Another one?

Bisque Santa
5 x 8 Moleskine

I happened to be in the same store where I bought the bisque snowman ornament and this guy was the only one left. Same self colouring of bisque and of course I had to buy him.

I honestly haven't bought these just to draw them. I take them home and sit them on the dining table and early in the morning when I have my coffee they're still there. So is my sketchbook and pencil.

The rest is history. And I see that history doesn't make a great circle at 7am....

Twilight fog

Twilight Fog
5 x 7 oils

There is something fascinating about fog and how it creeps over the landscape. Its something I've enjoyed for as long as I can remember. While its not fun to drive in, especially at night, it brings a quiet peace over everything, muffling sound and sight.

Twilight has a similar effect as it mutes colour and makes edges lose their definition. here I was trying for a combination of the two with just a hint of lights on the headland through the fog as darkness falls.

The painting is still wet, so the reflection in the sky really shouldn't be there.

Bisque ornament

Bisque ornament
graphite 5 x 8

There isn't a single Christmas ornament up in my house. No tree, no lights, no garlands. Not yet anyway. I have boxes of them in the basement, but haven't wrapped my mind around decorating yet. But when I am out shopping, I can't resist peeking at ornaments that are for sale. Snowmen especially. Why I love snowmen, I can't tell you, but I do. Especially ones that aren't coloured like this little guy that I found the other day.

So while having coffee this morning, I propped him up in his box and sketched him. Painting is quicker and more colourful, but drawing is indeed my first love. Its that ahhhhhhhh factor when I get my pencil out that painting never has.

Irridescence

Do you remember those stars you made as a child around Christmas? They were cut from cardboard and carefully covered with aluminum foil then hung from the tree proudly. They were misshapen and wrinkled, but to you they were the best thing you created and you loved them as they caught the light and twinkled.

That's why I bought this pale irridescent glass star. It reminded me of those tinfoil stars made many years ago. The colours change with every movement, going from pinks and lavenders to greens, yellows and blues.

I have learned that painting irridescence isn't easy to do. T.O.O. (the other one) suggested shiny paint, as my frustration with this piece reached the main floor of the house. The suggestion resulted in more frustration.

Then I decided that I need to really understand irridescence. Can irridescence only be recreated using pearlescent paints or man made substances outside of nature? Dichroic glass is a prime example. Or is it a matter of very detailed dissection of a subject through colour and value changes, not daring to breathe or move while you do so, lest the light and colour move with you?

Wikipedia states:

Iridescence is an optical phenomenon in which hue changes with the angle from which a surface is viewed. Iridescence may be easily seen in soap bubbles and butterfly wings.

Iridescence is caused by multiple reflections from multi-layered, semi-transparent surfaces in which phase shift and interference of the reflections modulates the incident light (by amplifying or attenuating some frequencies more than others). This process is the functional analog of selective wavelength attenuation as seen with the Fabry-Pérot interferometer.

The word iridescence is derived in part from the Greek word iris (pl. irides), meaning "rainbow", which in turn derives from the goddess Iris of Greek mythology, who is the personification of the rainbow and acted as a messenger of the gods. Goniochromism is derived from the Greek words gonia, which means angle, and chroma, which means color.

Erin Parish is one artist that I've discovered whose work gives that wonderful feeling of irridescence. She does use multimedia though and I wonder if that is the trick to making irridescence more believeable than in just paint.

I did find some information on interference pigments that may unlock some secrets to painting irridescence. I know the illusion of irridescence can be achieved on some scale in water, shells, etc through paint. This glass star doesn't present the lustre that I'm looking for. External influences in terms of lighting, movement, background surface and my skill level and reproducing it all come into play. I will keep looking for that lustre.

One up, one down

On the Rocks
Oils 9 x 6

I'm calling this painting done. I've tweaked in Photoshop, but can't get it to quite resemble the original in colour. Yes, its fairly blue but not that blue in reality. Winter light is not fun and having dark morning and night even less fun.

