Gyotaku exhibition

Tonight St. John's gets its first glimpse of my gyotaku pieces.  I brought six pieces to Bacalao, a wonderful nouvelle cuisine restaurant in a unique setting that will showcase the pieces in their dining rooms for patrons to view and purchase.  The restaurant is in a renovated older Victorian house in the centre of St. John's consisting of several small, cosy dining rooms with the original fireplaces.  The food is local and delicious and I'd strongly recommend that you book a table for a special lunch or dinner soon.

Bacalao (bak-al-OW) and its dirivitives is the word for salt cod throughout the Mediterranean and in Portugal and Newfoundland had very strong ties with Portugal for hundreds of years with the fishing fleets that populated St. John's harbour.  One of the pieces being shown at Bacalao is Salt Cod I - the first in a series of salt fish gyotaku prints, so the fit with this restaurant works very well.

I have a limited number of this print available as well as note cards that will be available for purchase soon.

Moving ahead

Creating a body of work takes up space, both in production and storage until it can be exhibited and/or sold.  My studio space is currently maxed out and I have a very large set of shelves in another room that houses drying pieces and stores completed images.

Once pieces are completed and framed, I usually try to hang them on a wall at home.  This lessens the risk of damage from someone walking into them and breaking the glass.  But even then there is only so much available wall space in my house.  However, some pieces will be moving out soon.  More on that  later.

Meanwhile I continue to produce and wet mount more gyotaku and have been framing a few more pieces tonight.  Framing in its own right becomes an exercise in frustration sometimes and a learning experience always.

This piece is a crop of a gyotaku/watercolour of bluegill done on batiked masa paper.  Since I provided a brief overview of how I created this batiked paper on the blog, it is one of the most popular page hits on this site.  Its good to share information and knowledge and see what others do with it.

Aranciata continued

Remember this watercolour of the bottle of San Pellegrino that I started a few weeks ago?  Its still in progress and I devote small amounts of time to it as and when I can.  There are hours and hours left to go in this piece and that's ok.  Its rather therapeutic to add layers or a few little details when I have a few minutes, knowing its building towards completion.

This piece is on a 22 x 30 sheet of 200lb paper.  I really like the heavier paper because I don't have to stretch it beforehand or flatten it after I'm finished.  Its also quite forgiving in terms of scrubbing back when I need to.

The glass of the bottle is textured and I'm trying to create a sense of the texture.  Its starting to come together and I hope once I put in the background it will look better.  The background is another challenge that I haven't wrapped my mind around quite yet...

December crush

Christmas is rapidly catching up with me and I'm caught in a whirlwind of printing, painting, commissions and marketing.  That combined with shopping and wrapping and posting.  Its all go and seems to be what suits me in some ways.  The constant push for deadlines is what helps me actually make deadlines instead of procrastinating.

Today I picked up three more pieces from the framer.  There may be just a couple of pennies rattling round in my piggy bank now, so these pieces will need a home soon.


I'm in the midst of organizing exhibition space for the gyotaku and a lovely local restaurant has agreed to hang some of my work.  I'm also finalizing some capelin printing and painting and will have some smaller pieces available for sale soon.  This little fellow may be one of the giveaways in my December newsletter.  But you'll have to sign up to find out... The newsletter will be out on the 15th and will be a virtual cornucopia of goodies, giveaways, downloads and information including Nick Simmons, watercolourist extraordinaire, who answers my Twelve Questions.

You can join my mailing list to receive this newsletter direct to your inbox by clicking on the link on the right of this page.  Its that simple.

Fish stress

My printing table is littered with capelin carcasses in my quest for the perfect print of this little fish. 

I want to print a school of capelin and of course you know the dangers that is fraught with, don't you?  The precision of inking, the correct weight paper, the right printmaking ink, just the right amount of molding paper around the little body, not getting any additional ink residue outside the print area... and that's juse one.  How many fish in a school???  And what are the chances of getting ALL of them as acceptable prints on the same sheet of paper?

