Gardening day

The vulture is still on the drawing table, but I like to take little breaks in between and play with other sketches like this sad eyed hound. These sketches start out with me drawing eyes. I love drawing eyes. Sometimes it expands past the eyes, sometimes not.

TToday I've been coming to grips with the garden. A new vegetable garden has been ploughed and today was rock picking day. Newfoundland isn't known for its agriculture as the soil is poor and there are more rocks than you could ever imagine to pick out before the soil can be amended with compost or manure and ready for planting. So I spent a few hours harvesting rocks of all sizes and clearing broken sod from the ploughed ground before aged manure could be tilled into the earth.

Work like that gives you a real respect for those who came before and who had to clear land without the aid of tractors and who had to dig out endless rocks and hand till the ground to put in vital crops to see them through the winter. Its quite amazing what we take for granted now in terms of availability of food when all we have to do is provide money and we get what we want. Many years ago, physically hard work and planning as well as luck with the weather was what it took to feed a family and a bad year would mean a very lean winter.

Rising costs of fuel will drive up food costs, especially here, as everything is flown or trucked in. It would not take much in terms of shortages, trucker strikes or climate change to make a huge impact on availability of fresh food. So my aim this year is to become as self sufficient as possible and grow as much as I can which I can then process, bottle, freeze etc. Besides making economic sense, I also know just what I am eating and how it was grown. I grow organically wherever possible and am convinced that many of today's health problems are related to the processed foods that are eaten, chemicals sprayed on crops and genetic tinkering to botanical species.

I'm also getting a new little greenhouse to put some of my more tender heritage vegetables in. Its framed up and now needs shelving and the greenhouse plastic on it. The new vegetable garden is beyond the greenhouse on the edge of the meadow. Today was windy so it was pointless to even consider wrestling with huge sheets of plastic. I probably would have ended up parasailing my way to Ireland!

I ended up taking a number of photos today as I wandered around the property, seeing what plants had survived the winter. Yes has been a long time coming this year and even now things are at least two weeks late.

Update

Vulture update
coloured pencil
copyright Jeanette Jobson

Most of the time I like my job, but today - well today scrubbing out toilets would have been wayyyyyyy more preferable.

Human nature never ceases to amaze me and the ability to let something like work overpower your sense and sensibility. Today it felt like a frustrating spiral, surrounded by people, many of whom I have known for a very long time who suddenly felt like strangers. I participated but felt as if I was on the perimeter looking at the proceedings wondering what in hell's name we were all doing.

Its just as well I have my art, as I believe its one of the things in life that keeps me sane. Or at least partially sane anyway. I forged ahead with the vulture last night without even thinking about stopping for updates then realized that I hadn't done any. Oops. I find it difficult to create progress pieces and tutorials as the 'stop and photograph' is a real intrusion on the drawing. I have to consciously make myself stop and take an image. If I get into 'the zone', well the imaging just won't happen as I get too selfish and involved in the drawing aspect.

So now time to kick back and relax a little and do some more work on pretty boy, the vulture. I will have to find out exactly what kind he is so I can give him the appropriate title. (I found out, he's an Eurasian Black Vulture) Tomorrow I'll be working til 9 or 10pm so there likely won't be an update. Unless I quit before then.

Sugar daddies, apply within.

Learning and teaching

Vulture - in progress

coloured pencil on Strathmore sketchpad 9 x 12
copyright Jeanette Jobson

Why is it that when you start something as a doodle almost it turns out well, but if you started the sme thing seriously, you'd fight with it for hours to get it right?

I was awake at 4:30 this morning and found this image of a youthful vulture (I think). I like the shapes and unique look to the bird so started drawing it. I pulled out an old sketchpad that obviously something hard had leaned on for awhile, as it has an indentation in the lower right side as you can see. And, of course the drawing is coming along quite nicely. It always seems to do that on bad paper.

I may be brave and transfer it to another sheet of paper or more likely I will turn it into a learning piece, bad paper and all.

So do we learn from our mistakes? Yes, I believe that most of us do. The learning process is all about trial and error, whether art or anything else. Of course the older we are, the more the world expects of us. They believe that older people have a greater bed of knowledge, skills and expertise, whereas we are still in a learning phase, albeit a slower one sometimes.

