Home made charcoal

I was reading about making charcoal and it seemed pretty straight forward so I thought why not? There are usually clean up fires of branch limbs from cleared land and firewood burning in late winter and early spring while the ground is still wet, so a few experiments took place.

Pieces of grape vine were wrapped in double layers of heavy foil and placed near the edge of the first fire. It got too hot and they disintegrated as well as the foil more or less. We always learn from our mistakes, so the second batch was wrapped in foil again and placed in the ashes of the fire was it was dying down. The is a lot of heat in a large fire and it still is hot the next day which was when this bundle was retrieved. And it seems to be a pretty good success. Some pieces are not completed carbonized but for the most part, they are quite usable and are what I would class as 'hard' charcoal.

I'm not sure how to create the different levels of softness in charcoal. Is it the type of wood used or the length of time it is carbonized I wonder? I have lots of willow on the property which is what I will try next and there are still grapevine cuttings that I'm keeping for future burns.

My sleeping patterns vary and I'm usually up very early which was probably lucky for Tripod, the cat this morning.

I was sitting in the dining room writing and having coffee. The cat wanted out at 5am and around 6 I heard strange sounds outside. It sounded a bit like the geese in the pen in the woods but like they were a bit hoarse. I ignored it for a couple of minutes then it continued so I got up and looked out of the living room window and saw Tripod who started coming towards the house when he saw me.

Then I saw the fox. This was the sound I had been hearing, the fox barking.

A vocalizing fox - wikipedia

This was a large fox and pretty skinny, but he had the cat on his radar big time. He was in a crouch almost the same way as a cat about to pounce on its prey. His lips were back showing his teeth and his nose wrinkled up in a snarl. For a split second I didn't know what to do then reacted, racing outside - still in pj's and starting waving my arms and shouting at the fox and, stupidly, telling Tripod to stay still, as if he would.

The fox looked at me and backed up about 2 feet, but was still intent on Tripod who was coming towards me and the safety of the house. I moved towards the fox again, and part of me wondered 'what if this fox is rabid?'. The fox moved off a few more feet and we kept up this game right up to the meadow when I resorted to caveman tactics - throwing rocks at it.

He finally ran across the meadow into the woods and I was left in the field realizing it was cold and wet out. The cat was none the worse for wear, but telling me all about it in no uncertain terms as he ate his breakfast.

This fox has been around for a few months and has become a nuisance. It attacked the Embden geese last month, killing the large male and badly injuring another, then also attacked BD and Buddy, my favourite Muscovy ducks leaving Buddy limping and uncertain of his fate for a week. Foxes don't usually act like this. They are noctural and should be very wary of people, scooting off at the first sign of one. It makes me wonder if something is wrong with this animal.

I can't prevent the cat from going out nor the geese or ducks, but its always a worry when things come out of the woods. There is always something trying to eat something else on the farm.

Meanwhile, tomorrow I go to Toronto for some meetings, then off to Ottawa on Sunday to stay with a friend for a few days. I will have my laptop with me, but I don't know how much time I'll have to make posts. I will be hunting down whatever art supply stores while I'm there and will of course have my sketchbook with me. No matter where, there are always drawing opportunities - and space in my suitcase for more art supplies.

Posting will resume on Thursday if not before.

Rogier van der Weyden

Portrait of a Lady - c. 1460
Rogier van der Weyden

There is something very appealing to me about exploring paintings or drawings from the past. I love looking into the historic background, the clothing and the lifestyles of the period. I like examining how the artist created what he or she saw or imagined and I especially like the portraits.

I treated myself to a calendar around Christmas time that is produced by the National Gallery of Art and consists of a page a day of different art works. Today's image is Portrait of a Lady by Rogier van der Weyden, painted in 1460.

I sat here tonight doing a line drawing of this image , trying to recreate the peaceful (or was it bored) expression on the woman's face and the delicate folds of the gauze head dress. I love how van der Weyden paints the hands in all his portraits in such detail. But in this particular portrait I think the hands are out of porportion and look far too small. But it doesn't detract from the overall image.

I've made her features too delicate in my sketch. The face needs to be strengthened and made broader perhaps. I'll be exploring more of van der Weyden's portraits and see how they translate into drawings and I may even tackle one as a painting.

