Art and astrology

Camille Flammarion, L'Atmosphere: Météorologie Populaire (Paris, 1888), p. 163.

The Flammarion Woodcut is an enigmatic woodcut by an unknown artist. It is referred to as the Flammarion Woodcut because its first documented appearance is in page 163 of Camille Flammarion's L'atmosphère: météorologie populaire (Paris, 1888), a work on meteorology for a general audience. The woodcut depicts a man peering through the Earth's atmosphere as if it were a curtain to look at the inner workings of the universe.

The caption translates to "A medieval missionary tells that he has found the point where heaven [the sense here is 'sky'] and Earth meet...".

"Flat Earth"

This work is related with the mistaken (but even today widespread) notion that medieval scholars believed in a flat earth. Today professional medievalists and historians of science agree that this "medieval flat earth" was a nineteenth-century fabrication, and that the few verifiable "flat earthers" were the exception.

Years ago I had a friend who was an astrologist. On my birthday one year she produced a detailed astrological chart that really meant nothing to me besides an elaborate set of lines, dots and words, but to her it mapped out my past, present and future.

While I have a degree of skepticism about the whole concept, there is also a deep rooted interest in astrology as well and when I talk to individuals and find out more about them, I see how some traits in specific astrological signs fit in. Now is this coincidence or reality? Do we see what we want to see and make it our own?

Being born under the astrological sign of Pisces, according to some sites, I have a variety of traits that I am well aware of and that follow through in my belief of who or what I am. There are as many astrological predictions and explanations as you wish to examine, some a lot more respectable than others. My astrological sign of the two fishes, swimming in opposite directions, but joined by a cord, was a symbol that I used in my symbolic self portrait that's still being completed. So what am I in astrological terms?

'Well, what are you?" said the Pigeon. "I can see you're trying to invent something!" "I-I'm a little girl," said Alice, rather doubtfully.

She found herself at last in a beautiful garden, among the bright flower-beds and the cool fountains.

Pisceans tend to withdraw into a dream world where their qualities can bring mental satisfaction and sometimes, fame and financial reward for they are extremely gifted artistically. They are also versatile and intuitive, have quick understanding, observe and listen well, and are receptive to new ideas and atmospheres. All these factors can combine to produce remarkable creativity in literature, music and art. They may count among their gifts mediumistic qualities which can give them a feeling that their best work comes from outside themselves, "Whispered beyond the misted curtains, screening this world from that." Even when they cannot express themselves creatively they have a greater than average instinct for, and love of, beauty in art and nature, a catlike appreciation of luxury and pleasure, and a yearning for new sensations and travel to remote, exotic places.

And of course there are horoscopes for artists... and what else could a Piscean be?
Art World Astrology

Time for change

Last night I had a board meeting which went on quite late. Board meetings for a non profit organization are a challenge sometimes. They provide people with an opportunity to shine or fall flat. In the organization I work for, all board members are volunteers which brings its own set of unique concerns. However, I look at volunteers as simply staff members who aren't paid and I make the same demands on them as I would for a paid staff person.

I expect responsibility, strategic thinking and the ability to follow through on work. Sometimes I get that, sometimes not. It seems to be the nature of the beast when volunteer groups come together. It s such an eclectic group, mismatched, unsure of their role sometimes, too cocky other times. And there I am, the staff person, torn between two worlds and wondering which way to turn, hoping one is easier than the other.

Perhaps it is time to change. Maybe doors that are opening now for me artistically and in other areas which are casting shadows on some parts of my life and making it less appealing.Plans that I put in place are coming together and it may be time to reassess and change focus to be able to ensure that changes become something for the good, not just for the sake of change.

Discovery

Kiora's Toy
Graphite & coloured pencil
copyright Jeanette Jobson 2007

My granddaughter is nearly six months old and at a stage of actively discovering her world. The fascination shown by examining a toy's structure, shape and colour reminds me of how an artists views an object when drawing.

Drawing is an act of discovery which brings back some of the long forgotten senses that are so important when examining the world for the first time. There may not be the same sense of puzzlement over an object's purpose or wondering what a colour is, but drawing brings its own sense of amazement as object unfolds on a blank sheet of paper.