The image here isn't of capelin, but their close cousin, smelt.  I've printed these using white and gold inks and added detail later.  Holding my breath, I wet mounted this Moriko Kozo paper on plain mulberry paper for backing.  I was afraid the dark blue might run when wet, but all was well and the colour held.  This is one of the more expensive sheets of Japanese paper, but worth it in terms of versatility, texture and look. 

Now back to the capelin...

Water study

I don't dabble in abstraction often, but that doesn't mean to say that I don't enjoy that art stream.  I've always been pulled in the direction of representational art.

I've had an idea in my head for ages of a piece that I want to create that is quite abstract but based on reality.  Reflections on water that is moving slightly gives a complex form that at first glance is seen as colours and shapes, but when explained, becomes very clear as to the subject.

Its that mix of the two that I want to create and I have created a 6 x 6 acrylic study of where I want to go generally with this.  I will draw out the final piece this weekend and make a start on it using oils.  I wanted a large square format,but the only square canvas I could find today was 20 x 20", not that large.  The art store in town decided in the spring to close on Saturdays, so unless I make a special trip there during the week, I'm out of luck for instant gratification.  So I'll work on 20 x 20 for  now and if that works out as I plan, I may try another water reflection piece on a larger scale.

How not to hang art

Its interesting how each person's idea of curating art is so different.

I have a number of pieces that I'm framing and have hung some on the walls at home to keep them more out of harm's way than use as decoration.  I had this gyotaku print of starfish framed nicely and was struggling to hang it early one morning. The Other One, who can't bear watching anyone do anything that he believes he could do better, decided he would hang them himself while I was at work.

So when I came home, it was hung.  Just not in a place that even vaguely resembled having connection with other pieces on the wall in either size or position.  The other piece, a similar size and shape was hung on a wall in a corner so inaccessible I'm not even sure how he got it there and it was so high up, you'd need binoculars to see it.

'Hang it' obviously has very different meaning for artists and non artists.  Now I'm not being ungrateful.  Yes, they were hung and yes they were out of harm's way, so technically the task was literally completed.  But in as much as he'd prefer to wield the hammer and hangers, I'd much prefer to prescribe just where they go.

Painting and printing

 
As  usual I have a dozen things going on at once, and sometimes it becomes a little overwhelming.  However, when I sit down and break it into chunks, I usually can wrap my head around it.

I've been finishing some more gyotaku prints to meet my self imposed deadline of December 31st to finish them.  This time its capelin.  I can't get away with painting them larger than life and have to deal with one by one inking their tiny bodies and molding the paper gently over them to get a good impression.  Some you win, some you lose, some the capelin loses.  Capelin are fairly fragile being small but I usually manage to get about 8 or 10 prints from a single fish before it starts to disintegrate.  Yes, I know, more information than you need to know.

While waiting for the capelin prints to dry before I can add more detail, I did some more work on Monty, the bulldog. It still has a ways to go yet and I'm not sure if the proportions are quite right now that I look at it.  He has the look that says he knows where the biscuit tin is and he's not moving til he gets some. 

Monty

Portraits, whether of animals or people are often done in a standard, three quarter view compositions, making them fairly predictable.

I like portraits to be a little different, so this perspective appealed to me.  This is the start of an bulldog portrait done in acrylic.  Apart from my initial reservations about acrylics, I am warming to them but they still give me fits a lot of the time with their quick drying.  Its both a blessing and a curse, even when using extender.

I'll work on the portrait over the next few days between other pieces and put up the final shot later this week.  Oh, its on an 8 x 10 panel.

Red Fish II

 

I have a never ending collection of prints of ocean perch, or red fish as they're often called in Newfoundland.

This one was printed onto a batiked piece of masa paper and measures 8.5 x 16".  I love the mix of colour and almost textural effect of the fish and background.  The washes of watercolour that I used over this gives a strong presence for this gem of the Atlantic.

As I need space and framing funds, you can find this guy for sale on the Original Works page of this blog.  If its a Christmas gift, let me know when you pay and I'll include a free Christmas note card!

