Starts and ice

Icy forest at the edge of the meadow

Path to the back door

Bending under the weight of ice

Iced rosehips

Living on the edge of the world - or at least on an island in the North Atlantic - one of the heralds of spring is freezing rain. I can't begin to tell you how much I hate freezing rain. Chipping it off your car, sliding across every outdoor surface, trees bent to the ground and branches snapped with the weight of it, power disruptions, the list goes on and on.

But despite its treacherous nature, it does have a positive side which is very interesting pictures of the objects that it coats. These images were taken a week or two ago after a night of freezing rain. I had the forethought to have my car in the barn that night or it probably would have taken me 20 minutes to get the ice cleared from it.

I have a thousand ideas in my head for drawings but can't seem to settle down to one, so I end up with lots of starts. In their own right, they're good in that they keep my drawing hand in practice, but I really need to put some thoughts into action.

This sketch is of a reference image I have of a chimpanzee at a rescue sanctuary. The sadness in the animal's eyes is evident already. The eyes were what attracted me to the image and I should pursue this one. But first I must put it onto some decent paper.

New designs

I've played around with more wire and am trying to keep the organic shapes that I want and that the wire seems to find naturally. I'm considering putting some of the jewelry on Etsy and see what happens.

If anyone is interested in purchasing these, please contact me for final shipping costs which are very reasonable.

Fiddleheads - 12.00
Sterling silver, hand formed earrings, hammered and polished, these earrings are 1.5 inches long. These are a reminder of the little fiddlehead ferns that herald spring in Canada.

Copper Frost - 8.00

Polished copper coils with hammered ear wires are topped with frosted glass beads like little icy caps. The earrings measure 1.5 inches long.

Meanwhile the carrot drawing continues. I've added more colour with my Derwent Coloursofts and like the results. They're not too bright and still keep that earthy tone that I want. My complaint is the paper the drawing is on. It started out as a sketch and I got carried away and didn't transfer it to decent paper. This is in a Canson sketchpad 11 x 14. The paper has enough tooth, but leaves a fairly grainy texture to the pencil work. Its something you either like or you don't and I have mixed feelings about it.

I'll let it sit for awhile and see if I want to continue to spend time on it or not.

Carrots and seed packages

Here is an update to the carrot drawing that I started. Its at its 'ugly' stage now and I have to keep reminding myself that it will get better.

This is the point where a lot of beginners start to doubt themselves and abandon their drawings. Looking ahead, in your head, to the final piece helps keep the focus and knowing that this is just a phase to go through, all help not to trash it at this stage.

The colours in Derwent Drawing pencils are very muted, earth tones and I'm wondering if I need to add a little punch to them with some of the Derwent Coloursofts that I bought. They're in the same family as the drawing pencils, with thick, creamy cores, just not as creamy as the drawing pencils. I don't want the final image to have bright colours. I want that soft look to it, but just want to enhance the colours a bit.

Peter Henderson and Co. Plate

Jubilee Collection of Mammoth Butterfly Pansies
New York, NY
1897

The seed catalogues are still trickling in even though most orders have been placed and received for the coming season. Seed packaging these days is quite ordinary compared to the works of art that were produced on seed packages from the 1800s to early 1900s. Now there are generic photos of the plants or plain packaging with contents and instructions on them. Back in the day — before four-color photos became the standard — many seed mailers kept an artist/ engraver on staff to create fancy lithographs for the catalog and the seed packages. I guess that doesn't happen any more unfortunately. But there are a lot more varieties of flowers and vegetables around now so its likely not economical to create and print.

I'll just have to create my own packages for the heirloom vegetable seeds that I grow and restart an old tradition.

Drawing a rainbow

I'm an armchair cook most of the time. I like to watch cooking shows and read cookbooks and ferret out food blogs. It just seems it doesn't often translate into actually hauling out ingredients and pots and pans. I used to do a lot of cooking, but my days are long and incentive limited, so it only seems to happen at weekends these days.

However, it still doesn't stop me from wandering through good food sites such as Haalo's at Cook (almost) Anything At Least Once. This is my kind of blog. Its full of great recipes and fabulous photos. One of Haalo's images caught my eye the other day and I knew it was a match made in heaven for my Derwent Drawing pencils. I asked Haalo if I could use it and she kindly agreed. (Thanks again Haalo!)