The Joys of Spring

There is a northeast flow of air which means cold, damp, foggy air and a northern wind that blows ice our way. The days are grey and all of the colour seems to wash out of the landscape. Kevin Spacey, when filming The Shipping News here, was quoted as saying that Newfoundlanders have four seasons: summer, fall, winter and misery. April is misery. There are teasing glimpses of heat and hints of green new growth only to be smothered by freezing rain or days socked in with bonechilling RDF (rain, drizzle and fog).

By the way, don't judge Newfoundland by The Shipping News. Its beyond depressing, that movie, and doesn't bear any resemblance to the reality of the province.

So in weeks like this, I take pleasure out of small things like these on the drive home tonight. Nor'easters bring these 10,000 year old chunks of ice onto my doorstep where they sit, melting in what they consider warmer waters. When the sun comes out, it hastens the melting process and pieces of ice break off, called 'bergy bits', that nestle up against the rocks on the shoreline, turquoise lines going through them like some rare aquamarine or opal gemstone.

With the snow melted, animals start stirring from the bowels of the forest and I caught a glimpse of this cow moose out of the corner of my eye making her way through the trees towards to road. We made eye contact and I hoped no car would come the other way as she trotted out onto the road for a few moments then leaped over the guard rail and was gone again. For such large animals, they can move so quickly through heavy brush and trees it amazes me.

Moose, however, are a real danger on the roads in this province with many fatalities due to vehicle/moose collisions. With long legs, these animals are hit by the car in the legs so then end up sliding across the hood of the car straight into your windshield. Not a happy ending for man nor beast unfortunately. And with the woods leading right onto the roads in many areas, you don't see the moose especially at night until it is too late to stop.





It sometimes pays to have the camera handy in the car, even if fog and rain don't make the best photo from inside the car.

Who are you?

What Famous Leader Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

What Classic Movie Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

Slow art

The Jumper - work in progress
Coloured pencil on Canson paper 11 x 14
copyright Jeanette Jobson

I never know if its because of internal or external factors or simply because the planets are aligned in your favour, but some days drawing just is easier than others. Other days you can struggle forever and nothing comes out as you want it. Today was the former for me and I'm hoping it will stick with me for the rest of the weekend so I can make some progress.

Today I started this drawing of a boy about to leap into the warm waters of a Florida lake. Being involved in the water safety industry, such images always make me a little nervous, even though I'm sure the child was just fine after his plunge.

Its only about 2 hours into the drawing right now and has quite a number of hours left to bring it to life, while it goes through its many stages before resembling what I originally wanted. Time is one of the points that I constant drum home to drawing students. So many want to draw a masterpiece in an hour and get frustrated and trash the piece before its barely begun. Instant gratification has always been with us but these days it seems more prevalent. No one can wait for anything, from food to drawing time.

Maybe its my nature, but I love the time it takes to develop a drawing and seeing little details emerge over time. Detailed coloured pencil drawings can take up to 20 hours or more to complete and I know that this frustrates beginners constantly because they don't under fully the process of building a drawing slowly. The knowledge of time involved in creating a drawing or painting often escapes commission clients as well when they expect a large detailed drawing in a few days and to pay next to nothing for it.

Artists are treated so differently than other craftspeople with so many expectations of generosity in terms of donations of time, expertise and product. Yet artists are, for the most part, those living on minimum amounts of money, grasping at grants and teaching or doing other jobs in order to make ends meet. Doctors, lawyers, mechanics, plumbers or carpenters are not asked to provide their work for free or are expected to negotiate, so why artists?

The artist's trade

Kolinsky sable

Graphite & coloured pencil
copyright Jeanette Jobson

Vivien's keeping me busy lately! Another interesting little project has people drawing their painting brushes and the results are quite interesting.

Your task grasshopper, should you wish to take it, is to sketch your paintbrushes...

This brush, like many others, has a story to tell.

In 1980 I was 26 years old and building my art, living on a farm near Coombe St. Nicholas, Somerset, with two dogs and two very small children and mostly on my own, as my husband worked abroad in the oil industry 9 months out of 12.

In one of the closer towns to me, Chard, I used to shop for groceries and art supplies. The art store would take some of my work, mostly watercolours back then, on commission. I had a couple of paintings in the store, small life studies I believe. I would somewhat forget about what was hanging in the store and rotate them when asked if nothing sold.

I was contacted one day by the store owner who tracked me down at lunchtime in the pub to say that there was a gentleman from London who was interested in one of my paintings and wanted to meet me. I went back to the art store and had a long conversation with the man who wanted to buy the painting and asked if I was interested in accepting brushes in exchange for the work.