I was looking around for something to paint tonight and found an irridescent glass star - a Christmas ornament. Bad move. I swear the colours in that piece changed each time a blinked. I'm not brave enough to show it here. Its beyond redemption. I may work on it more but somehow I think its destined for the 'paint over' pile

I need to start a new drawing. When painting frustrates, drawing soothes. And oddly enough, the more complex the drawing, the more relaxing I find it. I'll see if I have time to get a line drawing done tonight before bed calls me.

Sketchbooks

I have a number of sketchbooks that I squirrel away in a cupboard once they are filled. They range from Moleskines in all sizes to larger sketchbooks, handmade ones, different papers, watercolour, cheap, expensive - they run the full gamut.

Ultimately they all serve the same purpose. They hone my drawing skills on a daily basis and it is a very rare day that I do not put something into one of my sketchbooks. I also have sketchbooks 'in progress' scattered throughout the house along with pencils or pens so that when the mood strikes the surface is always close to hand to capture the thoughts.

I don't always share the content of my sketchbooks online likely because its not finished work or even work in progress. It can be very loose lines almost like shorthand, readable only to me, sometimes with notes, sometimes not.


What do I sketch? People mostly as they're what interest me most. I have a little contest with myself to see how quickly I can capture gestures and lines before someone moves or before they figure out what I'm doing. Sometimes sketches or thumbnails make it into larger pieces, but often I simply draw for the sake of drawing, not with intention of completing it back in the studio.

There isn't often colour in my sketches either unless I decide that a sketchbook will be completed with only one colour pen or pencil. I've gone through my 'red' phase now and am considering the next sketchbook that I may get more creative with before I actually start it by colouring pages or adding media to the pages so each sketch in the future of that book will be a surprise to me.

I do like to look back over sketchbooks and they form a visual record of what I have seen and, like photographs, the images bring back memories of events and words.

I like to think I'm also creating a little bit of 21st century history for future generations who may look through these sketchbooks. They will be their windows to the past.

Drawing and painting

Buddies
charcoal and cp 9 x 12

Most of my day was taking up with driving to and from town in horrible, snowy slippery conditions to deliver paintings to an exhibition, do errands then drive back again in the evening. There were very few sales at today's exhibit, I'd say due to the weather conditions. However, there's no predicting weather in advance, so we take it as it comes.

In a mid afternoon break, I took half an hour to do this sketch of my grand daughter and her bear. I've been concentrating on regaining my oil painting skills lately and haven't been drawing as much as I like. I need to maintain that precision of drawing, as it pulls me so strongly, more than paint does. I love detail and find the transition to loose, broad strokes can be challenging. It takes a different mindset. I don't want to go into painting so deeply that I lose my drawing abilities, so I keep switching back and forth.

There is almost a right brain/left brain functional switch between drawing and painting as they're such different ways of creating art. I find I'm thinking of nothing but the moment when I draw, especially in detail. But when I paint, I'm thinking ahead to where the next stroke will be , what the value or colour will be, how much paint to apply, etc. It may be just my need to practice more in painting that makes my brain question itself where in drawing, it comes second nature to me almost without thinking.

On the rocks - update

On the Rocks - update
oils 9 x 6
copyright Jeanette Jobson

I've had a really hectic day and it doesn't feel like Saturday at all. I had a board meeting all morning followed by a luncheon, then shopping, feeding my mother's cats as she's in hospital, more shopping then home finally at 5.

I managed a 20 minute snooze on the sofa before packing up some pieces for an exhibition tomorrow. And of course, one of the frames I intended to use was broken. Why do these things happen just before an exhibition? I rummaged around and finally found a suitable one and now have the paintings packed up in my portfolio, ready to go in the morning. Lately it seems that weekends are a thing of the past, as I'm busier than ever.

Meanwhile I'm doing a little more work on the painting I started last night. I just can't get a decent photo in artificial light and it always seems to be dark lately! The photo of the piece on the easel is taken with a flash, so the colours are a bit bright. Without the flash, they're too dull and no tweaking on Photoshop seems to make them turn out the way I want, so I'll leave it for now and take some more photos in natural light tomorrow.