The image was of a bunch of rainbow coloured carrots. Last summer I had used some of these colourful carrots that come in shades varying from cream to burgundy and the regular old orange! The colour fades out of them a bit in cooking, but they are wonderful to use in salads for a real contrast. This year I have seeds for the coloured carrots and will grow them along with the regular ones in what will be my new vegetable garden (if the snow ever melts).

Last night and tonight I made a start on the drawing. Its 11 x 14 done with my full set of Derwents, as I wanted some colour to pop in this drawing, yet have it remain fairly subtle. I'll update this image over the next few days and hope to have it finished at the weekend.

Exposure

Mother Goose
Graphite 9 x 12
copyright Jeanette Jobson

This is the final image that was chosen to be used on AntiDull. This is an online art magazine that features artists & art photographers from around the world. Their aim is to provide a high quality publishing opportunity to artists and photographers who want to get more exposure to their artistic works. And who doesn't want that in the art world? The AntiDull website has received up to 650 unique visitors / day.

I was approached the other week by AntiDull (love that name!!) to ask if they could use one of my images for their Fine Art Issue # 2. I agreed and we worked out the arrangement and this is the page that was created to go into the online issue which was published today. Have a look at their magazine online. There is an amazing display of artists and art pieces in this issue.

Today I also received my first royalty cheque from an online tutorial that I did for Drawspace. Its not a huge amount, but as I did the tutorial without the expectation of receiving any money, its a bonus. Now that I have a little time back to myself again with the tri-weekly drawing classes gone, I may have a chance to produce some more tutorials.

I became friends with Brenda Hoddinott, the site owner and author of several drawing books and she convinced me to become more involved with the site initially as a moderator and now as a teacher. The site is for complete beginners to drawing and provides online lessons from the basics up to more advanced technique and subjects to a global audience.

Life session

I'm just getting time to catch my breath and regroup after a busy few days with the exhibit and a last formal teaching class, so this post will be brief.

Last night I got to the life class which I haven't been able to attend for a couple of weeks. We had a new model which turned out well and I enjoyed drawing her.

Here are a few of the sketches from last night. The first pose was 20 minutes, the second five minutes and the third 1 or 2 minute gesture sketches. All are done in charcoal on newsprint.

Charcoal and cowboys

Cowboy
Charcoal on mi-tientes
copyright Jeanette Jobson

This was one of the images in the Weekend Drawing Event at WetCanvas. The pose and the face was irresistable and I hope to do a full portrait from the image at a later date.

I'm still using up my Mi-Tientes paper and am starting to enjoy some of the lighter colours - buff and gold, even if my preferences are for the darker browns and greys.

I use a mix of willow and vine charcoal as well as charcoal pencil for finer details. Depending on the effect (and how much time I have) I may blend some areas for smoother areas, but in this case I've left most of it fairly rough.

I keep thinking about making my own charcoal. There are always pieces of charred wood left over from fires used to burn off tree limbs and clear ground, but I haven't played with them much. Once the weather warms up, I think I'll try my hand at making some. I have about 20 willow trees ringing the perimeter of the garden as well as three grape vines in the greenhouse, so finding suitable material isn't a problem. Just not reducing it to ash is the challenge.

Meanwhile, here is a great tutorial on how to make your own charcoal for the adventurous!

Varnishing

Little Heart's Ease
Oils 5 x 7
copyright Jeanette Jobson

Varnishing oil or acrylic paintings always seems to cause angst in people, me included. Why varnish, when to varnish, how dry is dry in oil painting, which varnish to use, how to apply it, etc., all provide confusion for artists.

I have put the finishing touches on this little painting for the exhibition on Sunday and tested it in a new frame today. For some reason, I can't get a decent photo of this painting, likely because the light was fading as I photographed it and I didn't want to chance the scanner at this point. The paint surface is dry to the touch and I wonder about varnish. I may get away with a retouch varnish and then an offer to do a full varnish in a few of months, when the paint is thoroughly dry, but it is recommended that even a retouch varnish is not used until the painting dries for a month.

