Liquid centres

Baby and doll
coloured pencil on Canson sketch pad 11 x 14
copyright Jeanette Jobson

I'm feeling virtuous tonight. I've just put in a couple of miles on the treadmill, deprived myself of leftover mince pies, ate salads all day,downed 2 litres of waters during the course of the day and found a liquid graphite pencil at Walmart.

Some things are meant to be. At work this morning it was quiet, peaceful, then punctuated by what sounded like firecrackers going off. Close enough. It was the power bar that the printers and router were plugged into. It decided that it was time to stop and wanted to do so in a dramatic way, with sparks and loud bangs.

After my heart stopped racing, I unplugged the thing, then headed off to find a new powerbar - or two. These things never go alone. So I headed to Walmart and picking up a few more things for the office I passed the pencil aisle. Well, I figured I'd have a quick look while I was there and found liquid graphite mechanical pencils. Are these new only to me? The brand name is Pentech under the trademark Liquiphite and are produced by Jakkspacific in California.

I grabbed a package and will give them a test run over the next day or so. A quick try showed that they apply like pen but are erasable. The graphite line is dark and feels a bit greasy to the touch - perhaps the binder that is used for the graphite - but it erases very easily. Online reviews are mixed, so it will be interesting to compare and see how it performs.

At Pencil Things there is a huge selection of pencils of all types for sale, some of which I'd never heard of before like the Chattahoochee pencil.

You can use it to write, draw and mark on most surfaces. You can erase. Yet it's not like any pencil you ever held. The unique composite won't suspend in paint, so you can sketch and paint over the lines. It won't smudge or rub off on on your hands, either. Builders' marks won't smear or wash away. The unique shape and different planes allow you to make lines of varying widths, while the curved back lets you do shading and rubbings.

On the same site, I found another form of liquid graphite pencils under the same brand name - Pentech, called Ultrasharp. These have liquid graphite cartridges enclosed in a wooden casing, so they look like ordinary wood pencils.

In yesterday's post, I had discovered liquid graphite from an Australian company and have found out that it is available in the USA from Jerry's Artarama only it seems. I can't find a Canadian stockist (surprise, surprise...) and haven't heard anything back from my email to Matisse Derivan, the Australian manufacturer.

Perhaps these will satisfy my curiosity for the moment til I can get the real thing.

Liquid pencil

I read about a newish product today (it was available summer 2007) and am intrigued with it and would love to try it. Liquid Pencil. this is produced by an Australian company - Matisse Derivan.

The video above shows Sue Raccanello using the product in a drawing/painting.

Matisse Derivan describes the Liquid Pencil properties:

Derivan Liquid Pencil is an innovative new product that allows you to create authentic graphite pencil effects and pencil sketches using a liquid. It has been formulated to be easily thinned with water or MM9 Acrylic Painting Medium (to maintain permanency) and allow for the softest of colours to be applied with a brush, nib, or other art tools. With a consistency of cream, and a different rheology, artists now have a wider scope for creating sketches.

Derivan Liquid Pencil is available in six graphite shades each with a permanent or rewettable formula.

Due to a precisely balanced formulation another great benefit of the Permanent liquid pencil is that it will “burnish up’ in a similar manner to traditional graphite but it will not smudge.

The rewettable formula will also allow you to remove areas using water – in a similar manner to watercolour techniques, or it is possible to use with a traditional eraser. Another advantage to using Derivan Liquid Pencil is that large areas can be built up and covered quickly and easily.

Each of the shades have a definite graphite colour, however, there are distinct undertones such as blue, yellow red, sepia and neutral in two different strengths to allow a great range of options for artists.

Free samples of the product were being distributed worldwide, but the offer has now ended, as I presume there was high demand, as there often is when samples are provided. I wonder what the success rate of samples are in terms of buyers of the final product. I'm sure that there are lots of 'freebie' seekers with kitchen drawers full of samples that are never used.

You can view the colour chart for the liquid pencil here.

I have emailed Matisse Derivan to ask if there is a Canadian distributer or if I can buy directly from the factory there. According to their website, it seems there are only Australian distributors so far.

If anyone knows any North American distributors of this product, please let me know.

Portrait

Woody
Derwent drawing pencils, 11 x 14 on Canson
copyright Jeanette Jobson

Today I did a sketch of Woody who is 90 years old. He married 10 years ago at the age of 80 and is currently nursing his 88 year old wife who has Alzheimers.

There is such character in an older face and it is such a pleasure to draw an older person. The faces of youth, while lovely to look at, really hold little interest to me in terms of drawing. They present challenges to define smooth skin and that bloom of youth. It is a fleeting moment and gone in a blink of an eye. Just as well you don't realize it at the time.

However, it is replaced with something much more valuable.

I dug out my set of Derwent drawing pencils as I hadn't used them for awhile. They are the perfect pencils, in my opinion, for portraiture. They have such soft earthy colours and lay down so well and quickly on paper, that they are pleasure to use.

Alone

I am alone almost all of the time, but I am rarely lonely... it is those days where I do not paint or write or create something, that I am lonely, when I've generally been too busy with people of unlike mind and interests... (Vicki Easingwood)

Because I like sharing ideas and seeing what other artists are producing I have a list that I share on my blog of other artist's blogs and websites that interest me and which I read regularly.