I make my debut on Watermarks tomorrow (December 7th). If you haven't visited this new blog, you're missing a treat. Nine artists from around the world are making art out of water. Intrigued? Wander over and have a look. I promise you'll be impressed.

On the rocks

On the Rocks - Stage I
9 x 6 oils
copyright Jeanette Jobson

I've decided to try to break away from the tightness that I've adopted and move into something looser for painting to see if that brings back some of the freedom I once had in this medium.

So this image is the initial layers of a painting, perhaps 45 minutes into it. I don't want to work it to death so will limit myself to two hours on the piece entirely. I want to make myself capture the light and form without muddying the colours.

The coastline in Newfoundland is littered with rocks of course, some under water, some partially hidden like these. The movement of the water around the rocks , the translucency of the water showing muted colours of rock below the surface and the play of light on the water all add interest and continue to hold my attention.

52 for 25

St. Michael's Printshop
Collector's Edition
2008

In the current economic climate, 52 works of art for $25 is a bargain. And today that is what I got. The image above is sample of the 52 pieces. Of course they aren't full size art pieces. They are playing card size,which is very similar to ACEOs which are 3.5 x 2.5 inches.

St. Michael's Printshop in St. John's, Newfoundland has created a set of playing cards for a fundraiser that is being launched on Sunday, December 7th at Bianca's restaurant on Water Street from 2 - 5 pm.

This is the 5th set of cards that the SMP has produced and they are immensely popular, selling out very quickly. The 52 cards, including jokers, are unique in that each card is created by a different artist, making them very interesting and appealing to both card players and art collectors. All the artists live locally and their styles and techniques vary greatly.

Newfoundland has a strong history of card playing, but personally, I think these are too beautiful for the wear and tear of every day use. And not being a card player, I bought a deck and will have them framed. The printshop is located on the harbour front in St. John's and housed in former sailmaking factory overlooking the water, so I managed to get both my fixes today - art and water!

If you would like to order a deck of these artist designed cards, you can do so through St. Michael's Printshop. But be warned, they sell out fast!

I need a colour fairy

Caramel apple cheesecake
6 x 8 oils
copyright Jeanette Jobson

I played around with this slice of cheesecake tonight as I'd promised myself I would paint, no matter what. The colours, or my choice of them, are very bland. But so was the cheesecake - the whole thing was beige with no strong contrasts in either values or colour.

But I persevered and here it is.

Painting cheesecake is entirely Anita's fault. Seeing her comfort food being painted on her blog inspired me and I couldn't rest until I tackled some too. I will need to tweak it some more to get that crumbly topping to look as it should. But the overall values are just 'blah'. And it still looks like its floating a bit. And now that I look at it online, it looks like a piece of toast with peanut butter on it!

Oh I wish the colour fairy would come wave her magic wand over me and make me more adventurous with colours. What the hell, I'll just eat it and spruce up the painting later....

Reflections and lights

On the drive home tonight, it was interesting to note just how many houses had been decorated with Christmas lights not only inside, but with fully decorated lit trees inside too. Its a bit early for me to get into that yet, but I have to admit that the lights do brighten the dark winter drive and I quite miss them once Christmas is over and they're gone.

My manikin held an ornament that I found in a box in my studio and I experimented with reflections. I love the distortion that spheres provide and am toying with the idea of a pen and ink drawing around this.

I've spent two nights trying to get time to do some painting and each night something crops up that takes my time away and before I know it, its too late to contemplate getting into painting mode.

If I did start, I'd need a few hours as I get lost in the process and time disappears. So tomorrow night. Nothing will stop me. I will turn off the phone and retreat to my studio and create something.

Watermarks

The Edge of the World
Moleskine watercolour notebook 3.5 x 5.5
copyright Jeanette Jobson

"The Flat Earth Society says that Newfoundland is one of the four corners of the world. The very edge of the earth. Now that's just foolishness.

Isn't it??"

