Atlantic Lobster

 
I've been manipulating a lobster over the last couple of days to try to do a gyotaku print.  A hard shelled crustacean is difficult to print well and as a lobster has a a number of prickly point in its armour it makes it more difficult to mould paper around the shell without tearing it.

For crustaceans the indirect method of gyotaku is the best, using fabric - a light weight cotton or silk and tamping colour through the fabric instead of inking the beast itself.  I didn't have the right fabric on hand, so I used the lightest rice paper that I had as well as a bit of unryu.

The body just wouldn't do what I wanted and the lobster's crushing claw came away from the body, so I took advantage of the fairly flat surface of the large claw to print just that section.  These will not be large pieces, measuring around 8 x 10, and I'll experiment with a couple with added background colour as well as leaving a couple as just the print itself.

And for those who wish to know, here's everything about Atlantic lobsters!

Romanian hay stacks

Haystacks at Magura

This month's Virtual Paintout is in Romania.  Its a region of the world that I know little about, so I had a interesting time wandering in urban and rural areas and seemed to find something new to paint everywhere I looked.

As usual, I head straight for the countryside, as I love to know how other parts of the world farm for food, raise animals, etc.  Its usually just a different scale of things but the buildings and landscape change, sometimes dramatically.

This piece was of haystacks in or near Magura, Romania.  I loved the little hand built stacks supported by frames of wood and knew they'd have to be painted.  I used acrylics on an 8 x 10 canvas board.

I had painted over a previous image with red and like how that shows through and gives warmth to the piece.  The red complements the greens well here.  I must use more coloured grounds under my paintings as they add a richness.

Daily drawing page

Its always feast or famine with me.  

I have so many ideas in my head, I can't them onto paper fast enough and there aren't enough hours in the day to capture them.  I need to capture them because I know there will be a fallow time when nothing inspires me and nothing translates onto paper or canvas as I want it to.

I've found that very early morning tends to be my most prolific time.  My sleeping patterns change constantly and if I wake at 4am, I have learned not to fight it, but just get up and start drawing or painting.  This month, I'm doing daily drawings in addition to other pieces I have in progress.  I've created a separate page on this blog to record the drawings at least for this month.  It may last longer than that, but I don't want to bore people with my daily graphite scribblings or have them lost in the body of the blog.

Today this little dog was drawing on the back of a flyer with a felt tip marker at 6:30am.  Another early morning piece using whatever materials came to hand.  Sketches don't have to be on your best paper, and, Murphy's Law, often the pieces that you wish you'd used good paper for, come out to be your best. Its all good practice, no matter what the medium or what the support.  Just draw!

More jelly...

Today was a snow day due to a storm that arrived overnight.  It tapered off in late morning but snowclearing then had to take place and I decided it wasn't worth life and limb to tackle the roads at that point in the day.  By the time I would have gotten to work, it would have virtually been time to come home again.

So I took advantage of the day to work on the jellyfish.  It is good to work on black paper in daylight.  The colours are so much easier to see.  With working, I only have daylight at weekends, but the daylight lamp I have does help when I have to work after dark.

I noticed today that there is a slight scrape across the surface of this board.  Its not an indentation but more a line that's slightly lighter in colour.  Its noticeable under certain angles of light and I may end up having to add something to that area to cover it as I can't think of any other way to get around it. I don't want to draw a background, I want the black to be the background only. 

Black is danger prone. It shows fingerprints and any movement of something hard on the surface.  I think it was my bracelet perhaps that may have grazed the surface, even though I use a hand guard while I draw.  I'll have to try some tracing paper to experiment with options and see what I can add there to mask the mark.

Jellyfish

I'm keeping drawing foremost in my head lately and have had the idea for this piece in several forms kicking around for awhile now.

Jellyfish are so graceful and lovely floating and pulsating their way through the ocean.  Some are clear, almost glass-like, others have colours, some reflect the light as it filters down through the water.  They do come with a sting in most cases and are usually best seen from a distance in the water.  Often I've seen them from small boats, bobbing along next to it.