Blog shelf life seems to be dwindling in some areas lately, so I've been whittling my list and shopping around for new artists to add to the list. If I have taken you off my list, it isn't a personal thing. It is because you haven't posted to your blog regularly i.e., at least two or three times a week. I know we all get blog fatigue from time to time and life also kicks in which makes posting difficult, but I need my fix of art from other sources and if you're on my list, then you're it.

If I've missed a great blog or you are willing to admit that you know me and would like to be added to my blog roll, please leave me a comment.

Its too big a world to be alone in.

Art and stress

The word "mandala" is from the classical Indian language of Sanskrit. Loosely translated to mean "circle," a mandala is far more than a simple shape. It represents wholeness, and can be seen as a model for the organizational structure of life itself--a cosmic diagram that reminds us of our relation to the infinite, the world that extends both beyond and within our bodies and minds.

As and artist and a herbalist, I find holistic approaches to life have a deeper meaning to me than to some others sometimes. Now I'm not a dyed-in-the-wool lobbyist for alternative practices, but I do believe that they have a place in life alongside Western medicine and consistantly debate the use of herbal remedies against Western pharmaceuticals whenever I see my own doctor.

Its a natural progression to look to art for a calming influence and see how its original origins can spill over into the 21st century in the form of mandalas. The creation of a mandala is a class that I will offer later this year for adults. It will be an exploration of self, almost a symbolic self portrait for each individual and to serve as a stress reducer and relaxant.

Representing the universe itself, a mandala is both the microcosm and the macrocosm, and we are all part of its intricate design. The mandala is more than an image seen with our eyes; it is an actual moment in time. It can be can be used as a vehicle to explore art, science, religion and life itself. The mandala contains an encyclopedia of the finite and a road map to infinity.

Carl Jung said that a mandala symbolizes "a safe refuge of inner reconciliation and wholeness." It is "a synthesis of distinctive elements in a unified scheme representing the basic nature of existence." Jung used the mandala for his own personal growth and wrote about his experiences.

It is said by Tibetan Buddhists that a mandala consists of five "excellencies":

The teacher • The message • The audience • The site • The time

An audience or "viewer" is necessary to create a mandala. Where there is no you, there is no mandala. (from: You Are the Eyes of the World, by Longchenpa, translated by Lipman and Peterson).

Have you created a mandala? If so, what was the experience like and how to you and others view the completed mandala? I will be creating my own personal mandala and look forward to the process of drawing and adding colour to it.

Here is a good starting point to learn more about mandalas

The Mandala Project

And a great sample of the relaxation factor in this virtual mandala or labyrinthe.

Online Finger Meditation

Visualizing with words

Peppers (in progress)
Coloured pencil, 9 x 12 Canson paper
copyright Jeanette Jobson

I have to go back to work tomorrow so I'm fitting in some of the things that I still need to do to keep my mind at rest. One of those is a demo for a class, so I've made a start on it over the last 24 hours.

One of the things that I want to achieve this year is to put my lessons and tutorials in written form for possible use as lessons/kits for sale. I'm just not quite sure of the format at this early stage, but I'm making myself start as I mean to go on. I will put the drawing processes down on paper, at least in a basic format for my use, and perhaps expand some.

It really is much easier to just draw than to put the process of drawing into words. The steps in choosing colours, pencil pressure, layering, etc., etc. is monumental at times and sometimes I find myself skipping scans as my hand continues to add colour to the paper without thinking about it. Then I realize what I've done and its too late to turn back then, so I try to make up for it in additional word pictures and hope the reader can understand what I'm trying to say.

I'll do a 'test drive' on some artist volunteers once I have this process in place to see how it reads, if it's understandable and the user can create something pleasing to them using the instructions and images. If there are readers out there who are interested in being testers of this process, please let me know. Once I develop testing criteria and the final draft of the tutorial, I will contact a number of testers to try it out.

2007 Review

Willie May
graphite 11 x 14 Canson
copyright Jeanette Jobson

Last year I studied Alyson Stanfield's searching questions as a review of my year artistically. I'd like to do the same again this year as they covered a broad range of topics and activities on both artistic and personal levels.

* How many works did you create?
I haven't kept count - approximately 15-20 saleable pieces and a number of smaller pieces and sketches

* What trips (local or far away) did you make to nourish your art?
The Rooms locally for art exhibitions, visited art galleries in Laguna Beach and Regina in reality. Online I wander in art galleries and museums daily to fulfill my imagination and curiosity.

* How much money did you make from your art?
About $1,000. Its a meagre amount hardly worthy of putting on paper, but it is clear money and will grow as my efforts to expand it do too.

* What classes (business or creative) did you take?
None

* What did you invest in that will help you to run a more profitable or streamlined business?
A new cell phone. I'm rarely at home these days. I sleep there which makes me wonder why I pay a mortgage sometimes for this permanent bedroom with rooms attached. So the easiest way to reach me is by my cell phone which is with me all the time. Investing in a new one added more bells and whistles to my electronic world and some features I still don't understand, but the little built in camera serves as an instant sketch for me to capture light, a scene, a colour. People still look at me strangely when I photograph piles of fruit or veg or toys in stores.

* Whom did you hire so that you can spend more time on your creative career? (framer, virtual assistant, housekeeper, lawn mower, bookkeeper)
I didn't hire anyone, but ignored some of the above in order to create and market. So my house looks lived in, not a pristine palace, like most people. Houses that are perfectly arranged and look like magazine covers scare me.