My concern comes with the fact that if applied too soon, even the retouch varnish may mix with the paint itself. My other recourse - and I don't have the luxury of time - is to speed up the drying process. I am doing this with heat and the painting is now propped up before the woodstove with the blower on so that the paint surface has a chance to really dry before I try the retouch varnish tomorrow.

So why am I leaving this so late? This painting was a last minute fixer upper. I'd played around with a base coat for this a few months ago, then resurrected it last week to put it into the show on Sunday. By Easter Sunday I had to provide entry details and I gave those of this oil. Yes, I guess I could have eliminated it, but figured I could pull it off.

Varnish serves a couple of purposes for oils or acrylic paintings. It gives a protective coating for the paint surface against the environment and also brings out the colours in duller areas, brightening them.

Trueart gives some good information on the types of varnishes and their application as well as recipes for creating your own varnish.

Sanders Studios provides a great source on mediums, drying oils, resins, siccatives and diluents.

The Gamblin Newsletter from October 2003 is looks into the history of varnishing as well as the how to's.

Art forms

Waves

Creation of art takes many forms and I've often dabbled in most forms. Jewelry is one of those things that I like to play with and I've been creating some organic shapes in various wires lately. I don't start out with a pattern or idea as each piece is unique and no two are alike, even with earrings which are similar, but not identical.

Here is a pair of earrings created in steel and copper with sterling silver ear wires. All pieces are handmade. The photo was taken in artificial light and doesn't do them justice. They have a much brighter sheen in reality. The length of the earrings is approximately 2 inches, not including the ear wire.

There is something satisfying about creating your own work and knowing that it is unique. I make these available in small quantities to others who are interested in owning a unique, natural product. More designs, including organic materials such as natural stones and sea glass, are being developed and will be available in the near future.

Prices are reasonable for these earrings at just $10.00. Shipping within Canada is $2.00, the USA is $3.00 and $4.50 for international delivery. I believe that part of making art is to share it and use it. Making it inaccessible through pricing defeats that purpose. Pricing of course reflects materials used and semiprecious stones, when used, are more expensive than natural local stone. Packaging for these pieces will be recycled where possible in degradable materials, but beautiful as well. There is always beauty in simplicity.

Tonight I watched a news story about a huge piece of ice the size of the city of Montreal shearing loose in the Arctic. Global warming is a reality, as is our use of natural resources to make unnatural products. While sounding a bit like Revelations here, I believe there will come a time when these resources won't be available. Power and fuel will be scarce as food is in some parts of the world now and we will wonder what we've done to the world.

Advertising and farm life

Value Study - Tripod
copyright Jeanette Jobson

Comfy?

Tripod, the cat who should be out guarding the barn against predators assumes his usual level of vigilance on any available lap.

Lately I've had a few requests from companies asking to put paid advertising on my blog. I find this a little surprising as my blog doesn't generate high traffic, averaging 60 -70 people a day. I know very little about advertising and its impact so I won't even begin to speculate on the reasons why my blog was selected. Perhaps luck of the draw or perhaps there was a specific genre of blogs that were being researched.

I haven't succumbed to the lure of paid advertising for my blog but it made me wonder...So why are advertisers targeting blogs?

Robin Good in Online Advertising Strategies: Why Is Best To Invest In Blogs Rather Than On Large Traffic Sites

1. Your message is more visible.

2. Your message has greater viral potential (there are more referrers and linkers among bloggers)

3. Your message is more relevant by being highly contextual to the content of the blog you have selected (more niche equals more selling power)

4. Your message stands out more (no flooding of ads or genres)

5. Your message is less prone to go unnoticed (by displaying it in many blogs vs. displaying it only on one site)

I have however, agreed for Antidull to use one of my images in the next issue of their online magazine in return for a text link to their sponsor. Am I selling out? No, I don' t think so. I'm just gaining exposure in the least invasive way for myself and my blog readers. A large part of art is in sharing your view of the world with others. This is one way of doing it.

Today a mink was found in the barn (again) and it had killed four Khaki Campbell ducks and attacked most of the others before it was found and shot. I know animals are acting on instinct, but I sure do hate mink. Coyotes aren't high on my list either...