Hot and cold

Its been hot and humid here for the last few days which makes everyone cranky and fatigued, including the cat, who spends his days flopped on the sofa inside or lying under the shade of the hostas in the front flower bed.

So while seeking some cooler indoor pursuits, I wandered across an interesting Canadian art project from Cory Trepannier, an artist from Ontario.

"Join artist Cory Trépanier as he explores the richness of the north, and creates a new collection of original oil paintings from the Canadian arctic.

The “Into the ARCTIC Project" that will see Cory travel extensively in the arctic over 3 years. This concentrated effort to explore and paint from west to east, and south to north, exploring the wide scope of the arctic experience is truly unique. By interacting so closely with his environment, Cory’s canvases will be infused with a genuineness that will bring viewers closer to this land."

In 2006 Cory tackled the Western and Central Arctic and on August 1, 2007 he will be exploring the Eastern and Central Arctic with further plans for 2008 and 2009. This isn't just Cory wandering and painting the amazing northern landscapes. His wife and two children go with him!

These journeys are complete with video, photographic, written journals and podcasts, so that you can take the journey with him almost. On July 22, 2007, Bravo Television will be airing the world premiere of Into the Arctic: An Artist's Journey to the North. This should be interesting viewing, if you've exhausted all the other methods of viewing his adventures and paintings before then.

My adventures in drawing are leaning towards nothing more than simple sketches lately, but I will try to concentrate on something a bit more substantial tonight or tomorrow. It seems I've done little but pick up a pencil and put it down lately and I need to create something soon.

Recreational vs academic art educators

Evening. William-Adolphe Bouguereau, 1863

The art of handling university students is to make oneself appear, and this almost ostentatiously, to be treating them as adults, while keeping them in invisible harness and even, when necessary, giving them a flick of the whip. -- Arnold J. Toynbee (Experiences, 1969)

I took part in a discussion today about the qualifications required for teaching art and the subject of recreational versus academic art arose. Perhaps the wording should have been more in terms of professional versus recreational art. There are recreational artists who draw for pleasure and never receive payment or commissions, but how did they learn to draw? And are they able to articulate how to reproduce a drawing of an image using traditional drawing theories or simply create, not quite knowing how they get to the point of creation?

Then comes the discussion of self taught or academic art? Is one more valuable than the other? Or are they simply 'different'? I know that many artists are self taught and produce amazing work through years of practice and study in one form or another and some of these go on to pass on their skills to others. I believe that traditional methods of producing art are essential and recreational artists possess these methods. They just don't know that they do because they've often learned through self discovery, not academic studies. And I know academically trained artists who also produce beautiful work but who cannot teach for beans. The opposite is also true of both of the above groups.

Some recreational artists, buoyed on by success, get bound up in the appealing notion of teaching art and then suddenly find themselves in over their heads. They are often not aware of the time commitment it takes, the hours of class preparation, critiquing sensitive egos without bruising them, encouraging, leading, guiding and giving students the wings to fly, not to become a clone of another artist.

It is quite different to create a simple image for pleasure when your critic is family or well meaning friends than to have students looking to you for guidance with expectation of success every step of the way. Style or drawing/paintings produced are not indicative of a teacher's ability. They are simply a product of his or her imagination and learned techniques. A teacher's ability to translate what art theory and experience is in their mind into a learnable, enjoyable format is the recipe for success. Pareto's rule seems to apply in this case too. 20% of teachers are good and 80% mediocre.

He's back

Is nothing sacred?? The tree rat is back, this time carrying off bunches of stolen Reemay, no doubt to line a nest with. I'm beginning to dislike this little guy who's taking big chunks out of the garden cover!

Its ramping up for this wedding at the weekend with flower arrangements changing constantly as minds are changed and experiments tweaked. This is one of about 50 floating flower arrangements that will be in place, just the floating candles are missing in this one. The bowl is filled with begonias.