Marbles

Although I don't do a lot of digital painting, sometimes I like to play around with it and see what I can produce.  It saves me hauling out paints and brushes and satisfies the lazy part of me.  I have a number of paintings in my head and that can lead to overwhelm so often a little study here and there keeps the craving in check until I get a piece underway.

This little study is in oils.  I liked the effect of the light through the glass marbles and tried to capture it.  I love drawing glass but haven't painted it much.  I need to follow through now and put some on canvas.  This also appeals to me as a drawing or pen and ink piece.  The beauty of creating digital art is the flexibility of changing mediums and doing studies.  Just another tool to help the process of composition, colour and technique.

Angels

I have a craving to do a detailed drawing of an angel.  Why I have no idea.  Perhaps its the season or something that's triggered the thought somewhere.  In cemeteries that I wander through I always look for lovely angel statues and end up with lots of images.  There is a certain bleakness of stone angels in that setting.  The greys and greens are the contrast of life and death, maybe that is the appeal.

I did this sketch of an angel, I can't remember where the reference came from.  The photo is of an angel found in one of St. John's oldest cemeteries where a number of relatives are buried.  I think there is a painting in there, I just need the right lighting so a few more visits may be necessary and perhaps the addition of a little snow could be interesting.

There is a lot of appeal is setting up your own compositions and images from choosing the subject, the lighting and composition.  With images from other sources being always a chancy proposition these days, artists need to rely more and more on their own resources and abilities to create the perfect piece from start to finish.

Rejection has a good side

I was bemoaning the fact that I had three pieces tied up in a jury process preventing me from adding them to an exhibition, but today's letter resolved that problem.  None of the pieces were chosen and I now have free rein to do as I want with them.

There's always a twinge of regret when a rejection letter arrives, but in this case its rather more relief as I needed the pieces to bulk out the body of work.  Also I am waiting for another response from another two juried competitions.  One I should hear from sooner, the other not til 2011.  The waiting time is always the killer for me.  Part of me wants to know right away and the longer I wait, the more opportunity presents itself for the very piece being juried but I just have to put the ideas to one side and pretend that piece doesn't exist until I hear officially.

Rejection is accepted more easily now than it was many years ago.  The pieces aren't as precious to me so I don't take it so personally when an organization doesn't accept them.  I know there are more still in my head that will have their moment in the future.

Meanwhile, I am making more decisions around final pieces for the gyotaku.  This ocean perch on a green Dainshu chiri paper appealed to me.  I've added the eye using mostly coloured pencil with a touch of watercolour to add depth.  On Japanese papers, the sharper tip of the pencil roughens the paper til you're eventually just moving fibres around instead of applying pigment, so a light wash of watercolour helps add depth.

Of course, I don't have a frame to fit it here.  That's always the way when I like something, so if I want to include it, I'll need to have it custom framed.  It may sit for a day or two as I have a few other prints of these perch that are in the running too.

However, tomorrow its off to the printer to get some reproductions of a salt cod print done and perhaps a workshop poster if I can get that completed tonight.  The prints will be thank you gifts for people who have helped me along the way, with some original prints for those who really went out of their way for me. I wish I had an illustrator's mind set when it comes to creating posters, I seem to make the most boring ones imaginable.

The list

Rebel

Gyotaku print on rice paper with watercolour

This is the completed print of the smelt that I started on its road to completion in the last post.

I really have to get my thumb out and start getting things in gear for the end of this gyotaku project.  Part of me is a perfectionist.  I complete a piece, put it in a frame, then do another piece that I like more.  And so the cycle goes, as if I'm always trying for something better.

My to do list includes:

• obtaining exhibition space
• media releases
• poster
• promoting the workshop
• completion (perhaps 3 more) and framing of gyotaku pieces
• completing gyotaku book
• thank you prints for those who helped me find fish
• hopefully create a virtual exhibition

Each of these tasks is worthy of a blog post in its own right.

I've set myself a deadline of December 31st to have all these tasks complete, so blog posts may be a bit scarce over the next month.  Oh yeah, Christmas is in there somewhere too isn't it?

