Trick or Treat

                                     Trick or Treat for Sketchbook Project and EDM

Sorry about no posts for the last little while. I'm finally back home, and trying to adjust to being back in my own space. I forgot how much work it was! LOL! I feel so much busier here than at Mom and Dad's. I guess because I'm trying to catch up on cleaning and laundry and cooking, and all the mommy and wife stuff, so art's been taking second place. Sigh...well, hubby has a gig tonight. He's playing the Halloween Dance at the pub, and I can't go, so I took the silent opportunity to do my Halloween sketch.

I know, I'm shameless about painting and sketching my kids, but I can't help it! They're just so awesome:)!! They were fooling around with their costumes (well, portions of their costumes)  on the other day, and I snapped a few pictures...enjoy:) Happy Halloween!!

Snoose Commission

Snoose Commision 24"X36"

Here is the reason I haven't posted anything but sketchbook stuff in a while. I've been working at least five hours a day on this guy, for three weeks...(planning, sketching, etc...) I've finally come to the point where I don't know what the heck else to do with it. I'm always amused by commissions, because they are never how I would choose to paint something. It always seems to be the classic, pose for the camera thing, which I'm personally not fond of, but whatever...So, I'm not really satisfied, which is nothing unusual for me when I finish a painting anyways.  She wants him to look happy...he's a basset...enough said. I don't know if I succeeded or not. 

The color in this photo is not great, so ignore that. Otherwise, anyone have any great constructive criticism?? I would be thrilled to hear from you. Cheers!

What Are Little Boys Made Of?

So...my last post was the first part of the poem...What Are Little Girls Made Of, so it only made sense to do the second half next. I had fun planning this one. I couldn't find anything to paint from life that seemed creative enough, so I gathered photographic references of critters, and a pic of my beautiful boy...I like the result. Black ballpoint with colored pencil accents. I can't decide whether to put more color in, or leave it as is. What do you all think?
PS: this looks way better big, so make sure to click:)

What Are Little Girls Made Of?

What Are Little Girls Made Of?

This poem was going through my head last night while I was thinking about what to sketch for my Sketchbook Project Moley...it's not so easy to find things around the house to represent girls and boys. I need to exercise my imagination a bit more.

Anyways, this is the result, all drawn from life in colored ballpoint. 

A Couple of Hardbodies

A Couple of Hardbodies -- Sketchbook Project

Please click on this one -- it looks way better big!

I know that all I've been showing you all lately is sketches, but I am painting, really. I sketch at night, and paint during the day, trying to get this commission done so I can finally go home!

I stayed up until 3am last night working on this one...I am addicted to sketching now! Now I'm tired, and not looking forward to painting at all...oh well.

Anyways, I was wracking my brain, trying to come up with an idea for my "boys and girls" theme, while browsing my europe photos, and I found this one, of David. The reference photo is of the bronze replica at Piazza Michelangelo. I thought, why not do a sculpture of a man and one of a woman, hence...this sketch. I've never seen Victory, but would have loved to have made it to the Louvre. I got the reference photo from Google...Enjoy!

These Old Shoes

These Old Shoes--Sketchbook Project

Some more shoes....they're fun to draw. Blank ballpoint with some blue details. They took about three hours. Funny, I have patience to work on a sketchbook picture that long, but a big painting on canvas? Not so much, lol! I suppose there's always a feeling that the canvases are serious, too dear. No room for error. Do we get too attached? Afraid to make mistakes? I don't find much joy in painting lately, but this sketchbook project is helping me find joy in art again. 

View from the Gazebo

View from the Gazebo-Coast Mountain Lodge

I'm feeling a bit homesick today, missing my friends and family. My best friend is getting married today, too, and I'm missing it, because I'm still stuck here. Congratulations, Jen! I love you!

This is a sketch I did while I was still in Bella Coola, before the flood. I bet it doesn't look like this anymore...sigh.  It's the view from the gazebo at work. It was a beautiful sunny day, and I went for a jog to have a coffee there. I decided to sit and sketch it on a piece of printer paper. I cut it and glued it into my moley, to cover up a godawful sketch I did of my daughter this morning. 

It was going beautifully, in pencil, the likeness was great, and I spent about an hour on it, and then I decided it needed some color and the lines needed to be darker. I tried to ink and color it, and DISASTER! It was ruined, completely...sorry Rhiannon...it was cute):

My Darling Daddy

Sketchbook Project -- My Darling Daddy

I was feeling inspired this morning as I was looking at the newest "Strokes of Genius" collection of drawings, so I decided to draw my dad. This is just pencil in my little moley, from life while having his morning cigarette...(Hack! Hack!) The eyes look a little freaky in the scan, they're darker than in the drawing so they look a little over-exaggerated than they do for real...oh well.

This Girl's Shoes

Sketchbook Project- This Girl's Shoes

A new sketch for the Sketchbook Project.  This one was fun! I was inspired by Andrea Joseph and her wonderful shoes in ballpoint. I started out in black ballpoint, and then thought "they're so colorful, I can't leave that out", so I did the color accents in colored pencil.