Work and meetings hasn't left me much time for drawing this week beyond a few sketches here and there. I've been drawing people as I sit in Starbucks or wait in meeting rooms. Its good practice and rather fun to people watch. I met with a member of the Art Association tonight and we had a good chat about a number of issues that need resolution. I was asked to sit on the board of directors of the Art Association of the province and agreed about a month or so ago and I have a number of ideas that I would like to implement. I just don't want to be seen as someone new coming in to rock the boat. Sometimes ideas are deep rooted and people object to change. I'll go slow but be persistant.

One of the things that I would like to see put in place is a sketch club which would encourage others to meet and participate in sketching in various places around town. There seems interest so I will pursue it and see where it ends up. In a relatively small town, there aren't always the art related services that I want, so sometimes you just have to do it yourself.

A leap of faith

Penstemon
Pen & ink & watercolour
Copyright Jeanette Jobson

When you come to the edge of all the light you have, and are about to step off into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing one of two things will happen: There will be something solid to stand on, or you will be taught how to fly. (Patrick Overton)

After a long absence I've started running again, as I mentioned in a previous post. That in its own right isn't anything to be overly excited about, but to some it seems as if I have had a temporary lapse of sanity by the comments I have had.

1. You're not getting any younger (I'm 53)
2. You'll hurt yourself.
3. You're doing what? Why?
4. (my favourite) Why don't you do something nice and gentle instead?

I am moving slowly, quite slowly in my runs, well more jogs than runs at this point. On the treadmill, my speed averages at somewhere between 4 and 4.5 during runs, with walks about .5 below that. In road work, its more of a challenge as I have to play dodge the traffic, dodge the dogs who think I'm fair game and dodge the moose sometimes.

During runs, I listen to my iPod, a running podcast that helps me change speed, timing etc. I also think a lot during those longer runs when I try to reach the same zone that I am in when I draw. Its called a 'runner's high'. Its that point in time when your body and mind stop protesting at the abuse you're giving it and accepts it. You sail along and think you can go on forever and it feels very similar to the feeling when drawing of losing track of time and space and letting your mind and body take over to concentrate only on the task.

So despite those who doubt my ability to do this, I will and have done this. My leap of faith will teach me to fly.

Grasshopper

Why I've drawn a grasshopper I have no idea. I found a photo of one - a painted grasshopper its called, that was quite amazing. And as I drew it, I was amazed at the detail and construction of the insect. They make you wonder where the concept for armour plating came from originally.

Now I'm not an insect fan by any stretch of the imagination. I'm the person who will flee from dragonflies, craneflies, bumblebees and horror of horror - moths. So I have to say that drawing this - while it didn't creep me out enormously, it didn't because I found the structure so interesting.

It really is true that you don't really see something until you draw it.

Look what I found...

I haven't had a lot of time for art over the last few days. Time seems to disappear and lots of deadlines are looming.

The wedding for one is next week and the house is littered with flowers in various forms as test arrangements are being made by Beth who is doing all the flower arranging. Some of the flowers are very strongly scented, like stocks, and the smell is becoming overpowering at times. Its a bit like one of those movies where the man, wooing the woman, fills her space with flowers. Except there's no wooing going on.

There are flowers in the back garden as well and yesterday someone else found them interesting. Not so much the flowers, but the Reemay that covered them to protect them. This young squirrel seemed to think that the Reemay was THE find of the century...

and was busy stuffing this huge sheet into his mouth...

then decided it might be just a little unpalatable...

so decided to sit on the fence about it for awhile.

Thinking Blogger. Me?

Katherine Tyrrell of Making a Mark nominated me for a Thinking Blogger Award. I read Katherine's blog on a daily basis and she should be the original Thinking Blogger as there is never a day goes by without finding a treasure trove of information and food for thought on her pages.

I am pleased that I was nominated but a little puzzled too, as to me, a lot of my posts seem to ramble from nowhere and wind their way in and around art, animals, farm life and life in general. It is always pleasing to know others read my rants and ramblings and if it provides food for thought, then even better.

Now my task is to choose five other bloggers whose work makes me think and if tagged may feel that they would like to participate as well.