Watch your plate...

After a hectic couple of weeks at work its finally Friday again and despite a horrible cold, I'm trying to make some progress on pieces that were sitting in limbo, waiting for attention.

One of the pieces was a print of smelt.  This was done on mulberry paper that has a slight veining through it.  I've added washes of colour to the piece and will wait until it dries to add more detail to the fish and complete it.

While I was at dinner one evening in Winnipeg another guest had ordered lobster and at the end of the meal I was fascinated by the shell.  I've seen lots of lobsters, but none like this one, it sure didn't come from the Atlantic ocean!  I sent the wait staff to the kitchen to find out what type it was and they said it was a Bermuda lobster.   Now I find it odd enough that lobster is on the menu in the prairies, but Bermudian lobster??  Whatever the case, I got them to package it up for me so I could take it home to paint, print, etc.  Most of my colleagues no doubt now think I've completely lost it when I scavange from their dinner plates!  What we do in the name of art...

And here is the lobster.  Its colours and patterning is amazing.  It reminds me of a painting I did some time ago of what was classed as a shrimp, but now I believe it may well have been one of these lobsters as the patterning is so similar.

To date or not to date

 Here is a small update of the Italian soda bottle.  It has a long way to go yet, but the layers of pigment are starting to give form to the bottle and the contents.

There are two schools of thought on adding a date to your artwork.

One says that it should never be on the front with a signature, but added as a piece of provenance beneath the paper backing or with a certificate of authenticity.

The other says that dates for work should be prominent and have as much importance as the artist's signature.

Art that is sent to exhibition or competition is often time sensitive with juries demanding work between one to three years old.  I never quite understand that as the antiques side of me longs for date confirmation of items and paintings and the knowledge that sometimes one's best work could be 20 years old - or 100 years old. Otherwise why would experts be carbon dating, x-raying and inspecting old masters paintings for clues to when they were painted?  There is obviously two sides to this debate.

Where did this need for current work come from?  Is there a 'sell by' date on art?  Do the buying public believe that only recent art is worthy of money being spent?  What about the need for documenting the history of an artist's work and style over time? There is a thought that perhaps dated paintings, if older, are a sign that they have not been able to be sold.  Galleries only want newer paintings and often artists do not date work purposely to ensure pieces are considered new.

To keep the sellers and buyers happy, I sign my pieces on the front then provide a month/year on the back along with title, medium and artist name on a label on the back for reference.  How stable that little rectangle of information is over time I may never know.  I recommend to buyers to write down the information and keep it catalogued, along with other works of art they may own for future records.

What is your thought on dating pieces of art?

Peer groups

As artists, we are  often solitary, working in isolation simply because it is a necessity to produce our work.  However, there is also a need to communicate and network with others, to get input, critiques, pats on the head and kicks in the ass.  

One of the main motivations for me to create this blog was accountability to myself to ensure that I would produce and work and share and give and receive information.  And that has worked well.  But now I want to take it up a notch.

I would like to create a group of artists, preferably locally based, who are willing to support each other, provide honest critiques, sound business advice, meet weekly or bi-weekly to draw paint, talk, network, to put together an independent art exhibit and generally be immersed in the process of creating and promoting our work so it can be the best it possibly can be.

There can be online partners in this, as the advent of webcams and Skype make 'meeting' much more accessible and interactive.  I've set out some thoughts in the paragraph above, but would like to make it into something more structured - an art group?  Not in the traditional sense.  More a meeting of artistic minds that want to become more serious about honing their craft and establishing themselves more in the world.

If you are interested, email me and let me know.   We can talk more about it.

The journey

 

 Meadow in November

I've been travelling for a few days and just too busy to post or even to draw or paint, however, the journey towards a new piece is always in my head even when my hands are busy with other things.

I keep a couple of sketchbooks with me wherever I go and try to add bits and pieces which become a visual diary of ideas for the future.  I have done this over a series of nights while in bed lately.  This is a cumulative sketch in which a piece or pieces were added one by one each night.  There are no references, only visions in my head and memories.