Because I am relatively new to teaching art, but am in my 50s, people think that I've been teaching for many years. I'm still learning that process at times and some of my students are my guinea pigs (sorry folks, but I do pre-warn you!). I do have a long period of art experience behind me though and that helps me over the humps - or at least I act well when necessary.

However, there is a world of difference between those who can draw or paint and think they can teach compared to those who can draw and paint and are able to effectively impart the knowledge and skills to others. I don't profess to be either at the moment. Feedback tells me that I do get knowledge and skills across to students and progress is made, so that's a good thing. They don't go running from the room when they hear that I'm the instructor. I believe a good teacher has a variety of skills beside her knowledge of the subject material. A teacher needs to have a strong interest in coaxing the best out of a student, supplying them with the knowledge and skills to do so and encouraging them to surpass her in ability and knowledge.

I think back to teachers who I have had and the ones that I learned the most from were skilled, empathetic, non competitive with the student, insisted on making me test the waters of areas I was uncomfortable with, praised, scolded and encouraged me both during and after my time with them.

These are people that you don't forget. These are the people who impact your art and your life.

Creating texture

Abandoned
graphite 9 x 12
copyright Jeanette Jobson

I often stay with living things when I'm drawing - my comfort zone I guess. But lately I've been drawn to textures and have wanted to do something more detailed depicting brick or wood. This image of an old abandoned house fit the bill nicely , the basement window either frosted over with grime or water stained board behind it.

I loved creating the texture of the rotting wood and the subtle roughness of the brickwork. I want to try my hand at rust next. I've found some old horseshoes in the barn and they may do the trick, though around the farm there's never a shortage of rust it seems!

We often shy away from subjects that have a perceived level of difficulty. Looking at something complex in shape or colour we think 'I can't do that.' But we can do that. Its all down to observation and taking your time, breaking down the image into small manageable sections so it doesn't become overwhelming.

Its a bit like life. One section at a time.

Sleep and feathers

Goose feather
graphite 4 x 4
copyright Jeanette Jobson

My sleep patterns are erratic and more so when I have things on my mind or work creates unconscious thoughts. This means that I wake very early in the morning and I find that is probably one of the best times of day for drawing for me. By early I'm taking 5am, sometimes earlier.

I get a cup of coffee, wrap myself up in a soft, warm throw and my mind forgets whatever it was that woke me and concentrates on pencil and paper. I get lost in the process of drawing, so much so that I suddenly realize hours have gone by and I need to rush to get ready for work.

This morning was an early morning and this feather was the result. This is a goose feather and I was trying to capture the downy hairs around the base of the feather. No wonder goose feathers are reknowned for their ability to trap air and heat. They're quite amazing feats of engineering. I didn't exactly manage to make it as fluffy as it looked but I enjoyed the exercise.

Which came first? The drawing or the painting?

Relaxed
Graphite 9 x 12
copyright Jeanette Jobson

After a busy day yesterday, this image pretty much sums up what I intend to do with my Sunday.

Every teaching opportunity provides me with food for thought and the one yesterday that I gave was no different. The individuals attending were from a variety of backgrounds and skill levels. Many of them were more familiar with painting than drawing.

Its interesting to hear observations about drawing from those more used to painting. I'm of the school of thought that says to paint well you need to be able to draw well first. I was told earlier this year by a prominent painter - "You don't need to paint. You know how to draw well." From that should I infer that he meant that many of those who only paint do so because they don't have a strong background in drawing? Do they believe that painting is a shortcut? I believe that every great painter that you see will have a solid background in drawing. Without the framework of drawing, many paintings will not be seen as competent.

Many of the people attending the workshop yesterday didn't sketch or draw - they painted. The discipline of drawing and the time it takes to create a realistic image was not something that they wanted to adopt. Yes they were interested and did draw the exercises I provided and said they enjoyed the process. But I felt they wanted results - fast results. And reality. But wondered why the two weren't within grasp through dry media.

Rushing a drawing instead of building it slowly is very common in those starting out drawing realistically. Individuals try to put a 4 hour drawing into 30 minutes and then wonder why it doesn't look like the demonstration drawing. Once they know the techniques and can practice them, they need to apply them with the knowledge that the drawing will take time to produce and hard work to see results.