The Soul Food Cafe is the brain child of Heather Blakey, and is my resource for inspiration when I'm in one of those mental fogs that overcome most creative people at one point or another. Soul Food Cafe is full of ideas to make you think, talk and create. Its like being bombarded with ideas and colours and its wonderful. Writers and artists will adore it.

Paris Breakfasts is a lovely, delicious, artistic view of Paris by Carol Gillot. Its like sitting at a little sidewalk cafe watching the Parisian world go by while sketching it. There are glimpses into the French world that would never be seen - the inside world which is more intimate.

Gone to the Dogs is the work of Vicky Taylor Hood and is well written, humorous look at day to day life with a husband, a small child and 3 dogs. Vicky is in Newfoundland also, in the next town to me.

Wish Jar Journal by Keri Smith is another blog where I head when needing inspiration and thoughts to push me in the right direction to create.

The Artwork of Armin Mersmann. Armin is a gifted realist graphite artist with a flair for creativity. His portraits of individuals are inspiring and his symbolic drawings fascinating.
I have been lucky enough to take a class with him on WetCanvas and his guidance in portraiture creativity has been so valuable.

Should you choose to participate, please make sure you pass this list of rules to the blogs you are tagging.

The participation rules are simple:

1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think,
2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme,
3. Optional: Proudly display the 'Thinking Blogger Award' with a link to the post that you wrote (here is an alternative silver version if gold doesn't fit your blog).

Here is a little update on the drawing of Biscuit. I've been developing his face and fur and its slowly coming together. The background will be the challenge I think.

Valet service

Each day when I come home the Embden geese decide to do a little valet service on my car. They love to pick off any bugs that have collided with the front of the car and I think they rather like seeing their reflections in the car as well. Its always rather funny to see them at it.

Another visitor today, but not volunteering for valet service. This was a young moose wandering on the road to the house - the driveway to the house is leading off to the right. He looks rather small and skinny, I hope he's ok.

He brought a buddy too, larger and more robust. These are reasons I hate going down this road to reach the main road to do my run. I don't particularly like meeting these guys!

Things in the woods

I started this drawing of Biscuit a couple of months ago, then it got put to the side while other projects took over. I discovered it and decided to do some more work on it today. I wanted to put the dog in a setting that he was most happy in - tearing up the lane into the woods, chasing bunnies and moose - always unsuccessfully.

I have roughed in the background and will expand on that over time as well as adding detail to the dog's fur. I added a remarque to the page, a classic for poor Biscuit, who always seemed to going in the opposite direction to the rabbit.

While gathering spagnum moss from a nearby marsh today, this little plant was found growing in it. It is, as far as I know, a form of a sundew plant, which is an insectivore, as it supplements its meagre food supply with insects that it catches in its sticky tendrils. I will try to keep this alive in a damp setting to see if it grows larger. I think its rather pretty and so tiny - about 2 inches high.

Another cat

Gizmo
Graphite, 9 x 12
Copyright Jeanette Jobson

I promised a long time ago to do a drawing of a friend's cat, Gizmo. Well today I finally got around to it with this pencil drawing.

There does seem to be something quite drawable about cats and the public appeal is there as well, making them prime for sales.

Yesterday one of the Pekin female ducks was killed by the pond, presumably by a mink as not much else hangs out by the water. I had wondered why the ducks weren't in the pond in the late afternoon as they nearly always are. Then when evening came and they headed to the barn, one was missing and the discovery was made.

I really do dislike mink. They are such vicious killers and the farm has been struck again and again with them. I know its part of life on the farm and part of the risk taken when you have birds wandering around. But each time it happens I feel discouraged and saddened by it.

Maybe its time to get a duck watch dog or a big hungry barn cat, unlike the spoiled brat tomcat that currently resides on the sofa.

Canada Council Art Bank

New ducklings June 2007

Next Purchase

DEADLINE: OCTOBER 15, 2007 (postmarked)

The Canada Council Art Bank is pleased to announce an open call for submissions to its purchase program. We would appreciate if you could share this information sheet with all other artists in your community to ensure that we reach as many artists as possible.

