The power of music

My grand daughter, being mesmerized by the sound of music. Now why didn't I think of a guitar when mine were babies??

Today I went for a 3 generational lunch that had good and bad aspects. Aside from my nearly 83 year old mother wearing a pink plastic 'bride to be' necklace' and complaining about service in a restaurant I came away unscathed. The fact that I'm now on my fourth glass of wine has no bearing on the day whatsoever.

Drawing fur and commissions

Tiger fur Study

4 x 4, graphite
copyright Jeanette Jobson 2007

One of my favourite things to draw are animals and of course they are covered in fur. Drawing fur or hair is another of those perceived difficulties that make people steer away it. But like most areas of difficulty, its more a matter of closely observing how the hair grows, the subtle changes in values and colours and how the individual hairs create the dense coat and follow the form of the animal.

I have been studying how to draw animal fur and animal's component parts for as long as I have been drawing them. It seems there is always something new for me to learn from another artist who's talents enthrall me. I love realism in animal portraits and the fine detail intriques me and keeps me interested up until the very last pencil stroke.

Close up crop - The Artist's Cat
copyright Jeanette Jobson 2007

There are some creme de la creme animal artists that I refer to constantly when drawing animals. Each person has their own style, and I learn something from each of them when I view their work or read their words.

Drawing animal portraits is as fraught with concerns as is any other commissioned piece of work. Dealing with clients, achieving the likeness and spirit of the animal and feeling happy that you have provided the best that you can produce are all things artists struggle with for each commission.

Top 5 tips for pet portrait artists - from Rebecca at Art Dog Blog. Visit Art Dog Blog for the expanded list.

#1 Remember that the client is always right.
#2 Listen well
#3 To proof or not to proof?
#4 Project Reports
#5 Ask your clients to help you

Additional tips were provided from Karen Weller:
#1 More information is better than not enough.
#2 Treat each customer like gold.

From Linda O'Neill

#3 "Take great care in packing and shipping
#4 " Gladly offer to do some minor revisions once you present the final
#5 "In addition to that...include something extra

Rebecca has also put together 5 tips for commissioning a pet portrait. Oh such sage advice to those who want a portrait of their animal. Visit Rebecca's blog to see the full details.

#1 Remember that in most cases you do not pay an artist by the hour.
Faster does not equal better.
#2 A question of decor, will it match the sofa?
#3 A good photograph makes all the difference ...shoot, shoot and shoot again
#4 Choosing an artist
#5 Order your holiday gift giving pet portraits in the summer

Number 1A

"Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself... You may house their bodies but not their souls, for their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams. "

Gibran, Kahlil Lebanese-American author (1883-1931)

My eldest daughter is arriving today for a two week visit with her partner. Because of the far flung nature of families these days, I only get to see my daughters perhaps once a year, sometimes more. This daughter lives in Saskatchewan which is geographically distant from Newfoundland. But we never know where life takes us, so I support and encourage adventures and forays into other cities, provinces and countries. I believe that nothing helps you grow and develop more than immersion into something that is completely out of your comfort zone.

This daughter - Number 1A - (the younger is Number 1B) will have a birthday on August 2nd and my mother, her grandmother, on July 31st so we will have a joint 'do' this weekend to tide them over for another year. My daughter will be 31 this year. I wonder how on earth this happened. It seems literally only moments ago when she was a small baby, a toddler, a school girl. Time moves too quickly and the passage of time makes me face the fact that as fast as the girls have grown, I have moved forward too.

This is a sketch of her that I found in an old sketch book, circa 1988! Now if I can just get her to sit still long enough while she's here, I'll get a chance to do a decent portrait of her.

Working Artist

Inaction breeds doubt and fear.
Action breeds confidence and courage.
If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it.
Go out and get busy.

--Dale Carnegie

I struggle daily with a full time job, life on the farm, art, a blog, teaching and writing that I sometimes don't get time to draw. It is then that I must remind myself that part of the "Working Artist" phrase is "working". I need to make time every day for art so that it becomes part of me, the pencil is an extension of my arm. And I know when I haven't drawn for awhile that it affects me and makes me anxious to abandon life and get back to the drafting table again.

Another step in my journey to make art more of my life is to market my art and my services. Now this in itself strikes fear into the heart of most artists, me very much included. I hate marketing my art, as its part of me that I put on the line whenever I do. But its a necessary part of reaching my goal of having work compete less and less with my art.

Good enough isn’t good enough, because now everything is good enough. Our expectations of quality are unrealistic—and are being met every single day. We don’t just want to be satisfied, we want to be blown away.—Seth Godin, The Big Moo, page xi.

One part of my marketing has been completed, and that's the production of a brochure for animal portraiture, but that's not always convenient to carry or present so I want another smaller form of representation. A business card or postcard that will represent my art, my life, my work - me.

If you Google 'online business cards' you can find offers for cards from $5 to $500 depending on how flashy you want them to be. Here is a wonderful blog from Wendy Gonick about designing an artist business card from conception to print.

So I'm busy setting up designs and researching places that will print to my specifications at prices that don't bankrupt me. Business cards or postcards? I like the postcard option more as it gives me a larger canvas to make a statement. I'll play with some designs and layouts and see what I come up with. Any suggestions from those who have created cards or postcards is more than welcome.

Portrait Update

“The idea of full dress for preparation for a battle comes not from a belief that it will add to the fighting ability. The preparation is for death, in case that should be the result of conflict. Every Indian wants to look his best when he goes to meet the great Spirit, so the dressing up is done whether in imminent danger is an oncoming battle or a sickness or injury at times of peace.” -Wooden Leg (late 19th century) Cheyenne

I've added more layers to this portrait and its coming together. The headscarf is a little problematic with the patterning but I'll conquer it eventually. Its been ages since I did any portrait work with coloured pencil and I'm quite enjoying the process and the colours in this piece.

Culture

I never understand how racism can exist in the world, as I find other cultures fascinating, especially the rituals and traditions that go with important ceremonies. How can others object to this, unless they find it a threat to their own existance?

Yes, there are individuals in all cultures who make good and bad decisions about how they should lead their lives, but why do some people select whole ethnic groups to project their fears onto without ever looking into their own world first.

I started a coloured pencil drawing today of a young native boy, dressed in ceremonial headdress. I love the light and the look of anticipation on the boy's face. How long had he practiced for this monent? What was going through his mind? Did he know his dance was an echo from hundreds of years ago?

The drawing is 9 x 12 on Canson paper and I'll update it as it progresses. There is about 8 hours of work in the current image.

Art and astrology

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

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

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

"Flat Earth"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Time for change

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

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

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

Discovery

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

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

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

Hot and cold

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Recreational vs academic art educators

Evening. William-Adolphe Bouguereau, 1863

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

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

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

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

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

He's back

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

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

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

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

A leap of faith

Penstemon
Pen & ink & watercolour
Copyright Jeanette Jobson

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

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

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

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

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

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

Grasshopper

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

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

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

Look what I found...

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thinking Blogger. Me?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The participation rules are simple:

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

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

Valet service

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

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

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

Things in the woods

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

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

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

Another cat

Gizmo
Graphite, 9 x 12
Copyright Jeanette Jobson

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

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

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

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

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

Canada Council Art Bank

New ducklings June 2007

Next Purchase

DEADLINE: OCTOBER 15, 2007 (postmarked)

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

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

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

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

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

Please note no results will be given over the telephone.