Today an exciting new blog floats into being. Watermarks will explore water in art through the eyes of nine artists from around the world. I am lucky enough to be one of the artists invited to participate.

Watermarks is a small community of artists who make art from water. We like to sketch, draw and/or paint water - the sea, the coastline, beaches, rivers, streams, waterfalls, fountains - in all contexts, styles, genres and media.

The concept of Watermarks was created by Vivien Blackburn and Lindsay Olsen. Katherine Tyrrell is the powerhouse behind the technology of setting it up so that we can access each other through Ning and contribute to the blog independently. the artists taking part are as follows:

• Vivien Blackburn
  
• Laura Frankstone
  
• Gesa Helms
  
• Jeanette Jobson
  
• Tina Mammoser
  
• Lindsay Olson
  
• Katherine Tyrrell
  
• Sarah Wimperis
  
• Ronell van Wyk

I can't wait to get into this project as it will allow me to explore more of the coast and waters that surround me. Living on an island in the Atlantic, I can't avoid water if I try! The talent in this group is amazing so I am anxious to watch work from the other artists unfold.

I have so many ideas and so many concepts to explore. I will be trying new techniques and perhaps find a new style through all of this. Over the next nine days each artist will be introducing themselves and their work in a different post. After that, we will be posting regularly so you are guaranteed a changing mix of colours and styles with the underlying theme of water.

I hope you'll be able to join us on our journey.

Colour or value?

An artist is either good at color or good at value but rarely good at both. I focus on the tonal range, the dark-light effects, rather than the full color range of bright colors. I just don't know what to do with all those cadmiums. (Thomas S. Buechner)

I saw this quote and it rang true to me today as I continued to fight with the colours in my self portrait. I have successes in values, then screw up the colours. Right now the skintone isn't what I want it to be. Its overworked and somewhat chalky, making me look as if I've been ill for a long time. I am determined to conquer it and I make side trips into other little paintings that dont' require the same level of concentration or palette. My palette, above, it becoming more exciting than the portrait right now.

I think my personal battle is that I'm trying to be painterly and traditional at the same time. I need to either loosen up or go tighter, or just make up my mind which way I want to go.

I so wish I'd kept up with my oils....the transition back is harder than I anticipated.

But the ducks are happy. BD and Buddy, my favourite Muscovies, found a huge puddle after a day of torrential rain yesterday. While they don't like actually getting into water, they do like to at least pretend to bathe by dipping a beak in and preening. The geese on the other hand, just jump right in and have a party.

Looking ahead

As the year starts to wind down I look back over it and some of the successes as well as setbacks. But I also look forward and anticipate new linkages and learning in the coming months.

I will be working on several projects in 2009, one of which will be announced soon. The new header on my blog and a short video will give a little glimpse into one of the projects and will let me explore my own region in a way I haven't previously. I know that this will test my abilities and enhance my skills and I'm sure I will enjoy it thoroughly. Other projects will be announced as they are launched and I anticipate a busy and very productive year.

For those interested in knowing, the lighthouse in the video is located at Cape Spear, the most easterly point in North America. Its isolated, windswept and fascinating. The view stretches across the Atlantic to Ireland and England, its roots. On a clear day you can watch whales breech and blow in the water a hundred or more feet below.

David Blackwood's depiction of the lighthouse is classic and popular.

Meanwhile, I've finished my portraits for the swap and shipped them to their new owners. Now an exhibition next weekend to prepare for, as well as a board meeting and Christmas party, things never come singly it seems. I'm still waiting for those extra hours to be tacked onto my day or learn the ability to do without sleep!

Midnight sketches

I have always read at night, even if only a few paragraphs, but over the last few months I have also done some sketching. I may review some art magazines or read something that sparks my imagination and then sketch what is in my mind or try to recreate a piece from memory. I find it relaxing and a way of testing my memory and/or imagination. Its not always successful but always interesting and quite relaxing.

There are far too many mice in the barn, but luckily none in the house, so this is out of my imagination - somewhere. Actually there was some train of thought attached to it about an illustration of mice for a book or card, but hasn't come to life since.