Please keep the following points in mind when deciding which work to submit:

• One (1) work per artist (if more than one work is submitted, the entire submission will not be accepted); work must be current (within last 5 years); and the artist must be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada
  
  
• The work must be suitable for public display in an office environment
  
  
• The amount available for this program is $350,000
  
  
• Artist, artist’s gallery, and/or artist’s representative may submit (submissions of work by deceased artists will not be accepted)
  
  
• Slide or digital image is acceptable. Multiple slides will be accepted if required to best present the work. Note that slides offer the best quality of reproduction of the work to the jury (please refer to: The Guidelines for Submitting Digital Images for the Art Bank Purchase Program in MSWord or Adobe Acrobat format)
  
  
• Work will be juried in November 2007
  
  
• Results will be mailed in December 2007
  
  
• If work submitted is sold, alternate work will not be accepted
  
  
• Submissions should be sent to Suzanne Wolfe, Inventory Administrator, Canada Council Art Bank
  By regular mail: P.O. Box 1047, Ottawa, Ontario, K1P 5V8
  By courier: 921 St. Laurent Blvd, Ottawa, Ontario, K1K 3B1

You can download the Purchase Form 2007 (in MSWord or Abobe Acrobat format)

For more information, please print our guidelines, email us at artbank@canadacouncil.ca, or call 1 (800) 263-5588, extension 4636

Please note no results will be given over the telephone.

Surf and turf

I've been slowly working on my symbolic self portrait for Armin Mersmann's class. I try to do a little bit each day, mostly evenings before sleep or very early mornings when I wake. The image is 22 x 30 on illustration board and done with a variety of mechanical pencils and some regular pencils in harder leads that I can't get locally for mechanical holders.

There are just a handful of us left in this class still plugging away at our drawings. Progress when in high detail and large scale goes slowly, but is satisfying. I've mentally called it Surf & Turf, due to the elements of the drawing and can't seem to get that out of my head now.

I am still doing thumbnail sketches of what images I want to fill the right hand side of the drawing and/or some of the foreground. I have to admit that the rocks are defeating me a little but I'll persevere and get them to do what I want. The far left rock is starting to achieve the level of realism that I'm looking for. Fins of the fish are still in progress and I need a real fish to compare translucency and distortion of objects behind it. Guess I'll have to spend a bit more time at the fish counter. Finding a whole cod in Newfoundland is a lot harder than you would imagine it seems, but I guess another fish fin would do for comparison.

I've found the process of thinking through to reach the concept and come up with the ideas really stretching me and I enjoy it thoroughly. Like many things, initial difficulty is perception, not reality, because once you apply knowledge and careful thought, things fall into place.

Framed

At last I framed the Best of Show certificate that I received from the Realist Artists last month. Its a odd size, 14 x 18, but its done now and look quite presentable.

However it had a bit of an accident yesterday. I had a large portrait resting on the mantlepiece and a strong gust of wind slid it off crashing down on to the newly framed certificate I had resting below. With it came a Gallilean thermometer from the mantel which broke, spilling its liquid over everything including the certificate. It seeped into the back of the frame and crept up the certificate.

Luckily the certificate dried out and no damage was done, besides a chip to the portrait frame. I was amazed that no glass was broken aside from the thermometer.

Moral of the story: Put your framed piece on the wall - immediately.

The Pout

Why is it that Mondays always seem so busy? Everyone saves up their problems all weekend then lay them on my desk it seems. However, I got through the day with just some minor bruises to my ego and brain then took myself off for a run.

I used to be a runner til an ankle injury put a stop to that. Drawing isn't exactly an aerobic activity and eating too much helps middle aged spread -well spread - and I have missed running so I am making an attempt at getting back into it again using the Couch to 5K Running Program. I found a great podcast for each week that gets me through the runs, giving timing signals, music, warm up and cool down times. Its great. But the run was hard today and only into Week 1. It was warm and quite windy and I had been at work all day so not at my peak. I really need to run early mornings instead.

I have a box of 'goodies' that I collect while out and about of toys that I keep for when children come to visit. My house doesn't have small children living there anymore and there are few toys still lurking around so I add to the box when I see something that appeals to me.

