It’s been a tough time of year to get much studio time, but I have managed to log some hours working on this drawing, and wanted to post an update. I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday and spends lots of time with the people that matter the most to you!
Best wishes, Debbi
It was a week of light work, both hour-wise and pencil pressure-wise. I decided to move ahead by lightly layering in most of the hawk, so that I can see where this drawing is going. I think there’s something about working on the blue background that makes it a little more challenging to develop, so I thought that this might help me out. So, here is my drawing after a “light” week. I’m finding the holidays very intrusive on my studio time, and hope to have more time this weekend and next week to concentrate on drawing.
This is slow going right now, but I thought I’d post another photo of the progress on my new drawing – if only because the last photo showed so little! The breast feathers are particularly difficult to capture. There are lots of streaked feathers that are under some white feathers, so they show up as “echoes” of the visible chest streaks. I don’t know if that makes any sense, but it’s difficult to capture, so I keep bouncing around from the bird to the leaf to the shadows underneath.
I finished the skull study today and am posting a photograph. I don’t know what I’m going to do next, but I need to start something quickly, before my son comes home from college for Thanksgiving. Otherwise, the break will spread into December and then I’ll have a real hard time getting going!
I’m posting a photo of the new progress on my drawing. I wasn’t going to share it this soon, but I decided I like the ghostly quality of the skunk skull. It’s a little tricky combining these two skulls, as I only have the animal skull in my possession and had to work from a photograph for the owl skull. I took that photo while on vacation in Arizona last February. While signing up for a trail ride, I noticed several wonderful skulls in the ranch office. The wrangler told me he had found this particular skull in a wash, and it had probably been there quite some time, as it was quite weather-beaten.
Here is the great horned owl skull I’ve been working on, nearly complete, or complete. It’s hard to tell until the other skull is in place and I can see how the two “bounce off each other”. I’m starting to work on the placement of the second skull.
I’ve been working on a new study of a Great Horned Owl Skull (when not busy watching election returns and results!). There will also be another skull in the drawing, most likely that of a shunk, which happens to be one of the favorite foods of a Great Horned Owl. I’m doing this drawing on Canson Mi-tientes paper. It’s nice to already have a color in the background and work up the whites and work back the darks.
I finished this drawing a couple of days ago and am finally getting around to posting an update. It has a nice depth to it which I like. I also love the Caribbean blue water color.
Now I am playing around with some new materials – an Ampersand drawing board with a green-toned background, and Coloursoft pencils. I did a wash with DerWent Inktense pencils first, and am doing the major part of the drawing with the Coloursoft pencils. I’m finding them very dry, it’s almost like drawing with a pastel. They create a bit of dust and don’t lend themselves to the type of detail I often prefer to achieve, but it’s a fun experiment. I’m doing a small piece (5 x 7 inches) of a pear in front of a window. I will try to post a photo when I can get one that’s color correct. Right now it’s just looking too bright and acidy. More soon!
Happy July 4th! I have spent several hours working today, and am almost finished with this drawing. I will probably take it with me down to Rhode Island tomorrow so I can work on it and hopefully finish it. We’re just going away for an overnight, and I really want to be able to start something new next Monday. Next Friday my younger son comes home from camp and I can see much of my free time drifting away on the summer wind.
Today I was interviewed and videotaped by the press from the Wellesley cable station for a spotlight on my artwork in conjunction with the show I currently have on display at the Dorset Tea and Coffee Cafe (www.dorsetcafe.com). First we taped a session in my studio, and then went down to the Dorset Cafe for some commentary about three pieces from the show. Thanks to Rob Santonastaso and Sarah Blodgett for their great work – I can’t wait to see the finished spotlight!
In addition to the above, I have so much time to work when my sons are away at camp! It’s almost frightening what I can accomplish when I’m alone in my studio all day. Here is a photo of the feather floating on water that I’m working on. I am getting more comfortable with the Rtistx board and don’t feel like I have to rush as much to “see how it will come out”. I am relaxing with the realization that I will achieve the results I’m looking for.
I am posting the first stage of my new piece on Rtistx board today. It’s still a little frustrating to be working in such a rough surface, but I think I am getting more used to it as I work more on it. This is a water-themed drawing I am considering for the CPSA Chapter 112 show entitled “H2O” which will be on view next November at the Spring Bull Gallery in Newport, RI.
Finally, here is a completed piece to share. I am pleased with the way this ended up. Any comments are most welcome.
I have started a new piece, and decided to push myself and try a different drawing surface. I bought some Ampersand Pastel Boards as well as some Rtistx boards, and decided to use the Rtistx board. I have very little experience with these boards, other than using them in two different workshops, so it is a little frustrating. I keep reminding myself that it’s good to push myself outside of my comfort level, even if it is just regarding materials. I don’t know if the drawing will work or not, but it’s small (a. 8 x 6 inches) and nearly half done, so it won’t take too long to tell. I will post a photograph of the new piece tomorrow.
Here is the latest photograph of my new drawing, and I will admit, it has been very slow going. Slow, but successful. I really love the way this is developing – the composition, colors, mood. . . The next post will be a completed piece. I hope to move on more quickly now as my kids are going off to summer camp tomorrow, and all the hectic activities of the past 3 weeks will be coming to an end!
I am loving working on this drawing although the peacock feather is very tedious drawing. I love the way the feather looks like water or a wave lapping on a shore of sand dollars. (Click on thumbnail and then on next image for best view).
A couple more days of work on this drawing and the peacock feather fringe is starting to take shape. I must be crazy – this is very delicate and difficult drawing. I think the actual eye of the feather will be easier to execute.
I have been making slow and steady progress on the new piece. Here is a photograph of it with the sand dollars more developed.
Here is a photograph of the new piece I started this week. It’s at a very beginning stage, but I always find it interesting to watch the developing stages of pieces.
Here is the finished drawing of the feathers and broken egg in a box. I am happy with the way it came out, and plan to do another feather piece to try out some different ideas.
This drawing is beginning to shape up and the finished image is now easier for me to picture. I am accentuating colors in the feathers to achieve a little more variation. The next two feathers are done (not shown here) and add more softness and color. (Click on thumbnail and then again on next image for best view).
Here is more development on the feathers and broken egg nestled in a box. I’ve never drawn feathers before that weren’t part of a bird. They are interesting to look at by themselves.
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