* Whom did you meet that has turned out to be a mentor?
Ed Roche

* What books did you read? What magazines?
Beautiful Landscapes; Colored Pencil Solution Book; From Line to Life; Artist's & Graphic Designer's Market 2007
The Artist's Magazine

* What movies did you see that inspired you?
I'm not a movie watcher. I occasionally watch clips on YouTube on drawing or painting demonstrations

* How many names did you add to your mailing list? (Note the exact number so you can evaluate your progress this time next year.)
Twenty people with access to more through art related organizations if I need to get out information.

* What habits or routines did you put into place?
More efficient planning for classes. I'm a procrastinator by nature and can be writing or drawing demos for my class in the carpark before the class begins. I have to plan a month in advance for course content and need to have those classes planned at least a week before they begin.
Timely review of upcoming exhibition submission information. I seem to either come upon submission information just before or shortly after the closing date. I need a calendar and a plan.

* What habits or routines did you eliminate?
None, I just seemed to add more!

* Where did your name or artwork appear in print? Where did it appear online?
In print on a drawing tutorial, programs for drawing exhibitions, media releases.
Online in WetCanvas, Drawspace, my blog and email signatures.

* How did you improve your website or Web presence?
Continuation of regular blog entries; signature line on emails, forum postings including blog and contact information on a number of art sites

* What new marketing materials did you add or improve on?
Information and marketing sheets for drawing classes
Postcards and business cards printed
A website has been drafted but not yet published. In 2008.

* Where did you speak about your work?
At art demonstrations, drawing classes

* What new materials or techniques did you experiment with?
Oil paints, soft pastels, colourfix paper, ampersand pastel board, Sabretooth and Canal papers

* What organizations did you join?
Art Association of Newfoundland and Labrador
Realist Artists of Newfoundland and Labrador

* What projects did you initiate?
Became a drawing instructor teaching adult and children's classes 3 times a week.
Created a written drawing tutorial.
Creation of a written drawing lesson for online classes.

On a more personal level:

* How did you care for your health and well-being?
Well....things could be better. Health wise I'm fine generally, but drawing has taken over from exercise. Drawing also leads to cups of coffee and biscuits. Back to the treadmill and basic food for a few months so clothes fit well again.

* How did you strengthen your personal relationships?
Concentration on those that are useful and elimination of those which are not. Communication.

* What vacations did you have?
A week in California, a week in Alberta and a week in Saskatchewan.

* What parties did you attend?
I really do hate parties and only go when absolutely necessary. I did go to an art association Christmas potluck and a variety of cocktail/dinner functions during the year.

* What new hobby did you take up?
Rock carving, jewelry created from beach stones

* Where did you volunteer?
Moderator/teacher for Drawspace
Board member for provincial Art Association

I have also exhibited at the following:

Spring Art Show AANL April 2007
Fall Art Exhibition AANL October 2007
Women in Art Exhibition RANL October 2007
Health Care Foundation Art Fundraiser November 2007
City of St. John's Art Procurement Program November 2007
Small Works Exhibition AANL December 2007
Best of Show Award 'The Artist's Cat' RANL April 2007
Make Me Think Gong - Katherine Tyrrell, Making A Mark - December 2007

Writing down accomplishments brings them into sharp focus. The black and white words make me realize where I need to focus for the coming year and helps me understand shortcomings of the previous year that I could have worked harder on.

So, what do I want to achieve in 2008? There are a number of things that I want to do, but first I need to manage my time more effectively to avoid burnout. I work full time, teach 3 times a week, take on commissions and create my own art as well as volunteer on the board of the Art Association. It spreads me a bit thin and becomes stressful sometimes.

1. Time management - I want to continue doing what I ENJOY doing and eliminate the things that cause stress. I need my creative time to be productive.

2. Organization - This goes hand in hand with time management. I have done a lot of writing which is scattered over computers and files in the house and it needs to come together in a couple of different formats. One electronically so I can find it easily and two, in logical written, bound forms for filing and reference.

3. Marketing and promotion - I have made some inroads into this in 2007 but not nearly enough. It is an area that fills me with a fair bit of dread. I hate selling myself and my work. But I know that I have to do it to succeed. Both electronically and in person.

4. Craft Council Membership - I believe that this membership will open more options to me in terms of potential customers and exhibition/promotion options. As well they have a juried process of entry which gives more credibility to my work.

5. Exhibition submissions - I want to try my hand at some juried competitions to see where my work sits in the eyes of others who are not local.

6. Development of prints and cards - The market in this province doesn't bear a lot of high end purchasing power when it comes to luxury items such as original art, so I have to work around that. I will still have originals, but will invest in prints and cards to target new markets. This then ties into #3 - the scary marketing and promotion...

7. Local painting and drawing - I have lived in Flatrock for 8 years and haven't really painted or drawn much that is local. I hope to change that in 2008. I want to create an art piece at least once a month of a local scene. Flatrock isn't the most beautiful town in the world, but I will find areas of interest, cropped images, different mediums and colours to bring it to life.

8. I want to face my drawing fears face on. Flowers and landscapes. Some of that may be tied into # 7.

There are many more things that I want to do, see, experience and try out, but I know from experience that if I cast my net too wide, I'll miss and not get anything. So I'm trimming the list a little, to hopefully do-able, items. I'll review these things again mid-year and see what needs adjusting.