This was one of a series of dolls that had those realistic looking faces and the expression on this face was irresistable to me. More so to draw it as well. Now, it sits in the box with an assortment of others waiting to be played with. It reminds a little of the expression I captured in my own daughter when she didn't want to do something. I believe my grand daughter may have similar expression at times.

I did it

I gritted my teeth and buoyed by suggestions from others, I tackled a flower. Now its not a great flower, and I know there are elements of it that I could change, but it IS a flower. And flowers scare me. I guess I should make that the past tense: flowers scared me.

They still do,but I think it is because my interest lies more in drawing animals or people rather than landscapes or flowers, so I shy away from them. However, the experience wasn't quite as painful as anticipated, so maybe I'll have a go at another one. This was sketched out in pencil, then a wash of watercolour and finally some touches with my rapidograph pen.

Blook

I've been looking at ways to preserve my 18 months of blogging. I wonder when or if I stop writing, will all my efforts, images and thoughts be lost in cyberspace as I forget passwords and programs? So I want to keep these thoughts in a more permanent place.

In Blurb, I have the option of creating a book which is quite permanent and I rather like the idea of doing so. I did a mock up of the blog to date and it came out as 442 pages and 681 images. That's a hefty book and no doubt may cost a few pennies to produce. However, now that I have the blog downloaded I may create my own version if for no other reason than to have a hard copy of it at least on cd or on my hard drive.

I'm calling the baby vulture finished. The black colorfix paper and derwents seem to make a good marriage with not too much loss of colour on the black, as there is in some paper types. I love the texture of the colorfix paper and may order more. As usual, the final image does not do justice to the piece in real life, where it has much more clarity and colour depth.

Flowers scare me

I love flowers, the shapes, colours and scents, but I can't draw them. I have a mental block when faced with blooms. All those complex shapes folding, curving with subtle changes of shades and tiny creases. Flowers scare me.

Yet I am surrounded by them. Currently the crabapple tree is in full bloom despite the fog and rain and I look at it and thing how lovely to be able to recreate it in paints or coloured pencil, yet I know that it will just become another sheet of paper crumpled in the bin in frustration.

The greenhouse is overflowing the flowers too, destined for the Indian wedding next month. There are bouquets of them around the house, its like living in a florist's shop and will get worse as the first blooms are removed from the plants to make way for more. There are going to be a LOT of flowers this year.

Maybe I'll be brave and tackle a drawing of a simple flower and work my way up to something more complex. One of the marigolds maybe or the clematis that is flowering now. Tips on tackling flowers is appreciated.

Fast cars and watercolours

I completed this line drawing this weekend and hope to develop it further in watercolour. Watercolour is a medium that I do work in from time to time and really need more practice with. Years ago when I worked with Tom Greenshields, we would go out in his car and do a little watercolour painting of a variety of scenes. He competently, me, hit and miss. He had an E-type Jaguar which everyone used to envy. Tom's reason for keeping it was that it had a 'lovely little shelf that folds down on the dash' that he could balance his water bottle on when painting from inside the car on damp or cold days.

I was never a car snob, but enjoyed good looking cars, the Jaguar being no exception. I owned several sports cars myself, the first being an MGB convertible here in Newfoundland. It was a perfect little two seater that worked like a charm most of the time. Of course it developed some charms of its own with age. Like the fact that the headlights would come on when you closed the door. I cut my teeth on mechanics with that car too, mastering all sorts of things before my ability dwindled and I let the professionals take over.

In the UK, I had my second MBG, the GT model and that car survived kids and dogs stuffed into the tiny seat behind the front seats and I loved the car. The photo shows my youngest daughter with the car outside my house in England.

That car provided my first excursion into crime.

I stole it.

Well, it was mine at the time, but a soon to be ex husband decided to borrow it and never return it, so in the predawn one morning I 'recovered' it with the help of a tow truck, had all the locks changed on the doors and life went on beautifully with my car. When I finally had to sell it to accomodate growing children and life, even the license plates were profitable. They had a certain letter/number sequence that was wanted by people and a company in London bought the plates from me for 450 pounds sterling. I believe the landlord of a pub in Sussex bought them.

I still rather wish I had that car again...