These shoes make me smile, and they also make me about 6 feet tall. My husband hates when I wear them because he's only 5'9. He'll look up at me, make a face and sigh....:)

Cat, Kitten, Kitty, ACEO, oil painting, miniature painting

Jade ACEO SOLD

I haven't really sketched in a few days as I've been working on the color study for my large commission, so I thought I'd post one of my latest ACEO's.

I 've also been working on a cute sketch for my daughter. I couldn't sleep last night, so I started doodling, something I never allow myself the novelty of doing and it turned into a pretty little big-eyed girl...but I'm not ready to show it. It might actually turn into a full size painting...we'll see. If it does, it's something totally and completely different for me, but I'm having fun experimenting.

This Girl's Lunch

Another sketch for the Sketchbook Project

Darn! I wish their was a better way to get a good scan of a pencil sketch. There's so much subtlety that's lost in this one. I was really quite proud of it, but you can't see a lot of the fine detail in the scan. I guess I'm just going to have to sketch in pen! 

More Itty Bitty Kitties

Snuggle Bugs Aceo SOLD

I'm so happy, my long awaited package of art supplies  arrived today! Yay! Thank you so much, super-hubby. I was going crazy. For those of you that don't already know, I am stranded in my old hometown, at my mom and dad's, in my old room, nonetheless...because the town where I now reside with my wonderful DH and my sweetheart monsters, has totally flooded. Like disastrous, devastatingly flooded! Many people's homes are beyond repair, and it's a bloody nightmare. Thank God our home was safe. But anyways, I have this huge commission, and no paint and no brushes...and my last batch of SOLD ebay ACEO's were also stranded...in Bella Coola, with the buyer impatiently waiting for their purchase.  For the longest time we had no mail going out or coming in because the road and the airport were closed. At least now the air traffic is moving, so we can get mail and send it...so dear buyer, if you're reading (I hope you don't mind me showing off your card) and, your package will now arrive soon.

Jacob for the Boys and Girls Sketcbook Project

Jacob Drawing

This is a sketch that I drew from life of my son, Jacob, while he was drawing. It looks much better the original size.  I had intended to go into a lot more detail, and there is a bit more in the original that the scan didn't pick up. But, I decided to stop. I liked the simplicity and the flow of the lines, and the look of concentration on his face. Oops, I forgot to show the tip of his tongue sticking out.  That's what he usually does when he's concentrating:)

Halloween Giveaway at Vagabond Creations

Win Me!!

You can win this little cutie over at Vagabond Creations, a wonderful art blog I just found today. Love it!  Zan Asha's little creations are precious, and she has a great sense of humour:)

Basset Hound Portrait

                                             Bassett Hound Portrait -- commission study

Here's my first study for my up and coming commission for a 24" x36" painting of a Bassett Hound. I like how the drawing turned out, so I thought I'd post it for my sketch followers...His name is Snoos, (I don't know how to spell it) and he was well loved, but unfortunately passed away recently. His lovely owner is heartbroken, and wants a memoir, and I'm happy to paint him. He looks like he was a darling.

My Beautiful Boy

                                        

My Beautiful Boy -- for the Sketchbook Project " Boys and Girls

Another sketch I did last night of my gorgeous son, Jacob. He's only about 5 years old here, but it was one of my favorite photos.

new sketch

Summertime....for the Sketchbook Project

This is a new sketch I did the other night for the Sketchbook Project. The photo isn't good, but it's better than the scan. I tried to add the touch of color, but I'm not sure how I feel about it. It's kind of clashy with the yellow-toned paper, I think. But oh well! I don't have to try to worry about pleasing anyone but myself with this one. Thanks to the facebook group Happiness Yes for the photo. It made me happy to look at it, which I really need right now, considering the state of things at home.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/HappinessYes-/111871948772

Bella Coola Floods, Painting Workshops and Commissions

Well, a bloody lot has happened since I last posted, and that was only a little over a week ago.

Sorry to keep you waiting, but I have a good reason. Mainly that my town, Bella Coola, with it's one highway leading into it, has been hit with a devastating flood. The road is out in innumerable places, and it could be weeks or months before it is open...and I am on the other side. I can't get home.

(Our main highway through town...that's the gas station.)

  Bailey Bridge

Firvale

But, on to better news: The reason I was out of town when the flood happened is because I was having an opening at a gallery in Quesnel, and teaching a painting workshop, and those were successful. Here are a few of my students, working really hard. Great paintings, ladies!

And, lastly, the good thing about being stuck out here, I scored a great commission to paint someone's dear deceased dog, and I'm pretty excited to get that underway.  All of the time spent stuck in Quesnel could lead to a lot more work, teaching and otherwise, so that's all good. I just wish that I could see my hubby and my friends, and help with all of the rebuilding. I feel so far away from everyone. My heart goes out to them.