This is the start of a coloured pencil piece done on 16" x 20" Canson art board.  It doesn't have much tooth but enough to get the minimal colours needed to capture this creature.  I quite like drawing on black paper and love the contrast it provides.  I know there are some papers that seem to 'absorb' the colour, but I think its more a trick of the eye and lighting.  The dark paper does show through as much as white would in providing light but so far it seems to be working in my favour.

I haven't used this Canson art board before and picked up a few pieces in my last order of art supplies, both in black and white.  Its pretty sturdy stuff and can be used for most dry media and watercolour also.

February daily drawings

Drawing more is one of the goals I have for this year.  I adore drawing in all forms, but found myself pulled into printing and painting more over the last year, with drawing not as frequent.  Its very true that saying "Use it or lose it." and especially so with drawing.  Its a skill that needs daily practice to remain sharp.

I've decided to push myself to draw something daily during the next month.  It may not be a finished drawing or even turn into one, but it will be something that requires dry media applied to paper. 

Jonathan Manning (aka Blade) started a Daily Drawing Challenge on his blog The Artistic Biker.  He posts an image each day and people can draw it and post it optionally on a Flickr group as well.

The item for January 26th was a teddy bear.  I always have a soft spot for bears and they're lovely to draw, so this is the result of a lunchtime sketch. 

Anyone else up for some daily drawing in February?  You can use the Artistic Biker or other drawing challenges for inspiration or simply choose something close by to draw from life.  The important thing is just to draw and keep those skills honed. 

Atlantic salmon printing

Weekends really need  to be longer, as I try to stuff so much into them, especially art, and this weekend has been no different.

Salmon prepped with ink and my hand to show scale

I've finally pulled out a very large salmon to print.  This salmon is about 3 feet long and weighs approximately 15lbs.  It was a donation luckily, otherwise it may have broken the bank to purchase a fish that big.  With large fish there are challenges, mostly of where to thaw it, clean it and print it.   The bathtub worked for the first two and I have a 4 foot folding table that works perfectly for printing and wet mounting.

 Salmon print hung to dry.  This sheet of unryu paper is 25" x 37"

I've done a number of prints of the whole fish as well as front and rear halves. Finding places to hang them to dry is my current problem.  I will set up a line in another room where I can peg prints while they dry.  The oil based inks take several days to cure completely before I can start adding the eye or any other colour.

Flatrock update

I've had my fingers in several pies today from gyotaku printing and painting to framing.  I have several pieces on the go at once which is my usual state of operation.  While one dries, I can move on to another and keep the flow going. 

Here's another small update on the Flatrock rocks piece in watercolour.  The detail is taking time.  Another reason to keep a few pieces in production, so the detail doesn't bog me down too much.

Rock detail

One of the other pieces I've worked on today is a gyotaku piece that's become multimedia with different supports, media and techniques.  Here's a little peek at what I've been up to.  More tomorrow...

Gyotaku starfish detail

Mommy?

This little piece came as a result of me experimenting with a digital photo box that I received as a Christmas gift. At last, functioning lighting that allows me to set up still life pieces, light images that I need to photograph and it doesn't matter what time of day it is!  Bliss.  I also have another daylight lamp that helps light my work table in the studio.

These are two little ceramic decorations, one a tealight holder.  I hadn't given much consideration to placement, but the little green bird seems to be gazing at the chicken with that look that kids get who need to ask something and it always starts out with 'Mommy?'

This is 5 x 7 in acrylics.

Art management software

Here's an update of the watercolour of 'downtown' Flatrock.  I'm still building rock shapes and colours and as the rock is quite detailed, this could take some time.  So while I paint, I think.  This can be good and can be bad.  This time I'm thinking about organization.  That usually happens when I can't find something.  I swear to myself that I will become completely organized.  Of course that doesn't happen and so the cycle begins.

 

One of perhaps the less interesting, but very important aspects of art is tracking what you have created, what you have sold, who to, for how much, who bought it, exhibitions, donated pieces, etc.  It is vital from a business perspective as well as marketing and archival purposes to track this information, but we don't tend to do it well or consistently.  Its often a scramble to pull information together, find who has what as well as locate images, etc.

