Goomalling Geranium

I bought myself a Christmas present from amazon.com this year, titled The Art of Travel With A Sketchbook by Mari Le Glatin Keis. Mari points out that sketching is not about doing "good" drawings or paintings but about being in the moment and putting aside expectations and judgement. This was encouraging!! I've decided from now on to try to sketch and collage when I'm on the scene to try to really see what I'm looking at when I'm there and so record my travels. This is the first of my look and see phase, with a Geranium in Goomalling sketched in grey pastel with colour pencils filling in the background.

The cherry the banana

I was inspired to draw fruit (in graphite pencil) the other night by a scene in the film Across the Universe. In the scene, one of the main characters pins rows of strawberries to a canvas and the juice from each strawberry flows down the canvas like blood. It was a very romantic and passionate scene, and whilst I was tempted to do this at home, I was stopped by the thought that strawberries pinned to a canvas may perhaps not be so romantic after a sitting there a week or two. Anyway, I may try it yet. Just need to get into a fit of passionate frustration first...

County Kerry Pass

Pass in County Kerry in Ireland in oil pastels. And yes, not "ripped-off" someone else's photo this time :). he he. Unfortunately, the camera doesn't show up the texture as in the real thing, which I'm quite excited about because I'm working out how to use the pastels better in that way. Well maybe it does, but being a techno-phobe I haven't bothered to read the instructions and as usual am using the camera at its basic level!

Baby portrait

Portrait of my niece as baby with ink, graphite pencil and white chalk (based on Kathleen's photo - see Tiny Purple Fish June). The likeness isn't really there, however, after watching Star Portraits with Rolf Harris I think from now on I need to do a number of sketches to get the face likeness first and then get serious. I don't think getting serious up front works, particularly with ink as once ink is on paper, the damage is done! (Except white chalk does help to cover it up).

Duck dedication

Polychromas pastels on paper. Ads this one is for you! Drawn from Waterbirds of South-West Wetlands, photographers Bert and Bab Wells/Conservation and Land Management. Woke up one morning wanting to draw ducks. Weird its true, but apparently ducks are a symbol for resourcefulness. And trying to find books on ducks is definitely something that you need resources to do! Not an easy task.

Wire wrapped jewellery

Choker and bracelet using wire wrapping technique. Not the best photo, bit blurry for some reason. Used brown gauge wire for the bracelet and used some really cool indian glass beads. Choker I think has 6 gauge wire. Think I want to do some sculpture next but not sure where to start. Any ideas appreciated!

The cup

Oil pastels on paper. Inspired by Justin's (Wasserproof) coffee plunger piece. It made me remember that sometimes one item on a page is all that you need. Back to wire jewellery again today, not great for keeping your hands pretty though, and really time consuming, but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

Too many ciders

Oil pastels on a night after some ciders.

Self-portrait

Self-portrait in acrylics on canvas. Decided that stretched canvas is more forgiving than canvas board.

County Wicklow Creek

I thought I should start practising my painting since I have no idea what I'm doing in that arena. Hence my interpretation of a stream/creek near the Monastery ruins in County Wicklow and hence the time lag between this and my last blog entry. Went and saw a Nigel Hewitt exhibition at Greenhill Galleries yesterday which was great. Something very much to aspire to.

After the Bath

My copy (very poor one!) of Edgar Degas' "After the Bath" about circa 1890. His nudes done in pastel are awesome as they show women doing every day things not like some kind of pin-up. If you get the chance, check these out. http://www.expo-degas.com/1_5.cfm By the way, there seems to a number of Edgar Degas "After the Bath" works so it might be a bit hard to find this one! Unfortunately the camera picked up the white spaces in my copy which didn't seem to be there on paper. Probably needs some more work. Hopefully going to start some jewellery courses soon to get onto something different.

Monastery ruins

Steel nib and ink sketch of monastic ruins in County Wicklow. I gather from my friend Holly that the monks used to run up the tower when attacked by vikings. Pity, the entry to the tower is actually sealed up now, I am assuming for public liability reasons.

Sketch Cliffs of Moher

Quick sketch of Cliffs of Moher, County Clare Ireland. Spent more time trying to do a self-portrait - amazing how I can look at myself everyday and yet find it so difficult to capture me!

Bunratty Performer

Decided to go A1 this weekend which was a good change from my little sketch book. This is one of the perfomers at the Bunratty Medieval Banquet at Bunratty Castle, County Clare, Ireland, making some important point to one of the guests I'm guessing!

Black & White

My impression of the church at Loughrea, County Galway using simultaneous contrast. Not really a lot of output this week as feeling a bit frustrated. Will get to it tonight and probably try a seascape.

Da Vinci

I've been messing around with copying (trying!) some of Da Vinci's works to learn from the Master. His work, even his sketches are awesome. Hence, this, my poor rendition of the Herculean Portrait of a Warrior (c 1508). Anyway, it was a nice change from landscapes, which I will get back to this week...

Forest Newmarket-on-Fergus

This is my impression of an ancient forest in Newmarket-on-Fergus, Ireland using Faber-Castell Albert-Durer pencils. The biggest difficulty I had with this picture was trying to show the endlessness of the forest.

Bluish-Greenish

This is my impression of Dunloe Gap, Ring of Kerry, Ireland, using a Faber-Castell Cobalt Bluish-Greenish Pencil. I am fast discovering that colour pencils are more exciting to draw with and give a more interesting finish at times than the usual soft lead pencil. I have been playing with composition and trying to make my pictures have a more natual look as they tend to be on the heavy side at times.

6MileBridge

This is my interpretation of Holly with her first taste of guiness at Six Mile Bridge in Ireland, done in Faber-Castell Polychromas Pastels. I used the idea from Damien Rice's 9 CD cover where there is a drawing in colour pastels. Holly may not be particularly impressed with the likeness but I love how the pastels can work together and make for a really interesting picture. When I first bought them I was a bit disappointed, but now I am just beginning to see the opportunities they offer!