Newfoundland will be the first to see the New Year into North America, having the most easterly point at Cape Spear, so I'll take advantage of this to wish all those westward of me Happy New Year and know that those east of me have already toasted the New Year and are likely tucked up in bed by the time it reaches these shores. As for me, I'll likely be in bed too when it arrives. I've gone past the time when staying up, partying in the next year, was fun. Now its just plain old hard work and bed is a much more desirable choice. Yep, I must be getting old.

MAMA

Love
Coloured pencil on Stonehenge 9 x 12
Copyright Jeanette Jobson

I have come to the end of the commission and the final image is shown here. Now I have a couple of demos to do for classes in January and a lot of organizing to complete.

Tomorrow I will tackle a personal review of 2007 and share some plans for 2008. I just need to put them all on paper first. I like the reality of words on paper sometimes over typed words. There is something comforting about putting pen to paper, no spell check, no delete button. A quiet corner by the fire, a glass a wine and some reflections of the year past and the year to come.

Katherine Tyrrell of Making A Mark blog has awarded her 'Make Me Think' Gong jointly to me and Tracy Helgeson. I'm thrilled to receive recognition from Katherine and honoured to share this with Tracy whose work is energetic and writing always brings me straight into her life.

Katherine says:

Strong contenders in this category - which means people whose blogs I enjoy reading for the narrative as much as the images - are:

• one of last year’s winners Robert Genn (The Painter’s Keys) and his twice-weekly newsletter
  
• Tracy Helgeson (Works by Tracy Helgeson)
  
• Jeanette Jobson (Illustrated Life

All three frequently refer to the wider aspects of how we live our lives, difficulties we have to deal with and approaches which seem to produce good results. They all speak about both everyday matters and bigger concepts in an everyday way. They often make me step back and think about what I'm doing and how I relate to what they are talking about. In other words they take my perspective out for a spin!

Of course no pressure now to write something thought provoking!

On top of that, Katherine also offered the wonderful Tripod up as a contender for "The Moose" Award - Best Animal in an Illustrated Blog. Tripod, my cat, is the character that captured attention both in photographs and drawings in 2007 and earned me a Best of Show as well for this drawing. Contenders for "The Moose" were varied and all excellent artists. Gayle Mason of Fur in the Paint was the winner of this year's award and so well deserved. Her animal drawings are superb.

Recognition from your peers is something that does several things. It provides confirmation that you're heading in the right direction. It provides an ego boost. It makes the hard work worthwhile and it makes the friendships forged in this unnatural environment real. It also removes geographic barriers and allows sharing of thoughts, resources and lives.

Thank you Katherine and to everyone who reads my blog, shares their thoughts and helps me learn. Perhaps we all need to start these end of year awards, based on personal criteria and input from other artists. Lots of creative little banners could pop up on blogs full of 'feel good' emotion and support.

Cocooning

I digressed a little from my commission work and started a portrait. It was more of a doodle to begin with then I got more involved in it. I haven't slept well lately, so early (4am) mornings seem to be a good time for me to draw. Fueled by coffee and a warm fire, I get a few hours of drawing in before daylight strikes the tops of the trees.

I liked the challenge of this image, trying to draw realistically yet sympathetically. I also find the length of this particular commission I am doing a bit monotonous. There are nine pieces, each have a similar shape, but with different expressions and colours. Its good to break away from it now and then and do a sketch or quick drawing.

Yesterday I cocooned on the sofa with chocolates and a movie while a snowstorm raged outside for most of day, dumping 32 cm of the white stuff. Of course, snow here is rarely the picture perfect stuff that falls straight from the sky. No, this stuff is horizontal snow, driven by 100 km an hour winds. It is often mixed with ice or rain so that if you venture out, it feels as if a thousand tiny knives are cutting into you. Hence the hibernation mode on the sofa....

I'm amazed at how quickly my time has gone by. Three more days then I'm back at work again and I haven't accomplished a quarter of what I wanted to. Its funny how I seem to need a deadline at my heels to spur me into action. I'll fill these next three days with some painting and a start of some demos for classes in January. As another 10-15 cm of snow is due tonight and tomorrow, there shouldn't be too many other distractions brewing.

A cat's Christmas

The main event of Christmas is over and done with now, leaving me, among many no doubt, wondering what all the fuss was about. However, there are some good aspects to Christmas and it brings pleasure to some, including Tripod, the cat who thinks he's a dog.

Tripod loves paper of any kind, so Christmas wrappings were his idea of heaven.

He also loved his Christmas present of a bed, even if it is a bit of a tight fit. He has an army of soldiers to watch over him while he sleeps.

While the cat amuses himself, I'm kept busy finalizing a commission which is nearly completed. Then I will have a chance to review my year and make plans for the coming year. Its amazing when you write things down, just how much you have achieved. I'd encourage everyone to jot down some of the highlights of your year and make plans to surpass them in 2008.

Exploring the world

Curiosity, fear, intrigue, belief, wonder, fantasy? Any or all of the above could be present in my 11 month old grand daughter's face at her first encounter with the old gentleman himself. They also need to be present in all of us to create art. Its unfortunate that we often forget to use those same emotions and expression that we had as children. They serve us well as adults and especially well in the creative arts.

You can see the baby explore this person's face with her eyes, absorbing every plane, shape and colour. Its something she has never seen before. Its the same way that an artist explores an object when drawing or painting it. You see it for the first time as you use your eyes and pencil or brush to replicate what is in front of you.