Being a young artist and parent with the usual lack of cash that accompanies that status, I hesitated. The pounds that the painting represented were already being spent in my head, but the man went out to his car and came back with a small case. Inside were an assortment of Kolinsky sable brushes. Part of this person's job was selling artist's brushes and he was offering me two of these sable brushes in exchange for my painting.

I couldn't resist the offer, realizing that the brushes were worth even more than the painting was worth and that they would last a long time, producing many more paintings, so I accepted and the deal was done. We celebrated in the pub with a drink while dressing the brushes in a glass of water on the bar.

The paint is gone from the handles on this and the other brush and the ferrule's shine is diminished considerably, but the hairs are still soft as silk and paint like a dream, holding water and pigment beautifully even after nearly 30 years.

A day in my life

Vivien Blackburn started this. She's fully responsible. And its wonderful.

It was a challenge on her blog to sketch from memory 12 snapshots of your day. So between last night and this morning I did just that and it was quite fun to recreate moments. Others have liked it so much that they want me to do sketches of their day now! See what you've started Vivien?

The sketches unfold like this:

1. Propping myself up on the bathroom sink at 6am while I contemplate how much older I've gotten overnight and decide if I really want to go to work or stay home and draw all day.
   
2. Downstairs, Tripod wants out. Very vocally out.
3. Coffee. I have to have coffee to function.
4. While I have my coffee, I do a little drawing or sketching.
5. (the barn picture should come before the road one) The barn is opened and the geese and ducks swarm out at about a Decibel 7 noise level. If you're not awake before this, you soon will be. Tripod sits and watches, twitching his tail, wondering if he can tackle a goose and get away with it. He always decides no.
6. A drive to work through Flatrock and Torbay, past the ocean, up and down hills, by trees and rocks. Thank God for iPods.
7. Work. I feel chained to a computer some days with emails and writing, writing, writing...
8. But I do get the alternative to the computer. Meetings. Lots and lots of meetings.
9. I drive back home, and the mini Rottweilers I call geese, attack the car and me, given half a chance. One day I'm not going to slow down for them.
10. Time to get some food prepared. Tripod feels every trip to the kitchen is for his benefit.
11. I spend a couple of hours drawing most evenings when possible. Its my time to lose myself in 'the zone'
12. Bed is where I read - or try to. Many nights I don't get past the first paragraph, but I have to have a book with me to get to sleep. And a pile in reserve in case I ever get past that paragraph.
    

Marketing your art

"A bar of iron costs $5, made into horseshoes its worth is $12, made into needles its worth is $3500, made into balance springs for watches, its worth is $300,000. Your own value is determined also by what you are able to make of yourself." - Wayne Dyer

I've been sifting through Alyson Stanfield's 'I'd rather be in the Studio' book and have been looking at marketing art and how I can make the best impression, reach the widest audience and improve art sales. This all takes work.

For anyone who thinks that artists simply draw pictures and people arrive on their doorstep to buy them need to seriously rethink that scenario. Artists, if they want to be successful, work like dogs to sell their art. And promoting yourself is not an easy task for most artists. You put yourself on the line. Its your work that you've put your heart and soul into that someone else gets to decide if it fits the market or suits the gallery. Rejection is part and parcel of this game.

However, market we must and the paper industry is a prime medium to get a message and image in front of the eyes of potential customers.

Postcards and business cards are traditional for most types of business and provide an opportunity to create a little piece of your vision and a sample of your artwork for the world to have and hold. This is a double sided postcard, with a dog portrait on the reverse and my email address which I use to promote the portraiture side of my work. I also use business cards and have invested in some magnetic ones. Some people keep card stock business cards in wallets or handbags, others stuff them in desk or kitchen drawers or simply lose them. But I have found that people keep magnetic ones, usually on the fridge or file cabinet or other metal surface and they have lasting impact as they are a daily visual reminder.

Post cards and business cards have a short shelf life, and I don't do large runs of them because I know that I may want to change them seasonally or promote another piece of art or have a different theme or colour. So runs of 100 or 200 are what I use. I use more before a show if I want to use them to tie into a specific event.