I guess I can only be happy that it didn't find its way upstairs in the barn to the 100 week old chicks under heat lamps there. Yes, we did have Easter chicks - the real thing - purely by accident. The feed store had ordered half a box of day old chicks for a children's Easter display, but had been sent 3 boxes instead. They were looking for a home for the chicks at the end of the day and were selling them at a very reduced rate. Well, you know the rest. These are broiler chicks which are designated for the food market.

Repeats

Easter Bunny II
Charcoal on Mi-Tientes 9 x 12
copyright Jeanette Jobson

I like my forays into oil but dry media always calls me back. Especially in the wee hours of the morning when sleep evades me. The little ceramic rabbit was still sitting on the table so at 5am, I drew it again.

Its an interesting process to draw the same subject over and over. Each time I see new things or notice subtle changes in light and shadow that I didn't notice before. Yes, the lighting has changed, but the subtleties are always there. I may try it again in coloured pencil next. Creating white using everything but white is such fun to do.

I'm enjoying using charcoal on toned paper and I must haul out some other hand made coloured papers in my art cupboard and see how they perform. I will also buy some other toned papers for charcoal when I get a chance. I'll be in Toronto and Ottawa in May and hope to do some stocking up then.

Naming a piece of art

Easter Bunny
4 x 6 Oils on panel
copyright Jeanette Jobson

"Titles do not give a just idea of things; were it otherwise, the work would be superfluous."

-- Gustave Courbet

I've played around with some oil paints today with varying results. Oils are something I used a lot of years ago and have tried my hand at a few times recently. I love the texture and smell of turps, but I still need lots of practice. I was buoyed by the sale in November of one of my first oils in 20 years but haven't done a lot with it since.

This little piece is inspired bya ceramic rabbit found at the supermarket today. I liked the round shape and the simplicity of it, as well it will make up part of centrepiece for the Easter table tomorrow.

Then naming it... Sometimes titles for art come easily and almost name themselves, as it did with this piece. The subject, the season, it all fell into place without effort. Sometimes its very difficult to come up with a suitable title. So how do you choose a title for a piece of art and what weight does a title hold with keep the viewer's attention or buyer to reach for their wallet?

Some artists choose from a variety of methods of naming their art piece. Here are a few that I've come across.

1. Use a name found on a paint chip. This can have some merit, as designers spent months coming up with paint lines and titles for them. I don't know the merit in 'borrowing' the names of even if copyright could come into play on that one, but I know the names of paint become more and more interesting over time.

2. For landscapes, use the name of the place. This can cause some argument as the buyer may insist on knowing the exact place and whether it is there in their knowledge or not. Buyers also like to create their own story around a scene and putting a geographic name to the piece may spoil their illusion.

3. Use a single word for each art piece. This can become part of your style and make people remember you. Its rare to run out of single words, but you may have to spend some time creating the story around the title.

4. Generic titles are difficult to catalogue and not good for marketing your work. Not may people will search online or in a catalogue for Work # 563 or Abstract 728.

5. The Influence of Titles On How Paintings Are Seen. The title of a drawing has significant impact on the face it presents and the viewer's perception of it.

Bastard Paintings by Michael Corbin

Robert Genn's article on naming a drawing.

I do title my drawings and paintings. Partially it is the connection with the subject of the piece, or what I interpret as an action of the subject. Sometimes, the colour plays a role in it and sometimes the piece has a name almost before I begin to draw.

I believe that the name of a piece is part of its appeal and interest. It can pull in a viewer and give them direction or set the stage for thoughts around the words that make up the title.

How do you name your art pieces? Do you name them or are they generic pieces?

Wet or dry?

Northern lights over Flatrock
copyright Jeanette Jobson

About once or twice a year, we see the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis). Its not the spectacular light show that is seen further north, but it is amazing as shades of red and green ripple across the night sky. I tried taking a photo of it but I hadn't used a tripod so the result isn't that impressive. However, it does give you an idea of what it looks like.