I remember seeing a drawing many years ago, I don't know who the artist was, someone local to me at the time.  It was a line drawing consisting of a mass of images and it has stuck with me over all these years.  The space of the paper was filled to capacity but each image became its own story.  I think that something similar is waiting inside me and exercises in sketches like this become the vehicle to get there.  Never stop drawing, it is the key to everything in art.

Aranciata

I have a weakness for good Italian sodas as occasional treats and found some lovely squat little bottles of Aranciata - an orange mineral water in a small neighbourhood grocery.  The bottle shape appealed to me as well as the orange colour of the contents.  I seem to look at everything in grocery stores in terms of subject matter, so home came six little bottles with me.  Well I have to have some to drink as well as paint...

I drew out the piece on a full sized sheet of 200lb watercolour paper and have started adding some washes of colour to it.  So far, so good.    Early Wednesday morning I go out of town until Monday so I don't anticipate moving a lot further on this until next week.

And now a little background on this mineral water compliments of Wikipedia.

San Pellegrino mineral water has been produced for over 600 years. In 1395, the town borders of San Pellegrino were drawn, marking the start of its water industry. Leonardo da Vinci visited the town in 1509 to sample and examine the town's "miraculous" water, later writing a treatise on the subject. Analysis shows that the water is strikingly similar to the samples taken in 1782, the first year such analysis took place.

The earliest existing records show that 35,343 bottles were produced (5,562 of which were exported) in 1899. Nine years later, San Pellegrino was exported to the main European cities, as well as Cairo, Tangiers, Shanghai, Calcutta, Sydney, Brazil, Peru and the USA.

In 1932, the Aranciata orangeade variant was introduced. Containing San Pellegrino as its primary ingredient, the soda added concentrated orange juice.

Wet mounting Ruby

Because most of the Japanese paper that I use for printing and painting gyotaku on is very thin before it is framed it needs to be attached to another similar weight sheet of paper.  This adds weight to it and also eliminates any wrinkles or crumpling that naturally occur as you mold the paper over the body of the fish.

I thought I'd show a little of the wet mount process here.  At first it is a terrifying prospect that had me believing that I was about to completely destroy what I'd spent time creating.  However, the print, paint and paper are a lot more resilient than you'd imagine and after doing several, I was able to relax and know what to expect.

This is the image of a lumpfish, Ruby, as I've nicknamed her.  Despite her somewhat unique appearance like a cross between a dinosaur and a puffer fish, I think she's rather cute!  The uneven surface of the fish's body makes her a challenge to print.  Lumpfish have dark colouring so I wanted to add colour and turn her into something beautiful.


I made several prints, added colour and let it dry then it was time to mount the print.  This print was done on Unryu paper which has fibres running through it ,giving movement to the surface and texture. 
I used mulberry paper for the backing paper.  I have a large roll of it that can be cut to size as needed.

The first step is to turn the print side down onto your working surface.  I use a large cellophane wrapped cheap canvas as my working surface for this.  The plastic makes it easier to remove the dried print safely and keeps it smooth as it dries.   Choose a similar weight paper, preferably the same type of paper and cut it about 2 inches larger all round than your original print.

The paste that I use for joining the two pieces is Yamato rice paste.  Rice or wheat paste are traditionally used in Japanese art.  The Yamato rice paste is premixed in a tube and I dilute it with water and apply it with a 4 inch brush.


With the printed side on the work surface I gently smoothed the diluted paste onto the wrong side of the print.  That's where the holding your breath bit comes in!  Japanese papers are very thin and when wet, become very easy to tear.  Manipulating the paper once its wet is a challenge.

Once the paper is primed with the paste, I then gently lower the backing paper starting from one end and smoothing it slowly across the original.  The paper becomes translucent and the print will be visible through the backing paper.   I use my hands and a fairly flat piece of kitchen paper to smooth out the air bubbles and wrinkles in the paper.   It will become smoother as it dries, the same way watercolour paper does when stretched.