I distribute cards to many people in the course of my week. It could be anywhere from the post office to the local coffee shop. I also do random 'drops' where I leave a card on a restaurant table or bar and let it do its own work. For those who worry about giving out personal contact information, well, I don't know of a way to get responses without mailing, telephone and email information. Its a risk you take, however, I've never had an adverse response to date.

I have a few postcards and magnetic cards available from this run before I print new cards. The first six people who request it will receive a copy of both the cards. Just comment here or email me at jeanettejobson at gmail.com

Drawing space

My studio that I created about a year ago in a spare bedroom is now too small for what I need and its time to move to a bigger space. I have my eye on the basement, as its not used much and is quite cosy there, being fully finished, however the light isn't great there, but it can be overcome with artificial light for the moment.

The other idea I have is to buy a trailer, something fairly large, gut it to the minimum and use it as a studio/classroom. It would be nice to have a private space and not have people trek through the house when I run a class or workshop. And a trailer would work fairly well as a long, but lightfilled space. I'll have to keep my eye on the for sale ads and keep saving.

Til then I need to reorganize my drafting table which is overflowing with everything, including this drawing that I have vowed to complete. I started this drawing as a symbolic self portrait quite a few months ago, then ran out of steam. I have the left and upper areas in place but the right defeats me in terms of content. I have to seriously sit down and think about what I will put in there.

This piece is quite large - 22 x 30 - and done all in graphite, so its fairly slow progress. I have a couple of ideas for additions to complete it. The interesting part of a symbolic self portrait is that every person interprets it differently. I can't really tell you all the symbolism as some of it is very personal. I'll let the viewer draw out of it what they think makes up the story.

Rain starts play

Indian food stall merchant
watercolour, pen & ink, 9 x 12
copyright Jeanette Jobson

I'm not a watercolourist. My preference is dry media, but I do come over to the wet side now and then and dabble. I love the effect of watercolour when done well and for every one artist who is great at watercolours, there are 100 who are not, including me.

Like any other medium, it takes practice to become proficient at it and even for the experts, there are still things that are not quite predictable which can make or break a painting.

I thought I'd try my hand at a drawing from the Weekend Drawing Event at WetCanvas and chose this image of an Indian snack/tea merchant. I think what appeals to me most about the image is the unfamiliarity of the subject matter. I can't relate experiences to it, yet there is a familiarity there too which appeals.

As predicted, my watercolour is weak so I tried to beef it up a bit with some pen and ink. Areas I like, areas are muddy, areas are non existent, but the general impression is there.

I have been trying to get some more jewelry produced and am finally making some inroads into sets. Necklace, bracelet and earrings. it sounds very 1950s when I think of matching everything, but I always think it looks good when worn. There are bracelets that go with these sets, but I haven't photographed them yet. Yesterday's light was awful due to rain so it wasn't worth even trying to get a decent shot.

These are this weekend's efforts. Rain does wonders for productivity.

Sodalite, blue and copper rimmed glass beads, intersected with silver rice beads, around a large donut of dumortierite. The clasp is sterling silver as are the ear wires in the earrings. They are packaged in a beaded organza bag, tied with ribbon.



Wooden beads, carved nuts and tiger eye with a large focal stone of tiger eye wrapped in brass and copper, with an antique brass clasp. The earrings have sterling silver ear wires.

This set comes with a reusuable bronze organza bag tied with brown ribbon.

Museum quality?

My pipe dream, hanging my work in the Museum of Modern Art, or any museum for that fact, has arrived, compliments of Dumpr and Museumr.

It rather inspires me to do something huge, seeing my pieces at this size.

For those who would really like to have their work hanging in a museum, there is a process. The Curatorial department of the Metropolitan Museum is a good place to start or Educational Resources. There are as many museums as there are art works, but some have more presence than others, atrracting and holding bodies of work from masters both past and present.

Artcyclopedia is a great leaping off point to explore art in virtual museums.

Virtual sketching

A couple of weeks ago, Rose Welty of Rose's Art Lines invited me to participate in a virtual sketch date. She would provide the reference image and we'd both draw the subject in the medium of our choice then post them today. Of course I agreed, as I'm always up for sharing experiences with other artists.

Of course, this week, like the previous one, have been unruly and overwhelming at times in terms of work and commitments. But I did get the sketch done - or most of it. I started it in graphite, then wanted to add a hint of colours so used my Graphitints. They didn't show much colour over the graphite, so I bumped up the hues with Coloursoft pencils, still in the Derwent family.