All art forms whether drawing or painting use similar techniques. They are simply different mediums and the mastery of those techniques takes time and practice. They are manual and observational skills learned by repetition.

Observation is another learned skill and essential to artists who want to produce realism. I as individuals to produce a drawing, all using the same reference image and the variety of interpretations of what is seen by each is quite interesting. Many simply don't examine in detail. They are looking for broader values perhaps and in so are missing highlights or variances in light patterns from their subject.

Maybe its a reflection of today's society that people want instant gratification in everything from food to service to creating art. But as with everything, you get back what you invest in terms of time and effort.

I know that I have a passion for drawing. It is something that calls to me and demands attention, so I will be more biased towards the creation of images in any dry media. I also enjoy painting too, but even in that, my foundation for a painting begins with drawing. Unless a piece is abstract - and even then there takes some planning on paper initially - I don't see how drawing can escape the painting process.

Drawing workshop

Eye
graphite 4 x 6
copyright Jeanette Jobson

I teach a drawing workshop tomorrow and am finalizing a few details for it tonight. There are 18 people registered for this workshop, so that will make a fairly large group to coordinate, but once things get underway I'm sure it will be fine.

While teaching children has appeal in some ways, I prefer teaching adults, as the interaction is on a very different level as are skill levels and ability to understand techniques - most of the time. My workshops tend to move towards showing the basics of academic drawing techniques and move into observational skills and how to apply them to create realism.

Not everyone has the patience for realistic work and want quick results but a realistic end product. These are the people who end up getting frustrated with the process and time commitment involved. On average, a highly realistic portrait of a person or animal can take me 25 - 30 hours or more, depending on whether there is a background or not. Realism is not for those who want speed.

Quill pens

Duck & goose feathers

There are a number of ducks and geese that wander around the farm constantly preening, fighting and generally leaving feathers of all sorts behind. This weekend as I did some gardening I was picking up large flight feathers from them and as I held them, wondering if I could create a quill pen.

BD & Buddy, my Muscovy ducks, are here having a great time searching for worms in a newly ploughed garden. They LOVE bugs and mice to eat. Yes, mice. Its bizarre. They are my favourite ducks. They are the ugliest creatures, but placid, slow moving and quackless. They hiss which sounds threatening but its their only way of communicating. They greet me each day when I come home, bobbing their heads, hissing and wagging their tails like little dogs. I adore them. They are very large ducks, the size of turkeys or geese so their feathers are perfect for quill pens.

A quill pen is made from a flight feather of a large bird, most often a goose. Quills were used as instruments for writing with ink before the metal dip pen, the fountain pen and ballpoint pen came into use.

Common writing equipment in medieval times were the quill and parchment. The strongest quills were the primary flight feathers taken from living birds in the spring. The left wing was favored because the feathers curved outward and away when used by a right-handed writer. Goose feathers were most commonly used and swan feathers were of a premium grade being scarcer and more expensive. For making fine lines, crow feathers were the best, and then came the feathers of the eagle, owl, hawk and turkey. Quills obtained from living birds in the spring proved to be the best for writing.

The method of making a quill pen is a little time consuming, but achievable with some practice. I have quite a few feathers to choose from but I won't be tackling one of the geese to get a 'live' flight feather!

How to make a quill pen

Keeping with the era of quill pens, I'm still working on my 1460 self portrait, so here's another update. Everything seems to be done in small chunks of time lately as I haven't had a block of time to sit down and finish a more complex piece. Next week...

I'm working on developing the dark background and dress and sculpting the upper portion of the head dress and the gauze. I've been using charcoal for the dark background but its not covering really well at this point. I'll try a little fixative and go over it again for a smooth surface.

1460 Self Portrait
after Rogier van der Weyden's Portrait of a Lady
copyright Jeanette Jobson

Bad day

Adversity is like a strong wind. It tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that we see ourselves as we really are. ~Arthur Golden, Memoirs of a Geisha

Its not been a good 24 hours.

I developed a severe burning pain in my eye last night that kept me awake most of the night. Trying to get a doctor's appointmentproved difficult. The earliest he can see me is Wednesday. Medical care is free for the most part in Canada, but it sure does have its challenges sometimes in terms of waiting times. Anyway, despite it all, the eye is getting better, and I have antibiotic drops to use, so I'll manage.