I let the pasted papers dried for 10 minutes or so then slowly lift up the whole piece and place it back down on my surface to ensure that it is not sticking to the surface and is easy to remove when completely dry.

While wet, I will add further watercolour to the piece and let it dry overnight before removing and framing.  Ruby is still not complete in terms of colour and detail but will be within a couple of days.

I want to be alone...

I ordered new art business cards today.  I usually order cards twice a year in batches of 250 because I go through a lot by including them with sales packages, in greeting cards as well as networking.  I also randomly 'drop' them in places like restaurants, stores, etc. You just never know where your next sale will come from.

I also order new cards twice a year, as I like to reflect new work and images in the cards. These show one of the gyotaku prints that I am using of a salt cod.  It represents the printing as well as the cultural aspect here.  The cards provide my basic contact information that can be found anywhere by anyone with computer access anywhere in the world.  So why are artists so afraid to publish their contact information in blogs or on websites?  Are there documented cases of hundreds of artists being stalked and harassed by allowing access to themselves?

I find that some artists are very reticent about showing contact information online and I find that a bit puzzling. After all, if the artist cannot be contacted, how can business be done?  Whether through a virtual business card or contact information on websites, blogs or social media, information at the minimum of how to reach an individual is vital.  I look at my art as a business and if I'm in business then people need to be able to reach me.  Would you open a store and not tell anyone where it is or how to email or telephone you? 

I did a little research of my own the other day on a dozen random artist blogs.  They all showed art, most of it for sale.  On eight of those blogs I could not find an email address or in several cases not even the full name of the artist.  Five of them did not show pricing but asked those interested to email them. In some I had to really work to find information, wading through page after page before finally drilling down deep enough to find what I needed.

These artists are losing sales and viewers fast. 

If I cannot see pricing, if I have to hunt for your contact information and if you do not provide your full name, I won't be staying and won't be coming back.  The world of art is about networking and communicating with other artists and with collectors.  If they can't reach you, or you put a dozen steps in their path to find the information, you will lose opportunities and yes, you will be alone.

Voices

 Apple II - crop

Pastel  19 x 25" Canson paper

They're back.

You know the ones.  Those taunting voices in your head that tell you your work isn't worth the paper its on.  They argue with you that you're wasting your time.  They jog your arm to make you screw up.  They nag and torment and make you doubt yourself.  They keep you awake at night with snide remarks.
They're here in spades these last couple of days and I'm busily trying to evict them.

I think I know more now when to expect them and what they'll say.  It doesn't always mean that it makes it easier to deal with, just that I know how to brace myself more for their attack.

It usually happens when I'm pushing myself to accomplish a lot.  Right now I'm nearing the end of my gyotaku project and need to start finalizing pieces, framing, exhibition space, workshop, book, promotion, etc., etc.  And I also have a number of other pieces happening as well, some more important that others, as well as commissions in the run up to Christmas.

I don't need these doubts right now.   Early this morning as I tried to push a drawing into its final stages, the voices of self doubt were there, asking why bother.  Its only a stupid drawing.  No one will like it.  Its not good enough.  The had me so rattled that I grabbed the wrong can of fixative which turned out to be matte varnish.  Luckily only a light spray was done before I noticed and no harm was done to the drawing.  Of course that made them happier.  "See, we told you you were hopeless." they snickered.  I sprayed them with varnish and left for work.

The voices remain off and on but I WON'T let them get to me.  No, I'm not crazy.  Don't all artist have these same voices that appear from time to time to shove you around a little and make you rethink your role as an artist?  What's your fighting strategy?

Red fish

 
Ocean perch are commonly known as 'red fish' in Newfoundland because of the colour which ranges from a pink to a deep red.  This colour fades after death, especially in the underside of the fish, so this one has a little pallor to him/her.  I've found it very difficult to obtain really fresh red fish so I haven't got a good comparison. This is my reality.