I like the apple and some of the leaves, but botanicals still defeat me and I find it a challenge for them to keep my interest. The leaves were a real challenge for me and still are. I know its a matter of patience and concentration, so I guess its where my impatience comes in for drawing plant life. I'll continue to tackle my leaves and build the layers in the hopes that they'll resemble leaves instead of blobs of green colour!

A shared reference, subject matter that pushes you a little and reinforcement of support and friendship in a virtual environment sums up this experience. While reality sketch trips aren't always feasible with online friends, this is the next best thing.

Thank you Rose. I know we will do this again and I hope that lots more will join in with us.

Creativity

Artie and the 'choke
sketch 5 x7, graphite
copyright Jeanette Jobson

I'm an artist that likes to work from a reference, either life or good photo. I can rearrange colours or light sources but have to really push myself to think outside the box when it comes to creating a combination of effects of objects that work together to form a whole.

This sketch came about as the result of a drawing challenge in WetCanvas. The subject was an artichoke. The challenge was to use it in a different way than the reference showed. No, the frog isn't being eaten, its just along for the ride. How the frog and fork and pan of water got there, who knows? Minds are mysterious things and mine scares me sometimes.

I'm posting this early today as I have a lecture to attend tonight about selling and marketing art.

Portrait update & new arrivals

The Artist's Father - in progress

11 x 14 graphite
copyright Jeanette Jobson

Since starting this yesterday, I've spent some time putting down the initial layers of graphite for shading. I don't want to go too dark and overpower the portrait, but don't want it to be a weak image either. I think I've knocked a few years off my father in this image, but won't know til its complete.

I was asked today if I use a grid to draw portraits or do it freehand. Mostly I draw freehand, but if something is complex or I am feeling unsure or just can't get something right then I use a grid - or partial grid. I use enough to get the main features in place, then find things fall into place from there. With this image, it was drawn freehand.

Meanwhile life on the farm churns into action for spring. The weather's warmed and the snow is rapidly melting, making all the animals a bit 'antsy'. Fighting among the geese and ducks has started, a sure sign that its spring.

The most recent arrival here has been six little piglets. This image isn't good as they were under a heat light, being only about 6 - 8 weeks old, and need a source of warmth, especially at night.
They managed to get loose overnight and were herding the ducks that are loose in the barn. Piglets are very, very difficult to catch. They sure can move fast!

Some of you may remember the pigs from last summer. They're quite intelligent creatures and more like dogs. Once they know your voice they come to see you and let you pat them, making funny grunting sounds as you do. I feel guilty when they go, but have come to terms with it, as I have with the other animals here that are food sources.

These little guys and girls will be lodgers for 16 weeks. During that time, they'll gain about 200 pounds in weight each. They eat pure vegetable protein, no hormones, no animal byproducts. They have space, light, heat, food, water music and companionship. I'm a firm believer in animal rights to live in an environment that is clean and comfortable and be transported to their final destination as quickly and comfortably as possible.

The majority of people never think of where their food comes from, whether meat or vegetable and the process of how it reaches your table. Take a moment and consider it. This is not meant to put you off meat, but to ensure you think about the animal and life behind the product, and how it was raised.

World Society for the Protection of Animals

Canadian Coalition for Farm Animals

The artist's father - a portrait

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
- Laurence Binyon

I have drawn or painted portraits of most people in my immediate family with the exception of my father. Well that's not entirely true. I did start a painting of him just before he died in 1990, but it was never complete and I haven't revisited that portrait since.

I did find a photo of him awhile ago and thought I'd have another try but in pencil this time. The photo was taken when he was in his 60s, I'm not sure the exact age. He was a bit timeless and had the Peter Pan gene, having barely any grey hair at all when he died at age 70. The photo was taken of him in his Korean War Veteran's distinctive blue jacket wearing his medals that he was so proud of.
I completed the line drawing this morning then made a start on the shading later today. My week is fairly full with classes and lectures and meetings most evenings, but I'll find time to add to the portrait when I can.

There is something a little unnerving about the details of a portrait starting to appear out of the paper. It is especially more so if it is someone you know or someone who has died. There is a sense of bringing a form of life back into the image again.

Horse drawing/painting

This past week has been soooooooo crazy. I've hardly had time to draw breath before yet another issue lands on my lap. But finally, its under control (touch wood) and I can start to get some serious drawing underway again.