I hope the holidays find you healthy, happy and looking forward to a new year filled with wonder and art. And most of all, I wish that you can rediscover some of your childhood wonder and interest in the world and include it in your next creative challenge.

Handmade paper

Candy canes
Coloured pencil 8 x 5
copyright Jeanette Jobson

Today has passed in a flurry of activity, none of which was really essential and it took time away from drawing and painting which I wanted to start. But there's always another day, but likely not tomorrow as Christmas takes over. But I hope to take some time to play during the day between meals and gifts and people.

I was sorting out my art cupboard today and found a pad of quite expensive St-Armand paper that I bought in Regina last month. It was my splurge at the time and its been sitting in the cupboard ever since while I find something interesting to use it for. Its classed as 'panoramic' size which is 9" x 20". I liked the sizing and thought it would make interesting landscape views. It was also available in a 9 x 10 block format as well. It seems like a fairly strong paper and the salesperson at the store said that it can be used for a variety of mediums, dry and wet. I'll experiment a bit with both and see how it holds up.

I already have some of the St-Armand Canal paper and Sabretooth paper. I love unique, handmade papers and they are a rarity these days, so accessing something when I am off the island is always a treat.

I have made paper myself several times and its an interesting activity. It takes practice to obtain a smooth surface to draw on and most of my efforts have come out as fairly sturdy paper. I often include herbs or flower petals to the paper or essential oils to provide fragrance to the finished product. It is really a summer activity as it involves lots of water and mess, so I do it in the garden on a nice warm sunny day which dries the paper fast on the frames.

For those interested in creating their own paper, there are lots of instructional sites online or contact some of the companies which provides supplies and finished products.

Paper Trail
The Paperwright
La Papeterie

Good drawing days

1950's Reindeer Ornament
Graphite, 8 x 5
Copyright Jeanette Jobson

You know when you have times of good drawing, when things you try just seem to roll off the pencil or paintbrush without effort? These last few days seem to be like that, so I'm trying to fit in as much as I can while the moment lasts. I know there will come a time soon when I try to draw or paint something and it will not work, no matter what I do.

Its a strange phenomenon as it seems effortless on my behalf . I realize of course that this revelation may be simply subjective on my part and the observer may have a totally different viewpoint. Productivity and willingness combined with time availability may play a role in how drawings or painting progress. Whatever factors come into play, I'm enjoying it.

This morning I tackled one of final pieces that go on my tree. This is an old ornament, almost as old as me, that I had as a child. Its a simple plastic 1950's reindeer that I remember being filled with tiny red and green candies. It was in a box of old ornaments that came from my mother's house and is probably one of the last remaining ones from that era still intact. The plastic is yellowing and brittle with age, but it still goes on the tree each year and now I have captured it on paper. I may add some colour wash to it to give it a bit of life. But its currently in a sketchbook and that means I'd have to transfer it.

That will have to wait while I take advantage of the good drawing fairy's visit first!

Marketing and creativity

Apple
Pen, ink & coloured pencil 8 x 5
copyright Jeanette Jobson

My mind, like that of other art bloggers, turns to introspection this time of year. A review of what I have accomplished, what succeeded, what didn't, all come in for scrutiny. And I'll write a more in-depth post about that once I've had more time to sit back, relax and consider it for awhile.

I know I've broken new ground this year and will continue to push myself forward into 2008. I, like most artists, find it difficult to be the marketer of my own work. Is it fear of rejection, or the uncomfortable feeling that comes with putting a personal part of my visual expression out for judgement? Perhaps its a bit of both, but I know I hate doing it, but it is an integral part of an artist's life if sales or recognition is wanted.

In reality, I am an introvert. I hate crowds of people and being engaged in meaningless conversation with total strangers, no matter who they may be. Oh, I can hold my own in conversation in these situations but the 'fight or flight' instinct is kicking in big time all the while as I look for an escape route.

Creativity mean I need to spend time away from people and with people. I can't produce well if I have a crowd of people around me. I do draw around people when I do demonstrations. I find it easy to tune out people to some degree in that situation until someone asks me a question and brings me back down to earth.

So marketing always feels strange to me and I do everything I can to avoid it. I would simply like a manager to deal with all the one on one negotiations with buyers and exhibitions etc to let me just produce.

I'm sure I'm not alone in this feeling and others find it odd that I don't want to be busom buddies with the world. Its part of my makeup and what I need to create. However, I don't have a manager, so I still need to deal with the world to market my art and believe me, its a painful process at times for me.

Sketches

I haven't had much time lately to do any more than sketches here and there for personal art. I've been busy working on the masks and tinkering with slight changes to them. I've been waking early in the morning likely because I have a lot on my mind with work and other things, but it gives me a chance to draw at that time of day, so this sketch of a 1920s mother and baby fit the bill the other day.

I find it difficult to allot time for my blog these days and feel guilty if I haven't made an entry for a day or two, so I try to get at least three entries a week. I remind myself of why I created the blog initially. It was to make myself accountable and in that accountability, productive. Well the latter works, but often interrupts the accountability process in that I don't have time to write down thoughts or share processes all the time.

In a couple of weeks it will be my blog's 2nd birthday. That's a lot of writing and drawing and photographs - more than I ever thought I had in me. Its interesting to go back over entries and see life events unfold - illustrated life.