Inspired by a drawing in an art magazine. I loved the contours of the face. I think I was quite close to the original drawing when I looked back.


I love drawing eggs and am fascinated by the texture and shape and the challenge of getting the values to look believable. This sketch was done after studying the drawing 'One Basket' by JD Hillberry.

Sketching propped up in bed may not be relaxing for everyone. Some nights I find that it keeps me awake and wanting to do more, but most of the time I can shut my sketchbook with a sense of satisfaction that I've accomplished what I perhaps did not have time to do during the day.

Chestnut

Chestnut study

I love chestnuts. Not particularly to eat, as they sort of taste like mealy potatoes, but they're amazing feats of engineering and reproduction as well as being fascinating to draw.

A bag full of chestnuts was gathered from various trees around town and will be overwintered to hopefully sprout next spring. The seed breaking out of the casing is always attractive even if the casings are vicious to pick up. Definitely a survival mechanism there!

The almost wood like grain on the chestnut and colour is beautiful and is a drawing waiting to happen. I did this study as a preparation for a more detailed piece.

Clementines

Clementines
Oils 4 x 6

I wanted a change from portraits, and wanted to clear my oil palette of old paints before tackling them again, so I grabbed a handful of clementines and headed to the studio. The light was too bright here - I should have set up a lamp to give more drama to the scene, so I gave myself a little artistic license to intensify the shadows.

I go through phases of needed colour and paint and then retreat to graphite or charcoal again. The frustrations of my current self portrait in oils make me kick myself for not practicing more in oils, when it used to be my medium of choice at one point.

I will try to do a couple of paintings a week if I can fit them in, just to ensure that I don't lose touch with painting.

Revisiting the past

B - the pout

Quite awhile back I did a drawing of my youngest daughter, captured when she was about 3, and obviously didn't want her photo taken at the time. The only photo I have of this is a tiny wallet sized one so the detail is not good. But I wanted to try this again. Even now the drawing isn't large that I've done, around 8 x 5, but I so love that expression. I may attempt it in watercolour if I can transfer it to another sheet, as right now its in a sketchbook.

I did a quick sketch of another photo of my daughter, this time with her own daughter who is about a year or so younger at the time. Not quite the same, but an interesting contrast.

Achieving a likeness

Update - portrait
coloured pencil 9 x 12

I'm still fighting with portraits and hope by the end of today I will be done with these. either that or I will take a break from them. Sometimes too much working and looking at a piece just makes it worse instead of better.

I'm not completely happy with this current portrait as I feel the face shape isn't quite right, not giving a good likeness. The colours are fine and the shading's working but there's that niggling that I could get a better likeness. I'll wait and see what my current victim says and adjust or go forward from there. Or worse comes to worse, add it to the 'never to be seen again' drawer and start over!

I rarely work with a grid, so all my drawings are freehand. I sometimes mark out features within a grid for placement then draw freehand from there if I really want a good likeness. Of course, I didn't do that with this piece and now am regretting it.

There are two schools of thought regarding portraits. Those who want an exact likeness from life or reference and those who want a broader version that captures the 'essence' of the sitter. Both should be recognizable as the individual, no matter which method is used.

In the move to my new studio, I keep 're-finding' pieces that I did. Some are pieces that I wasn't keen on so put them away to perhaps work on another time. Its time to go through these and see if I want to rework or do over. There are many projects spinning round in my head and never enough hours to work on them.

Photo or scanner?

Portrait 2 - update
coloured pencil on Colourfix 9 x 12

This is an update of the second portrait I am drawing for the portrait swap. Yes, I'm a glutton for punishment. I have a stack of art work backlogged and I take on another portrait. What can I say? I love it!

I always have a dilemma when trying to choose the best way to represent my drawings or paintings for online consumption.

