So long since I last posted!

I can't believe how long its been since I last posted! And have I been busy in that time? Well, probably not in comparison with some, but a new job has taken my concentration for the last three weeks or so until this morning, when I realised how much I'd missed picking up a pencil or a stick of pastel!

So when a very hungry cat woke me up this morning at half past six and as I obviously wasnt going to be allowed to go back to sleep until I remedied her rumbly tummy, I decided to stay out of my lovely warm bed and get cracking.
This was the result.

A2 orange cartridge paper, pastel, charcoal, coloured pencils, markers & ink.

I'm still working on the abstract theme for my OCA project and this piece started well with the irises but rapidly moved away from anything remotely looking abstract!

I beginning to understand that this tendancy to wander off course is my biggest challenge, to keep my work in as abstract a format as possible as I progress through every stage of the drawing. I get so involved and carried away as I'm working that I forget my original intentions, and considering I've spent the last 18 months trying to produce as realistic a piece of work as possible, its proving very difficult to 'retrain' myself.

But I havent really been totally 'artless' during the last few weeks. Here are some of the sketches that I've been playing around with.

I love this. I felt so pleased with myself for having got the perspective so very nearly right! And I just love the heaviness of the grey pencil/pastel lines with the added touches of skin toned pastel and brown highlights in her hair.

This is probably one my favourites. I think it has a good sense of solidity and the pale highlights really suggest light from an unseen light source coming from the left side of the figure.

And this is just another sketch which I find very pleasing to look at. I think it has something to do with the dip in her waistline and shape of her bottom!

Updated abstract

My second abstract attempt and I'm very pleased with how this has come out. I'm still a bit undecided as to whether this is totally finished so I'm going to put it away for a few days. Hopefully when I come back to it I'll find I'll know whether to keep working on it or not!

My first abstract, finished. Unfortunately I find I'm not so pleased with this as I was originally, but I still enjoyed doing it, which is of course the main point!

New materials and my first abstract

Its ages since I last posted and so much has been going on! I know I should have posted long before now but a trip South to see my sister has taken much of that time up. I had a fantastic time, a day out to Merriments Gardens, a fabulous birthday meal and of course a trip to the art shop in Tunbridge Wells to spend my birthday money! I couldnt have asked for a better time!

And now its back home and time to concentrate on some drawing.

Its ages since I did something I really like and enjoy doing and this is it.

Done on red cartridge paper with pastel and black ink. Obviously its a long way from finished but I am just loving the colours ......my new pastels are great! Unfortunately my camera hasnt taken the best picture, the colours in reality are much, much sharper and brighter, but I'll try to get a better image when I take the next shots. Initial thoughts would be welcome!

I also promise the next time I post I will make sure I have more time and can do justice to my recent trip, new purchases and some sample paper which Derek Jones very kindly posted to me.

Herbs

I saw this cute little Herb Box for 50p at a car boot a few weeks ago and having bought some seeds a few days later, I thought I'd go ahead and get it planted. Seeds never cease to amaze me, such a simple thing but so much energy and life packed into the tiniest of things!

Its a dreary day today, rain is in the air... but my garden desperately needs it, so I'm not complaining. I just look at the seedlings on my kitchen windowsill! If I can't be outside, then its time to get some paper out and start drawing.

Have a great day!

Catch Up

At last I'm back on line. Apologies for my silence but I was unexpectedly unable to access the internet due to service provider problems. Isnt it amazing how quickly we get attached to technology? And I was surprised at how much I missed blogging, reading my emails and generally using the internet.

So to keep busy I've been spending my normal internet time in my garden instead and I'm really pleased with how its coming along. When I moved in to my flat just over a year ago the garden was a tip (literally!) but is now looking almost civilised. I've managed to get most of my pots filled with various flowers for the summer, I've planted some sweatpeas and a few other bits and pieces and made a good start on my veggie garden. I've planted some radish, lettuce and beetroot seeds. I've also put in some artichokes, courgette and tomato plants and the peas are well on their way to producing a fine crop. I'm also really pleased to see that my Bonsai tree has survived the winter (I forgot to find a friendly greenhouse to winter it in and thought I'd killed it off in the cold weather we had)

Above: The view down into my garden from my flat window

I've also been trying to get some more drawing done but I'm dissappointed still to find I'm still hitting all sorts of walls. In an effort to draw something enjoyable and therefore refind some confidence, I did this piece in pastel. Now I'm not really a 'flower' sort of person (those of you who know me will testify to that I'm sure!) but I dont find flowers very difficult and although I'm sure this could have been better, it was only a bit of therapy for me.

This is A2 in size, pastel on a pale lime green sugar paper. I found my existing supply of pastels very limiting and will hopefully put this right at the weekend. I hope to buy a set of 36 Sennelier assorted pastels as well as some Conte and some new types of paper. I do like the Sennelier pastels but they dont last long! I need to start experimenting with different papers and makes of medium. Thats assuming I can find my 'drawing abilities' again!

I did this at the figure drawing group I sometimes go to. This is an untutored group and its fun but sometimes frustrating for me. I made myself slow down during this session, in all about 2 hours of drawing, but theres things about this that I really dont like (although I've been told that I am definitely getting better) but as yet I cant identify what it is that I dont like about it. This is a pencil and coloured pencil drawing on A2 cartridge paper. How I see the drawing in my head is miles away from what comes out! Still, I'm stubborn so I'll keep trying.