the "walk" to the lake that is.
The cottage owner explained that we had to walk down a set of stairs to the lake and dock.
No problem. We saw a picture.
However when we got there and saw the "walk"--well, does 'stairway to heaven' conjure up any images?
The picture we were shown was only of part of the walkway. I did a sketch (at left) of the upper portion. In total there were close to 200 steps! And that would be one way, so needless to say we all worked up great appetites and monster calves!

As the boys were all about the fishing, I also got in a few studies of lures and such. Don't ask me to name them though, the only one I know is the "bobber"

Ripple

Tricoloured Heron- 3" x 3.5" Pencil sketch on WC paper

Piping Plover - 3" x 3.5" Pencil sketch on WC paper

A few days ago I read about an online project that has been set up to aid in the Deep Water Horizon Gulf Oil Spill.

Kelly Light is a talented illustrator who wanted to do something about this disaster, so she set up a project called "Ripple"... the thought being that one ripple reaches out to many and repeats.

She contacted her art community and asked individuals to create a sketch on a 2.5"x 3.5" format and she would post it to the Ripple blog where each card would be "sold" when a person made a $10 donation to either the The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies or The International Bird Rescue Research Center, two non-profit organizations currently helping in the Gulf.

Well, Kelly's project has been a great success with people adding to it everyday. Every penny raised goes directly to these organizations and since June 3rd, this project has raised over $4,000!

"Tricolored Heron" and "Piping Plover" are my two little contributions. To make a donation and purchase, visit the Ripple Blog for further instructions.

And I would like to put out the challenge to all other artists to donate their own little sketch. As Kelly puts it "We don't have to feel helpless. We can help. Our small actions together will ripple outward. "

Naming Turtles

I'm juggling two jobs right now so painting has been really slow. However, other artists are doing wonderful work and in checking some of my watched blogs, I have to share this one with you.
Steve Worthington is a wonderful sculpture who has a humorous side to his work. He has a current contest running to name this three recent sculptures; a wonderful set of turtles-- And if your names are chosen, Steve is generously giving away a mouse sculpture as a prize!

So I've sent in a few suggestions:

The "H2O" Trio (Beginning of each name spells out H2O)
HOOVER (Outgoing),
TOULOUSE (Steady)
ORVILLE (slightly shy)

Trio in Motion
TURBO (Always gets there first- by a nose)
TEMPO (Steady pace)
TWINKLE TOES (Reminds me of a wall flower )

I think there's still time to send entries in...Wander over, have a look and suggest your own set of names.

Max the Bunny Portrait

"MAX"
5.25" x 5.25" Watercolor on WC board

Time just keeps on slipping away around here! However, my Max the Bunny portrait is completed and delivered to happy clients;
Thanks to Liz and Katherine for being patient and having such a wonderful buns!
My friend owned a dwarf rabbit and he was a character, but Max surprised me by being so friendly and individual; He obviously loves his humans, asks to be petted and talks...plus he was quite adorable :-)

Above is the finished piece and the sketch we went with (left), while below is a little montage of Max sketches. When I put it together I thought it might look quite nice as an overall bunny painting. I am sure that idea came from fellow artist Kimberly Kelly Santini's latest post about her own wonderful "Westie" montage Check it out- it looks great!

I also want to send out my congratulations to miniature artist Tracy Hall, who had her gorilla painting, entitled "Pensive," shortlisted for the 2010 Wildlife Artist of the Year Competition!!

Blue Mahogany

Blue Mahogany
Miniature Watercolor 3"w x 4"h

I had done a little miniature for the Pyramid Society's Art Auction but realized I never posted about it! The painting is now on its way to Kentucky and will hopefully find a lovely new owner come June :-)

It was done in watercolor on smooth wc paper (the penny is there to show scale). I was pretty pleased with it, but might have changed the head position a bit so that the interior daisy design was also visible behind the top of the neck crest. This would have given some more continuity to the background. Now back to finishing up my lovely Max portrait :-)

"The Front Runner"

A busy April has kept me hopping...unfortunately only some of it has been at my drawing board! Here are a few updates...

My Trail of Painted Pony figurine, The Front Runner has arrived! I have a number of low editions that are signed and are available purchase. I will also hold a couple of others back to embellish and sign. Not sure what the embellishments will be, but I will post them here when they are in progress. These will be ready some time early summer.
If you are interested in purchasing a pony, please contact me.


Two of my miniatures ("A Lite Bite" and "The Raspberry Thief")have been accepted into the Artcetra Auction, to be held on Thursday, May 6th to Saturday, May 8th at the Elora Center for the Arts. There will be free previews and both a silent and live auction. Visit their site for further info

And last, but not least; I am working on a sweet little portrait of Max the Bunny, but can't post anything until he's done and the client has okayed it---Look for him possibly next week :-)

Thumbs Down for Horsemania

I have been oh-so-patiently waiting for a letter from Lexington, Kentucky on the Horsemania 2010 project but it still has not arrived, so I bite the bullet and phoned them. After speaking to the wonderful Tanya, I found out that my design was not accepted for this project.

Bummer.

Horse mania 2010 is a re-visit of an earlier project Lexington ran in 2000. They got lifesize acrylic pony statues that individual artists painted. It was so successful that they chose to do it again, this time running the event through the World Equestrian Games.

I'm not going to be there. Bummer.

Over 450 entries were submitted and the judges had to par it down to 79. That must have been difficult...

I have posted my design and think I will have a go at painting it on a small resin horse form and see how that turns out. I really liked it, but it might have been too illustrative for their purposes. I know there were some great designs(graphic) submitted.

The horse form was the "Grazing Horse" I was going to paint a group of girls pouring over books on a library shelf. All the girls are horse crazy and sport the ubiquitous horse-crazy-girl pony tail.
The books they are looking at would have been individually titled using the great stories that h-c-g grow up on: Black Beauty, the Black Stallion, Bonnie (the Thoroughbred) Billy and Blaze, the Saddle Club etc. It would have been a little interactive trip down memory lane...

And the title? PONY TALES!

Student Work-Mine!

So the studio is almost back to normal--in cleaning up, I had to go through a couple of old portfolios and came across some of my student work from my illustration course at Sheridan College. (And yes, that is the same Sheridan College that is producing all those great animators that ILM and Pixar come and snatch up. I think I picked the wrong course!! :-D )

Anyway, these were two paintings done in acrylics from still-life set ups. We had loads of skulls at school and I loved to draw them, especially on toned paper with black and white pastel.

I remember doing this value exercise; comparing the value in one part to another part of the skull and painting it accordingly. Over and over again. I used to get so lost in those paintings and would be exhausted at the end--just from the mental exertion. The red scarf was a similar idea but stressing reflected color.

Wasn't it great how much time one had back then?