I have lots of sketches that I've done in odd moments that teeter on the brink of chaos and that keeps me sane. There is a comfort in picking up a pencil and creating something out of a white space. I can't explain how or why it is, except that is simply 'is'.

I have a little project to work on over the next week and will reveal more about that on the 18th. But for now a horse is in my future. Horses are very sculptural creatures and lovely to draw and paint. I did the line drawing of this one early this morning and transferred it to watercolour paper. Sometimes I have a need to use watercolour. I'm not an expert in it by any means, but sometimes the paint and water is kind to me and lets me produce something recognizable. Hopefully, it will cooperate with me for this painting as well.

Keep your fingers crossed...

The good wife of 1955

How times have changed - I hope! You can click on the image below to enlarge it to read.

Prepare for snickers and lots of 'yeah, right' comments as you go through it if you're female.

Men, just don't get any ideas ok??

Jinxing it

# 3 Compressed and vine charcoal

copyright Jeanette Jobson

You know, I'm not going to mention what I'm going to do in future, as it seems to jinx it.

Ever since I posted about doing a series of drawing tools, life has taken over and decided it wants me to do other things instead. Work is outrageous in terms of quantity its throwing at me and my mother's issues continue to be a concern. But I'm trying to outwit the powers that be and get in some art when I can.

I've become more comfortable with using charcoal lately, both in its raw form or compressed charcoal , available in round chunky sticks or in pencil form. I haven't used much powdered charcoal, but it is good for covering large surfaces, if not a bit messy!

Anti-stress medication

Coloured pencil in Moleskine
copyright Jeanette Jobson

Stress is affecting eating, lack of time is affecting eating, but even bad food is good drawing fodder. Like this Boston Cream donut... Hey, I only ate half of it!

Delays

Churchyard
graphite in sketchbook
copyright Jeanette Jobson

While I've not been shirking my series obligations, after a day like today, its been physically impossible to fit in drawing time for this. I may extend my time frame by a week to allow myself time for interruptions, which seem frequent lately.

Work has been brutally busy and problems with my mother's health have caused disruptions as well today. But tomorrow should be better and I'll have something to post on my planned series I hope.

This little drawing of a churchyard has been done over several days in small bites. Landscapes are a challenge to me or at least something I don't enjoy drawing as much as other subjects. Trees are particularly challenging and its a matter of buckling down and just doing it instead of being overwhelmed by the whole subject. Breaking things down into small sections works wonders.

Mechanical pencils

# 2 Mechanical Pencil

copyright Jeanette Jobson

No, I haven't bailed out on Day 2 of the series. Yesterday was very busy for me and then drawing class in the evening so I had no time to post anything. However, I did a little drawing at lunch yesterday. This is one of my mechanical pencils. The photo of the image is awful and I'll do a scan later today and replace it.

I don't often use wood pencils since I moved over to mechanical pencils a few years ago I love their permanently sharp leads and the fact that the weight of the pencil never changes due to sharpening I have quite a few mechanical pencils ranging in size from 3mm to 9mm.

While many of the brand name mechanical pencils look and feel wonderful, I have to say that I can get the same results with a drugstore .99 cent pencil as I can with a $20 one. The only difference is in the lead softness, all the rest is packaging and has little bearing on the outcome of your image. The most expensive mechanical pencil I've found is the Porsche, made of stainless steel and calfskin at a hefty little price of 175 British pounds.

And now a little history of the mechanical pencil according to Wikipedia:

The mechanical pencil was first invented in Britain in 1822 by Sampson Mordan and Gabriel Riddle. Earliest Mordan pencils are thus hallmarked SMGR. Sampson Mordan continued manufacturing pencils and a wide range of silver objects until the second world war when their factory was bombed.

Between 1820 and 1873, more than 160 patents were registered pertaining to a variety of improvements to mechanical pencils. The first spring-loaded mechanical pencil was patented in 1877 and a twist-feed mechanism was developed in 1895. The 0.9mm lead was introduced in 1938, and later it was followed by 0.7mm, 0.5mm and 0.3mm versions. Even the 1.4mm version is available.

The mechanical pencil became successful in Japan with some improvements in 1915 by Tokuji Hayakawa, a metal worker who had just finished his apprenticeship. It was introduced as the Ever-Ready Sharp Pencil. Success was not immediate, since the metal shaft — essential for the pencil's long life — was unfamiliar to users. The Ever-Sharp began selling in huge numbers, however, after a company from Yokohama made a large order. Later Tokuji Hayakawa's company got its name from that pencil: Sharp.

