drawings
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Friday, July 12th, 2019
Brooke, 11 x 14 inches graphite on paper
Lilies at Butchart Gardens, BC
Sunday, August 5th, 2018
Lilies at the Butchart Gardens, Victoria BC, 18H x 24W inches graphite on 140 lb cold pressed premium. Detail image:
New Zealand sketches
Monday, January 1st, 2018
Agapanthus near Ambury Regional Park, Mangere, New Zealand, 4H x 6W inches quick sketch with WC pencils
Sheep, Mangere park New Zealand, 4H x 6W inches quick sketch with WC pencils
Hannah
Thursday, June 1st, 2017
Hannah, 11 x 14 inches graphite on paper. This was a special commission for a good friend. I no longer offer to do portraits – pets, absolutely – but while I love drawing people, the work and long periods of in-between study I require take too long to warrant what I’d need to charge. There are other artists who specialize in only portraits and do nothing else.
The photo was a very small file, only 500 pixels wide, plus the feet were not in the frame, so initially I thought it impossible to work from, but started anyway. All works on paper begin with taped edges, leaving an inch of border which helps when it comes to framing, especially if composition is off a bit. I scribble in the main shapes lightly, gradually building up areas with lines and then shading as confidence grows. As marks, once placed, are difficult to erase, the face details are drawn in more gradually than the rest of the composition.
I remember that my friend used to call her grand-daughter Hannah Banana, so I snuck some banana shapes onto the blanket – that will be a surprise for her when she sees this. I smudge the graphite and use erasers quite a bit, a good technique for subtler details like the background and blanket pattern. Eraser sticks, 2 different sizes, are perfect because they are held and used like a pencil.
Hydrangea
Tuesday, August 6th, 2013
Blue Hydrangea, 18H x 24W inches graphite on 80 lb premium, white mat
Blue Flag Iris
Tuesday, July 30th, 2013
Blue Flag Iris, 24H x 18W inches graphite on paper, white mat
Gladiolas
Tuesday, July 2nd, 2013
Gladiolas, 24H x 18W inches graphite on paper, white mat
Stars in the Sweetgum
Thursday, June 28th, 2012
Stars in the Sweetgum, 12H x 9W inches charcoal and colored pencils on paper, preliminary study for a larger painting of the Sweetgum tree in our side yard.
Portraying darkness is an excellent way to study color. Inspired by travels on clear nights when speeding by tree silhouettes, there’s an illusion that horizon is absent, and the stars are in the trees. I often marvel how dark skies can still be so colorful, ranging from rich teals, purples, sometimes shades of red and orange.
Chrysanthemums
Tuesday, June 26th, 2012
Chrysanthemums, 85W x 45H 3D inches graphite, charcoal, soft pastels, fixative with primer used as paint on white 100% cotton. Grey narrow frame. This is a beautiful painting, impressive because of its size and the expressionistic style of the flowers. The small photo doesn’t do it justice, so some detail images are provided below. It’s hanging in our family room on a grey wall beside the Chrysanthemums Chair. They do look great together!
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The insight of a nine-year-old
Monday, June 25th, 2012
“It does not matter how much you see, it matters if you appreciate what you see”
Fintan Fox, 9 yrs old. Below, an angel fish drawn after snorkeling in Figi
I recently had the pleasure of conversations with nine year old Fintan Fox, the son of a good friend whom I had not seen for over 35 years. My friend Julie and her son, Fintan, both created blogs about their extensive travels beginning in England where they live, to Russia last August, then through China, Thailand, Cambodia, to Australia, Figi, and now through western North America. They are on the last leg of their year-long trip around the world, stopping to visit us in Oregon on their way to Canada.
This drawing is one of Fintan’s blog entries, an Angel fish drawn after seeing some while snorkeling in Figi. So impressive! With a minimum of information, the style is bold and confident… simple, yet accurate. Similarly, he writes with matter-of-fact wisdom, and surprisingly well-thought-through opinions. Wow, nine year-olds can be great sources of inspiration.