These perch are great for printing but I have also been doing some paintings alongside with the printings to document more of the fish colour.  These pieces tend to be 'portrait style' i.e. head and shoulders.  Why I don't know, they just to happen that way.  In the case of the perch, I love the bony shapes of the head with the serrated gill covers and the big eyes and really wanted to emphasize that.

This piece is 18 x 24" in acrylic.  Its not complete yet as I'm still building colour.  The skin of the fish is a complex mass of subtle colour variances overlaid each other to create an almost luminescent effect.  I don't know if I can recreate that but with glazes I will try.

Building up the shapes of the mouth and eye provides a wonderful lesson in fish anatomy and always amazement at just how well constructed these little beasties are.

Gyotaku workshop registration

This is a  lumpfish that I have been printing this past weekend.  They're such unique fish, a cross between a dinosaur and sea monster.  And a printing challenge.  It may be one of the fish that I bring for printing at my workshop in March.  That either has you worried or fascinated.  If the latter, now is your chance to register for this unique workshop in St. John's.

Ocean perch trio

I have sent out the initial information about my upcoming Gyotaku workshop to mailing list subscribers.  There is a reduced price for subscribers until the end of the year, so do consider signing up, if only to get the lower registration price.

If you would like to register, you can do by the button below and I will email you the details of the workshop.  I will be providing more details about the workshop on a static page on the blog very soon. 

Gyotaku Workshop

 

On March 19, 2011 I will be offering a workshop for beginners in the ancient Japanese art of Gyotaku - or fish printing. This technique is unique and very different from anything you've done before. We'll be using real fish as well as replicas and getting messy! Are you up for it?

If you are interested in learning more and going home with 3 or 4 very special pieces of art that you've created, then come along. I'd love to share everything I know with you!

Saturday, March 19, 2011

10:00AM - 4:00PM

Anna Templeton Arts Crafts and Design Centre
278 Duckworth Street, St. John's, NL A1C 1H3

Street parking near the building is available free of charge on Saturdays and should be easy to access in the morning.

WORKSHOP FEE: $65.00

• Most workshop supplies will be included or available for purchase.

• Supplies that you need to bring are provided on registration

• Bring your own brown bag lunch.

• Refreshment breaks will be provided.

 

Jellyfish progress

I love watching jellyfish float along in the water.  It seems effortless and the colours reflected as light hits them through the water is beautiful.

The tentacles that stream below the jellyfish twist and turn trailing into lines from almost lace-like masses.  Forming the substance and nonsubstance that is a jellyfish is a challenge and will take time. 

I've worked more on this piece in oils, building form and starting to add depth with layers of glazing. Glazing is a slow process, as I need the initial layer to dry reasonably well before I can glaze without destroying what is beneath.   Transparent colours give best results but opaque colours, used sparingly in very thin coats will work for the first layers.  The paint used must be extremely thin, almost a tint so that it barely shows on the piece.  Some artists can use up to 20 glaze layers to achieve the effect they want.  I may be at this for awhile...

Fish completed

 On Monday November 1st I will be opening a Seasonal page on my blog.  I wanted to have some art related gift ideas available early enough in the season to enable shipping in plenty of time for Christmas.  On the page I'll be making available a 2010 Holiday card as well as a number of other seasonal art designs for cards.  The 2009 Merry Christmas Hares card from 2009 will also be available.

In addition, there will be some unique boxes that I have created.  These come stuffed with lovely treasures already, but can be used for your own treasures as well - or those of someone else if you want to part company with it. 

I'll also have gift certificates available that can be used to purchase art or to reserve a place at my workshop in March.  More details on the workshop will be made available on Monday through my mailing list and here.

Meanwhile, I've been printing fish madly and catching up on work.  I took awhile this afternoon to finish off this coloured pencil piece.  I can't for the life of me think of a suitable name for it.  I am a total blank for inspiration for this one. The original sketch for it was done late at night in bed.  Heaven knows what goes around in my head at that hour! I'm sure something will come to be sooner or later or perhaps it will become a 'Name that Painting' contest in a future newsletter.