The little things

Chinese Goose in the herb bed

When I draw something it is always as if I see if for the first time. It feels as if I am a child again, rediscovering every item in minute detail. The ribs of my bottle of water become cobalt ribs with highlights and shapes that amaze me. The feathers of a bird are composed of hundreds of little ribs connected to its neighbour with tiny fluffy lines. I love discovering and rediscovering so much of what is around me when I draw.

I can get lost in drawing the same way I can get lost in a book. The world disappears and 'the zone' takes over. In that zone, nothing else exists. Not time, or space or people or surroundings. When I try to explain that to people it sounds as if I'm on drugs but its quite the opposite. I'm not escaping, I'm concentrating so hard that only what is on the end of my pencil or brush is in focus, the rest of the world is tuned out.

With books, there is a similar escape, but in words. In a post by Alyson Stanfield in her email newsletter she talks about the images conjured up by words and how perhaps we miss detail in our everyday life. I recall reading a number of 'wordy' books and sometimes having to read the same paragraph several times to have it make sense to me or simply for the pleasure of creating the detailed painting in my head that the words formed.

To bring this one step closer to art, I recall a drawing challenge that involved books. You stand in front of a bookcase containing any type of books. Close your eyes and randomly pick a book from the shelf. Eyes still closed, open the book to a page, run a finger across the pages and stop. Open your eyes and read the paragraph that your finger has stopped on. Illustrate that paragraph. If you happen to stop at an illustration, move on til you stop at text. Its a fabulous exercise to create images from words and a great method of breaking a slump in art work.

What did I chose? The book that came into my hand was The Fatal Shore by Robert Hughes, art critic of Time magazine. The passage I don't recall and the drawing heaven knows where. But its an exercise that I'd like to try again. Any takers to join in?

Vulture baby

I experimented with my new art supplies today, some colorfix paper and the full set of Derwent Drawing pencils and this was the result. The image was in the Weekend Drawing Event at WetCanvas and this is the drawing at about the 2 hour mark, with lots left to go.

I love how the colorfix paper accepts the pencil and know from previous experience using a sample with pastels that those are the perfect marriage with this support. However, it seems to do very well with the waxy Derwents too. I love the soft colours of the full set, having only experienced the earth tones before.

Goslings

The next batch of eggs have hatched last night and this morning. These are Embden geese and the parents parade around the yard. Embdens are the classic white goose - sort of like Mother Goose of fairytales. I like the look of geese, but I don't like their temperment. And this little guy, less than a day old, has 'the look' about him to prove me right. Moments before this image was taken he was busy biting me furiously. Something about me and geese...

This guy was the first to hatch while his brothers and sisters were staggered. It always amazes me just how they can break out of a shell, as those shells are very hard. But they seem to always manage it, greeting the world as wet, bedraggled little creatures, who turn into balls of fluff.

The eggs have marks on them so that you know which way it was last turned. Incubated eggs need turning several times a day, so a mark on one side helps you remember and make sure they're all turned. In a natural incubation under the goose, she would rearrange the eggs during the day and night and moisture from her feathers would help. Without the goose there, its a little trickier with lots of turning and spraying the eggs with water.

What about Bob?

There are a number of Bobs in my world, but none quite like this chap here. Bob is Paulette's Great Dane and a real character by the sounds of it as he enters his senior years.

I love the breed and drawing dogs so I asked her if I could use a reference of hers to draw him and she agreed. Here is the line drawing. I loved this pose and how the huge paw is tucked under his chin.

New toys

They're here. But they come with a price tag. A little notice was in the post box that there is a parcel for me at the post office, with $11.47 owing on it. Most likely the duty that the Government wants to suck out of me for the privilege of being able to order art supplies from the USA. I find it so frustrating not being able to buy the range of supplies that I want within Canada and having to order from the USA. The pricing is great as the US/Canadian dollar exchange rate is so good right now - about .94 cents Cdn. to the US dollar when last I heard. But then they ding me for duty. So much for free trade. Hmph.

However, I guess I can't complain, I'm probably the only person in Newfoundland who will have wads of Colorfix paper and the full range of Derwent Drawing pencils! Now, to get back into Torbay before the post office shuts at 5pm.....there is the challenge during the week. I may just have to wait til Saturday morning to go there and pick it up. But I want it nowwwwwww......