I know I'm guilty of this. I've used Excel spreadsheets for most of my tracking of production, sales and marketing but don't always keep on top of it as I should.  I presumed that some clever souls have created a solution to my dilemma in the way of software that would make the task easier and keep my tracking visible and in one place where I could access the many arms of information about my art that I need.

So I'm on a quest to find an effective, reasonably priced software package that will do this.  I've tracked down a number of options for artists to use and will be busy reviewing them and road testing a few also.  Here are some of the software packages for artists that I found.  Note: they are not in any order of preference

If anyone uses any of these software packages, I would love to know which one and whether you would recommend it to others.

• Working Artist
• Flick
• Bento
• Masterpiece Solutions
• Artsystems Studio
• GYST (Get Your S**T Together)
• Art & Craft Business Organizer
• eArtist
• Artist Butler
• Artworks
• My Art Collection - this seems to be geared more toward the collector than the artist for managing acquired pieces of art, but could have use for artists also
• Art Affair 

Pricing for these software packages varies from $30 up to $170.  Each package varies in what it offers in management capability from basic inventory control to creation of CDs and catalogues for gallery presentations as well as invoicing.  

Of course once I decide on one of these packages then I need to push myself to keep it updated.  Let's hope that the beauty of having everything in one spot, combined with a routine will help.

Rocks - WIP

I probably need my head examined for starting another very complex painting, but start I have and will take my time to build layers on it.  The rocks leading out into the sea give Flatrock its name and consist of blocks and many thin layers, looking almost like a multi-layered cake at times.

I spent most of the afternoon drawing the piece onto 200lb paper and have starting the first layers of colour.  I used the same reference piece which was taken in early morning so the sun was catching the edges of the rock with a pink/gold light, the blues and browns and purples seemed to stand out and give the view more interest.

Its interesting experimenting with different colours for the rocks and these initial washes are Italian Deep Ochre, Moonglow, Lunar Blue, Indigo, Turquoise and Mummy Bauxite with some touches of Lunar Black and Rich Green Gold.  All these are Daniel Smith colours and I do love their watercolour pigments.  I'll continue to build colours with glazes and keep my fingers crossed.

This a similar view of the same rocks in Flatrock, which I completed in pen and ink in 2009.  That piece was submitted to the Arts and Letters Awards and got Honourable Mention with some hanging time in The Rooms in April 2010.

The sea

‘O Man, so long as you are free you will cherish the sea! The sea is your looking glass; you contemplate your own soul in the infinite unfolding of its waves, while your mind is a no less bitter gulf.’
Charles Baudelaire, 1852

 I'm in a bit of a slump at present, and seems that most of what I try my hand at fails.  However, today I had some inspiration for a new piece and am in the process of drawing it out on a half sheet of 200lb watercolour paper.

This sketch of a wave rolling onto the beach at Middle Cove helped move me into creative mode.  The complexity of drawing or painting water is endlessly interesting and I've been browsing online, searching for artists who create water.  The study of others work is so helpful and provides additional information and inspiration to me.

The Gyotaku Project

Its complete!  

I created a 30 page book giving an overview of the Gyotaku project that I've been working on during the past year.  It contains images of some of the prints that I've done and brief details of the process of fish printing.  It is not a how-to book.  Its a documentation of the project which will act a record of the project and may also be of interest to those who want to explore the technique.

This widget gives a peek into some of the pages of the book.

The Gyotaku Project by Jeanette Jobson | Make Your Own Book

Savage Cove fog

The landscape around Newfoundland is very rugged,often with steep rock cliffs of slate running in sheets into the sea below and jagged edges poking up through the water as if they were the protective fortress around the cliff.

This is Savage Cove. I'm sure some of these rocks were what gave the place its name. It has a small rocky beach surrounded by these dark grey shards of rock on both sides with the horizon open forever. Except on this day the horizon melted into the sea and sky with a fog bank sitting on the edge.

This is the start of the piece. I wanted to capture the greyness of the day, the water, the rocks but still give a sense of water and sky. The base colours are there, time to add some detail now. Its acrylics on 8 x 10 canvas board.