The local art association is holding a one day spring exhibition and sale of work on March 30th and I'm trying to decide what I'll put it, framing etc. and all the usual flurry that goes beforehand. I'm getting a bit better at preparing in advance, but there is usually something going wrong the night before or morning of the exhibition.

I have been lucky with the exhibitions I have participated in this year and have sold pieces or had interest for commissions out of them. My love is graphite and I find there is a niche market for that medium that is a bit tricky to access. There is the thought by many that pencil drawings aren't in the same league as paintings. In the same way, there is a thought that relegates all forms of painting as amateurish unless it is oils. I so wish subjects and mediums could be appreciated for their own appeal and not compared to other types. There is such snob appeal in art, it frustrates me a lot at times.

My other love is coloured pencil and that is a relatively new medium. While growing in strength through public exposure and acceptance, there are still quarters who look on CP as a medium for children or amateurs. All we can keep doing is educating people about art and the various supports and mediums available and showing them how they can be used.

Tradition is difficult to change and there will always be the 'painting over dry media' camp and vice versa. My point is that neither are superior or inferior than the other. Simply different.

I like dry media for convenience of use. There's little set up or clean up, they're portable, reasonably priced and they provide me with challenges to achieve the same values and colour ranges as other media do.

Which camp are you in? Wet or dry?

Bath time

I was cataloguing some files tonight on another computer and came across this little video clip of Blizzard, the orphan gosling that I became surrogate mother to a couple of years ago. This was his first introduction to water. I put the dish of water in front of the fire so he wouldn't get cold. Yes, I know, I know...

I did complete a portrait including Blizzard a couple of months ago. I had done the original drawing in my Moleskine then redrew it on regular paper as I liked the composition.

Tea vendors

Tea merchant

coloured pencil & pen
copyright Jeanette Jobson

Have you noticed how everyone these days has to have a cup of coffee in their hand in the morning in public? Where did this come from? Don't we have the equipment at home to make coffee and don't we have coffee makers at work? Why do people have to stop between home and work and buy coffee?

The coffee then is too hot to drink in the car so you need to wait 20 minutes to even take a sip without losing the lining of your mouth. By which time you're at work or wherever you're going and then you have to balance the hot coffee cup, your purse, laptop, mail and whatever else you're carrying and open the door without dropping anything or spilling coffee all over yourself. And people do this why???

It seems there are coffee vendors all over the world and this image of a tea merchant in New Delhi is no different than the Starbucks or Tim Hortons of the western world. Except that there isn't a drive through, which is a good thing!

In May 2007 India's Supreme Court banned street sellers from cooking food on the pavements of New Delhi to clean up India's chaotic capital.

The ban will hit at the heart of daily customs of thousands of eaters in the capital, where breakfasts and lunches like pan-fried parathas and samosas cooked in vats of hot oil are served on the streets to hungry customers.

One exception will be made for the quintessential Indian tea vendors, although the court says they must now serve their drinks in disposable glasses and cups.

Here, there are similar problems with Tim Hortons franchises which are so busy in the morning that they cause traffic congestion from backed up queues at the drive throughs. Most places sell more things than just coffee. You can eat three meals a day there as well as the usual snacks so even drive throughs aren't speedy.

I have a problem with drive throughs. They're not 'green'. Its another waste of resources as you sit and let your car idle as you wait in line. And the physical act of parking and walking to the shop is hardly a hardship as its no more than 5o feet at most in many car parks - and quicker than the drive through.

I adore coffee and make it at home and at work, but I rarely stop along the way or turn up at meetings and work, cup in hand. I just don't understand the rationale for being unable to wait til you get to your destination to get coffee or tea. Or is it simply another trend?

Paper

Beached boat

Black and white charcoal on mi-tientes 9 x 12
copyright Jeanette Jobson

I have too much on my mind and couldn't sleep last night, so I was up at 3am drawing and this beached boat is the result.

I'm trying to use up a pad of Canson mi-tientes paper which I really don't like much. I can't bear to throw things away, so I'm using the smooth side and am running out of darker colours which I prefer. There are strange yellows and oranges in this pad of paper which I've never considered using as backgrounds, but they may produce interesting results. I'll have to experiment with some warmer subject matter.