Band Aid 1984

Twenty three years ago in London Do They Know It's Christmas was created and performed to draw attention to world hunger. And it still has the same impact today as it did in 1983, at least to me. I was living in England at the time and remember the concept, the music, the musicians and the flurry it caused with the press and the government at the time when they insisted that the VAT be paid on any sales of this record. Bob Geldof went head to head with Margaret Thatcher's government and won. The government allowed VAT to be donated to aid the cause.

Wikipedia has a lot of information on the event and the players involved:

The original 1984 Feed The World logo was based on a pencil sketch by Bob Geldof after watching a BBC television news report by Michael Buerk from famine-stricken Ethiopia, was so moved by the plight of starving children that he decided to try and raise money using his contacts in pop music. The news report itself has become famous, being voted among the greatest television moments of the century, and it remains Buerk's definitive work, even though most of his career was spent as an anchorman.

The name 'Band Aid' was chosen as a pun on the name of a well known brand of adhesive bandage, also referring to musicians working as a band to provide aid and alluding to the fact that any help stemming from their efforts is likened to a band-aid on a very serious wound.

The group has reformed on three occasions, each time from the most successful British and Irish pop music performers of the time, to record the same song at the same time of year. Co-writer Midge Ure once commented: 'Every generation should have its own version'.

I did a quick sketch of Bob Geldof, just for fun. Office pen and grid paper aren't the ideal mediums, but art is art. I tweaked it a little to remove the grid lines - or most of them. For those old enough to remember the original music and the original players, have a look at the video for some memories. See who you recognize now.

Portraits in oils

I've decided to tackle a serious oil painting in the form of a self portrait. Its been awhile since I've done much in oils though I have completed a few small ones and even sold one of my new efforts recently.

I have always loved oils and used to work a lot with them. There was then a lean time when I didn't produce much with oils as there was nowhere to keep them out, small children wanting to get involved, fumes, etc etc. But now I want to revitalize my skills with them but in a looser form perhaps, a more painterly form.

I have completed a line drawing and will enlarge this onto a gallery canvas I think and see what I can come up with.

Wish me luck!

Whimsy

Rowdy does Christmas
pen & ink, coloured pencil on Canson
copyright Jeanette Jobson

I've been working on a commission lately as well as teaching so haven't had a lot of time to make any new starts on major drawings or paintings. I've done a few sketches this weekend, trying to fit them into small time slots where possible. These will be the basis of future, more elaborate drawings and I want to try my hand at a portrait in oil. I'll likely try a self portrait first, then I don't have to apologize to anyone for screwing it up.

Early this morning I did a little pen and ink sketch and added some colour to it. It was from the Weekend Drawing Event at WetCanvas and took me about an hour to complete. Its whimsical and could hold the potential for a Christmas card. I used a Nexus pen in sepia with touches of coloured pencil. I like mixing media and the results are always interesting.

This afternoon I taught a drawing to some children. Its amazing sometimes just how quickly the time goes by when we all engage in something that captures their attention. That happened today and its wonderful to see the concentration and those 'aha' moments when they understand a concept or technique. Teaching children always held a bit of fear for me, but the more I understand how to keep their attention and with what, the more fun it becomes.

Drawing time

Christmas Present

Pen and ink, 7 x 5
copyright Jeanette Jobson

My internet connection at home has been sporadic over the last week or so and getting a service man out here seems to be a challenge. However, this morning someone arrived and the problem seems to be fixed - touch wood. Its amazing how much we depend on the internet connection to keep us in touch with a variety of things. Email from friends and colleagues, research, price comparison, shopping and art are just some of things that compete for attention.

The good aspect of not having access is that it enables me to work on my drawing uninterrupted by 'must dos' that always seem to be electronic. And getting sidelined into other sites and losing track of time!

Last night I sat down to watch the news and the old rocking chair across the room was filled with the remains of wrapping material from the previous day's wrapping frenzy to get a package off to my sister. The light was dim, mostly illumination was from the open kitchen door and the television, so I decided I'd tackle the wrapping chaos. I did a quick pencil sketch to establish shapes then tackled it in pen and ink. I used a Micron pen in what looks like burgundy ink but I believe its classed as sepia.

Pen and ink is a little daunting initially to many, but I find that especially in 'busy' pictures like this one, it becomes a very forgiving medium and I enjoy the effect that can be produced with it.

Organization

Sketch -- garlic and jar
8 x 10 graphite
copyright Jeanette Jobson

You know how sometimes you try to get organized and you get too organized and it screws everything up? I did that this year. In the summer I decided I would be ready for Christmas. There would be no big rush, no spending huge dollars at the last minute, no stress. I would be organized. Hmph. Doesn't quite work like that, does it?

I spent last night looking for gifts that I bought for people during the summer. Unsuccessfully looking for them. I searched in all the places I usually stash things. The bottom of the art cupboard. My closet. In the back of the cupboard under the sink in the bathroom. The cold room. I found a couple of things which weren't Christmas presents. Like the Baci chocolates I bought in Regina last month. (they're not bad and you get a little saying in each one). I found a gift left over from last year that was edible at some point, but likely stale by now. But not the things I was looking for.

So tonight, in the snow, I ventured into some stores to 'refind' some gifts. Why is it that when you don't want something or haven't got the money to get something, things literally jump off the shelves screaming 'buy me, buy me!', but when you want something and have the money there isn't a thing in any store anywhere that looks remotely interesting? I came home tired and with some things.