Some media are better on a scanner, such as pencil or charcoal, if you're using white paper. The scanner gives a clean crisp image against a pure background. Coloured pencil I've found rarely scans well for me. The closeness gives a very grainy image that I can never tweak into perfection, so I usually use a digital camera for cp work. Colourfix paper, in particular, never seems to scan well, perhaps the texture fights with the colours too much, and the end result is never to my liking.

At this time of year when its dark as to go to work virtually and dark when I come home, I need to address my ability to take photos using artificial light. This update image was taken with a digital camera under 3 100 watt bulbs, but the colour isn't at all representative of the reality of the piece. Ok, I didn't tweak it in Photoshop which perhaps I should have to reach a closer match. But I hate adjusting photos of images. It never looks quite the same afterwards.

I wish there were a course locally on how to photograph and scan art, I would be there in a shot. Or would I? I'd like to absorb the information, but part of me shuts down when faced with technology. I swear I have no left side of my brain intact as someone only needs mention the technical aspects of how something works and I shut down.

I need an image expert to come live in my studio and create a digital portfolio of my work as I present it. The right side of my brain remains in creative mode and I become more productive! Image experts who expect no pay, but regular supplies of coffee should apply.

More portraits

Self portrait
oils 16 x 20
copyright Jeanette Jobson

I have many projects in my head and some in progress and I'll spread myself out a bit more to fit them in. Sometimes I am bursting at the seams with ideas and there's not enough time or enough of me to go round to even put a hint of them on paper.

I offered to tackle another portrait in the swap, as I'd finished the first. The second I've decided to try with coloured pencil on Colourfix paper. I haven't done a lot on this paper, but the surface is interesting and I like the graininess that it gives the image. This is the start of it and I'll build my layers from here.

I've also worked off and on with my self portrait. Its giving me grief. I paint the eyes. I remove the eyes. I adjust the mouth. I remove the mouth. And on and on. At times it pleases me, at other times I want to paint a big X through it. But I will complete it. I'm out of practice with oils and now I wish I'd staying with them. Years and years ago I worked so much in oils. I think my children grew up on the fumes of turps and oil paint when they were quite small. But now I need to practice it more and when really frustrated, retreat back to pencils, charcoal or coloured pencil.

There is something very satisfying about conquering a medium and seeing the stages that a piece goes through until it succumbs and does what I want it to do.

Finished?

JF
charcoal and chalk 9 x 12
copyright Jeanette Jobson

I'm calling this portrait done, but have a craving for colour again so I may try my hand at this portrait again or something similar in watercolour or CP on some colourfix paper.

I often wonder what makes me decide that the drawing or painting is completed. Is it when all the information that I see in a reference is replicated as best I can do on paper? Is it when a likeness is achieved through modelling?

There is a point where you can overwork a drawing or painting and turn it into sludge. So when or how do you decide when the last pencil or brush stroke is the final?

For me its a combination of these factors and some intuitive knowledge that its time to stop. Then I put it aside for a few days, not even looking at it, before I take a second assessment. If something catches my eye, I'll adjust it then, spray and its final.

What's your stop point?

Charcoal portrait

JF - in progress
charcoal 9 x 12
copyright Jeanette Jobson

As I've mentioned, I'm participating in a portrait swap in WetCanvas and have been working on mine for a few days. Its in charcoal on mi-tientes paper. This is a little glimpse into what is emerging from my paper.

I'm considering doing a piece in colour, but I'll see how this turns out. I was initially not completely happy with the likeness tonight, but it came around after I tweaked it a bit more This image is the second stage, I've added more definition to it tonight.

I'll let it sit for a day or so and see what I think. I also love being able to stand back from it in my studio and contemplate angles, proportion, etc.

Oils SP update

Self portrait
oils on canvas 16 x 20

I've been fighting with this oil self portrait, but its starting to come together a little now. The eyes, oh the eyes...they're still not right, but I'm working on it. I think I've discovered a whole new set of Anglo Saxon phrases while doing this. I need to tweak some things, such as the hairline which is too high and to adjust the values of the lips. I haven't done much to the hand yet so its like a big blob there right now.