At nearly the same time, in America, Charles R. Keeran was developing a similar pencil that would be the precursor of most of today's pencils. Keeran's design was ratchet-based, whereas Hayakawa's was screw-based. These two development histories are often combined into one.

The use of mechanical pencils became widespread after being popularised by Australian legal theorist Marcus Coleman who famously used one when drafting the Australian Constitution in the late 19th Century and injured himself with it in the process.

The Office Museum has a lot of information about the history of mechanical pencils.

Cult Pens Guide to Mechanical Pencils provides a wealth of information about mechanical pencils.

Tools of the trade

# 1 Kneaded eraser

charcoal 2 x 3
copyright Jeanette Jobson

I idly doodled on an envelope today with some charcoal pencils that were nearby and drew my kneaded eraser. You need to make sure you have another eraser handy when you draw your eraser as its difficult to use the one you're drawing and remember just where you placed it so the light was the same!

It made me think that it could make an interesting little series of drawings of different drawing tools. I also like the idea of drawing on unusual supports - found supports perhaps which could range from envelopes as today's drawing is, to something as organic as stone or perhaps to reuse another paper form, such as a newspaper sheet. Possibilities are endless. The implements that we use without even thinking become very different when we take time to examine them carefully as we draw.

I will try, over the next seven days, to post a new drawing each day and see if I can achieve that goal. There is no shortage of subject material to draw if my studio is anything to go by and I need the discipline of forcing myself to complete something. I've become lax about disciplining myself to complete things lately and need to get back into finalizing drawings before being sidelined.

Rose Welty's post in Rose's Art Lines about finishing a series is very timely and provides food for thought for everyone attempting a series, whether large or small.

By stating my goal here, it makes me accountable as well, if only to myself, but I hope if I slack off some of you will give me a nudge and 'remind' me to keep going. Seven days is not an inordinate amount of time so I don't set myself up for failure before I begin. The subject matter is familiar and relatively simple so I don't have to go too far outside my comfort zone unless I want to experiment. The pay off is that I gain back my ability to complete a series then move on.

Starts and ice

Icy forest at the edge of the meadow

Path to the back door

Bending under the weight of ice

Iced rosehips

Living on the edge of the world - or at least on an island in the North Atlantic - one of the heralds of spring is freezing rain. I can't begin to tell you how much I hate freezing rain. Chipping it off your car, sliding across every outdoor surface, trees bent to the ground and branches snapped with the weight of it, power disruptions, the list goes on and on.

But despite its treacherous nature, it does have a positive side which is very interesting pictures of the objects that it coats. These images were taken a week or two ago after a night of freezing rain. I had the forethought to have my car in the barn that night or it probably would have taken me 20 minutes to get the ice cleared from it.

I have a thousand ideas in my head for drawings but can't seem to settle down to one, so I end up with lots of starts. In their own right, they're good in that they keep my drawing hand in practice, but I really need to put some thoughts into action.

This sketch is of a reference image I have of a chimpanzee at a rescue sanctuary. The sadness in the animal's eyes is evident already. The eyes were what attracted me to the image and I should pursue this one. But first I must put it onto some decent paper.

New designs

I've played around with more wire and am trying to keep the organic shapes that I want and that the wire seems to find naturally. I'm considering putting some of the jewelry on Etsy and see what happens.

If anyone is interested in purchasing these, please contact me for final shipping costs which are very reasonable.

Fiddleheads - 12.00
Sterling silver, hand formed earrings, hammered and polished, these earrings are 1.5 inches long. These are a reminder of the little fiddlehead ferns that herald spring in Canada.

Copper Frost - 8.00

Polished copper coils with hammered ear wires are topped with frosted glass beads like little icy caps. The earrings measure 1.5 inches long.

Meanwhile the carrot drawing continues. I've added more colour with my Derwent Coloursofts and like the results. They're not too bright and still keep that earthy tone that I want. My complaint is the paper the drawing is on. It started out as a sketch and I got carried away and didn't transfer it to decent paper. This is in a Canson sketchpad 11 x 14. The paper has enough tooth, but leaves a fairly grainy texture to the pencil work. Its something you either like or you don't and I have mixed feelings about it.

I'll let it sit for awhile and see if I want to continue to spend time on it or not.