The trials and tribulations of communication

 
I have provided newsletters and updates to my mailing list contacts and initial introductions to others who I have connected with and felt may be interested in the information or special offers that I have provided.  It seems not everyone wants to take part and that's quite fine with me.  The option to join or unsubscribe is there at the click of a button.  Unfortunately one individual decided that wasn't sufficient and decided to report the email as spam. 

As to not be seen as spamming, and wanting to ensure that I will continue to I have now removed all names of those who have not subscribed or confirmed and these individuals will no longer receive my emails.  If you have previously received my emails, and wish to continue to receive them please subscribe to my mailing list through the form on the right of this blog or through the link on my Facebook page.   You may subscribe or unsubscribe at any time simply by clicking on the link at the bottom of the email page. 

The next mailing will be on November 1st and include a registration deal for my gyotaku workshop in March 2011.  On November 15th, the newsletter will be published and Twelve Questions will be answered by Casey Klahn, The Colorist.

But for now, I am getting in some practice prints with a lovely rosy ocean perch.  I lucked into some today as they're difficult to find at times so now the freezer has some in store for later in the year.  They make great fish to print with as they have prominent scale and gill patterning.  Just mind the sharp bits!   I'll make sure one of these will come to the gyotaku workshop with me for printing practice
 

Drawing

After a period of painting and printing, I crave the feel of graphite on paper and the minute detail of something complex. This little birch leaf from a tree in the garden, now nearly denuded of leaves kept me company on the sofa over the last couple of nights while the news played in the background.

Its funny how much of my training sits so deep within me and becomes a comfort zone.  My training and mentors emphasized drawing skills and it was where I cut my teeth in art.  Hour after hour of technique, life classes, drawing everything and anything until it raced through my head even as I slept, I swear.

While I enjoy painting and printing, it is when I can hold a pencil and see something appear on paper that I am most content.  Leaving tiny amounts of graphite on paper and seeing it build into an image always amazes me.  I strongly believe in keeping drawing alive and that it truly is the backbone of all art.  This was drummed into me from day one and I keep that mantra going.

Funny, a  number of years ago I sold a drawing to a well known artist locally and he was running a painting course while we spoke.  I had mentioned getting back into painting and he looked at me and said 'You don't need to paint, you know how to draw." 

The remembering of my beginnings in art made me dig out a drawing that I did during a life class.  This is a glimpse of one of my life drawing sessions so many years ago in a studio, on a farm in Devon.  I can still see the room in my mind and almost remember the people, the sounds...  This was probably close to 30 years ago. Drawing still lives.

Update - untitled still

I did a little more on this fish piece.  I used a blender pen on the red ring to blend the colours a little more as I wasn't happy with them.  Still not sure if I am, but perhaps I can rework it a bit later.  I so rarely blend anything when I work with coloured pencil. I don't know why I thought this would be a quick fix.  I should know better by now.

This is a scan of the piece.  Artificial light creates all sorts of issues with photographing a piece.  Then again scans of coloured pencil never seem that great at times either.  This is the photographed piece; the top of the post is the scanned piece.  I don't seem to get the editing just right, so the reality is somewhere between the two.

Anyway, its slowly building and I'll chip away at it a few minutes here and there.  I like the graininess of cp on paper mostly but need to be careful with the strokes to ensure its a consistent even surface.

Untitled

I had designed this piece as a sketch some time ago then started it as a watercolour which got laid aside.  I rediscovered it the other day and thought I'd try my hand at it again, this time in coloured pencil.  I had considered using this piece as a Christmas card but its not very seasonal, so I don't think it will make the cut.  However, if it turns out, it can, like all of my work, be used as a note card.

I transferred the sketch onto some Stonehenge paper today and cocooned myself on the sofa under a blanket with the wood stove going and worked on it to this point. 

Size?  Its about 8 or 9 inches in diameter and I'm using Prismacolour pencils.  A name for the piece hasn't come to me yet.  Sometimes the name is there before I even start a piece, or comes partially through the drawing.  This time - nothing.   All suggestions are welcome.