Then late this afternoon a friend died of cancer. She had been diagnosed only about a month ago. Its sad and all so common lately, this disease. Was is so prevalent in the past or did doctors just not know what it was? Or is it more common now due to changes in foods and lifestyles? Whichever the case, its a horrible disease, deserved by no one and equally damaging to those who die from it and those who watch the process helplessly from the sidelines.

So I crippled through today on little sleep and pain, wearing sunglasses inside and out as my eye was so light sensitive. Yes, its my pity party tonight. Come on over and bring a bottle.

However, I do have a little update on the tutorial for glass that I am developing. Not a large one, as my brain/eye/hand coordination won't let me see the finer details tonight, but an update all the same. I enjoy drawing glass. The precise shapes are like fitting a puzzle together.

Cosmos - finished & Tripod

White Cosmos

Coloured pencil on Bristol Vellum 9 x 12
copyright Jeanette Jobson

This is a close up of the area that was torn. Its the area immediately to the right of the middle sepal of the flower. Its virtual unnoticeable now thanks to some great advice from Teresa Mallen and others on how to repair it.

Finally, a view of the piece from about 6 feet away. We always see images close up on computers, but not as often from the appropriate viewing point. This gives a better idea of the colours, but is still a little pale.

And now for all the Tripod fans out there, his very own video. This was taken yesterday in the front yard, Tripod proving that disabled or not he can still catch pretty well and is really part dog. Ok, sort of. When he's in the mood. And its not too warm. If he's had enough tuna.

Never work with children or animals....



Enjoy!

Flower drawing update

Cosmos
CP on bristol vellum 9 x 12
copyright Jeanette Jobson

Its the Victoria Day long weekend in Canada and I haven't had much in the way of commitments until tonight, so I'm trying to catch up on some drawing.

I transferred the cosmos line drawing onto Bristol Vellum on Saturday and have made some inroads into the background and the buds. The flower is slowly coming together but there are sections that I have removed and will do over. It doesn't 'flow' for me. But of course, being a flower, that's my usual dilemma! Now in the process of removing some of the pigment on the flower, a small piece of the paper has lifted off, as I was using sticky tape to lift off the colour. I will try to go over it and see what the result is. Any tips from people who have fixed similar problems would be more than welcome.

I'm aiming for a soft, mottled background , predominantly green and am now introducing other colours into to provide interest. I'm pleased with the background and buds so far. I just need to fix the main flower. I'm bringing colours from the background into the flower and hope that will give it some lift. I want it to remain soft and subtle but not be boring.

Virtual Sketch # 2

Tripod 8 x 10
copyright Jeanette Jobson

Last week I emailed a reference photo to those participating in a Virtual Sketch. This was Rose Welty's idea and she and I participated in one a few weeks ago. We decided to continue on and invited others to join which they did. Ten people in all took part, including myself.

The concept is simple. One person provides a reference image and you have a week to draw it, then post it on your blog. Its always interesting to see the different approaches to subjects. The subjects can push us outside our comfort zones but that's a good thing, its how we learn and grow as artists.

I've had my plate pretty full this week, and worked on Tripod, the cat, off and on during that time. Tripod has many obsessions. One of them is paper and in this instance he was lying on the paper I was drawing on. I don't think I've gone a wonderful job of this. His eyes are too far apart I think. This cat has a big square head, a real tom cat face and I may have over emphasized that and then the paw was a bit of an afterthought, so its too small. But there's always next time.

The following individuals took part in the Virtual Sketch this time and I'd encourage you to visit their blogs and see what they have produced from this reference. All drawings will be posted sometime today, Sunday, May 18th. I say sometime, as we didn't set a deadline for posting time, just the day. As people are spread over the globe, posting times will be staggered. Keep checking in during Sunday and you'll find some amazing art I am sure.

Rose, Jeanne, Stacy, Belinda, Jennifer, Gayle, Teresa, Katherine and Paulette (Teresa's image is posted on Rose's blog as Teresa doesn't have a blog)

Juggling art

Fallen Fairy - value sketch

copyright Jeanette Jobson

I'm currently juggling five drawing projects.