Getting a decent image of this is proving difficult too. If I turn on lights, it yellows, if I leave them off, it washes out. If I use flash, the wet paint just reflects the light. I haven't tweaked these photos, its natural light, or as best as it gets on an overcast November day.

I know what I have to do with this and progress is being made. Its just a little frustrating at times.

I'm taking part in a portrait swap at WetCanvas and have decided to work in charcoal for my contribution of my partner. At least for now. The drawing is going well and I do have four weeks to complete the piece before its shipped off, so I may have time to tackle a painting if I'm feeling especially brave.

Pinot Noir charcoal

Pinot Noir grapevine charcoal

I have experimented with making my own charcoal in the past, but haven't had a chance to produce more since. However, some fall burnoffs provided an opportunity to put the trimmings I'd taken from a Pinot Noir grapevine into a tin and let them carbonize to their heart's content.

The results are a medium to soft charcoal that works like a dream. The previous charcoal was made from willow and had a shorter burn time so is a harder charcoal. Burn times are still being experimented with through different fires.

I've decided to share my secret stash with the world and a couple of packages initially are up for sale on Etsy. If they sell well, I'll look at a larger production of charcoal. I have a continuous, well nearly continuous, supply of grapevines in the greenhouse and about 20 willow trees line the back of the house, so I don't think I'll run out of materials for awhile...

Hoar frost

Iris Marsh

copyright Jeanette Jobson

I was up at 6am this morning and it was still too dark to see the world outside, but within half an hour or so light arrived revealing a hard frost. A hoar frost covered pretty much every surface, some places more heavily than others. So fueled by coffee and dressed in a warm fleece and scarf I ventured outside to capture the icy scenes.

I love the marsh photo most of all, it was so peaceful, the sun was just rising over the trees and hitting the grasses. The colours were perfect and everything was, literally, frozen in time.

The long ice crystals that formed on the plants amazed me. It looked as if a confectioner had frosted them with sugar. My hands were freezing cold at this point but I kept going.

The squirrels have taken most of the rose hips this year and put them into storage. Even the few I found on the bushes had been hollowed out by mice or birds already, leaving little red shells that the frost covered.

The pond had a very thin layer of ice on it and the trees trunks were reflected hazily in the ice.

The sun cut a swath through the meadow, hitting the trees on the opposite side and the grass and earth were hard or crunchy as I walked over them.

By this point my hands were too cold to operate the camera well, so it was time to head back inside and warm up. But it was worth getting cold. Early morning light is so perfect, especially when its frosty.

Creating a body of work

Hodgepodge
graphite 8 x 10

I've been thinking about creating a body of work. Its on my list and I know it has to be done. Not because my list says so, but because I know that to move ahead, I need a number of images that represent me, my style of work. And that makes me think about what my style is.

I've broken it down further to let me analyse what makes my drawing or painting my own and if it is recognizable to others as my style. I've looked at where my comfort zone is and what makes it comfortable. And I've tried to understand the subject matter that draws me to study it and put it on paper.

So what have I learned?

1. My style is 'soft' or 'delicate' realism. I don't use hard lines, bright colours or gimmicks. My work has a softness in terms of values and application. I look around the walls and through my drawing books and see my style coming through, even if I don't realize it at times.

2. My comfort zone is dry media, specifically graphite, charcoal and coloured pencil. I use wet media from time to time and enjoy it, but I know that my technical skill comes through in dry media. I know what to expect from it, how it performs on different media and that it doesn't add stress to me even in deadlines.

3. My subject matter varies, but again that comfort zone comes in the form of portraits, either animal or human. I draw other subject matter, but nothing grips my attention like trying to achieve soft fur or the light in a person's eye.

So I know more or less the makeup of my style, medium and subject matter, now I need to use that knowledge to create a number of drawings in a subject that has appeal, both to me, as I have to produce them, and to a gallery and the public who may like to buy them ultimately.