Likely on Boxing Day, the gifts I was looking for will turn up.

Turkey day

On Thursday, the Christmas turkeys go to the processor. The date was changed and is earlier than anticipated, so it means they'll be popped in the freezer for a week instead of fresh. It makes no difference to the texture or taste of the bird as there are no accelerrants used in the freezing process. When you are dependent on the schedules of others, dates and times get changed so it causes a flurry for a few days to coordinate it, but usually works out.

The turkeys are rather strange looking birds, quite prehistoric but have their own charm. They are so curious about the world around them and people who come to visit them. They love to be amused with a big red ball and feed bags stuffed with newspaper and hung from the ceiling act sort of like those punching bags in a boxer's gym.

But they must go - 94 of them this year and all sold - most prior to them even arriving here as day old poults. I always feel sad when they go, but they've served their purpose in life. I like to ensure that people know where their food comes from and are aware of the process and those who care for it and help it grow. These days we take it for granted that everything comes on a sterile tray or bag in a supermarket or for those who still have butchers, hanging from a rack there.

Raising animals gives you a new respect for their life, and our life and view of the world.

A star is born

Iridescent Star
Coloured pencil on cardstock
Copyright Jeanette Jobson

When I wake up early, I'm usually very productive. And waking early is a by-product of getting older - at least for me. So this morning I was up at 5am, well before dawn, wrapping Christmas presents, making lists, drinking coffee and drawing.

There was a little iridescent star on the table that started as a sketch then kept evolving then turned into a Christmas card for someone. I don't send a lot of Christmas cards so a few sketched here and there act as surprises for those who receive them.

This star isn't symmetrical and isn't perfect, but its a star and considering it was created at 5am, not too bad.

Dogberries

It snowed again today and as I left the house, the contrast of the red berries with their snowcap caught my eye, so I went back in to get the camera and capture it.

The birds make short work of these berries once the weather turns cold and crows carry off bunches, sitting in the tops of trees, eating them like grapes.

The tree is the mountain ash, but locally it is known as a dogberry. I don't know how it got this name as the tart berries definitely wouldn't be the food of choice of dogs. However, the lovely colour against the snow makes beautiful in-built Christmas decoration for the trees.

Lines

My work days seem to get longer and longer lately, at least for the job that is the main earner. My art work is still trying to catch up and not doing too badly this month. But tonight I didn't get home til around 7:30. I had a late conference call then out into traffic and snow.

When it snows, mystery traffic seems to materialize. A person without snow tires or an accident, and everything comes to a grinding halt for what seems like eternity. There wasn't that much snow on the ground, perhaps 5 -10cm but it made driving slick in places especially when you hit the snow outside the furrows left by other cars on the road. I do dislike winter, and especially dislike driving in snow.

On weekends I teach drawing to children and have to have something - or things - up my sleeve to keep their interest, so this weekend it will be anime/manga drawing. I don't have much experience in drawing these kind of figures, but the concept seems pretty straight forward and the techniques of drawing anything is still the same, so this is what I'll be tackling. They're strange creatures, these doe-eyed figments of imagination, but children and teens seem to think they're wonderful. Everything goes through phases and this no doubt will be the same.

Name change

Joy
Colored pencil on Stonehenge 9 x 12
Copyright Jeanette Jobson

My surname is Jobson. A very simple name. J O B S O N You'd think it would not be difficult to read, write or remember in the English speaking world, wouldn't you?

But it is apparently. I have received mail, government forms, cheques and documents all bearing variations of my surname on them. Today was a new variation. Gobson. It would be funny except that it was on three separate cheques from an organization that I spent two hours with filling out forms with my name and other personal information in order for them to get it all correct! Sigh. I'm going to change my name to something more simple. Smith? No....too complex....I think I'll go for X. I'll become the new Madame X, just without the controversial gown. That's a bit too chilly in the snow.

Rant over. Now on to more interesting things.

I'm heading towards half way through a commission of the 9 emotions of yoga - the rasas. I'm doing them in coloured pencil and each mask will be a different colour. There is a fine line between depiicting some of the emotions. The tilt of an eyebrow or eye can make all the difference. So far I've completed Joy more or less, which is shown here, Calmness, Disgust and Sadness.

Those emotions sort of sum up my day so far.

Seasonal show

The little oil painting of figs that I did sold at today's show. It was one of the first of my re-emergence into oil paints after a long period of working mostly in dry media. I did a few small oils and am still playing with the medium and trying to find time to do more pieces as well as familiarize myself with the painting process.

I quite liked this little piece and was toying whether to keep it myself or let it go. The play of light and the colours of the figs was one of those happy accidents almost. Sometimes paintings just fall off the brush onto the canvas, other times they need a lot of thought and work put into them. This one was the former. It just seemed to flow without much assistance from me.

Figs
Oils on canvas board 5 x 7
copyright Jeanette Jobson

Today's show did remarkably well considering that the weather was atrocious. Rain, snow and wind dampened spirits and peoples' ability to get around. However, there was about a 30% sell rate which is remarkable considering that it definitely wasn't from passing foot traffic today. The setting was lovely and overlooked St. John's Harbour, pretty, despite the horizontal snow.

Silver bells

I would rather teach drawing that my pupils may learn to love nature, than teach the looking at nature that they may learn to draw. (John Ruskin)

I was teaching a class and needed something reflective for them to draw so picked up this silver bell. I love reflections and how they distort their surroundings. While class was drawing, I sketched the bell and if you look carefully you can see some of us in the drawing.