Carrots and seed packages

Here is an update to the carrot drawing that I started. Its at its 'ugly' stage now and I have to keep reminding myself that it will get better.

This is the point where a lot of beginners start to doubt themselves and abandon their drawings. Looking ahead, in your head, to the final piece helps keep the focus and knowing that this is just a phase to go through, all help not to trash it at this stage.

The colours in Derwent Drawing pencils are very muted, earth tones and I'm wondering if I need to add a little punch to them with some of the Derwent Coloursofts that I bought. They're in the same family as the drawing pencils, with thick, creamy cores, just not as creamy as the drawing pencils. I don't want the final image to have bright colours. I want that soft look to it, but just want to enhance the colours a bit.

Peter Henderson and Co. Plate

Jubilee Collection of Mammoth Butterfly Pansies
New York, NY
1897

The seed catalogues are still trickling in even though most orders have been placed and received for the coming season. Seed packaging these days is quite ordinary compared to the works of art that were produced on seed packages from the 1800s to early 1900s. Now there are generic photos of the plants or plain packaging with contents and instructions on them. Back in the day — before four-color photos became the standard — many seed mailers kept an artist/ engraver on staff to create fancy lithographs for the catalog and the seed packages. I guess that doesn't happen any more unfortunately. But there are a lot more varieties of flowers and vegetables around now so its likely not economical to create and print.

I'll just have to create my own packages for the heirloom vegetable seeds that I grow and restart an old tradition.

Drawing a rainbow

I'm an armchair cook most of the time. I like to watch cooking shows and read cookbooks and ferret out food blogs. It just seems it doesn't often translate into actually hauling out ingredients and pots and pans. I used to do a lot of cooking, but my days are long and incentive limited, so it only seems to happen at weekends these days.

However, it still doesn't stop me from wandering through good food sites such as Haalo's at Cook (almost) Anything At Least Once. This is my kind of blog. Its full of great recipes and fabulous photos. One of Haalo's images caught my eye the other day and I knew it was a match made in heaven for my Derwent Drawing pencils. I asked Haalo if I could use it and she kindly agreed. (Thanks again Haalo!)

The image was of a bunch of rainbow coloured carrots. Last summer I had used some of these colourful carrots that come in shades varying from cream to burgundy and the regular old orange! The colour fades out of them a bit in cooking, but they are wonderful to use in salads for a real contrast. This year I have seeds for the coloured carrots and will grow them along with the regular ones in what will be my new vegetable garden (if the snow ever melts).

Last night and tonight I made a start on the drawing. Its 11 x 14 done with my full set of Derwents, as I wanted some colour to pop in this drawing, yet have it remain fairly subtle. I'll update this image over the next few days and hope to have it finished at the weekend.

Exposure

Mother Goose
Graphite 9 x 12
copyright Jeanette Jobson

This is the final image that was chosen to be used on AntiDull. This is an online art magazine that features artists & art photographers from around the world. Their aim is to provide a high quality publishing opportunity to artists and photographers who want to get more exposure to their artistic works. And who doesn't want that in the art world? The AntiDull website has received up to 650 unique visitors / day.

I was approached the other week by AntiDull (love that name!!) to ask if they could use one of my images for their Fine Art Issue # 2. I agreed and we worked out the arrangement and this is the page that was created to go into the online issue which was published today. Have a look at their magazine online. There is an amazing display of artists and art pieces in this issue.

Today I also received my first royalty cheque from an online tutorial that I did for Drawspace. Its not a huge amount, but as I did the tutorial without the expectation of receiving any money, its a bonus. Now that I have a little time back to myself again with the tri-weekly drawing classes gone, I may have a chance to produce some more tutorials.

I became friends with Brenda Hoddinott, the site owner and author of several drawing books and she convinced me to become more involved with the site initially as a moderator and now as a teacher. The site is for complete beginners to drawing and provides online lessons from the basics up to more advanced technique and subjects to a global audience.

Life session

I'm just getting time to catch my breath and regroup after a busy few days with the exhibit and a last formal teaching class, so this post will be brief.

Last night I got to the life class which I haven't been able to attend for a couple of weeks. We had a new model which turned out well and I enjoyed drawing her.

Here are a few of the sketches from last night. The first pose was 20 minutes, the second five minutes and the third 1 or 2 minute gesture sketches. All are done in charcoal on newsprint.