• I'm trying to finish up the drawing for the Virtual Sketch project that is due tomorrow.
• I started the background for a cosmos flower in coloured pencil
• I'm still working on the 1460 self portrait - nearly there.
• I'm on stage three of the glass tutorial
• I've completed the value sketch for a portrait of a friend's daughter, which is above.

I love this last pose. The child is three and loves to dance. She was whirling around, wearing a floaty chiffon dress - her 'princess dress' as she likes to call it. She collapsed in a heap on the floor with the dress billowing around her and sunlight highlighting the dark shadows around her. It was perfect, so I took some photos. I will see what medium I do this in. It may end up as pencil or perhaps coloured pencil. I never seem to know until I turn my attention to the piece what it will become.

Art in the garden

Line drawing - White cosmos 8 x 10
copyright Jeanette Jobson

I am determined to get past the fear that I have of drawing flowers. Well not so much fear, but a dislike of the subject matter. So why don't I just draw what I enjoy drawing and not stress myself? Because I get lazy within my comfort zone.

Being comfortable doesn't:

...test my ability to observe.
...push me into an uncomfortable place and make me figure out how to get out of that place but keep the quality I want
...improve my ability to expand my technical expertise
...inspire me to try different subjects

I have drawn flowers off and on, mostly off over the last few years and am never really pleased with the result. Some are pleasant, but none outstanding. Today I did a line drawing of a white cosmos and buds. The shape is simple and I will do it in coloured pencil with a fairly strong contrasting background to make it stand out. Cosmos are one of my favourite flowers for growing in the garden. They aren't popular here as they are tall flowers -3 feet and more - and the wind tosses them around. I put them up against a fence in a sheltered spot and they are glorious.

Memorial University's Botanical Garden in St. John's has reopened for the season. Its still too early to enjoy blooms as spring, or the Newfoundland version of it, drags on with gloomy weather, making everyone depressed, cold and miserable. However, the Gardens are planning their 31st Annual Garden and Nature Art Exhibition and I may pluck up my courage and enter a couple of pieces. Perhaps one photograph and one drawing.


Submissions for the 31st Annual Garden & Nature Art Exhibition are welcome from local artists. Entry forms are available from their website or the Garden. Art exhibit submissions will be accepted at MUN Botanical Garden between June 3 - June 24, 2008, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. The exhibition will be on public view Friday, July 4 - Monday, September 1 in both the conference room and display room of the field centre of the Botanical Garden, 306 Mount Scio Road.

The Botanical Gardens rambles over 110 acres of land within the boundaries of Pippy Park in St. John's and I drive past it each day on my way to work. I can glimpse signs of life in the perennial border and if the weather would only clear and dry up for awhile, I would chance a hike on one of the trails to get some photos and sketching done. The gardens expand regularly with plants that are hardy in Newfoundland and they also make seeds available at times which I have grown successfully. The best being a hardy clematis that took off like a rocket last year and has beautiful fluffy seed heads after the bloom has died.

Art manikins

Meet my new friend. She hasn't got a name yet and is a bit stiff, but is warming up nicely for her role in my what will be my new studio downstairs. I came across a sale on good quality manikins in an art store in Ottawa so decided I'd buy this 16 inch one. I used to have one years ago but with travels, kids using it for playing and just general over use, it became firewood.

Manikins are built in proportion to the human figure with flexible joints, allowing them to be posed in a variety of ways. Manikins are so useful for figure drawing from elementary to advanced artists and are great problem solvers when you haven't got the model in front of you. Besides human models, you can also purchase hand or foot manikins, even animal manikins.

I found this feather from one of the Embden geese as I got out of the car. It was so pristine and fluffy I had to pick it up and now the manikin holds it, waiting to be drawn. This may be the next drawing project...

Finally, a video of drawing an artist's manikin using geometric forms.

Drawing glass

Line drawing - broken glass
12 x 6 - mat board

For people learning to draw, the prospect of drawing glass, metal or water seems daunting and it is a question that I get asked over and over again.

This piece is the basis for a tutorial that I am creating for drawing glass. I love drawing glass or another other reflective surface. To me, its like a jigsaw puzzle. There are many pieces, consisting of light and shade and they only work when placed next to each other for contrast. Only then does the beauty of the surface appear as if by magic.