January Sale

January is a lean month usually both in weather and pocketbook so I have made some original paintings available for sale until January 31st. This frees up some space in my studio to allow for new work and allows you to purchase original art at greatly reduced prices. These works are a combination of older and more recent pieces and are available on my January Sale page. Free shipping is included in all sale pieces unless indicated otherwise.

This slideshow gives you a peek at what is available.

And don't forget to check out my Etsy sale until January 23 to receive 25% off everything in the store. Simply enter the code 0111SALE at checkout to receive the discount.

The tower and sales

I was looking for inspiration this weekend and found an image of a tower taken a few years ago in Laguna Beach.  The light in the image appealed and gave me a sense of warmth with the blue sky and bright whites so I started the painting.

I did this without any preliminary drawing which, for me, is not always a good idea, especially with architecture.  So I'll have to go back and recheck the lines of the tower which don't look 100% correct to me.

This is 6 x 6" in acrylics on canvas board.

SALE!   From January 16 - 23 you can save 25% on everything in my Etsy store.  Just enter the code 0111SALE on checkout and 25% will be deducted from the original price.

Watch the blog tomorrow for a Studio Clearout sale of original pieces, some older, some newer, all all prices designed to help me make room in the studio for current work!

Queen of Hearts update

I added some colour to the Queen of Hearts.  Its still not finished but its nearly there.  More detail is needed now which is always the most satisfying part of a painting.  Knowing when to stop is the challenge.   I had heard that a painting is only finished when it is sold.  How very true sometimes.  Artists tend to add 'just a little more'  or 'I'll change this tiny part' and it can go on forever.

This is not destined for sale but I don't think it will become a victim of tweaking.  A better image tomorrow, even though I do now have good daylight lighting at last.  I'm just not in the right place to use it tonight.

After a record breaking snowfall yesterday and some other challenges, I've gotten lots of aerobic exercise shovelling over the last 24 hours.  The weight of the snow on the trees had them laden and bent to the ground with a large branch snapping off across the driveway.  Just the thing you want to deal with first thing in the morning, along with knee high snow.  I was too tired to take any photos of the very white scenes, but this the dawn view from my dining room of the storm before much snow was down.  Just add 35cm of additional snow to that scene.

My January newsletter is complete and on the virtual presses ready for delivery at 12:05am NL time on the 15th which means that many in earlier time zones will receive it before their 15th of the month rolls over.  Others will have it waiting for them to digest with breakfast.  

Procrastinating heart

Another piece from somewhere in the recesses of my brain.  Perhaps it says something about my current mental state, these little creatures that are coming off the pencil and brush.

More like, its just a nice interlude between gyotaku prints and larger paintings.  Soon I must get back to the business side of art and tie up some loose ends.  I keep putting it off and these little pieces, while amusing to do, are really procrastination on paper.

The Queen of Hearts

 
I've never been much of an illustrator, but sometimes doodles turn into something more elaborate.  While waiting for someone, I started a little doodle as a circle, that turned into a heart, that turned into a body and face and hat and and.... so it goes.

And now I want to put some colour to it so I'll put it onto watercolour paper and see what comes out of it.  Perhaps thoughts of Valentines were spinning in my head after a trip through a local store.  Christmas is just gone and yet the red is back again, this time in the form of hearts.   There's a little doodle that I'm working on now in colour, but its not quite ready yet.  Tomorrow perhaps.

After this, I guess I should be drawing shamrocks or bunnies.

The last drop

I had started a portrait of my grand daughter ages ago, then go sidetracked but today I thought I'd have another try using the same reference photo.  She was about two and it was just after her bath. She stood by the window in late evening light, eying up my camera, which was the incentive for staying still long enough for me to take a couple of shots. Its called 'The Last Drop' because, if you look closely, you'll see a little drop of water on the tip of her chin, as she was too impatient to be dried off thoroughly, wanting to get back to where all the people and action were.

This is the piece so far after about a half day's work on it.  Its acrylic, 6 x 6" on canvas board and I'm working the layers up slowly and will start adding more glazes to deepen the colour.  Her skin is very pale and there are a lot of cool blues in it, but I don't want to overdo it, so the glazes will be warm.  I also need to darken the shading on the right side of the face that has more shadow to it.  Again, it must  be subtle so I don't overdo it or make it muddy.