Tonight I'm finalizing my pieces for tomorrow's show. I'm actually on top of things before a show for a change! All I need to do is pack everything into my portfolio and drop it off in the morning. I promised to do my volunteer stint tomorrow at the show. I firmly believe in giving back in terms of volunteer time. Volunteerism is dying - not slowly, but quickly and many I speak to, cannot understand why I give my time without any money attached to it. Its just inbuilt at this point I guess. And you get back in many other ways that can't be reflected in financial terms.

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.

Jessie

I started this sketch of my daughter's dog Jessie while I was in Saskatchewan. Jessie wants to play. Always. 24/7. Her favourite game is 'pullthistoyoutofmymouthandmakemegrowl'. This becomes a dangerous game when its a little toy, as fingers get mistaken for toys.

Jessie can destroy any dog toy that's ever been invented within 30 minutes. Huge rawhide dog bones, indestructable dog pull toys, ropes, 'guaranteed not to break' toys, anything. She methodically dissects them like a little boy dismantles a clock to see how it works.

The room is littered with dog toy corpses soon after she gets one. Christmas consists of Jessie sitting whining next to her 'present' til she gets to chew it to bits. More toy corpses.

I guess someone needs to tell the dog toy manufacturers that their indestructable dog toys aren't quite so indestructable after all. Hey, perhaps they could use Jessie as a dog toy tester!

Doodling

Study for cat's face
graphite 5 x 5
copyright Jeanette Jobson

I can never resist doodling eyes while waiting for inspiration to hit. This expanded a little past the eyes, but still has the therapeutic effect of small strokes making an image arise out of the paper.

Mother Goose - complete

Mother Goose
Graphite 9 x 12
copyright Jeanette Jobson

Here is the final image of Mother Goose completed and framed (the little spots of white are the reflection of the camera in the glass). There were a few more tweaks to get it right after digging it out from the pile of unfinished drawings in the cupboard in my studio.

Some things are worth salvaging and this image had the 'awwwwww' factor in it so it was a keeper. I'm not sure of its final fate quite yet, most likely on a wall somewhere in my house - unless I get a better offer.

Still life

This is the start of a possible still life drawing that is needed for a demonstration. I always love the line drawing part best. I love the clean simple shapes and there is always the fear that adding values will change it into something that I won't like. Of course the values will give it a different illusion, and that is always interesting too. It rarely becomes something that I dislike, it just changes it into something different.

But I still love line drawings.

I do most of my drawings freehand and only use a grid if I really really have to get a perfect likeness. It means that I have take more measurements and really observe carefully to ensure that proportion is correct. There is no shame in using tools to help achieve the final result. A grid or even tracing simply provides the framework for a drawing. Its down to the artist to make it all come together.

Psychedelic Designs

Psychedelic Designs
Marker, ink, coloured pencil
copyright Jeanette Jobson

This is the demo for the design class that I taught the children today and they lapped it up. Freedom of expression, colour and creativity brings out the best in kids it seems and the soar on possibilities. Its very reminiscent of the 1960s psychedelic designs. There are a number of designs created either under the influence of a mind altering drug of the time or stone cold straight. Mine was the latter by the way. Check out Psychedelic Artists for some interesting pieces of art.

Though it had little influence on the mainstream, the Psychedelic movement in design represented a surge in innovation and experimentation that was in keeping with a larger post-war artistic renaissance of the 1960s and 1970s. The backdrop for the movement (which was preceded by the Beatniks and followed by the Punks) is popularly imagined as a whirlwind of drugs and hippies, rock 'n' roll and love-ins. While this may seem a romanticized generalization, it is indeed impossible to extract the movement from the startling developments in the youth culture of the time. Its aim was simple: mind-expansion through visual representation.

As it spread throughout the U.S. and Europe, Psychedelia pilfered from past art movements such as Art Nouveau, Op Art, and Pop Art. Many designers borrowed from ethnic clothing styles with layered colors, patterns, and textures. The result was a synthesis of vibrant colors and exuberant typefaces, which were distorted and warped until the images almost appeared to be fueled by their own movement. Designers, including Peter Max, Victor Moscos, and Wes Wilson, infused their work with a cool and groovy vibe, combining bright and garish colors straight out of an acid flashback. Images trailed off the page, as if mimicking the curling tendrils of marijuana and incense smoke. At the heart, Psychedelic designs were not meant to be viewed, but experienced. The designs sought to capture a vivid moment in time, a certain flash of the mind's consciousness. Rules were made to be broken -- and they were.

There are aspects of teaching children that I find daunting. I'm searching my memory to remember what my girls liked and disliked at the 8 - 12 age range and that memory is limited. So I experiment on friends children and research and read a lot about those age groups, find out about their limitations and expectations.

The kids that come to the class are more precocious than I remember mine being and talk about everything and anything. The kids I have taught talk to me about personal things that sometimes surprise me, sometimes not.

Kids are exposed to so much these days - something I never let my kids do until the age was right. I was the strict parent. Standardized meal times, bed times, monitored television and film watching for age appropriateness - that seems to have all flown out the window. However, I'm not there to judge, simply to show them drawing techniques and make it fun. So far so good. The crows of 'cool' seem to reflect that I'm doing something right with that age group.