I start out with a detailed line drawing that can take quite some time, depending on the complexity of the piece. From there, I start putting the puzzle together, starting with the lightest values and working up the layers until I reach the darkest, leaving the white of the paper for the brightest highlights.

Establishing initial values - broken glass
12 x 6 - mat board

Drawing reflective surfaces demands patience and keen observation. If you take your time and slowly build your drawing, you will be rewarded. Drawing metal, glass or still water are all very similar in technical skills as they are all reflective surfaces. If you can successfully render one, you can render any of them.

I am using mat board for this drawing. I scrounged some samples from a framing shop as I wanted to test it as a drawing support. I quite like it! The surface is very similar to the Bristol Illustration board that I have used and is pretty forgiving. I will be using this again.

White on black

Broken egg
White charcoal on artagain 9 x12

I wanted to play with some dark paper today and this was the result. Drawing on black paper brings surprising results and each type of paper brings its own challenges. Some seem to just 'eat' the white and need several applications before it makes any impact.

The other problem with using white on black paper is that its difficult to erase cleanly. It erases fine in small areas that you'll be going over again, but for larger sections, there is a ghost left behind that doesn't disappear and too much rubbing will mar the paper's surface.

I'll keep working on this one and bring the smudged areas under control. I used some coloured pencil for the exposed yolk in this and like the touch of colour it adds. I'm not happy with the overall texture of the egg shell and will try to blend it to a smoother surface if possible.

Self portrait update

Self portrait - 1460
copyright Jeanette Jobson

Self portrait crop
copyright Jeanette Jobson

I've worked on the self portrait version of the 1460 Portrait of a Lady and its a little odd seeing myself thrust back over 500 years in time. I have always had a fascination with history and often wonder what life would be like then. Perhaps for the wealthy it held more appeal than for the average person, but I'm sure without the benefits health care and lifestyle, life would indeed be shorter, no matter what your status.

Virtual sketches & lists

Here is a sampler of the life and landscape of Newfoundland.

Rose Welty and I have banded together, along with several other people to participate in another virtual sketch. I have provided the image this time and we will work on it over the next week and post it on Sunday May 18th.

It is interesting to see each person's approach to a drawing, whether they keep it as a simple sketch or turn it into a more elaborate drawing.

If anyone else is interested in joining in on this project, just contact me or Rose and provide your email address, then the reference image will be sent to you. Its that simple.

Participants: - Updated 5/15/08
Jeanette, Rose, Jeanne, Stacy, Belinda, Jennifer, Gayle, Teresa, Katherine and Paulette.

This weekend I have to knuckle down and complete some tasks. The list is getting longer and I know there'll never be enough time, but I'll try to see what I can accomplish.

1. Finish the drawing workshop presentation
2. Start a new drawing lesson for an online site
3. Work on the 1460 self portrait
4. Start a rough of the virtual sketch
5. Revamp my artist statement and bio
6. Create the thumbnail and rough in shapes for the right side of my symbolic self portrait
7. Prep for teaching a private lesson next week
8. Develop and order new marketing materials

Drawing day

Portrait of a Lady - self portrait
after Rogier van der Weyden
copyright Jeanette Jobson

Awhile ago I did a study of Portrait of a Lady by Rogier van der Weyden, as an exercise in drawing. I was encouraged to try the portrait again as a self portrait by Katherine Tyrrell at Making a Mark and thought the idea would be fun, so here is the line drawing, using myself as the model. So far, it looks a bit like the Flying Nun! There is something about putting myself into 1460 costume that's appealing.

There were several reasons for my re-entry back into art after an absence. One was encouragement from a friend. Another was the use of online art communities. After discovering WetCanvas and the diversity of materials, information, support and challenges, it was a seamless transition back into the art world. I have dabbled in other online art communities, some more actively than others, but continue to return to WC where I know I will continue to grow and learn in that environment.

For many online art communities are safe environments for expression and great sounding boards for growth in art of all forms. To encourage drawing and online communities, June 7, 2008 has been declared Drawing Day.

Drawing Day is a worldwide drawing event encouraging everyone to drop everything and draw for the sake of art. The internet is an open canvas. Help us create 1 million drawings online this day and boost online art communities.

Will you be drawing on June 7th? I know I will.