Here a little sketch of Tripod, sleeping soundly like an old man on his side head up, mouth open slightly. Can you hear the gentle snores? He's priceless.

And as of the time of writing seven ducklings have hatched, Pekins and mixed breed. They are so cute, I just love baby ducks - adults to for that matter. I watched a pair of the Pekins in the back garden the other day. The female was frantically sifting through the flowerbed looking for bugs as always while the male stood there looking for all the world like a bored husband waiting at the mall. It was funny, I wish I'd had the camera then. The Pekins and a mixed breed male have claimed the pond for their own. I must say they do look great on the water. The contrast and activity there is so natural. Sometimes the Embden geese wander down and make them all leave, but for the most part they spend their day there in peace.

Bruno

Bruno
graphite 8 x 5
sketch copyright Jeanette Jobson

"Not the least hard thing to bear when
they go from us, these quiet friends,
is that they carry away with them so
many years of our lives. Yet, if they
find warmth therein, who would
begrudge them those years that they
have so guarded?
And whatever they take,
be sure they have deserved."

--- John Galsworthy ---

My sister's dog has died. He was adopted as a stray, a big grey faced part Lab, part who knows what, who loved people, food and sneaking naps on the sofa. Age crept up on him and with it the problems that aging bring.

I did this sketch of him last year, but as he hated having his photo taken, there never was a good reference to use, so the sketch never was elaborated into a portrait.

Fiddleheads & crabapple tea

I took the day off work, having worked two weekends in a row. I know I'll likely pay the price tomorrow with shovel fulls of work waiting for me, but for the day, I've ignored that possibility and settled down to some drawing, as well as the usual things that occupy my day to day life.

I want to do some more coloured pencil work and have started with the line drawing of 'Crabapple Tea' which I transfered to a piece of Somerset Velvet paper that my daughter sent to me. The image is from Diana Ponting and is in the reference library in WetCanvas.

I added a little colour with prismas to the paper and am not sure if I like the result or not yet. I may end up transferring the drawing to a piece of Stonehenge instead. The Somerset Velvet is gorgeous paper with a soft texture, often used for printmaking and sometimes pastels. Similar in some ways to Stonehenge but softer. It may take a little experimentation. As a result the coloured pencil sinks into the tooth and little bits of the paper have more heavily pigmented areas. I'll play with it a little more and see what happens.

I wandered around the property today looking for inspiration for drawings and paintings. I am never disappointed with choice it seems. The road leading off into the woods is always inviting with shadow and light playing on it.

Ferns, unfurling look very prehistoric, as they should and amaze me at their complexity. I haven't figured out if these ferns are the 'fiddleheads' that can be eaten or not. I'm not going to experiment just in case. I can buy fiddleheads in the shops for a short period of time in late spring, but I've never actually bought some and cooked them. The fiddlehead fern, which tastes like a cross between asparagus, green bean and okra, is an annual industry worth $2 million in New Brunswick.

The sunlight was shining through the trees in the woods. There is something fascinating yet a little eerie about the woods. I love the shapes and colours of the trees and how the light moves around them, but being in the midst of them, its so quiet, it kind of creeps me out a little. That or the thought of a moose or something appearing more like!

Never ending source

Wash Day

9 x 12 Graphite
copyright Jeanette Jobson

Tripod is a never ending source of inspiration for drawing. I'm beginning to believe that is the purpose he arrived on my doorstep last fall. Aside from being a dog trapped in a cat's body, he also has the ability to pose for 10 or 15 minutes at a time, not twitching a muscle - the perfect model.

I caught him washing himself for this sketch. He isn't great at this task, having one front leg only, but he tries. Unfortunately, his efforts are in vain, as he tends to roll in the dirt and tries to get my attention when I go out by running in front of me, then dropping and rolling. He's nearly been stepped on several times that way. But he doesn't let that deter him. He knows if he is persistant enough and loud enough I'll pick him up and carry him around on my walk around the property. Yes, he has me trained.