Friday, November 30, 2007

Fire

Burning match study
Coloured pencil on black mi-tientes paper

copyright Jeanette Jobson


I saw this little reference and realized that I'd never tried drawing flames before and there was no time like the present. There are successes and weak points in it, but I enjoyed working on it and rather like the overall effect, even if cropped a bit.

Its a weekend and they don't seem to exist much for me anymore. My schedule on the weekend - well every day - seems to get busier and busier. As long as I don't think too far ahead, it works out fine.

I spend Saturdays prepping for drawing classes on Sundays and during the week and making sure I have lessons in place and demos in hand. This weekend I also have an exhibition that I'm putting some pieces into and I'll have to spend some time 'show sitting' as a member of the board. I don't mind that, in fact, its rather fun to people watch and get a chance to really look at the drawings and paintings that people have produced. The only spanner in the works is that its supposed to snow on Sunday. The first snow of the year so it could make driving a bit of an adventure. We'll wait and see.

I do have a commission for a set of nine drawings in coloured pencil, depicting the nine emotions of yoga. I've started on the first one and its a little eery with a eyeless face looking back at me, but with a calm expression. I'll work my way through the emotions and use a different colour for each to try to tie them into the emotion being drawn.

I've also picked up another private lesson to teach which I'm fitting in between a strategic planning meeting and life. I'm considering offering some additional private lessons to see how much demand there is for it locally. If there is enough demand and commissions arrive, I may reach the point where I'l have to make some decisions about the levels of my regular job and my art job and how they overlap. But that's the future. Right now I'm just drawing and wishing for more hours in my day.

2 comments:

Tracy Wall said...

This is remarkable! How many matches did you light between start to finish?

Hello Jeanette! Long time lurker, first time commenter. I've found that the closer you get to doing what you need to be doing, the less available time you have. The more plates you have juggled in the air, the more arms you seem to grow!

I too struggle with the back-and-forth demands of "other job" and artist job. Thanks for sharing and we'll keep wishing for the clock to slow down!

Jeanette Jobson said...

Hi Tracy, I think I'd have the house burned down by the time I lit enough matches to create this. It was a photographic reference. I could perhaps have used a candle flame, but it wouldn't have had the same colours in it.

I'm glad you stopped by. Time is a challenge indeed, but that's part of the process isn't it? Deadlines are often the spur needed to actually complete work.