What do you do with paper you've bought and dislike? Is it kept in the back of a drawer to languish or do you persevere just to use it? I still have some paper that I haven't used yet sitting in my art cupboard. Perhaps those of us who want to get rid of what we don't want or try out new supports need to organize a paper swap!

I haven't used the coloured Canal papers yet, but have recently had a few ideas for it. I also bought a sheet of Yupo watercolour paper some time ago. I've heard good and bad reviews of Yupo, but I guess I'll have to try it myself to find out what its like.

I may have some time to do that tomorrow as we're in the midst of a powerful snowstorm right now with winds up to 120km and up to 60cm of snow expected by tomorrow. After which a day of freezing rain is forecast. Not fun. Because freezing rain in that quantity brings down powerlines. Keep your fingers crossed.

Popcorn and snow

Popcorn Trio

Graphite, Canson paper 8 x 4
copyright Jeanette Jobson

More snow! And more due tomorrow!! I'm moving. Anyone who lives in a more temperate climate and who would like to adopt an artist for a few months, let me know. I can cook, clean and knit as well...

I struggled through unplowed roads today to teach my drawing class and of course, everyone called in to say the weather would prevent them from attending. So I did some shopping at Costco which was blissfully empty for a change then came home. This afternoon I made my winter treat - popcorn. I love the salty taste and crisp yet soft texture of the popped kernels. In the leftovers of the bowl I rescued a few of the expanded kernels to try my hand at drawing them.

It was quite enjoyable. Popped corn has a very sculptural look to it that goes unnoticed as you eat handfuls. Drawing anything and everything, as always, provides an opportunity for close scrutiny and lets me really understand the folds and angles.

And, just in case you've ever wondered, here is an explanation of why corn pops - or more the elements that need to be present to make it pop. The explanation of how the white part of the corn is created could be a little offputting...

The gelatinized starch granules do not explode, but expand into thin, jelly-like bubbles. Neighboring bubbles fuse together and solidify, forming a three-dimensional network much like a sink full of soapsuds. This is the white fluffy solid we eat.

Still life - food

Garlic, artichoke hearts & capers
copyright Jeanette Jobson

I made the mistake of going to the stores today. I needed a new microwave as my other has about as much power in it as a mouse's biceps. Of course, I didn't consider that its a week before Easter and people were hauling off loads of chocolate as if it were going out of style. That, coupled with the fact that yet another snow storm is due tomorrow, turned normally sane people into insane people.

I never understand that hoarding obsession that overtakes people at the thought of a holiday or impending house arrest due to a storm. Its only a day. ONE DAY! But people stock up as if its the end of the world.

In the end I got my microwave, despite jostling crowds and no staff assistance, to get the monster box into a trolley and then into the car. So now I'm playing with food again. I had a couple of jars and the sun was coming through the window so I experimented with reflections and colours. I'll see how they translate into drawing soon.

And yes, you see into my tastes - literally - in food, but not necessarily eaten at the same time.

Spring

Cherry Spring
6 x 6 Canson
copyright Jeanette Jobson

I so often work in monotone and as a rule I love it. But I craved some colour. Perhaps it was the snow day yesterday that flattened my vision of spring for another few weeks but sparked my need to put something bright on paper.

This is a 6 x 6 piece done in coloured pencil on Canson paper. The cherry is my throwback to realizm and the background - well I'm not sure quite what the background is or even if it is finished yet. The background has an abstract feel to it, which is far removed from what I usually do. But the colours pop and create my own version of spring.

Baby portraits

Kiora

graphite, Canson paper 11 x 14
copyright Jeanette Jobson

I've had this start of a portrait of Kiora, my grand daughter, on my drawing board for a couple of months. So last night and tonight I decided it was time to see if I can make a go of it.

Ninety percent of my portraits are done freehand, with the other 10% being gridded if they are complex or commissions where I know an exact likeness is very important. This was freehand and I'm not 100% sure about the eyes just yet. Kiora had just woken up from a nap in the car seat and was staring balefully at the photographer with a serious look.

I still need more practice on drawing babies and she's a good way to get this in. It also forms a lasting memory of passing time in her life. This portrait commemorates her first birthday which was in January.