I know to produce a body of work, I will need likely 15 to 20 pieces before I can approach a gallery to even consider representation. Galleries like to know the style of work you do, that your work is consistant in quality and that you can produce X number of pieces a month/year. As with any other business, galleries create the demand through marketing and need a supplier who can deliver reliably.

I also know that to produce this body of work it will take time. I'm allowing myself a minimum of a year to produce and even that is optimistic, considering other elements of life that I need to deal with at the same time. But I sure will try. Planning is the easy part.

Interlude

This is a brief interlude while I stop being mesmerized by eyes in oils! I liked the shape of these flamingos and started doodling them. I doubt it will come to anything significant, but its quite soothing to go back to dry media after wet.

We should talk less and draw more. Personally I would like to renounce speech altogether, and like organic nature, communicate everything I have to say in sketches. (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)

Rediscovering oil portraits

Self portrait 2008 - stage I
oils 16 x 20

Its been awhile since I tackled a portrait in oils. I've dabbled in small oils and acrylics over the last year but nothing larger than 8 x 10. I used to work a lot in oils, then life happened and art was put on a back burner for awhile. Now I'm getting back into paints again, though I think my first love will always be drawing.

This self portrait is 16 x 20 on a gallery canvas. I've laid down the base for it and am now frustrating myself with eyes. Doing them, wiping them, doing them, wiping them. I don't want this to be a smooth, clean portrait. I want a more painterly style, but may have to settle for something down the middle.

I hate showing initial stages of oil paintings as they look so god awful in those early stages, but its a learning process for me - or more to the point, re-learning - so any input anyone has on skin tones, palettes, etc, is more than welcome. There's not strong lighting in the reference, its not bad, but not bright.

I'll keep plugging away at it and it will come together eventually. Or I keep telling myself that!

Updates

My studio is a little more 'lived in' now that I have rearranged some furniture and added some paintings and finished pieces.

I've signed up for a portrait swap and have been given the name of my partner. I've sent off my photos and am waiting for hers in return. I'm toying with what medium to do the portrait in and while I wait, I'm starting work on a self portrait in oils that I promised to tackle some months back. I have the bones of it down on canvas today and will work on it during the week.

I'm likely too out of practice in oils to be brave enough to do someone else's portrait, so may end up doing it in graphite or cp. I'll see how the current one develops first before deciding.


I'm also continuing to work on the portrait of Biscuit that I started. I'd forgotten just how much fur he had. He had developed a thick ruff of fur around his neck, almost like a lion's mane or a furry Elizabethan collar. You could sink your fingers into it up to the knuckles. No wonder I was always vacuming!

Dog portrait

Biscuit - work in progress
coloured pencil - 9 x 12
copyright Jeanette Jobson

I've been guiding some people through drawing animals in coloured pencil and am using my old dog Biscuit, as the reference guide. I haven't drawn this dog, since just after he died, about 3 years ago at the old age of 16.

I've started this portrait on toned mi-tientes paper, 9 x 12, the smooth side. I liked the warmth of the orange paper and it suits the reddish tones of the dog.

Erotic and business

Kelly
graphite 8 x 10
copyright Jeanette Jobson

Today I attended the opening of an exhibition 'erotic' being held at the Leyton Gallery. Despite the rainy skies, it bustled and while the door sign warned that minors under 18 would not be admitted, I thought there was little in the show that would offend. Iakov Afanassiev had let me know the exhibition was opening today and he had half a dozen or so very well painted nudes hanging.

Steven Clarke had written a piece in Report on Business for The Globe and Mail on Bonnie Leyton and the gallery back in May, studying how marketing can push the gallery forward to the next step for success. I found the final synopsis of the article summed up advice that, while directed towards this particular gallery, would be useful to any artist or business owner.

• Trends
• Diversify
• Visibility
• Networking

I can see how each point reflects back to me and the direction I'm taking. In the current economic climate, these points make perfect sense because without watching the world around you, diversifying your work in terms of price ranges, increasing visibility through marketing and presence, whether virtual or real as well as networking with people and galleries, you will likely be left behind.

All are good jumping off points to consider for # 3 on my list - Marketing.